I have an old hardtail with cantilever breaks that always get clogged up when in serious mud. Before I invest in new lights (having read your blog), do your routes see much mud? The bike is getting upgraded next March so I may need to wait until then before joining you.
PS To put this into context, my MTB has a shopping basket on the back but should be good enough for Cambridge mountains. (the shopping basket is staying but I may remove the streamers from the handlebars

Assuming you are not Duncan or similar taking the pee (sorry bit about the streamers has me suspicious)

I would not come out if it's been raining for the day before. It does get very muddy especially in winter as it doesn't dry fast. Come and give it a try on a dryish day and see what happens?

Can you put thinner mud tyres on?

Hi Brian

I'd agree with ClaIre. We definitely make a speciality of finding mud. I'd have thought cantilevers were at least better than V-brakes?

Are you on fairly fat tyres? Really skinny proper mud-shedding tyres should make quite a difference. Chain Reaction have a pretty good deal on at the moment on 1.8 Medusas, which grip and shed well and even roll OK.

Like ClaIre says, try a dry ride! By tomorrow night, if the forecast is right, it won't have rained for 3.5 days, so shouldn't be too bad...

Dom

Thanks - I'll try a tyre change but need to sort out the lights first. Probably turn up nearer the end of October.

D'Oh - I've been calling V-brakes "cantilevers" for the last 30 years. That's why I keep getting stuck in the mud

Hey Brian. Can you fit disk brakes on your bike?
As I have some old hope mono minis not doing very much if you want to buy them off me? They are old and well used so I wouldn't want much for them. (they still work I just got fed up of pistons sticking and constantly having to faff with them)

Sadly no, it really is an old bike, but solid and well maintained. I intend to buy lights and make do until I can upgrade next March (just spent a fortune on carbon roadbike so need to wait until the dust settles)
Thanks for the offer though.

Thought that might be the case from your description! Best get saving then

Hi Brian,
when i joined this group about 5 years back i also used a bike with v-brakes. i used 1.8 panaracer fire mud pro's at the time, as i was a roadie and this of road lark was new to me, so grip was a prequasit.

i have to admit there were about 10 occasions or so through that first wet winter that the bike wheels jamed solid with mud arouand the brakes and across the bridge of the forks, i had to pick the bike up and carry it through the field or throw it in a puddle to get moving again. the worst problem was more getting a little wet sloppy mud on the brakes, then they just don't work that well, and you can just imagine the pads and rims wearing away.....but as you say you should be fine in the Cambridge Mountains.

i upgraded my bike to one with Disk brakes and indeed went through using a 1.8 Madusa on the rear and a 2.1 Madusa on the front.....best upgrade i could have made (at the time), Disks and Madusa's.

So if you are prepared for a bit of "hike a bike" and the occasional panic as you cant stop, then you will be fine......just think of it as "character building", i'm still here, and i have won crash of the year for 3 of the last 4 years and i think im a dead cert for this year too.

just watch out for upgrading to Carbon fibre, it is great, light and fast, but unless you spend a bit more on Copter Tape or some kind of armor plating you will find yourself replacing the rear triangle, like me, as the mud builds up and wares it away while you ride! Nice! £180 for the lower half of the rear triangle, bargin!

see you soon

Pat

Does Google translate have a "Pat to English" facility?!