TAME WET TRAILS TO RIDE YEAR-ROUND

How to surf the slop without eating it – an essential skill for UK riders!

Mountain biking in wet conditions requires a different approach to riding dry trails, but if you master a few useful skills you can thrash through the mud and come out smiling, rather than ending up with your face in the dirt. Your biggest asset is your attitude. If you’re willing to have some fun and not take things too seriously, riding in the wet can be the best time ever.

PEDALLING

You need to be a little more careful with your pedal strokes in the mud, because sharp, hard stamps can make the back wheel slip. Stay seated for maximum rear-wheel grip and use a lower cadence with smooth strokes. This is the best way to stop the tyres spinning out and keep you moving forward. Torque is better than power. It’s also an idea to look for drier lines, often found on the edge of trails.

BRAKING

Your brakes are unlikely to be as sharp or powerful in the wet. It’ll take a split second for the pads to remove any mud and water on your rotors, and chances are that both the pads and discs will be colder, reducing the friction between them, and therefore the stopping power. Plus, your tyres won’t deliver as much braking grip in the slop, or steer as well. So, it’s wise to get your braking done early, especially before turns. Also, don’t brake too sharply because it’s likely to lock up the wheels and make you skid (unless you want to do this, of course!).

BODY POSITION

When riding through mud, your bike is likely to move around underneath you more. Keeping a central position with your elbows up and knees wide will allow the bike some room to move without you losing balance. Try to keep the pedals level, because this will provide you with a stable platform.

ROOTS AND ROCKS

Wet roots and rocks are the most dif icult obstacles, and there’s no magic hack to make them grippy, but there are a few tactics you can use to give yourself an advantage. Try to ride over any roots at 90 degrees, or as close to that as possible, to prevent your tyres slipping. It’s best to control your speed before hitting any root sections so you can ride over them without touching the brakes, or as little as possible – that’s a sure ire way to lose grip. Also, riding ‘light’ can help, because you apply less pressure through the tyres. Remember to look where you want to go. Spot an area of smooth ground or a good braking zone further down the trail and aim for that.

SLIPPERY CORNERS

Wet and muddy lat turns can really interrupt your riding low. Decent tyres make a big difference, but your body position can help too. Dropping the outside pedal and leaning the bike over without tipping your body will help you get the most weight possible on the tyres, for grip. Try not to make any sharp movements in the turn, or brake aggressively, because this will make the bike slide out. Avoid shinylooking surfaces too, because these are almost always greasy.

puddles

Riding through puddles is one of the easiest ways to end up soaked through. If you can lift your front wheel over them, you’ll save yourself some very wet feet. To manual across them, shift your hips back over the rear wheel axle, while driving your feet forward and keeping your arms straight. Practising this skill in a car park irst (on lat pedals) is a great way to learn it properly, then you can take it onto the trails.