So, the forecast shows an extended period of freezing weather from tonight to Thursday morning. The temp drops to a minimum of -3, so not arctic conditions but still chilly.

How deep can we expect the crust on a quagmire of Worcestershire’s finest gloop to be?

I assume that for a given period, a negative air temperature will build up a frozen crust, but that the depth of the crust will not increase linearly with the falling temperature as there would be a insulating effect from the mud already frozen.

Anyone got any data? I’ve googled but obviously not in the right places…..

There’s only one way to find out – and we’ll need pix!

We get crunchy mud in the New Forest – ok to ride over the majority of the time but will occasionally catch you out. It’s like some sort of perverse mtbing russian roulette….

1,493 m

If you’re riding on the Malvern’s BOAS you’ll find that the really wet/boggy bits will still be that way unless it’s a dry/cold spell as the worst areas are always shaded so don’t get the full effect of the freeze.
MOst of the ‘normal’ paths should be pretty good tho as it all drains well..

Cannock’s sand-based mud was generally frozen to a depth of a few cm after weeks of sub-zero temperatures during the big freeze of 2010-2011

The fun started when the top layer started to melt but the lower layer was still frozen, giving rise to a bizarre jelly-like goo that refused to disperse like real mud but at the same time offered zero traction like ice.

What tyres for jelly? 🙂

there is a reason water pipes have to have a certain about of cover when they are in the ground not less than 750mm as the ground does not freeze at that depth.

course bit of safety factor in there etc

MOst of the ‘normal’ paths should be pretty good tho as it all drains well..

Ha, ha, ha, ha! I presume your normal paths aren’t the same as mine – even the Malverns have got wet and boggy this year – in places I’ve never seen mud before.

I guess so..

if its not very cold for not very long then nor far.

think pond ice.

in theory i think about 450mm is generally about the deepest it gets in the uk for most parts unless exceptionally cold. less by coast more inland and up high.

its not an overnight job to freeze that far.

Forget mud, frozen lochs are where it’s at.

A couple of years ago we had sub -10C days and nights for 3 weeks. The ice on Loch Leven was frozen about a foot thick, we rode seven miles along the length of it. Never heard a single crack.

mcmoonter=brave.

yeah -450mm from ground level is the point where you don’t have to protect against frost, for most highway/infrastructure civil engineering schemes.

Ask a wooly mammoth

Never heard a single crack.

What would you have done if you had?

Never heard a single crack.

What would you have done if you had?

It was amazingly cold for weeks. Snow around the loch was frozen so hard we couldn’t mark it. Strangely the snow on the surface of the frozen loch remained granular, like polystyrene beads. The ice itself was clear. We tested it by jumping progressively out from the edge.

That same week there ad been a huge curling competition over in the west.

We never rode more than 50 yards from the shore. The only point where we did have concerns was were a river fed into the loch. At that point we went back to the shore to the nearest bridging point then rejoined the ice.

Had I gone through? We discussed this and planned to use a bike as a ‘rope’ to pull a faller out with.

It was a calculated risk, I’m the most risk averse person you could meet.

mcmoonter – Member

It was a calculated risk, I’m the most risk averse person you could meet.

One of our crew is a health and safety inspector… it’s a wonder he mountain bikes at all. 😆

mcmoonter=brave.

Wot – riding without gloves on?

We were doing some trial pits last week in the frost as part of a geological survey and at -2C the mud was only frozen down to about 80mm, it’s not deep.

Ooops! I posted this and forgot about it, thanks for the replies.

80mm for -2 sounds quite deep, it must have been colder overnight for that depth surely?

Anyhow, despite the invitations to create a photo montage of BOAS in his mankini in a Wyre mud hole, I think I’ll pass upq that opportunity and stick to the hills!