Tyre pressure

Along with tyre choice, tyre pressure is hugely important when tackling inhospitable terrain. Generally you want to go with a little less air pressure to provide you with more traction when it gets muddy. Like tyre choice though, it can be dependent on your local terrain. Do you ride somewhere rocky or rooty? And the tyres you choose will influence the pressure. Our advice is don’t be afraid to experiment until you find a good balance.

Lube your chain

Choose a lube designed for wet weather conditions, as any oil can quickly and easily be washed off the chain when riding through deep snow and slush. To ensure your bike runs smoothly, make sure to lube the chain before and after each ride. There’s a huge choice of lubes but generally a wet lube will be better suited to riding in mud. If it’s dry and frozen a dry lube will work well, but dry lubes need more regular application.

Mudguards

There will undoubtedly be a lot of mud and crap being thrown up into the air and much of it will land on your body, which (as anyone who has experienced this will know) is very unpleasant. So stay warm and dry with a decent front mudguard. It’ll remove the need to scrape grit out of your eyes on a regular basis if nothing else.

Okay, so we know they’re unfashionable and all, but a rear mudguard can also provide a good first line of defense against the slop coating you from head to toe. We’d certainly always step out with some sort of front guard at the very least.

Avoid rust

Treating those components likely to rust quickly with a corrosion preventative such as ACF50 will make sure your bike lasts the winter, and that under the encrusted dirt lies a gleaming, unsullied machine just waiting for the restorative flush of hot, water and a decent, bike-specific, cleaning agent.

Carry your essentials

Having a mechanical is bad enough at the best of times, but when it’s pouring with rain and your toes are frozen, it’s the last thing you want to deal with. Make sure to carry all the essential tools and spares you need to keep your bike rolling on a ride. At the very least carry a spare tube, decent pump, tyre levers if you need them, and a high quality multitool with a chain breaker. Other things to consider are spare brake pads, as all that grit and water will wear through quickly. A spare mech hanger and a few spare chain links can be a good move too; mud has a tendency to crunch drivetrains…