What’s the best way to tackle wet tree roots when on a ride?
Should I:
A. Use lots of pace and hope my front wheel doesn’t do one
B. Use caution and bounce or hop the bike over them
C. Keep off the saddle
D. Be in the saddle

I did a search but nothing came up.

Are we talking routes around wet trees?

Weight centre of bike, lots of speed, don’t try and steer and if possible use the first root to launch the rest.

Haha, sorry that should have said Tree Roots….oooops! Thanks hexhamstu, carrying speed is the key then?

Get the front over them so you maintain control and stay loose to let the back do its thang…

Indeed, mince around and you’ll fall off, fly through and they are gone before they had time to send you sideways.

Sorry couldn’t resist. 😳 Try to keep a straight line over them and as square on as possible; definitely stand (especially if you are riding a hard-tail) and depending on how many there are as said launching over them is the quickest option.

Unweighting the bike is also useful if that makes sense.

Defo need some weight and commitment onto the tree root, don’t be shy about it.

I wouldn’t be too worried about binning it, either, in terms of skills. Seen plenty of good riders go on their aris over wet roots, particularly if they’re very off-camber so to speak.

Manual them, BMX-style.

hexhamstu is drip feeding the key points I think!

Relax. Dont stare are them-whats coming next? Start with weight forward, arms up&out. Plan a route / line that gets most of them at 90 degrees. Unweight the front on any that look unnerving. And expect the bike (esp the back) to slide temporarily.

Strange – I’m crap at lots of stuff on an mtb – but this one never phases me so I think the key thing is relax.

If they’re off-camber, start at the “low” edge of the trail and aim to finish the rooty section at the high edge. Your upward momentum will tend to balance the slip and you’ll stay on the trail.

If you enter the section on the high side, you’ll tend to slide down the roots and end up off the side of the trail.

as fast and as square as possible. Then fall off.

What hexhamstu said. I normally try to bunnyhop the lot or use the first as a little lip to launch the rest.

Thanks guys, lots to digest.

It’s fun this mountain bike lark, innit? 🙂

Danny macaskill up the tree innit……that’s what I do.

Foot out, flat ou!

Try to hit them at as close to 90 degrees as well.

A. Use lots of pace and hope my front wheel doesn’t do one look at the lay of the trail and root formation, choose an appropriate line and commit to it (No hoping involved)
B. Use caution and bounce or hop the bike over them[] Don’t use caution, look ahead, stay light and loose, hopping/jumping if required
C. Keep off the saddle – at all times!
D. Be in the saddle

Basic

Max Cavalera did a song about roots 😉

Carefully

Try to take them at a 45deg angle with plenty of weight over the front …. 😉

Max Cavalera did a song about roots 😉

Which tyres for bloody roots? 😯

Approach at a decent speed – lift the unweight the front wheel – wonder where the roots went.

Usually start perpendicular to the root, end up parallel and alongside.

Hit them straight on (not at an angle). That’s it.

Roter Stern – Member
launching over them is the quickest option.

What if there’s too many to launch over?

Stevelol – Member
Hit them straight on (not at an angle). That’s it.

What of if the roots are angled though?

martinhutch – Member
Usually start perpendicular to the root, end up parallel and alongside.

😆

Usually start perpendicular to the root, end up parallel and alongside.

Yes, that’s where I’m at at the moment…..

But every day we get better and better 😆

Usually start perpendicular to the root, end up parallel and alongside.

Yes, that’s where I’m at at the moment…..

So when that happens – ask yourself 3 questions:
= was I relaxed
= was I looking up
= was I in the weight forward position to start with?

If yes to all of those – then you havent moved your weight according to the “obstacle” (unweighting etc). So focus on that.

Hmmmm, seems I’m not relaxed over roots, looking just forward of the front wheel and maybe not upright enough and definitely not enough umpty.

Okay, I’ll calm it down and speed it up.

Scream, then leap

Scream, then leap

other way about, surely?

Ignore roots is the best solution

If I could only get them to ignore me

What GW said.

At the FOD mini DH series last winter there was this rooty bit near the drop onto the fire road. I can genuinely say I never noticed them as I was looking far ahead looking for my entry into the drop. I must’ve ridden them 10 times then decided to walk up the course watching other riders. I stopped at the drop in to see why so many riders and spectators had gathered to watch at this point and heard virtually everyone of them whittering on about the roots; I had no idea what they were on about so took a look; there was this rooty section that every other rider seem to go sideways on, resulting a big off, which was the reason for the crowds.

Like a tit I started thinking about them too much and lo and behold I fell off on my very next run. Moral to that story is just ride the buggers..!

Offer up a brief prayer to the deity of your choice, death stare the slippy buggers and accelerate.

Fast & Loose

1)accept that you may slide – then it’s not a surprise if you do.
2)relax 🙂
3)giggle

Go for perpendicular to start get the front over and the back will follow, may also help with some of your cornering if you can let the back correct in the right direction. For a long off camber set start high!

I also suggest some inner shorts with pads on the outer thigh. it make crashing learning less painful

Wet tree roots. How do you ride yours?

mince nervously towards them, crash painfully, avoid for a while, repeat.