Been doing quite a bit of tough riding lately, more muddy trails and tricky stuff than I used to ride, but I still suck at it.

While I’m happy jumping, and have no real fear of speed, I just can’t get my head around really rocky/muddy steep trails, and bottle out too much.

I was on a section (called “new xc decent” on strava, if anyone knows it) in wharncliffe woods, that seemed to have been ridden a lot since it got muddy, but I pretty much fell/walked down it!

The short bits I could ride, I did with one foot down (after scaring myself in the first few meters – had to jump off the bike). It should be doable, as no drops are bigger than 1ft, although they land into rocks/root/narrow muddy sections, and it isn’t that steep. I’m sure its on par with the Steel City track in Greno woods, but the narrowness and muddiness seem to make it impossible to me. 🙁

Any advice? or do I just need to MFTU and take a few falls? thinking about dumping the SPDs over winter, until I’m a bit more confident..

get your saddle down, if you haven’t already, as low as poss and just the more experience you get the better. There’s no better feeling than clearing a section that’s always scared you before. Lay off the front brake and just go for it, your bike will just roll over it, you just need the confidence to know that it will.

Ta jekkyl. Saddle is low (Thomson dropper).

Sounds silly, but I was a decent BMX rider through my teens, and I’ve always hated suspension, but love my rigid steel MTB because I can place wheels where I want. I can clear really tech stuff easier on the rigid than the full sus, but it’s pretty slow going…

I do tend to try and lift/lighten the front on the Superlight, and ease my bike over stuff. As you say, maybe I should trust the bike to deal with stuff more…

I do tend to try and lift/lighten the front on the Superlight, and ease my bike over stuff. As you say, maybe I should trust the bike to deal with stuff more…

This. Really tech rocky stuff is easier on rigid (if you’ve got trials / BMX skills) but for 95% of MTB, you have to trust the suspension and allow the bike to find its own way at times. When it’s slippy / muddy / icy etc you have no chance at placing your wheels inch-perfectly where you want them to be. So embrace the uncertainty and let it roll.

Easier said than done of course.

You’ll find all you need to know in this handy video:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUY2zdHevX0[/video]

Thanks guys, all makes sense. I’ll give it a go when I’m next out (on Wednesday hopefully).

Stay loose, the bike is gonna move about under you (which is part of the fun of mud!). If you tense up and think you’re going to go down…you’ll go down. Commit! Both feet up and you’ll have more control. I usually switch to flats when it’s really gloopy, mainly because there’s a lot of clay round here which hates clipless mechanisms.

Sounds like you suffer the same problems I do. Coming from Mukluk/Fat Front Jones to 2.3 tyred FS for the first time in ages, even with a mud specific tyre up front, the confidence just isn’t there on steep, greasy clay sections.

It’s not so bad if the section is straight, but if there is any sort of change in direction/speed required, things can and do go sideways (literally).

add in loads of off camber wet roots and you’ve got fun fun fun.

Head to Aston hill in the wet.
Everywhere else will feel amazingly grippy in comparison. Only thing less grippy is wet ice