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Newbie's Qs about Riding after Rain
Hi NobMobbers, thanks for having me here. Recently I've developed the riding bug that has me wanting to ride trails everyday, regardless of the weather. Having said that, I haven't been out in the mud yet for 2 reasons: I don't want to clean my bike all the time, and I don't want to be responsible for wrecking trails.
What is the etiquette for riding after rain? How many days of sunshine should you leave after rain before riding again? Is there a service that can tell you track conditions or track closures?
More specifically, if the rain stops today or Monday, what are the chances of being able to ride the Oaks Wednesday or Thursday without causing damage (to the trail and myself)?
Thanks.
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hello and welcome. this question is in similar realms to the old 'how long is a piece of string'.
i suppose it depends on where you live and what trails you ride. im near oxford falls and if i cant help but ride in the rain i'll go somewhere around west head or terrey hills where its sandy or quite rocky and mainly fire trail that drains really easily and doesnt hold the water. i'll keep away from my favorite trails like o.f. and red hill for quite some time as they're a bit more clay based, are more slippery and easilly damaged in the wet. some parts of red hill get terribly chewed up in the wet(mainly by trail bikes) and deep ruts form, forcing riders to make new lines which the bloody trail bike riders choose to follow again and the problem grows! this problem mainly occurs on singltrack but there are some problems on the firetrails.
so without dribbling on too much, try to get as much knowledge of the trail youre about to ride during/after rain. try to stick to sand and rocky areas(such as a lot of fire trails) and i suppose dry times are variable as to drainage/soil types and weather conditions afterwards. a few hot days in summer are gonna dry a trail a lot quicker than a few cloudy ones in winter.
as to washing your bike mate,,,,,welcome to mountain biking!
As Gazza said it depends on the trail Ridge top trails tend to drain well, those in gullies don't. How the trail was built in the first place will also have an effect on how well it holds up in the wet.
As for washing your bike. Do it regularly regardless of if you riding in the wet. Not only will it help keep your bike in good working order but it may just stop the spread of the weeds and bacteria, which hitch a ride in the mud and dust on tyres and frames.