preventing mud on my bike

[cat-i]

that muddy lap at rietvlei got me thinking

 

my bike was so clogged up it coudln't go anywhere. how did some bicycles manage to make that lap?

 

- does it have something to do with clearance between e.g. wheel and frame? what types of bikes would be able to cycle through this mud

- would it help if i spray something like spray & cook?

- would it have helped if i just went faster?

 

[Ha Ha Kieran]

Not sure if this will work... Just an idea. I'm a roadie so won't even be testing it. Do what the Moto-Cross guys do with there goggles. Apply thin clear film to the frame and when you're finished, peel it off

[Procrates]

 

 

 

 

Get a single speed.

[javadude]

Do what i do with my mountain bike. I keep it in the garage during rainy season.

[Guest Agteros]

After the first lap, I sprayed everything drive train related with Wynns No5 at least every second lap. I tried 3 laps without doing it only once, and the gnashing of teeth emanated from the drive train...

[Wyatt Earp]

Cat-i some bikes just have better mud clearance than others, going faster won't really help and the spray and cook got us nowhere on the very first Sani2C, day two.

 

Good old mud tires are first prize and I have also learnt very early on that when it rains and it gets muddy, ride through every possible puddle that your eyes meet.

 

 

 

This was my bike at the same event, notice how clean the wheels are from riding through puddles.

 

 

 

[Danger Dassie]

Summit's advice is good, especially on the puddles.

 

Something else I've found to work is to spray the bike down with Mr Min.

[cat-i]

summit this is my bike - singlespeed wouldn't have helped.

 

this is exactly what i wanted to know - why was your bike ridable and mine not ?

 

i discovered the puddles quickly - at least the mud already on the bike was more pliable and the moving parts could move ... but would tyres alone make such a difference? cos if it does - then recommend some?

 

and clearance .... what brands of bike would have good clearance (i'm not changing bikes, just curious)

 

also - if you for example were on my bike for that lap you probably would have been able to finish that lap - wht would you have done differently?

ride through every puddle? maybe on the grass on the side of the road where possible? or just never stop, and the mud will fall off later?

 

 

 

 

[Ha Ha Kieran]

Dude... That's nasty... Did 24hour refer to how long it took to clean that?..?

[Wyatt Earp]

Cat-i I saw your bike when I came in to feed, I was feeling very sad for you.

 

Tyres will be discussed quite nicely in future editions of Tread.

 

I used a Specialized Captain (front) and a Fastrack (rear)

 

Stay off the grass(that I find is mostly where the sticky mud sits), attack the puddles,keep riding and the mud will start falling off, ride a lighter gear than usual and try to jump at every given opportunity, that first lap after the rain was terrible, however I did make it through with no problems.

 

I use Pedro's Chain J when I do 5 hour plus rides and I also use the same lube in the wet.

[Christopher Brunsdon]

Cat-i I was going to post a smart arsed remark about rather sticking to pavements but damn, thats now what you call mud !!!!

 

[cat-i]

haha kieran i did record a 10-hour lap ... that included the time the race was stopped, the time to do about 2 kays, then drag the bike back, clean it - with lots of help from very friendly and i suspect slightly amused - bystanders, and sleep till almost3 in the morning when i found out that that first muddy bit was not part of the route anymore.

 

i just couldn't believe that there were people able to ride that lap - all the bikes went through the same mud, what was the difference? the more i think about it, the more i think that riding style / pure strenght could have had something to do with it? maybe if i could just keep cycling the mud would have come off? not?

[Ha Ha Kieran]

I will be sticking to the roads

[Wyatt Earp]

maybe if i could just keep cycling the mud would have come off? not?

 

 

 

That and riding through water, I started getting cold and started getting hypothermia, jumped in to some winter kit and still attacked the water puddles

 

Well done by the way.

[cat-i]

 

Cat-i I saw your bike when I came in to feed' date=' I was feeling very sad for you.

 

Tyres will be discussed quite nicely in future editions of Tread.

 

I used a Specialized Captain (front) and a Fastrack (rear)

 

Stay off the grass(that I find is mostly where the sticky mud sits), attack the puddles,keep riding and the mud will start falling off, ride a lighter gear than usual and try to jump at every given opportunity, that first lap after the rain was terrible, however I did make it through with no problems.

 

I use Pedro's Chain J when I do 5 hour plus rides and I also use the same lube in the wet.[/quote']

 

thx summit - this explains why some folk made it through .... will make a note for next time i cycle in sabie, or anywhere in gauteng in summer

 

[nickc]

Cat-i, spraying your bike and polishing it with Mr Min seems to work bettet than spray and cook - the mud still cakes but cleaning the bike is a lot easier. For really muddy rides I use an off road motorcycle chain lube - Bel Ray works well, as these seem to last better than MTB specific lubes.