mud

carolinagirl · Mar 7, 2016

Anyone have advice on going down rutted hills in the mud? other than hang on for the ride? LOL.

We got some rain day before yesterday and as some of you know, our soil here is red clay. I found myself on a side trail in our friends woods and was already heading down a muddy hill before I knew it and could turn around. I basically just got my rear over the back of the seat, stood up a little and prayed I didn't crash. Once I got to the bottom and some gravel and loose dirt, I had some traction and could brake and collect my nerves.

Anything else I could have done differently? Or that just the nature of riding in muddy conditions?

Redordead89 · Mar 7, 2016

Keep away from the front brake unless your doing just a couple of mph :crash:

and as you learned that time, just ride it out shift your weight back and drop a cog before you drop in if you want a bit of engine braking to help you maintain control

2strokesteve89 · Mar 7, 2016

Yeah, at first maybe stay away from the front brake, when you start learning a little more brake control you can use it some, you can feel when the front brake is starting to cause the front end to stall so just kinda feather the brake accordingly. Also lowering the pressure in your tires helps, I usually run them around 11 front and 13 rear when I'm in normal riding conditions, in the muddy stuff I'll drop them to around 7 or 8 front and 9 or 10 rear, if you'll be going through varying terrains carry a pump with you so you can air back up when you get in the hard pack stuff, to prevent pinched tubes/flats. Also as far as body position I do keep my weight back but kinda on the back of the pegs and either with my butt on the seat or just off the seat depending on if I'm getting bounced around or not or if I need more traction on the rear tire or not. It's definatley a thing you feel more comfortable over time.

Redordead89 · Mar 7, 2016

Time to get a bigger bike is nearing! Bit more torque and you'll rip down it spitting red clay 25 foot skyward! Good question!!! Keep asking!

snowflake · Mar 9, 2016

I absolutely suck at riding in the mud.
I always keep my speed to the point where I can stop in an emergency without panicking and slamming the brakes, remember, the wheels will lock up easier than normal and then you just kinda float to wherever, I'd advise to reduce speed to what you want it to be before entering obstacles such as a corner or going down a hill, go a gear lower, and most importantly, stand upon the pegs, should be done anyway but is of extra importance when riding in less than ideal conditions.

Redordead89 · Mar 9, 2016

When I was growing up me and my siblings always got motorbikes for Christmas and being up here in Scotland it was always snowy/ slushy/ muddy just about every time we went out on the bike, I truly believe that that experience from childhood has instilled a love for driving and riding in these conditions! I'm probs the only driver in my work that looks forward to snow with my old diesel bus!

carolinagirl · Mar 9, 2016

I really appreciate the advice. Most of my friends are probably more like you Red, they love riding in mud. The place we ride most often is a lot of up an down hills through the woods and creek crossings. The trail entrances are all going up hill. So for a new rider, it's a little scary at first. I'll get it figured out eventually. I know at some point it's all going to "click" and I'll start trusting the machine to do what it's capable of and not being afraid i'm going to slam into a tree or go backwards down a hill.

ossagp · Mar 9, 2016

I usually stay in gear (some of my friends insist on neutral but like the bikes i learned on yours has a drum brake in the back) but i make sure it is a gear that is way too high. I never seem to like to have my head further back than the gas cap for any situation (unless i am climbing off the back). if you find a nice slick spot and zip tie your front brake to where the wheel is locked up and then start and put the bike in gear, you will find that in a few minutes you can do a reasonable job of steering and staying up. do that every once in awhile and i think you will find that if you do lock the front wheel you won't be so apt to lose it too. usually (like many other situations) the mental affect is worse than the physical one. in other words, our reactions put us on the ground more than our actions do. dont feel bad about coming to a complete stop at the top of a downhill and looking it over really good, then easing your way down. if the bike seems like it is going out of control to the point of a hard crash into imoveable things dont hesitate to lock the rear wheel and lay the bike down keeping your body uphill and your leg from underneath the bike. practicing that pays off too. one form of racing which requires that a rider be able to lay down a brakeless bike has a test to make sure you can before you can enter an event (google speedway motorcycle racing if you are not familiar).