Don't ride through puddles….

[cj73]

….cos eventually you'll be hub deep and feet down in mud

 

[snorri]

....but not before you have a mud stained streak up your spinal column.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I fussed myself up to a mountain bike last year, and went out to give it a spin. I went down a track similar to the one on the picture and was giggling like a child as a steamed through the puddles with my big new tractor like tyres. I wish someone had filmed as I went into one long stretch of puddle, only to find it was not only deep, but started with a sheer drop and like me just after, had a very soggy bottom.

The front wheel vanished into it way past the hub which stopped it dead, but the back wheel carried on at its previous speed and over took it, somersaulting me over the bars and into the swampy puddle.

All I could do was to sit there laughing my head off and wishing I'd been able to watch it happen.

 

[Brandane]

….cos eventually you'll be hub deep and feet down in mud

View attachment 99429

Beware the destructive power of mud in hubs! I found myself in the same situation not long after buying my Tricross a few years ago, and a few weeks later the hub was rough as old boots. I took it apart and found the bearings and races were shot. On a bike marketed as a cyclocross. Took it back to the shop where I purchased it where they initially tried to fob me off with the "those are parts designed to wear out" nonsense, but eventually agreed to replace it. I paid a bit extra for a better quality hub, which has been on the bike for about 12k miles now with no problems.

 

[DaveReading]

I've always worked on the assumption that, having mudguards on my tourer, going through puddles is practically compulsory.

It's just the shouting "wee!" that's optional.

 

[ScotiaLass]

" I'm Laura and I have a compulsion to go through every patch of mud I can" <sits down>

 

[Chris S]

If you're on an unfamiliar road then you won't know how deep the puddle is. If it's a fairly big pothole then you could go over the handlebars.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I try and keep my balance point nice and neutral and pick the shallower looking of the puddles if there's a choice, but always avoiding them is a good way to end up with everything clogged up with mud during the ride.

Plus, PUDDLES!

 

[ColinJ]

I fussed myself up to a mountain bike last year, and went out to give it a spin. I went down a track similar to the one on the picture and was giggling like a child as a steamed through the puddles with my big new tractor like tyres. I wish someone had filmed as I went into one long stretch of puddle, only to find it was not only deep, but started with a sheer drop and like me just after, had a very soggy bottom.

The front wheel vanished into it way past the hub which stopped it dead, but the back wheel carried on at its previous speed and over took it, somersaulting me over the bars and into the swampy puddle.

All I could do was to sit there laughing my head off and wishing I'd been able to watch it happen.

That sounds a very familiar story!