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Green chalk is a unique experience, the friction levels are scarily close to melting ice (and often worse than properly frozen ice). I do think dropped saddles and flat pedals give you a chance of bailing in a less damaging manner. But looking well ahead and avoiding the green chalk is your best bet!
Update, first ride on lower pressures. Set both front and rear to 25 psi and headed out on the Downs yesterday. This is on my track pump, got an order in for a Wiggle tyre monitor, hopefully that comes through.
Straight away, it felt comfier (!)
The conditions were pretty bad, had to abandon the Downslink near the new bit as it was under water as far as I could see, the 180 cost me a dab into about 3 inches of puddle, so I had one wet cold foot all ride.
Climbed up through the pig farm, plenty of green chalk on the way up but climbing on it is rarely a problem. From the top I went south towards Steepdown which is on a narrow wet overgrown trail with a definite rut. Managed most of it but the tyres were clogged with mud so I had one off. Was going slowly, a combination of braking and managing to unclip meant I didn't hit the deck. Put some doubt in my mind but thinking the knobblie bits had been clogged I carried on.
The front tyre is a Maxxis High Roller 2.3, I think there is room for something as big as 2.5.
Definitely interested in the Sonders, will probably go with the ones around £1k. The titanium looks nice, but I want to restore my confidence before I go mad.
glad to hear the experiment is going well 🙂
a wider tyre is good, but effectively just allows you to run a lower tyre pressure without pinch flatting (as in, a 2.3" tyre at 20psi has the same amount touching the floor as a 2.5" tyre at 20psi, but you will pinchflat the thinner one more often). So you can run som random pressures and just accept you'll sacrifice a tube before deciding to go to a wider tyres.
The 2.3/2.5 maxxis tyres were their "old" measurements, the 2.4 is (afaik) approx the same width as the old 2.5 - so if you do want to go up, a 2.4 is just as good (and probably has more availability).
if clogging is a regular issue you might find a mud-specific tyre is a better shout in the winter. Maxxis wetscream (others are available) and shorty should both clear mud a little better than a high roller.
Reminds me of when I first started mountain biking. The tyre said 50psi on the sidewall so that’s what I put in. Took me ages to pump up to that with a hand pump, and by the time I’d finished it was bloody lethal! Fell off about 3 times on the ride before my riding partner pointed out the error of my ways…
You don’t need a new bike
Regardless of circumstance, this is never the right answer...
This thing about tyre pressures on the side of the tyre has been bugging me! Road tyres always say 100 psi, or thereabouts (with tubes anyway) so I that's why I had the MTB ones at 45.
The tyre pressure monitor is great fo 8 quid, I check them once a week now. You lose a few psi over a week or two anyway.
Keen on the Sonder bikes, can't work out if the Broken Road is more suitable for me than a Dial.
Southdownsbikes have a Whyte 140 RS with £1600 off, it's full sus and is very tempting, reviews seem quite good.
Not going to buy anything just yet, got to have shoulder replacement surgery which could mean 8 weeks or more off the bike altogether, so will have a lot of time to research and irritate shop people with my slightyl niche requirements.
oof...45psi
Well done on 25..now keep going down...!
DrP
Thread revival! Mainly because I finally got a Sonder Dial...I can't seem to attach a pic of it. It took longer to get to the stage where I thought I could justify the expense of a new mtb, but turning 60 was softened by finishing the mortgage and having a small pension 😯 In June 2024 I had a replacement shoulder (arthritis 🙄 ) so that gave me plenty of time to think.
I did loads more research, and tried a Cotic Solaris on a demo day up in the Surrey Hills. It was fantastic, but they had fully loaded the demo version with top spec everything, so it was just under £6k ! ! ! A steel hardtail for that much? There were other problems for me on the demo day, all the other guys were on full sus monster bikes, and they had some idea of the trails. I found myself trying to keep up as we swished left and right through the woods, often they would be only 10m ahead but I couldn't see them. The trails were sandy and roots and half metre drops, it was quite scary. On my own I'd have gone at my own pace and probably enjoyed it more, but trying to keep the others in sight and not wipe out on the crazy trails was ovreload.
I also went to Windover at Cuckmere Haven, they were lovely people. I was interested in the Beacon, which they market as a 90s mtb inspired adventure bike, so it's a steel frame with a rigid carbon fork. It was light, and it was a good ride, and I'm thinking if a full sus is overkill on the Downs, then maybe front suspension is also over the top? I spent the whole ride thinking "Oh, it dealt with that bit quite well...for a bike with no suspension" and then I tried a slightly different frame with high end front forks and it was so much better on the same trails, I decided a proper hardtail was the right choice. This again would have been the wrong side of £3k.
I then spoke to my local Alpkit, they were having one of their fairly frequent sales, and I was worried the price would go back up before I could get organised. They told me they were discontinuing the Dial, so the £500 off was staying until they were gone. They have released a new bike, the Falco, which is a little cheaper than the Dial but looks like its designed for similar style riding. My work said they would put the whole price on cycle to work, so with the £500 off and monthly payments...I went for the top Dial and upgraded the wheels/saddle/bars etc.
I've had it jusst over two weeks, just about got it set up how I want now. Pressures are still around 25, might lower them this weekend. It has a dropper post, but it seems sticky in its action. I can get it to go down most times, bouncing my fat old arse on it is usually enough, but getting it to come back up again is random.
I need to go back to wearing the pads again, I seem to have stashed them away with all my winter gear.
NBD is only complete with pics. #TheLaw
RE dropper - have you overtightend the seat clamp?
Also, with any new tyres I find it takes a few miles to get pressures right and 'clean up' the surface some so they really begin to grip, and also get a feel for them.
Dial is a good option, love a sonder, I had 2 hardtails, I built a cortex? short travel full sus for my gf and it's so nice, super light
the Dial will be rapid everywhere, must feel a world apart from the old boardman
re tyre pressures, if tubeless, even 25 might be higher than required, at 78kg i aim for 19-21 front and 23-25 rear (depending on the bike/tyre size)
re green chalk.. yup, commitment seems to be the best way across it, but pads are the best option just incase
Thanks for the update, @daveyraveygravey.
Sonder make good bikes. I have 2 - a Broken Road Ti and rigid Frontier - and love them both. The BR is my 'best' bike and the Frontier is my hacking about/commuting bike. Having ridden the SDW, I reckon the Dial is perfect for you.
As mentioned above, try loosening the seat clamp slightly and see if that helps the dropper problem. It should only be 5-6Nm.
Leave the rear tyre at 25psi for now but drop the front to about 22psi and see how that feels and handles (assuming you are now running tubeless).
Now, let's have a photo or two! 😀
Message just below here says"user group does not have permission to attach files in this forum"??
Thinking about the dropper, I was going to say I hadn't touched it, but I did move the height up about an inch. Wonder if I over-tightened it then?
As many have already said, the green death chalk gets that name for good reason. I’ve also been victim of the instant slam.
my first advice would be choose your route and when to ride as wisely as possible. For example riding the downs when it’s been sunny but then there’s been light rain or drizzle is a sure fire way to meet terra firma.
i know you ride from home however I’d be looking to ride a bit further up in the more sandy areas if there’s been some rain, for example above the a272 where there seems to be a more sandy soil.
Next I’d agree modern geometry will calm the front end a bit, as well as the improvements that have been made in suspension and have trickled down. I’d pick a reasonably aggressive front tyre as when the chalk/loam/ grass is a bit softer it does grip better.
Also, it sounds a bit like you’re at risk of losing your riding mojo, new bikes fix that 😉
I’ve also now seen that not only have you got a new bike but you’re already playing with the pressures etc. lol carry on.
happy trails
Got the allen keys out at the weekend and backed the saddle tightened bolt off about half a turn...dropper works beautifully now! (Can't have it in the low position long, plays havoc with my quads).
Did a loop to Amberley and back yesterday, loved it!