Can you ride on the beach with mountain bike tires?
Hello, BikeForums. If any of you have read my previous posts, I'd just like to redeem myself by saying I am DEFINITELY going to Florida for Christmas with my family, and I am almost definitely bringing my bike....in my previous posts, it was all hypothetical; I had no bona fide intention of doing a bike tour (which got people upset for wasting their time), but now I REALLY DO plan on riding on the beach when I'm in Florida.
However, I have just a regular mountain bike, with regular mountain bike tires - i.e. wider than road bike tires, with knobs on the tire for traction. My mom told me that in order to ride on the beach, I need huge, wide sand tires. Maybe if I actually settle in Florida and live near the beach, I'll invest in sand tires (or it looks I'd need a whole new bike because sand tires wouldn't fit on a mountain bike!), but for the time being, is it possible to ride on the beach with just mountain bike tires, or will I be grunting and panting and struggling the whole way? I'd like input from people who ride on the beach regularly, or just anyone who's ever tried to ride on the beach with standard mountain bike tires.