This came up yesterday at the State Trails Council meeting, and I thought I'd pass it on. Article based on press release from DNR linked below.
I think it's very exciting that so many people have taken up winter biking. But apparently, the explosion in fat bikes has lead to the DNR getting a lot of questions and concerns. 1. Where you can legally bike. If you can bike there in the summer, and the trail is not groomed for XC skiing, you can ride there in the winter. If you can't ride there in the summer, you probably can't ride there in the winter. 2. Many snowmobile trails are on private land. Please ask permission from the landowner before using these trails, even if there are snowmobiles there. The snowmobilers have already obtained permission. 3. As always, be aware of the issues of speed differential. Whether it's fair or not, many users of higher-speed vehicles (in this case snowmobiles) aren't expecting you. Biking off-road in the winter is still pretty new in many areas, and it's going to take awhile for people to realize there might be a user going much slower around the corner. 4. As always, use lights at night and wear visible clothes during the day. visibility can be especially tricky with in winter because of low light on cloudy days, little contrast on sunny days, and early evening, not to mention the possibility of glasses and goggles fogging up or people being forced to squint in the cold. http://host.madison.com/news/local/fat-bikes-ski-bikes-a-concern-on-state-trails-in/article_1ba487d3-adab-505f-8e10-b32afa17fd35.html Robbie Webber Transportation Policy Analyst State Smart Transportation Initiative www.ssti.us 608-263-9984 (o) [email protected]
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