Sell the lead, buy a mountain sled and a handgun
Celebrate your escape from Chicago
Celebrate your escape from Chicago
Trail Sled vs. Mountain Sled in Colorado
- Thread starter Ronzo1969
- Start date
Sell those sleds back there and the matching neon logo helmet and suit that you probably have to go with them.
If you live here, then ride like it. Don't be one of the people we point at when we pass you and say, "Hey, look at the flatlanders. Too bad they won't be able to experience real mountain riding."
You will be frustrated riding the short tracks out here. You'll look at where everyone else is going with envy.
How do I know? I'm also originally from IL. My brother still lives there and rides the corn fields and ditchs. I won't ever go back to that now that I have learned what riding in real snow is like.
You can find some really nice used equipment out here, so I'd recommend going that route for sure.
Learn to ride standing up, and not sitting down with a beer in your brake hand -- your gonna love it!
If you live here, then ride like it. Don't be one of the people we point at when we pass you and say, "Hey, look at the flatlanders. Too bad they won't be able to experience real mountain riding."
You will be frustrated riding the short tracks out here. You'll look at where everyone else is going with envy.
How do I know? I'm also originally from IL. My brother still lives there and rides the corn fields and ditchs. I won't ever go back to that now that I have learned what riding in real snow is like.
You can find some really nice used equipment out here, so I'd recommend going that route for sure.
Learn to ride standing up, and not sitting down with a beer in your brake hand -- your gonna love it!
Sell the short tracks.
Buy true mountain sleds.
Wife and I have a 144 and a 155.
If I was to do it over again I'd buy her a 155 track with CFI as opposed to carb's as it's more forgiving to driver error in deep snow
and runs well all the time no matter what the temperature or altitude
My 2 cent's
Pete
Buy true mountain sleds.
Wife and I have a 144 and a 155.
If I was to do it over again I'd buy her a 155 track with CFI as opposed to carb's as it's more forgiving to driver error in deep snow
and runs well all the time no matter what the temperature or altitudeMy 2 cent's
Pete
how funny...
one year back east i did 3000 miles. i could have rode to CA on my sled. it was a POS polaris indy sport with a terrible suspension but i didnt know any better nor did i care
its funny when you call back east and tell them you only did 45 miles for the day. they cant understand it and dont realize that every muscle in your body hurts and you bicepts are trembling....and you quit at 2pm.... ha ha ha
so funny.
one year back east i did 3000 miles. i could have rode to CA on my sled. it was a POS polaris indy sport with a terrible suspension but i didnt know any better nor did i care
its funny when you call back east and tell them you only did 45 miles for the day. they cant understand it and dont realize that every muscle in your body hurts and you bicepts are trembling....and you quit at 2pm.... ha ha ha
so funny.
Congrats on the new toys, you'll love them!!!!
you chose wisely
you chose wisely
Ronzo,
Welcome to Colorado, I hope all is going well thus far. Like you, my bride of 30 years and I moved from back east (upstate NY) to Colorado Springs around January last year. I immediately picked up a couple of older, used sleds; MXZ's, (800 and a 500) modified from the east coast (go figure) with 145, 2" lug tracks. Heavy sleds but we still had a good time in the mountains, except for the numerous "extractions" after getting stuck. I say it was the lack of experience in "real" snow instead of the stuff we had back east that caused all the digging. Anyway, flotation came to mind and I bought a set of wider skies for both sleds and that immediately tripled our enjoyment. I just sold my beast and upgraded to a newer (2008) summit XP snow check with 163" track, which in the one season I road here I decided the upgrade was warranted, but what do I know. Wife still likes hers. It is definitely a learning curve you have to experience and then make decisions based on your riding desires.
If I had to offer a recommendation, leave the sleds behind and sale them soonest. There are plenty of good machines here for sale and reasonable prices can be negotiated.
Another recommendation, find an old timer who knows some of the areas you want to ride in and tag along for the first season. Speaking from one year of "newbie" experience, it is a whole new world here in the mountains, forget what you thought snowmobiling was about.
We try to ride almost every weekend so don't hesitate to contact me if you would like to see some areas. We're still learning too so we always go along with some local expertise.
Chaos
Welcome to Colorado, I hope all is going well thus far. Like you, my bride of 30 years and I moved from back east (upstate NY) to Colorado Springs around January last year. I immediately picked up a couple of older, used sleds; MXZ's, (800 and a 500) modified from the east coast (go figure) with 145, 2" lug tracks. Heavy sleds but we still had a good time in the mountains, except for the numerous "extractions" after getting stuck. I say it was the lack of experience in "real" snow instead of the stuff we had back east that caused all the digging. Anyway, flotation came to mind and I bought a set of wider skies for both sleds and that immediately tripled our enjoyment. I just sold my beast and upgraded to a newer (2008) summit XP snow check with 163" track, which in the one season I road here I decided the upgrade was warranted, but what do I know. Wife still likes hers. It is definitely a learning curve you have to experience and then make decisions based on your riding desires.
If I had to offer a recommendation, leave the sleds behind and sale them soonest. There are plenty of good machines here for sale and reasonable prices can be negotiated.
Another recommendation, find an old timer who knows some of the areas you want to ride in and tag along for the first season. Speaking from one year of "newbie" experience, it is a whole new world here in the mountains, forget what you thought snowmobiling was about.
We try to ride almost every weekend so don't hesitate to contact me if you would like to see some areas. We're still learning too so we always go along with some local expertise.
Chaos
Same story here. Ditch the Z1's ASAP, unless you just want to trailer ride (which is fine). Grand Mesa, Flattops, Grand Lake, Vail Pass all have pretty established trail systems. Nothing like back east though. I grew up in Chitcago too!
First time you get off trail though, you'll have the ride of your life for about 2 min until the boat anchor hits bottom and you spend a long time getting a 700# dtich pickle back to terra firma. (I know, I came out West with an XCR 600. Good dead lift excercise!)
FWIW, the local Cat dealer got a F1000 couple years ago. Can't give it away.
A lightweight short tracker with a paddle track would work in marginal powder and spring conditions, no hills though. Z1, not so much. I could get around on the flats in 2' of powder on my Wifes ZR500 with a 1.75" paddle track, but it was pinned WFO the whole time and you didn't stop unless you were pointed downhill in a track, period. Or you were digging.
If you're serious about riding out here, sell them in IL and pick up a couple M sleds if that's your flavor.
Oh and welcome to CO. You'll never want to go back to IL!
First time you get off trail though, you'll have the ride of your life for about 2 min until the boat anchor hits bottom and you spend a long time getting a 700# dtich pickle back to terra firma. (I know, I came out West with an XCR 600. Good dead lift excercise!)
FWIW, the local Cat dealer got a F1000 couple years ago. Can't give it away.
A lightweight short tracker with a paddle track would work in marginal powder and spring conditions, no hills though. Z1, not so much. I could get around on the flats in 2' of powder on my Wifes ZR500 with a 1.75" paddle track, but it was pinned WFO the whole time and you didn't stop unless you were pointed downhill in a track, period. Or you were digging.
If you're serious about riding out here, sell them in IL and pick up a couple M sleds if that's your flavor.
Oh and welcome to CO. You'll never want to go back to IL!
C
cokingcat
Active member
I didn't get to read every reply but it seems like there are good points to each side. It would be helpfull to know more of what you like, and willing to take on. If your older, not willing to pick up a new kind of riding, unhealthy, not willing to do it right and like club events, then stick with what you got. If your going really ride co then don't convert your sled. Buy the right for you. I also wouldn't rush into buying a diffrent one. I was also from Chicago, and it totally diffrent in the back country... I don't think it's ever too late to take something new on.
E
Ex-Member
ACCOUNT CLOSED
Best advice yet.
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