MTB in the slop
 

I almost rode right past my typical 7 mile MTB jaunt today, because it poured rain all night and I figured it would be sloppy. But I hadn't been on the MTB for a few weeks since I snapped the rear derailleur hanger, so I dived in.

I almost got killed about 10x thanks to wet roots, rocks, etc. Plus there was a fair amount of dead leaf carpet which will only get worse over the next couple of months. It was ugly. You guys are all completely insane.

Plus my rear derailleur was shifting the chain off the cogs into the spokes, have to get that adjusted (it hasn't been the same since I replaced the hanger). So it was a bit of an adventure. But good to be back on the MTB. I prefer the woods when they're dry however.

But of course it was a very good workout. 32 miles including 7 in the woods on single track.

try to hit the slippery stuff straight on vs. at an angle; you won't slip as much. Sometimes that is not possible, though.

when the trails are wet, i usually slow down a bit to stay in control and make up for the lack of speed on the slopes (slopes tend to be dryer than the flats).

Sounds like you need to adjust the lower deraileur stop. That's an easy adjustment to make. If you replaced the hangar then you should at least check all of the adjustments (lower, upper stop, B tension, and tune).

And yes, things get a lot trickier in the wet...

I like the wet on occasion.
makes it more challenging and fun.

Sounds obvious,but people still do it. Stay off the brakes and pedal real smooth over wet rocks and roots ect.
If you are on a downhill try to scrub alot of speed in a good spot and fly through the rest. Being on the brakes slows your suspension and puts lots of weight on the front wheel.(endo concern) If is is real slippery you can use the sides of roots and rocks to bounce yourself in the right direction, but watch the sidewalls.

Every time you ride on a wet trail you kill and angel (I think I've killed a bunch of them)

We don't ride on wet trails around here. CAMBr does a TON of work to keep the trails in great condition. We (most of us) don't mess with that.

With that being said, washing on a slick corner sucks.

Fatter tires, lower pressure, hit stuff as straight on as you can. Stick-E or other low durometer rubber makes a huge difference as well.

As to the riding wet trails: it really depends on the trails. Some trail systems/soil types drain and are fine in the wet, some aren't. Totally depends on where you ride.

I'm not too far from Pcad, and some of the trail stuff around me is just fine when wet, other stuff becomes a boggy, mucky mess.

Riding in wet/snow/ice does wonders for teaching you how to handle a bike.

do you have a dork disk on the bike pcad? if you don't your spokes are probably scored now... wait of course you have a dork disk

It irritates me when trails are closed because they're wet. Dude, I grew up riding in the Pac NW. We never closed trails there and didn't have problems. Just learn to stop skidding and don't kill yourself on rocks/roots (like I did today).

Relax man. I dont control the status of trails. Our trails get closed because they get ruined if you even walk on them (our southern Ohio soil consists of clay and really crappy soil that wont hold up to any abuse). Our problem isnt people who have never MTBed and lock every where. Its our soil. Trust me, I can ride in the rain/mud/ice.