Riding on Moss

[RodTi]

My ego is a bit bruised.

 

Ok. Ridiculously bruised.

 

 

I'm the first to admit I have the balance and coordination of a drunk, 2-yr old Hippo - but this stuff is just plain embarrassing...

 

So I'm hoping I'll find someone to agree with me - or else just gracefully take the justified abuse that a post like this will no doubt invite...

 

Off on one of the beaten tracks up Paarl Rock, is a hard-as-nails loop that varies from flattish to particularly steep... The loop either acts as a linkup with the top of the mountain's paths (going up) - or a potentially eyes-blurring quick downhill from the top tracks to the main bottom access road...

 

It's quite overgrown on either side by vegetation, and in spite of it being rather wide at parts - clearly doesn't always get a full-day's sun...

As a result, parts of this hard-as-nails path, are covered in what appears to be a very thin layer of moss(??)/algae(??) - which is either nowhere, or completely covering the surface area of the path...

 

So... my introduction to this loop was a few months back, with a mate on his full-susser, after a nice loop around the top of the Paarl mountain... Coming down - all was breezy for the first part - until the path started turning green... I remember thinking to myself: "That's odd - I wonder why the path's suddenly gone gree----- [darkness]...."

 

As soon as my tyres came into contact with the green, I found it to be the equivalent of what I suppose it would feel like to be riding around the Grandwest ice-rink, inebriated, on a mtb, backwards...

 

Took me 25 minutes to get down that section on the day.

I tried to ride on a few more times, but came off a random intervals, in successively more painful dismounts...

The main problem was that each wipe-out was completely unexpected - with no warning - wheels washout and over I go...

Walking down it turned out to be as much of a mission, since the hard-soles of my mtb-shoes didn't exactly offer oodles of grip!

 

Regardless, coming downhill - brakes appear to be irrelevant, since one's wheels have in any event practically been locked-up since the last time you stood up and remounted after the previous wipeout - and the bike basically just skids along... The slightest adjustment in weight, left or right, sees the front OR rear wash-out in the opposite direction, and you bouncing along the hard-as-nails path alongside your bike...

 

Going uphill (a few weeks later) - seated, and irrespective of gearing or my position on the bike - rear AND front tyres sporadically start spinning, as they lose grip with each crankturn... which results in the inevitable stall and foot-down.

 

F.U.N.

 

 

So... TWO questions:

 

1.] Coming down - is speed the key?

 

The first time we took the path, on the way down - my mate on the full-susser (who has been riding for donkey's years, and graduated to XC from old-skool DH riding) - appeared to get through it relatively unscathed. Granted - he was as white as a sheet when I reached him - but he went down alot quicker than I figured any sane person would have considered... He himself conceded he was lucky, since (as mentioned above), should he have needed to stop, he couldn't...

 

Momentum would presumably make washing out less likely - but I simply cannot get my head around bombing down something like that - since on the steep parts, speed is going to be picked up at a sick rate of knots, and there would simply be no means to slow down, never mind stopping...

 

2.] Down or up - would tyre selection make a difference?

 

The first time down, I was on the point of replacing my tyres - since their tread was virtually smooth...

I've since gone up the route again - with new tyres (Vredenstein Black Panthers on back, Crossmarks on the front) - and couldn't see any improvement... With the trail being as hard as it is - in spite of it always being moist - the tyres don't appear to have anything to grip 'into' - which explains the spinning 'on/in' the moss/algae...

 

I'm thinking that if anything - tyre pressure would probably make the biggest difference? I'm no lightie - so in spite of running 3 bar at the back, and 2 bar at the front - tyres do appears to be bulging sufficiently ... bit nervous to go any lower, though - so I guess this is a moot point?

 

 

So...

 

Have any fellow Hubbers [i guess Paarl Hubbers would know where I'm talking about] come across algae/moss as described above on their regular rides?

If so - how do you guys/gals approach it?

Am I the only one who appears to be riding it in a similar fashion to a cat on a glass-top table? Or do some of you also struggle?

I'm completely aware of the fact that experienced riders float over these sections as if they're hardly there - so I really want to try and work out *how*!

 

[As an aside - on one of the days I was heading up - I glanced over the dam and saw the other side of the loop, the downhill section, and could make out two riders heading down... They weren't flying, but were certainly taking it way faster than I had thought possible... I passed them later in the morning on a different section - and their Addidas kit, rides and appearance had me figuring them to be European... I assumed they would be more used to riding over algae - but then cancelled that thought since here, in my own backyard - I had a stretch of mountain with moss 365 days of the year...] I guess I should probably just suck it up and learn...

 

Any thoughts - similar experiences - suggestions - comments - would of course, be appreciated!

[eitan]

They don't call that path the Eliminator for nothing.

[eitan]

My rule with the paths on Paarlberg is that after winter you must first be able to ride them up before attempting to ride them down.

 

But then again I am a banggat.

[RodTi]

They don't call that path the Eliminator for nothing.

 

 

Eitan - I already feel better now, thanks! B)

 

I remember seeing "Eliminator" on the maps off the old Paarl mtb website, but never made the link between it and the section I'm referring to...

 

Makes complete sense, and I reason it to be an apt description!

[RodTi]

My rule with the paths on Paarlberg is that after winter you must first be able to ride them up before attempting to ride them down.

 

But then again I am a banggat.

 

 

Good suggestion - will keep trying from the bottom first!

 

Have you found it to be dry / algae-free in December/Jan/Feb?

[RodTi]

Nobody else?

No moss/algae anywhere else?

 

Or was this simply too much to read?

[Stryder]

Saddle low, low. Feet out like training wheels (preferably with wheels fitted to your shoes), fat tyres, low CofG

 

Kidding, good question.

[Shebeen]

It is a well known phenomenon-usually called GREEN DEATH.

 

There are hundred's of theories, but the only foolproof one is to get a powerbalance bangle

[SeaBee]

Dude, I know EXACTLY where and what Eliminator is. I rode it often in summer - and then only once after winter started poroperly. Being new to mtb'ing, that was when I decided I value my time on bike and want to enjoy it, not fear it! I'll ride it when it's dry again - and for me that's enough of a challenge! (Jip, nog 'n banggat!)

 

There's a path called Marathon loop, if I have it correctly, which is also rather green... It's the one joining the road up to the tower and the middle one (BMW). Great to ride, awesome views, but a lot of shady places, where the green stuff flurished last time I went there. Found myself spinning whilst going uphill - which is quite and accomplishment for me! I haven't been there in a while due to a combination of illness, subsequent unfitness and of late my road friends calling. But I can't imagine it being any less green now. Ride that - it's much more enjoyable! More undulations, more options, etc.

[RodTi]

It is a well known phenomenon-usually called GREEN DEATH.

 

There are hundred's of theories, but the only foolproof one is to get a powerbalance bangle

 

 

[RodTi]

Dude, I know EXACTLY where and what Eliminator is. I rode it often in summer - and then only once after winter started poroperly. Being new to mtb'ing, that was when I decided I value my time on bike and want to enjoy it, not fear it! I'll ride it when it's dry again - and for me that's enough of a challenge! (Jip, nog 'n banggat!)

 

There's a path called Marathon loop, if I have it correctly, which is also rather green... It's the one joining the road up to the tower and the middle one (BMW). Great to ride, awesome views, but a lot of shady places, where the green stuff flurished last time I went there. Found myself spinning whilst going uphill - which is quite and accomplishment for me! I haven't been there in a while due to a combination of illness, subsequent unfitness and of late my road friends calling. But I can't imagine it being any less green now. Ride that - it's much more enjoyable! More undulations, more options, etc.

 

 

Thanks Seabee - good to know I'm not alone in this!

 

I've been up to the tower a few times - and noticed the green as well, fortunately, I've been lucky in that the times I've been up it hasn't covered the whole road - which has meant I could hammer on the way down ....

 

Still want to go all the way around to the back - haven't been that way in ages, battle to find the time these days - but agreed - views are amazing!

 

Hope you find your mtb legs soon again!

[Pappa Bear]

Had a simaler experience in the Sabie plantations... Riding and then.....why am I on the ground ??

[SeaBee]

Sorry no, wasn't talking about the road to the tower, that's just gravel.

The tower road forms an outer loop and the first fork (to krismis camp) is the end of it. There's a second fork which will lead you right up to a point just below the cement path, on the opposite side as you approach the cement path from the tower. (You join the outer loop there.) The bit of jeep track is actually between that road and the part of the tower road leading up to the tower. You may have noticed it's one end as you went up to the tower - there a wooden mini-gate (with mtb tread both sides of it!) But difficult to explain, sorry!

 

That outer loop (all the way round the back) is also great, super when you first look out over Paarl, then later toward the northern farms, then the dam, then over the Durbanville-side and R44.

 

Favourite part for me of the whole ride is, esp. on early mornings when you catch the sun just over the granite heads, popping up next to the dam on the return portion from krismis.

[eitan]

The loop you are talking about is the Marathon loop (also called BMW loop). It is still very green, but rideable. I rode it twice this week, once in the dark and once in early morning light. Must be one of the most beautifull paths on the mountain. There is another green and slippery loop that goes down towards the Taal Monument. I remember an Anderson Transport rider seeing hi arse there during last year's Rheebokskloof race.

[eitan]

I have found that it helps to ride with very low tyre pressure ( I go down to 1.5bar). But then you risk burping the tyre.

[RodTi]

Did the Marathon loop over the weekend - good fun, and I'm happy to report - the moss was ridable!

Beautiful loop - there are sections where those weird looking ferns are growing so high - it's quite easy to imagine yourself being caught on Jur-ass-has-had-it-Park island!

 

I can see how that could be very tricky in Winter - but at least it's not as steep as the Eliminator, which makes it a bit more manageable...

 

Started off by riding up BMW for the first time (anyone know why it's called that?) - at the top fork, I went right - up the Cement path.

 

Holy moses. Any Paarl mtb'ers know of anyone who can actually ride the whole way up? My gradient reading on the Garmin was jumping around like crazy - but was happily staying in double figure percentages - is that even possible?

 

Next time I do BMW - will swing right at the top intersection, head down that rocky downhill, and then join up with the outside track in the direction of Christmas Camp - think that's pretty much the only part I still need to explore!

 

Good times ahead!