Is it my tyres or am I just a bit crap/not got big enough balls?
Riding near me (Surrey Hills + recent logging cutting up tracks) on certain descents the ground is very wet. I can feel the bike squirming underneath me and I back off and crawl down the hill holding the brakes. I'm running racing ralph on the rear and nobby nic on the front, is that the issue or do I need to purchase some skillz upgrades?
Racing Ralph is a lightweight racing tyre with a low profile tread - are you really surprised it's not a good winter tyre?
Both.
Try upping the pressures.
Bikes slide around in the mud, that's half the fun. Getting used to that feeling and using your body weight to correct and so on will make you a better rider (unless you fall off and break something)---Probably. Also remember that in the crap and over roots etc momentum is your friend, you'd be surprised just how out of shape things have to get before you lose grip and crash.
Those tyres are a bit summerish I like Verticals in the winter they are 10 quid each and grip like shit on a blanket and are not too slow rolling. (Waits for someone to come along and say how crap they are in comparison to Maxxis)
Riding down steep muddy banks fast is always a bit hairy for me, but decent mud tyres do help a fair bit.
Past few weeks I've done the same local trails with both Medusa mud tyres and Ralphs.
Both move about and squirm - you just need to get used to it and keep your weight central. Medusa's let you ride slower through mud and do have amazing grip, the ralphs require a full bore effort and better line choice to keep moving.
Don't back off - it's all a part of the fun of winter riding and will make you a better rider.
joolsburger - Member
(Waits for someone to come along and say how crap they are in comparison to Maxxis)
or in comparison to Mud-X for that matter.
Trying to compensate for the wrong tyre with gnarly skills is just madness. Get the right tyre and enjoy - it's still a white knuckle ride.
I think way too many people expect tyres to compensate for technique.
I agree that appropriate tyres help, but IMO far too many people think that tyre x for condition y is the golden panacea to hhelp them enjoy their rides. How many people ride their entire route ont he same surface all the time.
I love the 'What tyre for the peaks' threads. The routes are not entirely rocky, they are a mixture of road, mud, rock and loose gravelly kind of stuff, therefore you'd change your tyres all the time.
+ 1 Pieface.
Surrey hills isn't proper mud there's no clay or anything. Most slippery bit I can think of is at the top of the pots and as it's gritstone it's actully quite grippy. Any half decent all seasons tyre is pretty much good enough for me, hence the verts. Almost everyone else I know just uses Panananananaaracers and some of those boys are very quick, both up and down.
you need a jedi upgrade!
Your tyres aren't the greatest (I'd stick a swampthing on the front), but as others have said, it's the sliding about that makes it fun.
Good technique, good line choice and minimal braking are what you're after.
Am booked on a course next month, so I suspect that will help. Cheers
With slippy cornering, having a tyre with a definite edge feel helps my confidence. But you still have to press those edges in (pump the corner) to find grip - I'm not always in the mood to commit firmly enough!
Braking is much more demanding when slippery. You just can't drag brake or the tyres never grip properly, every bump pings you about, you're always unbalanced and you feel terrified all the time.
So I have to really focus on braking only when going straight and in balance and releasing the brakes completely through all obstacles and corners - eeek! But the bike then behaves itself and finds plenty of grip when it's really needed.
It's a learning curve. I'm still near the start, but learning all the time.
Technique, then tyres.
IMO with the mud around the Surrey Hills, which is wet rather than claggy, Ralphs aren't a total disaster, they've still got reasonable tread on the shoulders.
However... if you're a bit lacking in confidence, and not wanting to bike to slide around as much then something like a Mud X will really help.
Technique will show you how to make the most of the available grip and improve your skillz. New tyres will be new tyres, then not so new tyres, then old tyres...
Bit of both. If it's bothering you now, then tyres- the important part is the technique really but that'll take time to sort, whereas more suitable tyres will help you straight away. If you just want to get better then stick with the Ralphs.
There seems to be an awful lot of hype surrounding tyre choice and conditions on here.
I tend to fit a set of tyres which stay on until they wear out!
Unless I'm racing of course! - then paranoia takes over and I can blame wrong tyre choice/pressure etc on my poor result!!
ride whatcha brung 
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