Does anyone ride at Ashton Court – are any tyres good in that mud?!

Hi there, I’m not a massive fan of riding at Ashton Court at all, but when my hubby has the car it’s the only proper off road (I’m aware of) that I can easily cycle to. Therefore, I’ve recently put together a lovely little ss to cycle over there and muck around on when my hubby’s at work on Saturdays (bit harsh I know, but honestly – he doesn’t mind!)

I’ve tried a few different tyres over there (mainly thanks to a generous friend who’s lent me various sets – thanks Tiboy), but no tyre seems to cope well in all that horrible gunk (even the Kenda blue groove/nevegals I have on my geared bike that seem ace at all the trail centres).

Is that just the way it is? Can no tyre cope with Brizzle mud? Or is there actually a tyre worth the change from the Fire XC Pros my wheels came with? (bearing in mind, I will be riding 14 miles on the road for the round trip!)

Any Brizzle wisdom on the subject?!

Trailrakers or Medusas would work, but the trail builders won’t thank you and the ride there wouldn’t be fun.

Personally I put up with slipping as it helps your bike handling skills 😉

Yeah, it does keep you on you toes! I’ve also got a pair of old 1.8 fire xc pros which I might give another go. They’re scarily skinny, but I quite liked them when I tried them once before… will they wreck the trails too though? (I’m happy to stick with the 2.1s if so!)

Fire Xc Pro will be fine, you can watch trailrakers and/or medusa’s peeling off the surface of the trail and picking up the hard pack though.

When I lived in Brizzle I spent the winter exploring a bit farther afield simply because the mud was awful and the Court was over-used. I know you know this, but heading on through Long Ashton, up the lanes past the mental hospital, over the airport road by the reservoirs and up Dundry, then green lanes down and back over again is a pretty good evening’s trundle.

🙂

I’ve got some trailrakers you can have if you want to pick them up from bikeuk next week.

They’ve only had about a dozen rides and i can’t see i’ll even need them again.

Also i’ve heard the woods in cadbury are better in the wet…

Thanks Sharki – that’s might generous of you, but bearing in mind what richc says I don’t know if I should… I don’t want to upset the trail builders!

Re Cadbury, yeah, a mate was telling me about the Cadbury trails, but I haven’t yet worked out where they are or how to get there… Definitely worth some further investigation though – especially if they’re within riding distance.

Thanks Bigdummy too, I didn’t actually know that. I only started riding in the Summer and so I haven’t had a chance to do much exploring yet. Plus, when I ride in Brizzle I’m usually by myself and as I don’t have the best sense of direction I’m a bit hesitant to go too far off the track in case I can’t find my way back! (Sad, but entirely plausible!)

Then go and play in leigh woods, it can’t get anymore cut up than that is right now.

But the best rubber going for winter bristol mountain bikers is the ones on ya car…

Bonty Mud X?

Just don’t over inflate the ‘rakers as they’ll kill you on the roots.

Thing is, these will clog just as much as everything else – I’ve actually been running a small block 8 on the back as I’m so fed up with the AC mud and if you have no tread, it can’t clog…

GaryLake – I like your thinking! The 1.8 Fire XCx are a bit like that, still my frame does have a lot of clearance.

Sharki – you’re right and I’m curious enough to at least them a go! Is Bikeuk what I know as ‘Bike’ in Bristol opposite Habitat? If so, when next week and do I ask for ‘Sharki?’

GarryLake – what’s over-inflation?! (Bearing in mind I only weigh 7 and half stone)

Not more than 30 PSI… at your weight, you could go quite low but if you’re running tubes you’ll start to get the sidewalls crumpling…

This is tricky though, my ‘Quality’ Specialized track pump would have me believe I’m only running 20-25 PSI most of the time although I’m not sure it’s correct.

Basically, the supposed correct thing to do is to run your mud tyres hard to cut through the mud – thing is with Ashton Court, it’s so rooty and eroded that running high pressures makes it a nightmare to ride there. I find mud more predictable than wet roots so chose a nice soft compound floaty tyre like Kenda Nevegals/Blue Grooves which work on the roots and then try to deal with the mud instead.

Drop me an email if you’re looking for some locals to ride with (thecheesyriders.com) – guys and girls of literally all abilities and persuasions and uber chilled… zero303 at gmail dot com

mountainmonkey, mail me at mtbsharki@yahoo.co.uk.

The mods will get a mush on if we use the forum as a dating site…

But fyi, yes thats the place, just off the triangle, i’ll leave them with one of the shop muppets(namely will) from weds morning, if not i’ll be up in clifton from tuesday morning working, if you’ve got lights there’s a night ride in leigh woods that you may want to join in.

Now i just need to find out where i’ve put those tyres….

Sharki.

Lots of good advice here. I’ve found Maxxis Swampthings to be the best combination for me of grippy, cushiony and good on roots. They do tear up softer trails though and are soul-destroyingly draggy on the flat.

As the bloke who organises (in the loosest sense of the word) the trail repairs in Ashton Court I don’t actually mind people riding there in the wet – better there than a trail where no arrangements are in place to repair it. Also, riding when it’s just rained can be more enjoyable than going out a few days later when it’s gone all gluey.

What Mr Agreeable said, it’s definately better after rain than when it’s started to dry and slippery and claggy. But generally Bristol trails aren’t great in the winter and I usually go to Wales or get the road bike out instead. Having said that I’m going out in the snow later.

The mods will get a mush on if we use the forum as a dating site…

Just an already married man plugging his club… 😉

Not to mention that MM is an already married woman… 😉

Anyway, as above, trailrakers are the best in my experience but are draggy on the road to/from the trail. I’ve recently swapped to Bonty Mud X tyres and while I don’t think that they’re quite as good at the trailraker in mud, they’re better as an all rounder so I’m happy enough with them.

I run both (1.95 trailrakers and 2.1 Bontys but they’re actually pretty much the same size) at 45psi but then I’m over twice your weight so you’d get away with 25-30psi, I imagine.

Fire Xc Pro will be fine, you can watch trailrakers and/or medusa’s peeling off the surface of the trail and picking up the hard pack though.

Did I read this right, are you suggesting mud tyres do MORE damage than all-rounders?

I find the exact opposite to be the case, Trailrakers just pock-mark the surface, where XCPro, ACX etc. actually peel it up and spread it about, not to mention all the skiddies. My personal experience lends me to believe mud tyres are best for minimising erosion.

Trail Rakers are crap for Brizzle, Bonty Muds are by far the best I’ve used round here.

I think the Cadbury trails you refer to are around Cadbury Camp and Nortons Wood, come off the M5 at Cleveden / Nailsea, head for Tickenham look out for the Golf Course and the fire road bridal way that runs beside it, that’s a good place to start. There is definitely some fun to be had round there.

Mike (kingtut), you’re talking rubbish as usual.

You’re so slow in the mud that anything would work 😉

Your old skool mud tyres (Conti XCs, the narrower varieties of Trailraker and the like) are designed to spike into and cut through the mud, which I think speeds up the decline of the trails by mixing water with the soil. Bigger volume tyres tend to rest on top of the mud, but only up to a point, and as RichC says they can also peel the surface off the trail in sticky conditions.

If you really want to prevent erosion, your options are: don’t ride in the wet (boring and near-impossible to stick to), make new cheeky trails (which quickly end up getting knackered, it’s hard to keep trails secret) or fix up the existing ones (quick plug here for http://www.bristoltrailsgroup.com, there’s a trail day coming up on Saturday and another later in the month).

There is definitely some fun to be had round there.

The Cadbury Camp trails are indeed fun for a quick blat, but I think if there’s one reason they’re in better nick than the Bristol trails it’s because fewer people know about them and ride them. 😉

Your old skool mud tyres (Conti XCs, the narrower varieties of Trailraker and the like) are designed to spike into and cut through the mud, which I think speeds up the decline of the trails by mixing water with the soil. Bigger volume tyres tend to rest on top of the mud, but only up to a point, and as RichC says they can also peel the surface off the trail in sticky conditions.

Now I’m thinking like a groundsman here, sorry for that but I only knows what I knows; spiking the soil will not damage the roots and fibres in the matrix like ripping strips off it will, surely? Anything that prevents skidding has to be good?

The Cadbury Camp trails are indeed fun for a quick blat, but I think if there’s one reason they’re in better nick than the Bristol trails it’s because fewer people know about them and ride them. [:wink:]

They used to be well used by the GVMTB, but they look to have disbanded now, wonder what happened to them.

Thanks guys, all very good advice – I feel very well looked after!

Thanks Sharki – I’ll send you a mail and come and get the tyres next week. You’re a star – thanks!

I’ll certainly the Trailrakers a go – but, if they’re a bit hard work my next try will be the Bonty Muds (thanks again for the advice Clubber!).

Oh btw, any advice on what pressure to run the Trailrakers at? (I weigh 7 and a half stone) Sorry to take advantage – but as you’re all so knowledgable! 😉

Oh and lastly, Special thanks to Mr. Agreeable – you really are very agreeable! Not to mention very kind and forgiving to allow monkeys like me to go destroying your trails! As I’m lighter and don’t do skids (cos I’m not down wid da kidz) am I less likely to destroy them?! Anyways, I’ll certainly come and give you hand trail building (for an hour or two at least), the next Saturday that my hubby’s working. Cheers!

I run both (1.95 trailrakers and 2.1 Bontys but they’re actually pretty much the same size) at 45psi but then I’m over twice your weight so you’d get away with 25-30psi, I imagine.

😉

Mountainmonkey, you’re too kind. 🙂 😳 I’m in exactly the same boat – most of my rides are local. It’s sensible to go easy on the trails in winter but I’d never tell people to avoid them entirely, it just wouldn’t be any fun (plus winter and summer seem to be indistinguishable these days).

Smiffy, it’s a different kind of soil structure – you want trails to be as compact as possible so the water runs off rather than soaking in (hence they’re uusually built with rock or mineral soil). If the trail gets soft enough then erosion starts happening quickly no matter what type of tyre people are running.

Mike, I think GVMTB mostly ride on the Mendips these days. There’s not much more than an hour’s riding over that way anyway, at least that I’ve found.

(even the Kenda blue groove/nevegals I have on my geared bike that seem ace at all the trail centres).

Those are in no way mud tyres. They are good at trail centres, but trail centres aren’t muddy 🙂

I like Trailrakers for the other side of the channel, but Bonty Mud Xs are also good.

Ooh, forgot to say thanks for the tips on Cadbury. I’ll keep it quiet, I promise 😉

(Although, to be honest, I’m not great at directions so I’ll probably be keeping it quiet more because I can’t find them, than because of any overwhelming sense of loyalty!)

Hmmm, sorry Clubber – missed that the first time. Thanks!

I’ll certainly the Trailrakers a go – but, if they’re a bit hard work my next try will be the Bonty Muds (thanks again for the advice Clubber!).

If you’re getting them form Sharki for bobbins then give them ago, but they really are horrible on rock gardens (like on BBL) they pinball the wheels all over the place and as clubber said they do drag on tarmac so that’s something to consider as you have a 14 mile road journey as well.

Hmm.. skinny tyres are horrible in rock garden! Shock! 🙂

I have to say that I find the Bontys just as bad in that respect. Where they’re better is on dry/hard trails where they’re much more predictable than trailrakers.

Hmm.. skinny tyres are horrible in rock garden! Shock! [:)]

Bontys have far better handling in rock gardens IMO, plus I don’t have any problems with 2.0 Larsen TTs in rock gardens either and they’re pretty skinny.

You’re such a princess/pea type, Mike 🙂

Hmm, so in terms of free options: votes for the following:

1) Trailrakers (courtesy of the kind and generous Sharki)
2) Panaracer Fire XC Pro 2.1 (came on my wheels and are an new)
3) Panaracer Fire XC Pro 1.8 (pretty old and used but in cool retro blue!)

I know I need to have a go myself to judge, but I’m selling some wheels, well maybe even a whole bike (I’m upgrading the frame, forks and wheels so it’s probably worthwhile – well ish!) and so need to decide which set of tyres to stick on them to sell.

Which ones should I get rid of?!

XC Pro 1.8

Clubber, that’s an XTR pea, mind, not a Deore one. 😉

too right – the deore one just wouldn’t feel right 🙄