- So, it's the day before you're going riding
and it is absolutely horrible weather.
What to do?
Well, here are some quick, last-minute changes
you can make to make your winter riding a whole
lot more pleasant.
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A more aggressive tire run at lower pressures
would certainly give you more grip.
Now, personally for me, rolling resistance,
or at least worrying about it kind of goes
out the window when the trails turn to slop.
I want something that's going to give me lots
and lots of traction, so I want quite a big aggressive
tire on the front.
Now, obviously all your steering is done on the front,
but so is most of your braking,
and if you're watching out on the front
it just undermines the whole ride for me,
so I try and stick with lots of grip.
Now, and a last minute change you can make
is just to drop a few PSI.
Run a bit softer, this will help the tire to form
and conform to the ground a lot better,
delivering you more grip.
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So you've got the bona fide best bike in the world,
and tires grippier than a Martin Scorsese epic,
but all of that isn't going to count for much
if you can't bloody see.
Now, personally, I always run a mudguard, year round.
In the summer I might not go for something quite as long
as this, but vision for me is
of absolute paramount importance.
So, in winter, moving away from something like maybe
a kind of a shorter, stubbier guard,
I go for something a lot longer,
you go for something like this which is medium length
or the whole enchilada here.
But, it gives you so much more confidence knowing
you're not going to have your vision taken out with
a splat of mud as you come around a corner.
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Most mountain bike helmets come with adjustable visors.
Now, whereas the visor in the summer months
can sometimes feel like an impediment of your vision,
in winter it can be all the opposite.
If you lower it a touch, you might see it at the very top
of your vision, but it's going to keep a lot of debris
out of your eyes.
So have a little bit of an experiment,
run it a bit lower perhaps and see how you go on.
Trousers.
Trouser, trouser, trousers.
For years I thought they were low-brow,
moto-mimicking nonsense and I put my hands up
because I was wrong.
Being able to take off a set of trousers and be clean
underneath is an absolute godsend.
Some are waterproof, some aren't.
It doesn't necessarily matter that much,
it's just great to have something that gives
an extra layer of protection against the elements.
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I'm going to be honest with you guys,
in the summer months, often I'll wear a cotton t-shirt
as I jump out the office for just a few hour spin,
but in colder conditions, especially when temperatures
reach around zero,
these things might not be so good for riding.
That sweat patch of doom can turn to an icy disaster,
so stick with nice and breathable base layers
and jerseys as they will actually keep you warmer
and more comfortable over longer rides.
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Dry lube is something that I use a lot of.
All through the summer months it's my absolute go-to.
It runs clean and efficiently and I don't think anybody
could really argue with that.
But, if your drive train is going to be in the firing line
of some hefty puddles, maybe it's not the one to go for.
In winter months I'm definitely reaching for the wet lube.
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Letting the motor dry before cleaning it
can be an absolute nightmare and a bucket of wash
can be your best bet, but what to do if you haven't
got those at hand?
Well, the homemade pressure wash, a la the water bottle,
can often be the way to go.
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Something like a hearty old bag for life is a great way
to keep all the mud in one place,
and stop it contaminating your car, house, whatever.
Another good tip is to take that bag and give your clothes
a bloody good rinse before slinging them
in the washing machine, to save dividing the household
into two as you potentially write off a machine machine
thanks to excess amounts of mud and grit.
I don't know if it's a bit of an old wives tale that one,
but I'm pretty cautious and always give my clothes
a quick rinse.
And there we go.
Some quickfire tips which I hope have been a help.
Now, if you want to stay with the channel, click down here
to see Doddy investigate some fork suck down
and it's appropriate remedies and click down here
for some winter upgrades.
Thank you very much for watching, don't forget to like
and subscribe and we'll see you next time.