Sancho – Member

if you think its down to your tyres, then you have already psyched yourself out of how fast you can go.

But if you think that changing tyres can’t help, you’re miles off the mark. What the fastest and most confident riders can or can’t do really doesn’t make any difference to most folks.

coming as a kid from motorcycle trials i used to love riding in adverse conditions,mud ,snow the lot.
speed can be your friend on cambers and roots, brake before them and carry speed across but be smooth.
really sloppy conditions you can still find grip but theres a point when it start getting claggy and it just jams up the bike.
riding off the normal lines can help as they can be more grippy.
i’ve always tried to not drag the brakes as it used to kill them ,most are amazing now and can stand constant abuse.
practise,trust in your equipment and confidence are the big things.

Correct tyre for a wet cavedale is the arse end of your shorts, or your helmet

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=YfMQdFGTKAs[/video]

Tyres help but are not the be all and end all, as someone said if your doubting them then it’s game over.
It is about skill technique and mental coolness.
The guy who made the corner in the trans savoire took a great line, harder to execute but easier to complete. Put the front where it needs to go, let the back follow, get off the brakes and keep the rubber rolling. Sort out your speed on entry and on any easier bits.
Also if there is no weight on the front wheel it will go where it wants.

Or as some of the pro’s say “You just ride it”

i find swearing a lot, then getting off the bike and sliding down on my ass as the bike hooks my shorts sort of helps others with both their confidence and skills.

thats the reason i do it. Not because im crap and have no idea

So what’s the tyre for steep wet slippy rocks (cavedale) in 2014?

Honest answer; Cavedale is neither steep nor slippy but it’s certainly rocky. Follow the water! It’s slimy limestone that’s slippy. Stick to the main watercourse and it’s plenty grippy. Holding a line and avoiding being deflected off the rocks is the difficult bit, and here a bit of momentum is helpful.
Tyre choice not that critical. Pinchflats probably a bigger threat than lack of grip.

Correct tyre for a wet cavedale is the arse end of your shorts, or your helmet

To avoid this, I think the best advice is to look further ahead and pick your braking points (as someone said earlier^^). That was my learning point taken away after a Garda trip last year. We did 601 trail in the p!$$ing rain (zero grip, mega slippy limestone that goes on forever). It forced you to pick your braking points a good 10 M or so ahead and then to get off the brakes over any nasty stuff between.

Just swapped an old and half worn High Roller II off the back of the AM bike and fitted a Minion DHF I had knocking about and it is like night and day.

All the steep muddy slithery stuff I used to struggle to control speed on is now a piece of piss. I think the old tyre was good schooling, but it really helps to be able to get braking when you need it, in shorter burst, rather than madly dragging the back brake and ploughing down in the hope of getting speed right.

So in summary, tyres can and do make a massive difference. Tyres and technique. Tyres, technique and a lazer cock.

if you think its down to your tyres, then you have already psyched yourself out of how fast you can go.

This. I had this problem in the Lakes recently. Thinking about my tyres, potential lack of stopping power, with the inevitable result that I slowed down, didn’t commit fully, ended up stalling the front wheel and off I came.

When I’m confident and go in quicker and more relaxed, things generally go a lot better.

anyone got a link to the lazer cock movie that was on mid week mini movies ages ago?

*never thought I’d ever request that on the internets

close your eyes and scream like a girl innit

Point my cock where I want to go.

I tried this but by the time I’d unzipped my flies I was already on the floor.

🙁

Point my cock where I want to go.

its difficult when its tucked away in lycra, pointing backwards!