Road Racing in the Mud - Tips?
#1
OMC
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 6,960
Bikes: Specialized Allez Sprint, Look 585, Specialized Allez Comp Race
Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 461 Post(s)
Liked 116 Times
in
49 Posts
Road Racing in the Mud - Tips?
Rouge-Roubaix is next Sunday, and the forecast is temps in the 60s-70s and showers.
There are about 20 miles of dirt/gravel/probable mud roads (out of 106 miles total), including the major (up to 18%) climbs. All I can think of is to use a taller gear than usual in those sections. Any additional wisdom?
Thanks!
Thanks!
__________________
Regards,
Chuck
Demain, on roule!
Regards,
Chuck
Demain, on roule!
#5
Underwhelming
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Mississippi
Posts: 1,263
Bikes: Lynskey R330 Ti, Dean El Vado Ti, Trek 4300
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Have, um...fun. Fun, yeah, that's it.
I avoid those situations in training, so have no clue.
I'd avoid drafting in the mud unless you've acquired a taste for dirt.
I avoid those situations in training, so have no clue.
I'd avoid drafting in the mud unless you've acquired a taste for dirt.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 238
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
It's Louisiana. If you don't like the weather, wait around 10 minutes and it'll change. At least it won't be cold. I don't mind riding in the cold, and I don't mind riding in the wet. But cold and wet, forget about it.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times
in
1,417 Posts
Avoid the Death Grip on the bars. It's counterintuitive but the lighter you hold the bars, the more control you have. Trust the bike: it wants to go straight and stay up so don't get in its way.
#8
Senior Member
Have you ridden many dirt roads? In my experience, they don't tend to turn to outright mud in the rain. They're designed not to! So you probably won't be dealing with true mud, and lets be honest, if you encounter serious mud it probably won't be rideable. Anything I suggest will hold true for mud as well, though. The major effect of rain on a dirt road is to make it really messy and slippery. The traction won't necessarily be much worse than when dry, as a wet dirt surface may hold together a bit more. Try to stick to the hardest parts of the road surface and avoid soft spots. You also want to minimize any changes in direction, especially at high speed. Choose your lines carefully with that in mind. As Caloso said, stay loose, don't hold the bars in a death grip, and let the bike move around a bit. Just keep your body going in more or less the same direction. Pedaling a higher gear might help on the bouncier sections, but it doesn't help at all if you're tight. The whole reason for doing it is to float over the bike, you won't be floating if you're all tense and wrestling the bike. And keep your weight back. Good luck!
#11
fuggitivo solitario
and good bike handling, too. i remember he almost ate it 2km before the line or something. mtb skills save the day
#12
Flying Ace
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 163
Bikes: '06 Diamondback Podium 1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#13
.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 40,375
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 27 Times
in
12 Posts
Rouge-Roubaix is next Sunday, and the forecast is temps in the 60s-70s and showers.
There are about 20 miles of dirt/gravel/probable mud roads (out of 106 miles total), including the major (up to 18%) climbs. All I can think of is to use a taller gear than usual in those sections. Any additional wisdom?
Thanks!
There are about 20 miles of dirt/gravel/probable mud roads (out of 106 miles total), including the major (up to 18%) climbs. All I can think of is to use a taller gear than usual in those sections. Any additional wisdom?
Thanks!
60s is cold?
#14
Senior Member
I used to search out dirt roads for training, love flying over them. Slogging over them not so much. For all of my "weight front wheel" and "forward" position stuff when I'm on dirt roads it's a bit different.
Sit back. Tops are best, loose grip, let the bike move around. Big ring if the road is bouncy - this helps tension the chain so it doesn't bounce off of the cassette or the chainring.
In loose stuff the front wheel will actually steer, sometimes even rooster tailing some mud/dirt.
Avoid parts with more tire tracks, aim for less tire tracks. Soft = tracks, firm = no tracks. This holds even if it's not the shortest line or whatever, the firm parts are better.
Wider tires help. I don't have any pressure advice but in a regular 20 mile "fun race" we used to do with about 1-2 miles of dirt (including an extremely steep climb) I set up the bike for the pavement because I'd be spending more time on that vs on dirt. I think I even used TriSpokes and Scott errr aero bars ...RAKES I just remembered... because I knew I'd be chasing after the steep dirt hill (and there's dirt on the way back too). For the limited amount of dirt I ran 21mm tubulars at 110-120 psi.
Sit back. Tops are best, loose grip, let the bike move around. Big ring if the road is bouncy - this helps tension the chain so it doesn't bounce off of the cassette or the chainring.
In loose stuff the front wheel will actually steer, sometimes even rooster tailing some mud/dirt.
Avoid parts with more tire tracks, aim for less tire tracks. Soft = tracks, firm = no tracks. This holds even if it's not the shortest line or whatever, the firm parts are better.
Wider tires help. I don't have any pressure advice but in a regular 20 mile "fun race" we used to do with about 1-2 miles of dirt (including an extremely steep climb) I set up the bike for the pavement because I'd be spending more time on that vs on dirt. I think I even used TriSpokes and Scott errr aero bars ...RAKES I just remembered... because I knew I'd be chasing after the steep dirt hill (and there's dirt on the way back too). For the limited amount of dirt I ran 21mm tubulars at 110-120 psi.
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 238
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#16
Senior Member
I would rather ride a gravel road in the wet than in the dry. Traction and control tends to be better since there tends to be less loose gravel (gravel digs into the softer surface and stays put instead of rolling). Wear larger tires than normal. 25 or maybe even 28mm tires at somewhat lower pressure than normal.
__________________
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
#17
OMC
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 6,960
Bikes: Specialized Allez Sprint, Look 585, Specialized Allez Comp Race
Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 461 Post(s)
Liked 116 Times
in
49 Posts
All - Thanks for the input! FWIW, I'm using 700x28 Conti Grand Prix tires for this race (85 psi front, 95 back), so that part's covered. The weather forecast has changed somewhat, and in my favor; 30% chance of rain, down from 60% when I originally posted, so I may not need the advice given...but I'm grateful for it anyway.
__________________
Regards,
Chuck
Demain, on roule!
Regards,
Chuck
Demain, on roule!
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,104
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Since we are on this topic, there is a rain forecast for this Friday/Saturday here in SoCal so anybody doing Murrieta can expect some mud for the opening TT as the one mile uphill finish is on unpaved dirt road. Should be fun
Perhaps I should bring a Mt bike in stead of TT bike
Perhaps I should bring a Mt bike in stead of TT bike
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 203
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
All - Thanks for the input! FWIW, I'm using 700x28 Conti Grand Prix tires for this race (85 psi front, 95 back), so that part's covered. The weather forecast has changed somewhat, and in my favor; 30% chance of rain, down from 60% when I originally posted, so I may not need the advice given...but I'm grateful for it anyway.
#22
OMC
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 6,960
Bikes: Specialized Allez Sprint, Look 585, Specialized Allez Comp Race
Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 461 Post(s)
Liked 116 Times
in
49 Posts
Yup...and they added another gravel section due to unexpected road work.
__________________
Regards,
Chuck
Demain, on roule!
Regards,
Chuck
Demain, on roule!