Any tips for washing off sticky clay mud from bike?

[OakLeaf]

Not to lecture, but I think SkyKing's point got a little lost. If that's the condition your bike is in, think about the condition you left the trails in. There was a conflagration here this spring when organizers decided to go ahead with a small foot race on muddy trails. It took many people, many hours of work afterwards to restore the trails.

[TigerMom]

The trails were opened, so I thought it was ok.

Obviously, I didn't know the conditions. I definitely am NOT going to bike ride in the future the day after it rains (even if the rain is very brief). Lesson learned because cleaning the bike was super difficult.

[Irulan]

The trails were opened, so I thought it was ok.

Obviously, I didn't know the conditions. I definitely am NOT going to bike ride in the future the day after it rains (even if the rain is very brief). Lesson learned because cleaning the bike was super difficult.

Not to lecture, but I think SkyKing's point got a little lost. If that's the condition your bike is in, think about the condition you left the trails in. There was a conflagration here this spring when organizers decided to go ahead with a small foot race on muddy trails. It took many people, many hours of work afterwards to restore the trails.

Not lost on me.
Every region is different when it comes to the mud thing. It is always good to inquire with your local club/trail builders/lbs if you don't know what is appropriate for your trails. I don't know of many areas where they actually "close" the trails in terms of using ribbons or signage, but I do know of many where locals are expected to know the guidelines. I was in Oregon this weekend. The locals I was riding with were very mindful of the cutoff for how much rain the trails could take before they became unrideable in the sense that bikers are expected to stay off of them. Where I live, people ride in the mud anyway ( dude, don't wreck my ride by telling me when I can and cannot go) and it is a real drag as, as Oakleaf says, it causes irreparable damage. But we also have other areas that drain and dry really fast. So find out what is expected in your area.