Riding in MUD

[Andyr249]

What? MTB'ers scared of mud?

Remember the 24 hour last year at Rietvlei with that mud! I would ratehr not ride if it is so muddy! Unless you win the lotto or rob a bank!

[Bman]

If you are sponsored or have lots of bucks do it, if not... leave it. Stuffs a bike up.

AGREED if you say used a 50% used cassette, after how many km would it be half used?

[KnobbyMech]

good advive from morewood mad....

 

Ive heard of people spraying release agent like spray and cook on frame and tires, Id maybe try that..

Run full lenth cable outers with seals at the end.

 

dont use front brakes on offcam slick corners best is break before the corner and roll through.

 

make sure you have metal sintered brake pads.

 

Works ok, but do not get it anywhere near your brake rotors or tyres!

 

Funny thing about that race is that you hope it doesn't rain when the alternative is incredible heat at high humidity. Love the race, but wish it wasn't in December.

 

Another tip is to wear a water resistant cap (brow type) with a long brow under your helmet. Keeps the water from you helmet spunges from running into your face and protecting you from those drops at higher speeds.

 

Also fit a piece of cut tube between your fork crown and uppers. It flexes when the fork depresses and prevents the mud from being shot out in front of you (this is the mud you ride into that gets in your eyes.

 

Go with the right mindset, riding in rain and mud can be fun, but if you loose your sense of humour, it's all over.

[Elvis]

Listen to the dude! That race cost me a fortune in post race maintenance not to mention the paint that was "sandpapered" off my frame during the race. I saw a lot of people collect their goodie bags and go home. I though "Wussies!!" How wrong I was... I should have followed their example. That race changed my whole perception of wet races. How much fun can it be when you can't cane the downhills and do the jumps??? The only race I can remember where I had to pedal downhill to keep moving

Woooosssseeee :lol:

[kennyg]

My advice- what I am doing, my training bike is becoming my wet race bike, just like below.

 

Get a hard tail, less bearings and moving parts, put all your old 50% worn gear on it... Get mud tyres, get fullcable covers, get fork boots...

 

My sub 10 Kg hard tail is no 11 Kg but will run hard and well in the wet.

 

Every component has cartridge bearing so they a cheap easy swop/service.

 

 

At the event, keep it clean, ride the watery lines not the muck on the side, stay away from drainage or beware of the ditches with flowing water or where water once flowed. In the very wet, you not riding as fast so the Hard tail doesn't panel you like in a normal race.

 

Tyres, a conti-mountain king is a good choice, but any open deept section tread that cleans well will work.

 

 

If you are racing, its likely that you will fall, rather ride a section at 100% safe or walk the extremes. Clay is not your friend...no rubber stick to the hard wet types, same with wet roots. I used to laugh at an instruction on my dirt bike, it said" Never stop in area where is is difficult to stand", sometimes that is the case on a wet MTB day

 

Sabie X 08, my partner took a bum slide down a section rather than ride, a great laugh but he waited 4 mins for me to come down by foot and wheel.

 

I have done a few wet races, and spent a ton of my riding time in Northern Europe and the UK... there you can only ride if you going to mud ride...

[cat-i]

Find mud and practice riding in it. Serious.

 

you can go practice this weekend at the preride

[iRob]

i live in cape town so thats probably not going to happen.