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.

you will sink with loose dry sand, fat bikes started there and have now expanded to snow and just about everywhere else

if you stay close to the water, where it is harder packed you'll be fine

just be careful with the loose sand getting into your drive train, for that reason, you'll see most beach cruisers are single speed

No problem on low tide on my Sawyer 29er with Big Apples. But I had to go Fatter since I love riding on the many beaches in the FL panhandle!

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...psc7a363c7.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps84053b51.jpg

I agree you will be fine if you go at low tide and ride near the waters edge. I have to push my bike through
the dry loose sand to get to the waters edge then I can ride on the firm packed sand easily.

Good luck to you!

Charlie

All solid responses so far, I've ridden on the sand on both a beach cruiser and one of the original style mtn. bikes with knobby tires, long before the latest fat tire craze. The mtn bike is "easier" because of the gearing but as stated above you will get sand in the running gear so learn to clean it. Between cleanings you may get away with blowing it with compressed air or using a used toothbrush to knock most of the sand off. Keeping your speeds down will lessen the flinging of salt water and sand onto the bike and running gear.

If you ride near the water's edge where it's generally hard packed, full or near full pressure in the tires will work, however I've found the bike will "float" better across softer sand if you let some air out of the tires, the harder they are the more tendency they'll have to dig in. I used to carry a pump and would lower the pressure on the sand then pump them up for the ride home on the streets. And yes, anywhere but near the waters edge where it's fairly hard packed will be almost impossible. As a challenge I tried to go from the bike path down to the water's edge across the soft sand, it was quite the distance and I made it about 80% but it was a one-time challenge and took a tremendous amount of effort. I was a lot younger then!

Riding on the beach is enjoyable (there's another post here of photos by many that do it), I try to avoid running over as much of nature as you can to keep the environment folks off our backs and continue to allow beach access. I wouldn't ride in tidal areas on the rocks as it'll destroy the animals that call it home, save that for the trails. I stay strictly on the sand.

Like riding in the rain or riding in the mud, riding on the beach just requires more maintenance of the bike when you do it.

Enjoy, post some pics.

I have ridden on the beach at Cocoa Beach for may years. Just ride at low tide on the hard packed sand and never go in the water. Last ride on the beach at low tide was from Patrick AFB to Port Canaveral. I always wash off my bike after riding on the beach. And always check the tides. I live about 6 miles from the Atlantic Ocean and about 10 miles from Port Canaveral.
Enjoy
Em

+1

Then you can jump in and cool off any time you want. FatBikes, like the Schlick Northpaw, are mountain bikes built to accommodate tires as ...











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