It’s funny because the year before last was probably one of the best years in the last 20+ years of riding. We got an early freeze and that freeze held pretty much all winter. Almost every trail you’d go down was groomed highway flat and they stayed that way because there was good riding all over the NE so everyone wasn’t pounding the crap out of the same area. I knew it was time to get out of the hobby when even with those amazing conditions I still only put about 350 miles on the sled.
Maybe you should sell me that orange 2 wheeled machine so you have room for your sleds.
I always encourage everyone to get out and try it but this sounds like a terrible idea. If you’re currently having back issues I wouldn’t recommend it like everyone else said.
Lol’d thinking about the times we’ve been stuck or other people we ride with etc.
Those people are seriously the worst. No idea what they are talking about and already have a preconceived opinion.
I’ve been towing the sled trailer with a car for 5 years now. The looks you get are priceless but it works fine.
As for money, depends on what you are into. I always hear bike or boat people complain that sleds are useless for too much of the year. It’s the same damn thing if you think about it. Motorcycles usually sit from Nov - April and boats are usually usable for 3.5 months maybe 4 if you are lucky. Stupid argument.
Also you have to have a desire to do big mileage. Last season sucked (290 miles) but the season before that I did 1400 miles and the year before that 1040. You need to be willing to take days off and drive to where the snow is.
My back is getting better but if it gives your ass a pounding bouncing repeatedly on the seat as you hit bumps then yeah I shouldn’t get one. Unless it can be fun going slow lol
I was thinking about picking up a sled this year, but I might have to hold off another year. I’m going to have to live vicariously through this thread.
I agree it’s a stupid argument, but I launch my boat in March or April, and I just pulled it last week. Fall cruises are awesome. You can get a lot more use out of a boat if you’re not a pansy.
You should see it out west… at the snow parks, you’ll have guys driving lifted HD diesel pickups (Denali,King Ranch, Laramine, no base level shit) with two brand new sleds (mountain sleds are nearing $15k) with a bunch of mods…Turbos, top of the line suspension etc.
Its like keeping up with the damn Jones out here… granted, we can ride every day from November til May…so…theres that.
Even if you’re a pansy who only goes out in swimsuit weather you’ll get way more use out of a boat than a snowmobile in WNY. If you count just June, July and August that’s 3 solid months vs a week in Dec (if you’re lucky) to maybe the first week in March for good snowmobiling. And unlike a snowmobile where a couple days of bad weather (rain, warmup etc) can wreck your trails until the next snow you can get 3-4 solid days of terrible boat weather and immediately go out on the river as soon as the rain stops.
In my case my boat goes in for spring fishing usually in April and I winterize it in Oct.
historically, guys that don’t ride very much are the ones who think sledding is a waste of money.
looking at you jays 
/shots fired
Haha, first couple years I’d put over 1-1.5k on my sled. I got out because I found I’d rather be skiing with my daughter than snowmobiling and the last season I reg’d I put 400ish even with amazing conditions.
You really have to commit to the snowmobile to get those kind of miles though. The window where the trails are great is really small in WNY. Worst of all there might be 1 or 2 days out of every 7 day week where you’re not dealing with a warmup or thin coverage that gets trails closed. If you have other commitments it’s easy to go a week or more where you can’t ride and that’s tough in an 8-10 week season. And if you don’t want to ride alone you need a buddy who’s just as committed.
That’s great that you get that much usage out of it but the majority of people don’t unless they like to fish. Agree on the fall cruises too but here in the FLX you need to make sure you pull the boat out or get it off the lift before they drain the lake level. After that happens it makes things way more difficult or you run the risk of damaging the boat on the ramp. Not to mention winterizing so your shit doesn’t freeze lol.
Been around boats my entire life, the majority of people I know don’t boat much past the end of September unless they fish. The fishing guys have an easier time launching in lower water level conditions.
That’s usually the case lol.
Obviously this is all subjective there is no right answer, comes down to what you enjoy. I’ve done the opposite, grew up skiing and still go from time to time but I find it more boring and it keeps getting more expensive. Skiing is certainly not a cheap hobby with all the gear and equipment and obviously riding sleds even more so but it’s hard to justify $60-$70 for 4 hours when riding a sled all day is $20 in gas + food. The excitement level is way higher with riding sleds IMO.
I guess having kids changes things but when we have a good season like 14-15 we didn’t have an issue with riding 2-3 times a week with night riding after work. No warm ups or trail closures, was a fantastic season.
The other big downside with a sled, especially if you’re going try and make it a family thing is the number of idiots out there. It’s pretty rare to go out for a 100+ mile ride without running into at least one idiot going way too fast around a blind corner. Then you stop at a bar with 50+ sleds parked outside and watch the majority of the riders knocking back beer after beer with their meals knowing you’re going to be sharing the trails with those idiots. Those two things were a huge part of me deciding against getting my daughter a sled and sticking with the sport as a family activity vs just me and a couple friends. Thankfully when you watch the news about sledding fatalities it’s almost always the drunk and/or speeding person who only takes out themselves when they plow a tree but there was at least one last year I remember on Tug Hill where the guy plowed head on into another sled and killed the guy.
Definitely agree on that. Always lots of wahoo’s out and about. One of the annoyances with the sport. It’s why I ride with a Tekvest.
I drink but never when riding. Feel as though I need all the coordination I can get, don’t need anything to inhibit that.
As of December 6th I’ve been out three times, put on over 150 miles, 90% of that off trail.
Reason number 893279020901 to GTFO of WNY. 
2-3 feet possible in the heaviest lake bands. Get ready for a bunch of pissed off landowners/hunters when people start ripping around on closed trails this weekend.
Possible to legally ride up north next week. Obviously snow and club depending. Deer and bear season ends earlier up north than it does everywhere else.
I might be looking to make the drive next week. Damn hunting season, it feels like it’s going later and later every year.
Dude, it’s so eye opening living out west, we have SO much freedom (except those poor suckers in CA)
Literally everything out here is better than the east coast, with the exception of Buffalo’s food.
Land of the free…
It really isn’t about freedom. In NY, and the east in general, the land is mostly private because these are populated areas. NY’s snowmobile trail system only exists because of generous landowners who let people ride on their properly. The tradeoff here is they only want people riding in the designated trail. Out west it’s tons of public access lands so boondocking is completely acceptable.
Of course even if 90% of NY was public access lands I’m sure this nannystate would still find a way to fuck it up.