Perhaps out of necessity, many mountain bikers become keenly aware of the weather forecast. After all, tomorrow’s weather might dictate whether our favorite trails are open, or at the very least, which jacket we should pack for the ride. We don’t often publicly predict the results of surveys like this one, but our hypothesis is that most Singletracks readers check the weather forecast at least once a day.
Don’t like the weather? Wait 10 minutes!
When I was in Colorado it was very other day except during the Monsoon. In Michigan it’s a couple of times a day during the spring/fall, to see if it was going to be muddy (no go) or good to go.
Arizona was once in a blue moon.
Gotta know what’s going on in Colorado. A summer day here is usually beautiful, but on occasion, it can involve unrelenting sun, heat, rain, hail, snow, lightning, and freezing temps. All on the same day!
For sure a weather checker. Pretty much any weather excluding cold rain is game on.Checking gets your mind set for the conditions you’ll be riding
I check 4-5 times a week, for various reasons. If I’m riding my everyday local trails I want to know if there is a chance of lightning or winds (keep an eye on widow makers). The weather can make or break a bike trip. Last year’s travel included 6 days of rain in Brevard,NC and 4 days (our entire stay) in Durango, CO. Fortunately the we had 6 clear days in Brevard and our time in Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico and Moab was sunny.
You have to know what type of weather you’re riding. How to dress and how much nutrition/hydration to carry. Any chance it will change while you’re out. You have to be prepared for anything.
Not enough choices.
I ride no matter the weather (to an extent: some trails can’t handle rain, too much fresh snow is no fun), but I still check the weather so I know what to bring/expect.
Weather forecasts are incredibly helpful planning a ride . Take for instance in wind direction . If winds are on the high side I will try to plan a route that puts the wind at my back going uphill and maybe more of a headwind going down . I also can turn a low grade downhill into very fast letting wind give me a push .
Weather apps are great. So easy to keep track of the weather in multiple places at the same time.
Always check first for rain. There are local trails that hold up to a rain better than others so we need to find out if we can ride and if so, where we can ride. Trail integrity comes first. Other than that, we just check the weather to know what type of clothing to wear.