Mountain Biking - Tires for Florida beach riding?

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Mondoman
10-20-10, 10:54 PM
My brother's family is taking their mountain bikes (hardtails) along to St Augustine for Thanksgiving, and were wondering if I had any 26" tires more suitable for the flat trail & beach riding than the slicks they've got. I've got a bunch of tires lying around, but I'm not sure what tread pattern would be OK on pavement, but usable on sand.
Suggestions?

fuji86
10-21-10, 12:23 AM
St Augustine has a section of beach that is hard and you can drive your car on it. If you are going into the woods, a general purpose knobby works well in both conditions. You may encounter sand drifts or soft sand area that the only way thru it is with a 3.7-4 inch tire (Tommi Sea or Surley Pugsley). Which if someone has one, watching it go thru the softest sand is pretty cool. Have fun.
jgedwa
10-21-10, 09:36 AM
The problem in sand is not really traction, its that the tires tend to sink down into it.

So, the widest tires with the least amount of pressure in them are the way to go.

jim

rnorris
10-21-10, 02:58 PM
Sounds like fun! Just clean the bikes with fresh water and relube them afterward so corrosion doesn't start from all the salt.
Mondoman
10-22-10, 02:23 AM
You're not kidding, rn! Thanks for the comments, guys!
fuji86
10-22-10, 06:09 PM
The sand on eastern central and northern FL beaches, the harder stuff won't be a problem, he'll probably just want to leave the tires aired up as that's similar to riding on the street. The softest sand, it doesn't matter if he runs lowest pressure, 26 x 2.3 and narrower won't go thru that, just stay out of it. As the tide goes from high to low and vice versa, the water tends to leave the sand difficult to ride on where the tide recedes.

Rideable:
http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/4/4/6/4/ar118582108046447.JPG
http://activerain.com/sjdennis

Unrideable:

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/14/b7/4e/vilano-beach.jpg

This is the park for bike riding on the beach:

http://www.augustine.com/vacation/business/Anastasia_State_Park

Jacksonville Beach is more like Ormond and Daytona Beach for bike riding in certain stretches of the beach.

For St Augustine and that time of the year, riding downtown around the historic district of the Castillo de San Marcos fortress and the old bridge to Anastasia Park is a nice road to ride.
NormanF
10-22-10, 10:25 PM
Rent a Tommisea Destroyer and just bomb your way down the beach.