tyrion

I never would have thunk it.


Ted King is using Snoqualmie Pass tires in mud.

trailangel

Bike is clean. He is not riding it.

HTupolev

How much was there really? Word is that Land Run was unusually dry this year.

TimothyH

From 2:10 in the video;

"...and now it is dry as a bone. There's a hand full of... puddles, standalone puddles, but the course is just freaking flying fast and that is why I'm going to be riding these slick tires..."

So little to no mud.


-Tim-

shoota 

I thought they were Barlow Pass but yeah I can confirm that's what he rode. I saw it firsthand and couldn't believe it. I can also confirm there was no peanut butter mud. There were a few sloppy spots but it didn't stick very well.

Spoonrobot 

I've done a bit of racing in mud and muddy dirt roads on slicks. I wouldn't recommend it. Like skating on glare ice. Bike has to stay entirely upright at all times or the front wheel will go sideways in a hurry. End up going around corners hanging off the side like a tricycle racer while steering the handlebars around like a tractor. Braking down hill is exciting as it becomes very easy to lock both wheels while still accelerating due to gravity. Positive side is you can also end up sliding backwards, while pedaling, up extremely steep muddy slopes. Slicks also tend to throw up a massive amount of mud compared to tires with tread.

TimothyH

I'd buy tickets to see you do this.

And, for the public's viewing pleasure, the 2015 Southern Cross Slip 'n Slide....

Hiro11

Yep. I've tried Snoqualmie Pass tires in mud myself. There is absolutely zero traction, it's sketchy as hell.

Spoonrobot 

Ha. That was my second ever gravel ride. Little gravel tadpole trying to navigate conditions that had only existed online. I'd only ridden in the mountains a few times and had never seen them completely shrouded in thick fog like it was that day. Never done a 30 minute descent with dozens of turns almost completely muddy gravel. I had a wondrous time, it really got me hooked on gravel riding and the sense of adventure and achievement that comes from such rides.

I'm the trailing rider:

redlude97

I was told the superx is not a gravel bike

TimothyH

^^ That's great!

Similar conditions Oct 7, 2017. 55° and sunny at the Nimblewill trailhead and 40° with rain, fog and mud at the top of Winding Stair. I think it was my fifth gravel ride ever. Yeah, hooked.




-Tim

Metieval

mud on a 44c slick sounds better then snow and ice on a 25c

I betcha Ted has enough bike handling skill to handle a bit of mud on a slick.....

ThermionicScott 

Not marketed as a "gravel bike"? Can't be ridden on gravel? Confusing statement there.

redlude97

The whole gravel market seems to have come about because cyclocross bikes apparently are too unstable to ride on gravel despite many of us doing so

gus6464

I was also told the Stigmata is not a gravel bike either.