Ethics question: Riding on slickrock trails in rain...

[RTR]

So, a buddy of mine are heading to Moab (perhaps) for Thanksgiving... the forecast says it might be wet. What are the ethics of riding on the trails when they get wet? Does the sandstone pose any issues, besides they'd be more slippery/dangerous? Suggestions?

[tigerstripe40]

So, a buddy of mine are heading to Moab (perhaps) for Thanksgiving... the forecast says it might be wet. What are the ethics of riding on the trails when they get wet? Does the sandstone pose any issues, besides they'd be more slippery/dangerous? Suggestions?

I say go for it.

The rain doesn't stop the Jeepers and those rigs have far more impact than your mountain bike. Slickrock gets grippier when wet (at least when I drive my 4x4 on it).

[Nitro]

cryptic soil! Doesn't anyone care about the cryptic soil?

Seriously though, riding in the rain in Moab will destroy your bike. It will never be the same....I don;t care if you take it apart and rebuild it. I know from personal experience...and if that does not help....PM Greguar.

Even Slick Rock.. There is so much sand between rock features, you can't avoid getting that shit in your bike.

Moab in rain = destroyed bike

[Greguar]

Yeah dude I have completely destroyed bikes doing exactly what you are talking about....so not worth it. If you are jonesing and whether is better out by Grand Junction they have some killer trails out there. Look up the lunchline loops. Free lunch is gnar gnar!

[RTR]

Anyone know anything about the "Five Miles of Hell" trail outside of Green River? (west of Moab) Would this be a better option?

[Bunion 2020]

Riding in the rain in Moab will destroy your bike?

Funny, but I have not experienced that. And 3 out of the last 5 White Rims I have ridden have had some rain, one had a LOT of rain.

I have also ridden Porky in the rain, it was awesome. I started at the trailhead end on the river road and climbed to the overlook above the Valley. The waterfalls were amazing.

But, different results from different peeps I guess.

[joetron]

Nitro and Greguar, were you guys riding at 24hrs of MOab a few years back by any chance?

Anyhow, my take is that Slickrock trail would be fine, Poison Spider to Portal would be a good choice too. The only time anyone should ever ride Poison Spider is in the rain IMHO. Amasa Back wouldn't be a bad choice either. The cool thing about weather in Moab, is that you can see it from miles away and plan accordingly. A lot of the time, weather gets hung up in Canyonlands and the La Sals, but most of the spots around town are good to go.

[Arty50]

I actually thought the slick rock was very slippery in the rain. It definitely made the ride more interesting.

Riding any trail in the rain can destroy your bike. Bikes just don't like water. I had my local lbs tear apart my bike after a particularly wet Porcy ride and I'm glad I did. Water got into everything, and an no point did I have the bike submerged. They said water poured out of the bb when they took it apart. The same happened to everyone else on that ride. So it's not just a Moab thing. That said, the sand there is very fine grained and gets into a lot of things "normal" dirt doesn't.

Bottom line, if you ride in the rain in Moab be prepared to tear your shit apart and clean/lube it very well.

[bagtagley]

I'm with Arty, slickrock loses some of its tack when things are wet, especially at high speeds.

I rode in the rain and mud in WV hundreds of times, and never did I have the kind of grinding and scraping and general lack of function that I did after a Porc run after it had rained. That sand is tenacious. Ask rotorhead about his Stinky.

[BushwackerinPA]

I actually thought the slick rock was very slippery in the rain. It definitely made the ride more interesting.

Riding any trail in the rain can destroy your bike. Bikes just don't like water. I had my local lbs tear apart my bike after a particularly wet Porcy ride and I'm glad I did. Water got into everything, and an no point did I have the bike submerged. They said water poured out of the bb when they took it apart. The same happened to everyone else on that ride. So it's not just a Moab thing. That said, the sand there is very fine grained and gets into a lot of things "normal" dirt doesn't.

Bottom line, if you ride in the rain in Moab be prepared to tear your shit apart and clean/lube it very well.

eh I ride in the rain all the time in pa, though mud, though mucc in the cold. the bike keeps going and its supposely a 'high maintence' design. but i think utah sand could be much worse.

as for slickrock its very worn in and wont damage the trail even in the sand parts, but the slickrock is actually slick in the rain.

[rideit]

Hey PA, you should have gotten your fork about now...sorry for the delay, I was out o' town for a while...

[trickkykidd]

riding on full slickrock in rain is ok (ethically) however as stated the cryptic soil is especially fragile and should be avoided.

Not sure about bike wear but I believe it. So ride in rain = new pro rebuild....

[BushwackerinPA]

Hey PA, you should have gotten your fork about now...sorry for the delay, I was out o' town for a while...

its here, just got to find an adapter for the air.

[JeffreyJim]

FYI Lunch Loop area in GJ is NOT rideable when wet. Somebody told me that when I first moved out here and I thought "meh, they just don't know how to ride in the mud..."

They were right. You can't ride in that shit!

[Big Blue]

This storm system coming in is supposed to track along the UT-AZ border, so you'd be better off riding somewhere in northern UT.

Someone asked about 5MOH. I haven't ridden it, but I know people who have. Unless you're Hans Rey or Ot Pi you're going to be doing a lot of getting off the bike. Rain probably won't help this situation.

[Greguar]

Nitro and Greguar, were you guys riding at 24hrs of MOab a few years back by any chance?

Anyhow, my take is that Slickrock trail would be fine, Poison Spider to Portal would be a good choice too. The only time anyone should ever ride Poison Spider is in the rain IMHO. Amasa Back wouldn't be a bad choice either. The cool thing about weather in Moab, is that you can see it from miles away and plan accordingly. A lot of the time, weather gets hung up in Canyonlands and the La Sals, but most of the spots around town are good to go.

We were actually there for that, but I am refering to 2 other times I've been stuck in the rain out there. The only ride we ever do any more is that big ass one from the top of the LaSalles and the section that is the absolute bike destroyer is Kokopelli....fuck man just thinking about that shit wet makes my wallet lighter.....

[madturtle]

^^^Isn't the problem w/ the kokapelli (and maybe lunch loop) the clay that sticks to everything and turns your wheels into 12 lb bricks and gums everything up? I don't think that is typical of Moab. Seems to me riding in the rain or wet around Moab would reduce the amount of fine dust that finds it's way into bearings, bushings and everything else. I realize water obviously isn't your bikes friend but wonder if the dust is any better.

[Nitro]

We were actually there for that, but I am refering to 2 other times I've been stuck in the rain out there. The only ride we ever do any more is that big ass one from the top of the LaSalles and the section that is the absolute bike destroyer is Kokopelli....fuck man just thinking about that shit wet makes my wallet lighter.....

We were in Moab the same weekend as that infamous 24 hr of Moab race. It rained like nothing I have ever seen. I will rent a bike everytime I go to Moab from here on out. I remember selling the bike I had ridden that weekend on Ebay. Took it apart cleaned everything I could. Got a call from the purchaser telling me he took the bike into a shop in Cali and the shop told him they had never seen a trashed King Headset. Up until that weekend, I had never seen one either.

[altagirl]

^^^Isn't the problem w/ the kokapelli (and maybe lunch loop) the clay that sticks to everything and turns your wheels into 12 lb bricks and gums everything up? I don't think that is typical of Moab. Seems to me riding in the rain or wet around Moab would reduce the amount of fine dust that finds it's way into bearings, bushings and everything else. I realize water obviously isn't your bikes friend but wonder if the dust is any better.

Depends on what trails in Moab you're talking about. Try getting down Kokopelli to UPS/LPS in the mud. Some things are more rideable wet, some things are a nightmare.

And the dust doesn't do much of anything to your bike, but when it's wet, it gets inside of everything and it does tear stuff up.