Sand!?

[bdstorer]

Relocated to Central Australia, sand capital of the world.

Not just a little sand or even loose sand, but hard-core beach style sand.

What I'm seeking is tips for dealing with sandy conditions.. extreme sand conditions.

Common sense tells me that when my mountain bike arrives (Surly 1x1) I should pull off my standard XC rubber (2.1 Maxxis Larsens) and throw on something fatter.. I reckon I could squeeze a 2.7 on the rear and a 2.5 might just fit under the arch of my 08 Rockshock SID.. but what rubber will work best?

Help?

[Crowie]

try some high rollers and run at a medium psi. larger tyre = larger contact with the ground = weight spread over more ground = stayin on top of sand = happy u

[alchemist]

I rode the CABC on my 1x1 with Crossmarks, but something wider would have been nice. Make sure you're running slime, Stans or some other goop to deal with thorns.

Elvis is out riding the Simpson Desert Challenge using some 2.4" WTB tyres so he might have something to say when he gets back

[Hazza_stp1]

I'd be going with wide tyres and low tyre pressures. The tyres dont really have to be extremely grippy either seeing as there's not really anything to grip to in sand, Just as long as they have a large surface area and i.e having a wide tyre and low pressure to keep as much on the ground as possible.

[Nerf Herder]

You need a Pugsley ... if anything on two wheels and pedals is gonna work in deep sand then that puppy will.

Rode with a guy out the Blue Mountains a couple months ago and that thing is sweet ... if not initially odd looking.

I still don't understand how it seemed to roll so fast when my head was just thinking "more drag then Oxford street on a Saturday night":)

[bdstorer]

Make sure you're running slime, Stans or some other goop to deal with thorns.

Apparently thorns are a seasonal thing.. Only 1 flat in the 8weeks I've been here, riding on or offroad.. well, I've had a crack at some of the firmer off-road trails around Yulara, Mutitjulu and Uluru on my Surly Steamroller.. I have a set of 38c Specialized Infinity Armadillo tires that I've thrown on with standard tubes and no problems at all.. Thorns are mostly the seeding part of desert plants, so only a issue in the weeks and months(?) after rain I hear.. could be wrong though.. Ah, as a quick aside.. the 38c's are waaaay to narrow for the sandy conditions out here.. I just plough and squirm sideways through the sand.. Might try track down the widest 700c tire that'll fit through the Steamrollers arches and try them..

But back to my Mountain Bike.. what 26' tire would you recommend for sand?

I have a old set of dual ply Maxxis Minions in a 2.7 and 2.5 that I could get sent up from Tassie.. The thicker DH casing might work for thorns and the wider tread..? Yeah...??

[bdstorer]

You need a Pugsley ... if anything on two wheels and pedals is gonna work in deep sand then that puppy will.

Yeah have seen a pair of these Pugs in Alice, and I saw a thread where some bloke rode through Central Australia on one..

Issue is forking out for another bike. My stable is as full as I can justify without offloading a bike to buy another ..if I were to sell one I'd probably buy a Surly Karate Monkey 29'er as I think the bigger wheels would go better in the sand..

BUT must stick with what I've got.. so what rubber should I whack on the 26 mtb?

[Pete J]

2.5" WTB Weirwolf Race tyres, they work brilliantly on soft powder snow so i reckon they will work just as well on sand. :D

[bdstorer]

2.5" WTB Weirwolf Race tyres, they work brilliantly on soft powder snow so i reckon they will work just as well on sand. :D Haha.. snow is my bag being a Tasmanian by trade, and just for the record, Maxxis Larsens are terrible in the snow.. they clog up.. Ok.. now back to sand...

[DaGonz]

Haha.. snow is my bag being a Tasmanian by trade, and just for the record, Maxxis Larsens are terrible in the snow.. they clog up.. Ok.. now back to sand...

Personally, I'd try the 2.35 larsens first. Big bag, lots of knobs... Tubeless with stans down to some fairly low pressures might do the trick without being silly heavy. the sand in the CABC wasn't *that* bad and I found a 2.0 tubless larsen on the rear fine. I think Bodin has said he used Larsens for the simpson desert challenge when he did it.

*shrug*

Cheers
Gonz

[spudatm]

Personally, I'd try the 2.35 larsens first. Big bag, lots of knobs... Tubeless with stans down to some fairly low pressures might do the trick without being silly heavy. the sand in the CABC wasn't *that* bad and I found a 2.0 tubless larsen on the rear fine. I think Bodin has said he used Larsens for the simpson desert challenge when he did it.

*shrug*

Cheers
Gonz
I run 2.35 front and 2.0 larson rear and yesterday whilst riding at menai i found they were terrible in the sand. I know menai is not the NT but i struggled to make it through most sand traps.

[bdstorer]

This is what I'm talking about.. Great Western Desrt. Sand. Urgh..

I'm currently running 37c x 700cc on my fixed gear cyclocross bike. No where near enough bag..