Riding in mud - any tips?

[hebe]

I can't take the credit for the photos, they are gorgeous though! I am so grateful that my bike gets me out into that loveliness, I'd never have time to do it on foot - I just can't fit that much walking into an hour.

Mud seems to be a feature of the flatter paths - the hilly ones seem better drained. Silver lining, I suppose.

We do have some "rail trails" too, though none within easy reach of here. They are often nicely surfaced and have amenities such as bike hire and cafes along them.

[malkin]

Another mud recommendation is to clean your bike afterwards!

[jessmarimba]

Just wanted to give you a few pictures back! Some of our rail trails are paved but out west they are usually gravel. Here is one in Telluride, CO that used to be a mining railroad:


And here is my favorite singletrack photo ever

[hebe]

Thank you! A trail with railings! And stunning views!

That singletrack really is single track, isn't it? Very pretty indeed. Over here I think that would be a footpath, which aren't open to cyclists or horses unless you have the land-owner's permission to ride there.

Thank you again for sharing the pictures. It is lovely to see where people ride.

[Roadtrip]

Wow Hebe. I'm booking my flight now. Can I come, pretty please?

I'll share my favorite trail...

Little Miami Scenic Trail (old railroad) that runs for seventy some continuous miles. Pics are not mine.









Shannon

[hebe]

I'd like to ride that one, Shannon! You would be very welcome

I'm going to clean the bike properly tomorrow dh is back from Germany today so I should get some free time. It's been pouring with rain since the day after I did the ride, though I know I should have done it the same day. I'll check the brake blocks too.

[Owlie]

I can say I've ridden the trail Shannon posted. I've never been as far up as that bridge, though. It's lovely in summer and fall (if you get a good year).

Ok, I'm buying a mountain bike and visiting a few places.

[MillieNZ]

Just wanted to give you a few pictures back! Some of our rail trails are paved but out west they are usually gravel. Here is one in Telluride, CO that used to be a mining railroad:


And here is my favorite singletrack photo ever

Wow that's amazing......... I so want to visit Colorado and ride some trails

[Bike Writer]

Love all the photos! So many great places to ride all over the world! Colorado and the English countryside look beautiful.

Here are a couple of the very flat rails-to-trails near my home. They are from the Lakelands Trail and one has a bridge over the Huron River.

The Lakelands Trail was the first linear State Park in Michigan and the paved portion connects Hamburg, Lakeland and Pinckney. West of Pinckney it continues on unpaved to Gregory and Stockbridge. The unpaved portion is suitable for mountain biking and is open to horses. It's part of a greater trail system that eventually will cross the state from west to east.

[Aggie_Ama]

Hebe - You also want to make sure to keep your bike chain lubed. Mud can be very damaging to the gears and such. As a mountain biker we don't ride in the mud (unless it is a scheduled race which I hate that they do) so I don't have a lot of tips. Your purpose seems like mud comes with the territory. Good luck!

[hebe]

I'm sorry for being so late back to this. Thank you Aggie.

Everything is either mud or frozen mud here at the moment, I'm going to hold off on some of my favourite off-road rides until we get more than a few dry days as I think they would be beyond my abilities (and enjoyment) at the moment. It will be nice to get in a few more road miles.

Here are a couple of pictures from my ride into town today. The track is actually the path that I linked to earlier in this thread, sections of it have been resurfaced since that photo. Sadly not all of it, I am still surprised by just how uncomfortable it is to ride over frozen rutted mud.