Ive recently built up a SS with a 2:1 ratio. Ive found it fine getting up big hills, (chin over the stem and grind it out) and even on steeper rocky/rooty sections, (a weird combo of sitting and standing/lurching forward motion). But I can not seem to get the hang of riding through mud. I just lose all my momentum, or spin the wheel trying to get the power down.
What techniques do you guys use when the going gets soft-to-awful?
you just learn to balance your body weight and pedal forces to keep traction at the rear, tbh.
defenitely a different technique to climbing with gears in mud.
balance your body weight as above, and keep a steady even pedal stroke - don't suddenly start peddling manically, you'll lose traction and game over. Think driving a car on ice - slow steady changes.
sometimes you need to sit down to get traction, sometimes this means turning some stupid cadence, when you'd rather be standing up.
Use the force
Use gears
I try to roll through it, but that depends on how deep and or how claggy.
It's difficult one to explain, but keeping momentum without agressive peddling helps, try to float over the top if you can.
If it's glaggy and say 4" deep then it's going to be soft but progressive peddling, momentum though is your friend.
And if all that fails, line selection!
As above, a burst of speed before hitting muddy sections and then moving your weight to the rear (almost a manual) floats the front of the bike through the clag and puts you in the right position to get rear-wheel traction when the momentum dies.
Technique usually involves a change of tyre to MudX or Black Shark Mud and a drop in pressure. 😉
Sprocket Jockey has it about right but then I find that technique works regardless of how many gears or what suspension you have. It's all about making the most of whatever traction is available by centering the majority of your weight above the rear tyre contact patch and being gentle with your power input.
get off and push.