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Mountain Biking in the Mud

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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
It has been absolutely PISSING rain for the past 2 days and tomorrow is supposed to pop blue, so i was gonna go for a quick 1 hr ride on some local trails. Is there anything i should know, or do differently? I would wait but i havent done anything athletic(working out not included) for almost 2 months due to work and weather and my ski season starts wednesday so i want to get my "flow" back.

i.e. will my disc brakes still work fine? how slidey will it be? any other tips?
Dec 23 2012 10:11PM
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cbj
Posts: 2114 - Karma: 1,136
Just go, and be sure to pump every puddle you can. wear goggles though, or none if you're a real man. Do some stretches first and expect to fall a couple times so wear good footwear. Also don't hit any wooden features that seem the least bit sketch
Dec 23 2012 10:13PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
DO NOT RIDE! please be a good steward of the trails. When you ride after it rains, you create erosion and ruts in the trails. It also increases the number of potholes and makes them worse. A trail takes 16 hours to dry after rain, and if it's been pouring for 2 days straight, you need to wait at least a few more days, preferably more since it's probably cold out.
Dec 23 2012 10:19PM
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,497
fuck it go out, just watch out for the wet roots. If you have decent disk brakes they will be fine.. might squeak a bit but other then that just do it.
Dec 23 2012 10:25PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
If you do make the irresponsible choice to still ride, your disc brakes will still work, but likely not as well. Make sure to stick exactly to the trail. RIDE THROUGH PUDDLES, NOT AROUND. Lower your tire pressure a bit to get better grip (be careful no to ban up your rims while riding though.) Also, be careful in corners. I want to remind you that it takes an incredible amount of work to make and maintain these trails. Are you riding tight-packed singletrack, or grassy doubletrack/fireroads? If it's doubletrack, give her hell, you don't need to worry about ruining it or anything.
Dec 23 2012 10:25PM
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daannnnieel
Posts: 5163 - Karma: 4,293
have a good time and don't try to ride too fast. your disk brakes will work perfectly fine, and cornering will be really interesting.
Dec 23 2012 10:28PM
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,497
lawl the best days are the ones after it rains especially DH or freeride.
Dec 23 2012 10:30PM
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YouAllSuck
Posts: 632 - Karma: 1,177
Basically this, if the trails are as wet as OP makes it sounds they will get torn up. If it is sunny and they dry up, so they are tacky, but not soaking wet. Then is will be fun to ride, and you will not destroy the trails
Dec 23 2012 10:49PM
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JahFeels
Posts: 779 - Karma: 587
Be prepared to fall and not be able to stop down steep hills
Dec 24 2012 12:27AM
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Linked
Posts: 325 - Karma: 216
Riding when it's wet is just as fun, stay away from any wood unless it has some sort of grip on it, get lose and don't be afraid to get absolutely covered in mud,
you seem like you haven't ever risen in the wet is that common through our the states or just California.

Causasian if the trail is well built riding in the rain will be no problem
Dec 24 2012 12:29AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
watch out for wet roots and whalebacks. also in deep mud patches just keep cranking through and don't focus too much on steering. try to respect the trail a little though
Dec 24 2012 12:44AM
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Broken_Rides
Posts: 334 - Karma: 224
and that was the time I realized dirtbikes are way more fun than bicycles
Dec 24 2012 12:46AM
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ihitchadsgap
Posts: 472 - Karma: 55
try and ride in straight lines
Dec 24 2012 12:47AM
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the-honeypossum
Posts: 529 - Karma: 130
dont lock up the brakes
Dec 24 2012 12:54AM
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ejm
Posts: 794 - Karma: 196
depends what and where your going riding, If it`s super muddy, at least my trails which are mainly clay, it gets so damn slippery i literally cant walk back up to the top. Your disc`s will be fine. just don`t let big blobs of mud build up, and wash you bike really well after riding.

Also, not my call, but if your riding local trails that other bikers have built, be aware that riding when its really muddy can take a toll on the trails, and its a pain in the ass to fix, but also given that it`s winter, most trails will need cleaned up in the spring anyway so it`s your call.
Dec 24 2012 12:54AM
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special-J
Posts: 1572 - Karma: 4,477
this thread is ridiculous. dude, it's mud. If you are that concerned then don't ride, you will probably hurt yourself.
Dec 24 2012 2:37AM
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
DH+RAIN=FUN
Dec 24 2012 2:49AM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
According to the Minnesota Off Road Cyclists:
"Beyond major closures, knowing when not to ride after a rainfall can be less obvious. Trails will not be posted as closed or fenced off after normal rainfalls/storms, so it is up to you to make an educated decision. Here are some general rules regarding wet conditions:

- Trails should not be used during wet weather, or when the trail is soft or muddy.
- Trails are open if the trail is firm and the surface will not be disturbed by foot or bike travel.
- PLEASE be patient if the trail isn't ready... allow the trail to dry before riding.
- Trails are typically too wet to ride for 18-24 hours after a significant rainfall.
- Riding wet trails damages the trail by creating ruts that increase erosion. "

No matter if the trial is well built or not, riding while wet creates ruts down the trail, encouraging erosion from water running down, not across.
Dec 24 2012 11:41AM
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jblaski
Posts: 5561 - Karma: 1,027
One thing that bugs me a bunch is people who whine about mountain biking on muddy trails. It's mountain biking, stop being a little bitch! If you want to ride perfectly smooth trails with no ruts or bumps, go buy a god damn road bike and stick to the concrete. When I go biking, I want to go splash through a bunch of puddles and come back covered in mud.
Dec 24 2012 11:54AM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
It's not that I don't like getting rugged. Consider how much time it takes them to make the trail you ride, and how much time they spend maintaining it.
Click for larger image
Dec 24 2012 12:01PM
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B-runge
Posts: 16558 - Karma: 360
yeah this is what is was like in idaho too, then i moved to a place that has a legitemate mtb community where it rains all the damn time and realized what a joke these rules are. If i want to go shred, 20+ of the days of the month are going to be wet so im not just going to sit it out so you dont have to ride over some small bumps
Dec 24 2012 12:07PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
I'm not sure if you're calling Minnesota's MTB community a joke, but you couldn't possibly be more wrong.
Dec 24 2012 12:09PM
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jblaski
Posts: 5561 - Karma: 1,027
How much time, money, and effort gets spent by your local resort building and maintaining a terrain park? Yet, every time you hit a rail kicker or jump, it damages it to some extent.

Long story short, you have to pay to play the game.
Dec 24 2012 12:13PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
Well it's free access to all of the trails (at least here,) and they're built completely by volunteers, with help from the county. On the other hand, I pay to ride at ski hills, the people who maintain the features are paid, and everything is much more renewable.
Dec 24 2012 12:15PM
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B-runge
Posts: 16558 - Karma: 360
i was talking more about idaho, but with rules like that...
Maybe its just that the soil makeups are way different, when i ride in the rain in WA its smooth and fast rollin(not sticky sinking mud) for a majority of the time with just a few puddles in depressions in the trail.
Dec 24 2012 12:34PM
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ejm
Posts: 794 - Karma: 196
i love tearing through the mud on a rainy day as much as the next guy, but on my own trails. idk if you have ever built and maintained a trail before, but it takes up alot of time and takes alot of effort. So when i show up for a day of riding only to find that my landings have been torn to shit and I now have flat lips with huge ruts its anoying cause ive already put in the time to get everything dialed the way i want it. Yes, i agree mountain biking for sure isn't just about riding perfectly smooth trails, but theres parts of trails that you just dont want to have big ruts and bumpy areas on.
Dec 24 2012 3:25PM
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
and that's why I ride DH, the more rutted out, gnarly, bumpy, pot-holed, and eroded the better.
Dec 25 2012 3:48PM
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