[kil0ran]

I encounter very fine-grained soft, dense sand quite a bit in the New Forest. Tend to steer clear of it if I can as I’ve had a few tumbles. Any tips for riding across it? Road bike, 40mm tyres (WTB Nano knobblies), heavy rider.

Topic

[hawkinspeter]

Mungecrundle wrote:

Mungecrundle wrote:

Having the right equipment is paramount.

Is that a Camelbak?

[Mungecrundle]

Having the right equipment is
Having the right equipment is paramount.

[kil0ran]

Thanks all, good thread.

Thanks all, good thread.

All about looking ahead and planning routes, and expecting to fall off. And the transition in riding style from onroad to offroad. 

Might consider going tubeless but that’s quite a big outlay – new rims and tyres needed.

[L3gion]

kil0ran wrote:

Thanks all. Yep, front-end washout is the main issue. And gorse is an unpleasant place to land.

I can deal with the back end being (dare I say it) squirrelly but it feels like any steering input will just cause the front end to tuck. 

Seems like looking ahead and planning the right line to take is the key, as I’m as wide as I can go on the tyres and don’t fancy running low pressures as most of the riding is road and compact gravel.

Short of getting a fatbike, this sounds like as much as you can do really. I’m not sure if you are running tubeless or not, but it’s surprising how low you can go on the pressures and still get a reasonable ride on the road. That might be the only remaining option that helps.

[Sriracha]

Don’t go against the grain.
Don’t go against the grain.

[Organon]

Think light thoughts.

Think light thoughts.

[Xenophon2]

Before moving to another

Before moving to another region I used to ride along a seafront promenade that’s mostly smooth pavement but often has sand blown over it in spots.  Very treacherous.  The only things that work are what was already mentioned:  broad tyres at low pressure, make the center of gravity as low as possible and put weight on the rear wheel + no steering inputs and loose on the handlebars.  Take a leap of faith, go fast, if you slow down you’ll dig in and it’s game over.  Question is, can you live with the compromises of such a setup?  It works on the sandy patches but will bring no joy in terms of efficiency if 90% of your commute is on good tarmac.  With my 28 mm tyres nowadays, on the rare occasions where I see this type of sand carpet extending for more than a few feet, I dismount.

[headingley]

…tip : don’t.

…tip : don’t.

[hawkinspeter]

To be honest, sand has always

To be honest, sand has always been top of my bucket list

 

[Dicklexic]

My regular commute includes a

My regular commute includes a tarmac costal path that frequently has sand blown onto it from the beach adjacent to it, and I also ride now and then in Pembrey country park (including the odd CX and beach race) that that has very sandy ‘soil’ with lots of the trails being very sandy. My main tip is basically the same as L3gion above, and that is get as much of your weight over the back wheel as possible. That coupled with FULL POWER and keeping as straight as possible are the main things to focus on. Look ahead so that you can control your speed before hand, avoid braking on loose sand, and be subtle with your steering inputs. If you do need to turn on sand, be aware that you can easily find your front wheel turns tighter than anticipated and tends to tuck under you, especially if the sand is soft and deep. The worst one for me is a thin layer of sand on the tarmac path, as is acts like tiny ball bearings meaning very limited grip.

[Pyro Tim]

My advise would be to not

My advise would be to not ride in sand. Which rules out the New Forest, no great shame there. Flat and boring, and full of drivers that want to kill you.

 

Unfortunately it also means the Purbecks are mostly out too. Much more fun and interesting

 

If you absolutely have to ride in the sand, straight lines, minimal steering etc. But you will still probably fall off, so walk.

 

God I hate the new forest

[kil0ran]

Thanks all. Yep, front-end

Thanks all. Yep, front-end washout is the main issue. And gorse is an unpleasant place to land.

I can deal with the back end being (dare I say it) squirrelly but it feels like any steering input will just cause the front end to tuck. 

Seems like looking ahead and planning the right line to take is the key, as I’m as wide as I can go on the tyres and don’t fancy running low pressures as most of the riding is road and compact gravel.

[hawkinspeter]

Another handy tip, avoid the

Another handy tip, avoid the areas marked as “quick-sand” – they’re not any faster.

[Hirsute]

Walk
Walk

[Miller]

Riding in loose sand is very

Riding in loose sand is very difficult, it bogs you down instantly. Large volume with low pressure would be needed. Schwalbe do a 60mm wide G-One Speed explicitly for beach racing but that’s niche.

[Author]

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