TV tyre volume
TP tyre pressure
tCoF trail coefficient of friction
Testing conditions lately eh? Been skittering about on snow slush and ice on teeny tiny CX tyres, thought I'd got it sussed on friday, hammered all the way home, throwing the bike around and pushing it into corners, dips and bumps and the bike only tried to kill me on the wet grass off camber corner near home, which I was fully expecting, brilliant! I later figured out it was probably because I hadn't topped up the tyres in ages and they were down to puncture territory, pumped em back up on monday and back to nervous handling, that's a bit vexing. 50 front 60 back is proving to be puncture resistant but it's a rough ride.
finally made it out for a mtb ride tuesday night, 3 weeks since the last snowy one and we did pretty much the same route. After a while on dodgy handling CX bike I was looking forward to shedloads of grip that fat rubber and bouncy forks supply, I was to be disappointed. Climb up barrow bridge same old, up edge lane and we got the first signs of ice, few slips from the back wheel. Onto burnt edge and we hit the snowline, snow and ice everywhere and some proper hairy moments so I dropped tyre pressure down to silly low and didn't do too bad after that. 2 lads was fun, nearly stopped dead in a snow drift on a steep bit but rode it out, the gulley at the end had ice at the bottom, excellent!
Back up hole in the wall apart from the stream crossing it was icey but doable. We rode to the mast with some trepidation, would san marino be snowy fun or sheet-ice hell? Well it was a bit of both TBH but more of the former. Not as fast as last time and a couple of dabs/tripods, the big drop had an icey run in and out and I fluffed the approach anyway. Did the chicane and suddenly no snow again, weird. Si had an OTB on the big trench just before the road when the bike stopped dead but no harm done. Off to the quarry, the first section felt and looked different but rode ok, got to the steep bit with the big rock and immediately ran into trouble, ended up stopped on the downslope back wheel a couple inches off the ground. Hmmm back up and try again, went for the rock drop just front wheel rolled over the back hooked up on something and I crashed into the side of the gulley. ouch, pedals had hammered both shins and my glasses smooshed into my forehead when I hit the side. Ouch. I rolled out the way and Si cleaned it, I decided to go back up quickly and go again before I lost my nerve, I noticed loads more rocks than usual and a "present". DOg turd bag surrounded by a ring of rocks in the middle of the trail, hmmm, someone laying "mines" on the trail? Cleared that and set off, as soon as I started realised I hadn't given my bike the once over after the crash but I cleaned the drop, stopped at the bottom to check and yep bars were well wonky, oops.
Rode upto the scouts rd, seemingly disturbing a party, big night out at the car park eh kids? Dropped though smithills, both of us nearly got taken out by a new rut and then headed home, my front super tacky tyre at 15psi making a proper racket as it constantly peeled itself away from the tarmac, draggy as hell but did the job, I just need to remember to top them up before the next proper* ride, them variable tyre pressure bikes are starting to sound like a good idea.
*ie rocky
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