Mountain Biking - Mud riding ...

So I took the new rig out for a ride today and it was a big mistake. It just rained last night and the ground was still really wet I guess ... anyway, the mud was like clay and it stuck to my tires. the bike seriously weighed 70 lbs with all the mud. Anyway, I managed to ride downhill and then hosed off the bike. I noticed where the frame goes around the tires, the mud took off a nice patch of paint. This happened in six spots on my bike ... kinda sucks cause it's brand new.

Anyone else have this happen or am I the only one that rides in clay?

What parts should I be worried about lubing again after I had to hose off the entire bike. It took me 2 hours to clean everything.

I'd take it back to the shop, maybe you got a defective paint job. Then you get another new bike. :)

-Middi-zon

I would treat it like a new car.. at first you are so careful and everything with it after the first scratch you truly can enjoy it then. You can the first mark on you're bike now you don't have to take it easy and worry about scratching it :)

ya ... I don't think it's defective cause it happened to my old bike as well.

Never happened to me. In fact my frame took some nasty hits in several crashes against asphalt and gravel, rocks and trees and none, I mean not a single piece of paint came off. And I don't have top of the line bike either. I say you take it back to the shop and let them see what's the deal.

the thing is it's not just the frame .. it's the Fox fork as well ... =( maybe it was some serious mud action. The wheels wouldn't even move cause of all the mud.

Is that the same bike as in the other post where you describe a cable rubbing against your frame?

ya.

Maybe you shouldn't have kept riding then if the wheels weren't moving!! Your bike is supposed to have enough tire clearance for mud. Are you running too wide of a tire?

Originally posted by jtown
the thing is it's not just the frame .. it's the Fox fork as well ... =( maybe it was some serious mud action. The wheels wouldn't even move cause of all the mud.

what the crap?! are you sure it wasn't fresh concrete you were riding through?!:D

Clay rich mud is horrible sticky stuff. Its a waste of time riding an ultralight bike in mud, you soon get loaded with lbs of excess weight. Mud riding is not a waste of time, but something you can really enjoy.
You can do some things to mud-proof your bike:
Put some fenders or a crud catcher on.
Wax the frame with car wax.
Put some mud tyres on, these have widely spaced knobbles and are sometimes thinner to cut into mud.

Originally posted by Jim311
Maybe you shouldn't have kept riding then if the wheels weren't moving!! Your bike is supposed to have enough tire clearance for mud. Are you running too wide of a tire?

ya I didn't ... I carried the bike to the shortest trail back down. I'm on the stock tires as well. Sucks balls, but hopefully I can get some touch up paint. =P

Mud Photo from this week

Pssssssst... that's not a trail. That's a mudhole

:D

:eek:

what do you guys put in your mud...holy smokes ... acid?

Demn 4x4's

umm...riding in the mud shouldn't cause your paint to peel away from a brand new bike. I'd go back to the shop and get an explanation.

ok ok ... here's the damage ...

http://www.jamesfong.com/internet/fsr11.jpg

http://www.jamesfong.com/internet/fsr12.jpg

http://www.jamesfong.com/internet/fsr13.jpg

maybe you should check with local environmental agencies to determine if you're mud is severely toxic. but i think there is something else going on here.
you said it's clay-ish mud, but it looks like something very hard was rubbing against your frame. where i live clay is not a solid, abrasive material.

at least it's in inconspicuous locations.

quite possibly little rocks in the mud. Oh well ... you live and learn ... I emailed specialized ... we'll see what they say.

If you are taking corners really fast and your tires are fat you may have tire rub. This is probably what happened on your fork. That sure looks like rubbing to me. Or the mud built up sooooo much you tire was literally wider and the mud was stiff enough to rub it off. ALSO it could be a rock stuck for a few minutes and hitting 1000 times before flying off....what I am trying to say is...its normal...at least number 3 is...I dont recognize number 1 and 2...

The question that comes to my mind is, are your wheels true or tires to wide? That looks alot like the tires have rubbed aginst your frame.

Yup, you've got clearance issues. Most likely the tires loaded up with mud and very small rocks which basically turned it into sandpaper and took the paint off. Specialized is going to tell you the same thing I'd imagine. Real mountain bikes don't have perfect paint.

After seeing this I'm discouraged of getting a bigger tire:D

Originally posted by Jim311
Yup, you've got clearance issues. Most likely the tires loaded up with mud and very small rocks which basically turned it into sandpaper and took the paint off. Specialized is going to tell you the same thing I'd imagine. Real mountain bikes don't have perfect paint.

ya this is basically what happened. by emailing specialized I'm not looking for anything .... just maybe some touch up paint ... =P

a bike is a bike is a bike ... it's gonna get used after a crash or a couple rides anyway.

Originally posted by Maelstrom
If you are taking corners really fast and your tires are fat you may have tire rub. This is probably what happened on your fork. That sure looks like rubbing to me. Or the mud built up sooooo much you tire was literally wider and the mud was stiff enough to rub it off. ALSO it could be a rock stuck for a few minutes and hitting 1000 times before flying off....what I am trying to say is...its normal...at least number 3 is...I dont recognize number 1 and 2...

1 and 2 are just different points where the frame and tire get closest to each other. the tires are stock tires, but they picked up so much mud along the way.