Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

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Boring_Username
Posts: 204
Joined: 2 Mar 2017, 2:38pm

Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by Boring_Username »

I've never really noticed it in previous years, but this year I have had an issue with my tyres (Durano Plus 25c) sliding on country tarmac lanes when encountering a thin (1-2cm) covering of wet mud.

I've had loss of rear traction plus a small rear slide two or three times in recent weeks, and yesterday the added excitement of a small front slide. No harm done but rather unnerving.

25c is the maximum I can fit to my road bike while keeping mudguards on. Would a change of tyre help? I'm trying to avoid the conclusion that I have to put my road bike away for the whole winter and rely on my MTB. Ultimately I could go n+1 with a tourer, but in the meantime...?
Last edited by Boring_Username on 2 Dec 2021, 8:37am, edited 1 time in total.
rjb
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Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by rjb »

Some tyres can be more prone to loosing traction in slippery conditions. I had a wheel loose traction shortly after a familiar road was salted. This was on a Kenda K guard tyre. At the time they were trialling mollases mixed with salt. Rural roads may not be treated with salt but the combination of mud spread from fields onto roads by tractors can be an issue especially if it hides a thin film of oil dripping from their transmission. I am a lot more careful now since breaking my pelvis having slid off at low speed turning into a side road well used by tractors. I then witnessed a 4x4 turn over on the same turning later whilst i was hobbling around on crutches. :(
Be careful and stay safe. :wink:
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
Stradageek
Posts: 1657
Joined: 17 Jan 2011, 1:07pm

Re: Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by Stradageek »

I abandoned 25mm Durano's because of front wheel slippage in the wet on my Speedmachine - most of the weight is over the front wheel on this bike.

However I've since gone back to Durano's having discovered that the problem was not the tyre but the tyre pressure!

In wet/slippy conditions I reduce the pressure to 60psi and the problem disappears :D

PS there is no noticeable increase in rolling resistance at 60psi
Jdsk
Posts: 24636
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by Jdsk »

I'm not familiar with Duranos... do they look like the picture below?

As well as pressure (as above) I'd think about temperature and the age of the tyre regardless of the appearance of the surface.

Jonathan

Image
alexnharvey
Posts: 1923
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:39am

Re: Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by alexnharvey »

I had a fall last year on a greasy damp road, front tyre just slid out when I went to turn. This was with a 32 or 35mm (either a marathon supreme or a vittoria hyper). I came to the conclusion that a slick tyre is not good for a British winter and bought myself a set of Continental's Top Contact Winter II tyres for this year. Just put them on this week after a few twitches over the last few commutes and the fall in morning temperatures. If you are going to encounter mud on the roads you may want to consider some a tyre with some tread to clear water and muck.
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531colin
Posts: 16083
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by 531colin »

alexnharvey wrote: 2 Dec 2021, 10:52am I had a fall last year on a greasy damp road, front tyre just slid out when I went to turn. This was with a 32 or 35mm (either a marathon supreme or a vittoria hyper). I came to the conclusion that a slick tyre is not good for a British winter and bought myself a set of Continental's Top Contact Winter II tyres for this year. Just put them on this week after a few twitches over the last few commutes and the fall in morning temperatures. If you are going to encounter mud on the roads you may want to consider some a tyre with some tread to clear water and muck.
Those are a very good winter tyre, recommended on here years ago (by Willem, as I recall). They have tread, but also a "cold weather" rubber compound. I doubt they will go under the OPs mudguards!
Having said all that, sometimes mud can be as slippery as ice....I think the worst circumstance is when you have a film of soft mud on top of something a bit firmer, such as drier compacted mud or frozen mud. Whether you stay on or come off on that sort of stuff is pretty much in the lap of the gods.
alexnharvey
Posts: 1923
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:39am

Re: Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by alexnharvey »

Indeed, the Top Contact Winters are nominally 37mm. (To my eye they appear narrower than a 37mm but they're taller, hence the need for 37mm clearance.)

My main point though was that if you are going to encounter and navigate muddy roads you might need to look at a treaded tyre or proceed with great caution.
rogerzilla
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Joined: 9 Jun 2008, 8:06pm

Re: Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by rogerzilla »

I found the old City Jets very slippery on thin mud (by which I mean a wet brown slurry on tarmac, not the sort of mud you leave permanent tyre tracks in) It must have been the compound, because I switched to a different brand of slick tyre and had no issues.
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foxyrider
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Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by foxyrider »

Autumnal riding is littered with slip hazards - mud, wet leaves, field washout, wet/worn ironworks, frost/ice and of course combinations of those. But its not always something so obvious, quieter lanes can also acquire algae which doesn't even need to be wet to induce some wheelslip, i had an off on a beautiful warm spring day caused by pretty much invisible algae coating a dry ford bed. Today i had damp roads, mud, wet leaves as well as frosty and in places iced tarmac - no wheel slips and a lovely sunny and dry day - i did change my route a bit to avoid some particularly susceptible lanes, i'd rather not break me or the bike if i can help it :lol:

And it doesn't seem to make much difference what tyres you use, i've had spin/slip events with Conti 4000's, cheap Kenda's, Marathons - well pretty much everything that my stable has used! My answer hasn't been to play about with tyres vbut to ride with more awareness - doesn't work all the time but it has reduced the number of 'slips'. I've rarely had a slip when seated, its almost always when i'm 'giving it some' climbing out of the saddle, as soon as i've got weight over the rear wheel traction and control has returned.

My advice is to avoid riding over wet ironworks, keep in primary as much as possible, be very cautious if the temp is below 5c and be extra careful on turns -0 oh and keep an eye out for that spilt diesel!
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
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CyberKnight
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Joined: 18 Dec 2009, 4:44pm
Location: Derbyshire

Re: Tyres sliding on muddy country lanes

Post by CyberKnight »

moved away from durano plus as my rims made it nigh on impossible to get them off,last time it took 4 levers and a good 10 mins .
for commuting im using Vittoria Zaffiro Pro which im happy with as a balance between speed grip and resistance
John Wayne: "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on... I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."
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