[hallin222]

I am having a very hard time getting accross some of the dry creek crossings here in Austin. My friend 170lb(?) seems to float across the deep and wide patches of marble-to-baseball-sized smooth river stones with ease, but I (at 6'3" 225 lbs) seem to sink far deeper and almost always bog down and stall, or spin into a stall even in a very low gear.

Would larger tires and a wider footprint really help with this? Or should I just learn to grunt it out and power through it? I'm running the stock 1.95s on my 2005 Kona Kikapu now.

Thanks,

Ian
Austin, TX

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

More floatation with the larger tires would help, but your technique might be a contributing factor as well. Which wheel bogs first?

 

[hallin222]

More floatation with the larger tires would help, but your technique might be a contributing factor as well. Which wheel bogs first?

The rear, usually.

I've gotten better about carrying speed down into the creek and getting in a very low gear before I get there so I can try to sit and spin through most of it. I guess more practice would surely help. I can make it through about 1/3 of the time.

 

[shiggy]

The smallish tires (and high pressures?) certainly do not help but it is mostly technique. Too low a gear only makes it worse. Momentum is your friend. Stand, stay loose and let the bike move around under you.

Bigger tires will let you lower the pressure for better grip and reduced bounce/less deflection.

 

[Sideknob]

Creek

If your bike has Tioga Red Phoenix tyres, as I suspect, they don't generally like marbly stuff too much. They only have shallow knobs, and a wider tyre with with deeper knobs would give you more flotation and get down thru the shallow marbles maybe.