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Power, Stability, and Confidence
Racing In The Mud Takes Something Special

  Written by Adam Hodges Myerson
  Cycle-Smart President
  September 20, 2006

As cyclo-cross has developed in the US, we've drawn our inspiration from images and stories of European events. And on a continent where there's lots of farmland, lots of rain, and temperatures that rarely go below freezing all fall and winter, that means one thing: mud. Thick, deep, slow mud.

The thing is, you don't need mud for a cyclo-cross race. Mud is not endemic to the sport, and not necessary for an interesting or enjoyable race. Some promoters have missed that point in the past, and taken to flooding their courses to ensure a spectacle, instead of letting the racing be the spectacle itself. It's your weather and geography that should determine the conditions you race in, not man-made modifications to the land provided by a garden hose.

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That said, there's still something special about racing in the mud. That might be lost on the Northwest racers who have to do it every weekend, but in New England or Colorado a rainy or snowy day that deteriorates into a mud-bath provides for one of those epic races that will be talked about for seasons to come.

When you don't race in the mud every weekend, a muddy race can catch you by surprise. It requires a different type of effort, technique, mindset, and rhythm from a dry, fast race, and it can be difficult to get into that groove for the first time. Here are some things to remember about riding in the slippery stuff, with some tips from Marc Gullickson and Tim Johnson:

Tire Choices

The first consideration of the day is equipment, and most importantly, tire width, tread, and pressure. It might seem counterintuitive, but in muddy conditions you want to go with a skinny tire, ideally a 28 or 30 mm width, in order to cut through the soup, get down to the hard ground, and leave plenty of clearance around the chainstays. Tire tread should be something with bite, but open so as not to pack up with dirt. A tractor-style tread works well. Pressure in the mud should be the lowest you can get away with without bottoming out on the rim. 25-35 lbs. of pressure in a tubular, and about 5 more if you're running clinchers.

Cornering

Again, racing in the mud forces you to go against your instincts. The urge in slippery turns or off-cambers is to go as slow as possible to try and maintain traction. That's correct to a point in the sense that if you come in to a turn with too much speed, you're going down. But if you come into the turn or off-camber under control, the key is still to pedal through the turn or across the hillside at a low cadence. Putting pressure on the pedals and power to the rear wheel will help you dig in and keep you going in the direction you want. Former national champion and SuperCup winner Marc Gullickson is a master in the mud. His advice is "not to tense up in the corners, stay fluid and let the bike steer itself to some degree."

Accelerating

When you have to slow down so dramatically for every corner and transition, sometimes racing in the mud can put you into a bit of a lull. It's important to maximize every opportunity you have to cover ground. That means putting 100% effort into accelerating as quickly as possible after every corner or dismount. In a muddy race, getting from point A to point B in the shortest time possible is your only chance to make up time.

Gear/Cadence Choices

One mistake I see riders make in the mud is to try to spin a small gear when they're bogged down in the deep stuff. This causes their weight to shift quickly with each pedal stroke, affecting their balance. Additionally, a big gear and a lot of downward force on the pedals will allow the rear wheel to bite deeper and give more traction. National champion Tim Johnson suggests "using your legs like an outboard motor on a boat, totally separate from the upper body to power your forward movement only." Which leads us to consider how to control that movement itself through weight distribution.

Weight distribution

Tim comments that it's crucial to "steady your course with stable body weight." Meaning that while your bike might be floating in different directions underneath you, you need to keep your body centered and moving forward. Also, to be able to make sure the power you're putting to the pedals actually gets to the ground, Gully says to "try to keep your weight towards the back of the bike in thick mud." Too often I see riders trying to accelerate in the soup by getting out of the saddle, only to have their tires spin underneath them. There are no shortcuts when riding in the mud, and it's best to stay seated and pedal with your weight on the saddle, and over the rear wheel.

These tips will make a difference if you put them to use next time the grass turns to marsh. Years of experience and lots of horsepower helps, too, but that doesn't mean you can't make the most out of what you've got. In general, making sure you pick the right tires, keep power to the pedals wherever possible, and stay in the saddle as much as you can will get you through the trough with more speed and success.

To learn more about Adam, or for more articles by Cycle-Smart coaches, visit www.cycle-smart.com.

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