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And before anyone says owt, this certainly isn't a complaint! Just an observation. No doubt on my own crap technique.
We had a belting run round Rivi last night. I can't remember the trails this dry, fast an dusty. And therein lies the problem*.
I was definitely slower down the San Marino last night than I am when there's a stream running down it (the other 364 days a year). I have no problem hooning down it when its a trail of ankle deep filth. But I was all over the place, quite frankly, last night! There were a few very hairy, sideways moments.
I'm reckoning this is due to me being completely out off practice on dry, loose sketchy stuff. Its been literally years since the trails have been like this. They've been sodden bogs for 24 straight months at least, before the last few weeks.
Anyway.... hopefully I'll have chance for plenty more practice. Looks like it 😀
Anyone else finding this though? Or is it just me?
* its not really a problem
yup
My riding's far from techy, but not used to riding on gravelly feeling stuff so much.
All those little stones that'd normally provide traction by being half stuck in the soil, but have all now broken loose and are free to roll around makes things a little more exciting again.
takes some practice
Its brilliant.
Different to the normal sticky trails we ride in the UK, my riding has come on leaps and bounds over the last fortnight, now loving the feeling of the bike sliding around under me....still not comfortable with a sliding front but i sorted that (mostly) by running a super tacky on the front with lower pressure than the rear....long may it continue.
It's quality, I was in the Isle of Man last week for the Southern 100, but managed to get a couple of rides in.
I was loving some of the descending, especially with a super tacky minion in the front, grips like shit to a blanket.
Also, anyone who thinks that the braking bumps at trail centres are bad, try riding through the ones created by mx bikes, one trail was like an increasing washboard into every corner, with the last 'oscillation' being larger than my bike!
Loose, dusty trails require you to be a lot smoother with your braking than in tacky conditions, which is what I was having difficulty with at Aston Hill last weekend. I eventually got it and things flowed a lot better.
Yes, I'm finding that normally even in dryish conditions there is still a bit of gloop somewhere to bind things together, In these super dry conditions there is a sort of shiney, slipperyness that is causing the bike to be everywhere.
Not liking some of the very marble rocky, loose style descents and have actually walked down something the other day, due to being all over the show.
I'm finding some of the climbs easier though.
Do you have the STW approved 'tyres for dust' fitted?
The biggest problem I'm having is that I'm carrying so much speed due to the fast trails that I'm having a few 'hairy' braking moments..wouldn't change it for the world 😯
Finally, someone understands the hell we have to go through with year-round dusty trails in central Spain!
Yup. I was going to revisit the "are on-one smorgasbord tyres any good?" thread to report that they are rubbish in the dust, but to be fair, I'm from Yorkshire so it's just that I've never really had to ride in dry, dusty conditions before and it's taking a bit of getting used to.
Wheels slipping out all over the place.
[quote=mogrim ]Finally, someone understands the hell we have to go through with year-round dusty trails in central Spain!
considering I have to endure 9 months of dry & dusty it's not that hard 🙂
Scared that pants off myself several times last night as my HR2 front slid away from me!
Time for more appropriate tyres???
[quote=zelak999 ]Scared that pants off myself several times last night as my HR2 front slid away from me!
Time for more appropriate tyres???
no better skills
I didn't make a corner that's normally no bother at the end of a long descent last weekend, not enough grip. Hit and tree and came off the bike at 31mph hurts, and broke my helmet.
Glad its not just me! Here's to many more weeks of practice. I've considered a change of tyres, but I reckon that would be the kiss of death for summer
Nice film that Mike!
@mikewsmith
thanks for the ego check!
Didn't realise you knew me so well!
Riding dry hardpack is betterer than riding soft mud.
Fact.
I binned the front wheel on some unsighted off camber gravel on Tuesday. Apart from that I'm loving al the fast sliding around
My (I just had to buy something) decision to buy 2 new summer tyres at the start of June is paying dividends.
Quite amazed at how well the 2.1 Monorail performs on the front in this stuff, it really does look unreassuringly thin from above.
It's the mid-corner ambush gravel that's causing me continuing bum-tightening... But yeah, the broken up dusty stuff is harder to ride than mud. So unpredictable too.
Adds a new terror to night riding too, when you're suddenly in the middle of a cloud of glowing dust with about 6 inches of visibility 🙂
surly knard 29+ is awesomez in this dusty kitty litter stuff. Mind you a fat front rocks as well...all you little skinny tyred folks...well I guess you'll just have to suffer for you blind adherence to the norm 😛
It was nice to ride through a dust cloud when following my mate the other night but went a bit quick into a bend and the bike slid both wheels.
I stayed on but it shook me up a bit.
I'm not going out on my own in the near future anyway as the Police are looking for a possibly armed suspect around my local trails and knowing my luck I would meet up with him 😯
I'm finding trails very fast and loose at the moment, I think it is brilliant, definitely a bit more of a challenge. Though I did crash last night going too fast into an off camber corner, the bike just slid and wouldn't turn.
Two wheel washout on the steep and loose off camber chalk at Aston Hill resulted in a face plant on Wednesday! Full face helmet saved me. However it's a damn sight better than riding it in the wet!!!
I am not having problems at all. I love dry trails, but then, I starte MTBing in the 90s so I remember lots of dry summers 🙂
The trails are getting heavily overgrown by me though. Scratched to buggery the other night, some are damn near impassable.
What lightweight machete for South Wales jungle?
I'm going to buy a LIon battery hedge trimmer tomorrow and blitz my local trails over the next month
Too dry - all the loose gravel that's usually stuck down by the damp isn't, so it's like riding on ball bearings.
Not complaining about the sun though; better than hammering it down with rain...
Not complaining either but missed a fast corner the other day and was lucky not to go over the fence / hedge.
I'm way slower in the "kitty litter" too. Not that I'm complaining.
I'm going to buy a LIon battery hedge trimmer tomorrow and blitz my local trails over the next month
Lol 🙂 My trails just need more riders, apparently.
Loving it, never been faster. The not being able to break is helping.
Loving it - climbing is so much easier without the mud resistance. Certainly getting shaken about a lot. Best of all lots of paths now "open" as you can ride without damage i.e. Land Reform Act style responsible access.
Turner Flux + Racing Ralph's + dry trails = good times
Dusty trails just fine earlier today. With Phil, he's 66 you know and on a totally original fully rigid Ridgeback. Guess it's you technique.
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Riding dry hardpack is betterer than riding soft mud
Amen to that.
Finally, someone understands the hell we have to go through with year-round dusty trails in central Spain!
Ditto here in New Mexico---does take some practice to get used to the loose, dry stuff, especially turns. Fortunately, even when it does rain here, most of the trails just get packed, but not muddy.
oldgit - MemberDusty trails just fine earlier today. With Phil, he's 66 you know and on a totally original fully rigid Ridgeback. Guess it's you technique.
You do appear to be riding on a road, to be fair.
Yes i was thinking who exactly would struggle on a dry flat road
Still fairly new to proper MTB compared to you folk and I think this is the first time I have ridden all the trails as dry and dusty rather than just had the odd week of dryish conditions. It is less grippy and not always in a good way
Will try smoother braking as mentioned above because i am enjoying the practice
You do appear to be riding on a road, to be fair.
True, camera stop though. Dust is great though, it always feels like you're going to hook up.
I am running those there Caly-forn-i-an hardpack jobbies though.
Still nursing a fat li/ mashed knee and brusied toe from front wheel wash out on Thursday. I am new to Ralph's and not sure of grip but crashes and near misses aside I quite like the slidy feelings even with the pain! But the dust is now sand on my normal 2hr XC loop so tough to get close to PBs!
So just new technique and skills to learn, but still better than the crap weather that plagued us for so long. Bike cleaning is much quicker now!
I miss the mud and rain - it keeps the ramblers away. 😀
However, the limestone trails are much nicer in the dry, it's like riding freshly oiled blancmange when it's wet.
@mikew I was just nearby at Kate read today, and it wasn't that dry! First time I've ever heard someone say tassie is dusty for 9 months of he year!!!
Loving the ramblers now, they'll pretty cheery : )
Roger, the heat is also keeping them away. We rode the Goyt Valley last Saturday and only past one person out walking, several others were just sitting in their car with all the doors open, as it was way too hot.I miss the mud and rain - it keeps the ramblers away.
Banks - You're right, I think it's the Le Tour affect. We got shouted at by some teenagers down by the canal 'come on go faster Tour De France' said with a Manc accent though!
[quote=captainsideburns ]@mikew I was just nearby at Kate read today, and it wasn't that dry! First time I've ever heard someone say tassie is dusty for 9 months of he year!!!
You a local? out tomorrow but most stuff should still be shut for the weather.
Haha, been riding some proper cheeky stuff, the few ramblers we've seen can't praise us enough for getting out there for a ride. Hollins cross yesterday there was 2 people!!!
However, heritage trail - park ranger wasn't happy : )
They've been opening gates, egging us etc its mint.
Cutties are the only way forward!
Is that photo taken on the SDW?
Is that photo taken on the SDW?
Looks like it, doesn't it? Could be another of the bits of chalk downland that stretches from the Chilterns down to Dorset.
This loose dusty stuff is what I refer to when talking about actually needing knobbly tyres on the steep DH runs around here when it's dry! We're used to it going from wet, muddy and slippery to dry, loose and slippery around here, briefly passing through fast and grippy.
Is that photo taken on the SDW?
Ridgeway Chilterns.
Rode it Friday, if you want a looky see www.smilerbiker.blogspot.co.uk
Absolutely loving it. Tyre pressures down a few psi and I'm only riding mincecore anyway. Marple was interesting last Sunday with all the loose rocks in and amongst, but otherwise good riding with tubeless nics at 20 and 28, and as for the effect on moorland singletrack.... well, it's firm grippy and fast right now. Long may it continue.
Oh, nearly forgot, the roads up near Pole Moor on the loop back from Coal Gate/ Cupwith have all melted, so what tyres for melted tarmac please?
Tyre pressures down a few psi and I'm only riding mincecore anyway. Marple was interesting last Sunday with all the loose rocks in and amongst, but otherwise good riding with tubeless nics at 20 and 28,
WTF??
32 psi in tubeless just fine no need for soft tyres just better skills 🙂
I had a slow fat when out yesterday when the read got low it was very slidey taking the loose corners at speed. A quick re-inflate sorted that out in not time.
Loose, dry and dusty, you say?
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@mikew based in hobart, just up visiting family for the weekend, snuck in a sneaky ride yesterday 😛
Most noticeable thing for me is when I come off I'm going way faster than usual.
Bonus is that my lazy bike non-maintanance regime is no longer causing me to grind through expensive drive trains.
[quote=captainsideburns ]@mikew based in hobart, just up visiting family for the weekend, snuck in a sneaky ride yesterday
Nice, the mountain bike is having a week off till we get some of that dust back. Hopefully will be dry down your next weekend for the dirt devils ride
riding with tubeless nics at 20 and 28,
WTF??
32 psi in tubeless just fine no need for soft tyres just better skills
Softer tyres are better (to a point). It also depends on the tyre size, and the rider weight.
32 sounds too much to me, and 20 sounds like not enough. For me, the sweet spot seems to be from 23 to 26. 13 1/2 stone, on 2.4s.
Nat Champs course at Cathkin Braes is like riding on marbles! So slippery, the surface is extremely loose over hardpack. Will be an interesting race! Skids round the corners FTW.
I'm loving this dry dusty weather, I can't remember who said it above but its like being back in the 90's !
The Flouro paint schemes are comming back in as well so it really does have that feel about it this year,
I love comming out from under the cooler trees onto baking surfaces and getting all the smells "except dog bombs" the grass the trees & flowers !
Riding through dust clouds is only something seen on videos from the states, the one dry day a year never usually produces dust
And the fact that riding every time without getting shitted up to the eyeballs in mud makes it a little less ordinary !
I feel a road trip comming on.........
As Tazzy says above, you want to be looking at wider tyres. Start at 3" and go up from there.
We also experienced the 'white out' the other night of having your 1000 lumens bounced back at you from the dust cloud kicked up from the riders in front. A novel problem I've not experienced for a while 🙂
Some interesting points on tyre pressures. I tend to run mine quite a bit higher than this (on tubed 2.5 Maxxis advantages). This is as I'm a big unit. Big and clumsy. Not a good combination. Pinch flats are a tediously regular occurrence when running lower pressures. The rims on both bikes are tubeless ready though?
Hmmmmm. Any advice gratefully received oh wise ones
Binners, I'm not small either and suffer from the obligatory pinch flat if I lighten the sidewalls ! I'm tubeless ready on Flow EX but running HR's 60a front, they are heavy but I don't often get punctures as long as I don't try and go all weight weenie on tyres,
When the HR's are done I've a pair of Minions to utilise so ill see how I get on after that, I'm certainly in no rush to start faffing about putting gunk in tyres that won't seal and seat properly,
I've got the breaking strain of a warm kit kat as well so I like to keep things on the simple side, too much shit going on affects the way I ride,
As for pressure about 35 front and just under 40 rear works well for my kind of style which is straight over and at em as opposed to deftly whipping a skid out round an obstacle whilst flicking up leaves and dust "in slow motion" popping a wheelie out the corner before ending it in a bunny hop ! One handed ! And waving to the imaginary crowd, any way I digress, its my age........
It seems we share a riding style, and a suspicion of white gunky stuff fella. Think I'm going to knock the tyre pressure on the front down for tomorrows night ride, and see if things get a bit less sideways. Alternatively I could learn to ride a bit better 😀
^ Or risk mikewsmith's scathing opinions 😀
Binners your a smaller unit than me and anything above 2.3" and 32 psi feels like its pinging off stuff.
Have a bit of a tyre collection, but Maxxis Minions are my default tyre and only occasionally get pinch flats & I take clumsy/inept riding to a whole new level.
[quote=Scapegoat ]^ Or risk mikewsmith's scathing opinions
LOL just don't get the soft tyre revolution, I might have more practice in dust but it's not that hard!!
Ardent EXO for tubeless puncture proof too.