Surfaces etc???

projectsome

Ok, I've been riding for over a year and I still haven't got a clue what the different type of surfaces are.

I often see people mentioning things like fire road etc.

Can someone explain to me this um jargon :roll:




thanks

Daz555

We'll start with fireroad.

It is a road built to allow vehicles access into forested and/or mountainous areas. As as result they are wide and relatively smooth (depending on maintenance), not very exciting to ride up or down, but can be handy in the right place.

jairaj

Hiyya Projectsome this kinda question pops up every now and again, try using the search function. Most the answers should be there somewhere...

geordiefreerider

A fire road is actually called a "firebreak" and is generally just that - a break in the forest to try and stop or slow down fire progress meaning there are no trees planted there or sometimes it is turned into a track like daz 555 says, gives access to vehicles i.e. forestry management and emergency vehicles.

But like jairaj states there are some threads that already discuss this topic, im not in a typy mood ha ha

elPedro666

Isn't a fire break just a break in the foliage, it doesn't necessarily have to have a road running through it...

Hang on, I've got better things to do than be this pedantic - as you were!

:oops:

Singletrack is just wide enough for one bike, and generally the most fun 8)

.blitz

'Tis true a fire break is just a gap in the trees to stop fire spreading. A fire road provides access to the forest for emergency vehicles in the event of a fire.

I have to smile at the little stacks of fire beaters you sometimes find amidst 10,000,000 trees.

Tim.s

Being a fellow Brisolian you will only ever experience two types of surface, Tarmac and mud.

Try to dress accordingly please.

Daz555

Brizzle? Rain? Never heard such nonsense. It is wall to wall sunshine down here I tell you.

Tim.s

Wash your mouth out man, summer has been and gone. Its like the end of the world out there

elPedro666

Saves you worrying about what kit to wear (waterproofs again then), or wasting money on things like Summer tyres

elPedro666

Hang on that was a different thread, sorry... :oops:

llamafarmer

Tim.s wrote:

Being a fellow Brisolian you will only ever experience two types of surface, Tarmac and mud.

Try to dress accordingly please.

Nah, we's got fireroad too.

hucking_fell

Although not really what the OP was asking, here's a few different surfaces and their properties:

Mud which is slippery,

Roots that are slippery,

Loose gravel that is slippery,

Stream beds that are slippery,

Wet grass that is slippery,

Leaves and pine needles that are slippery,

Wet tarmac that is slippery,

Moss covered rock that is slippery,

Snow and ice that is slippery,

Any off camber corner that is slippery,

Painted lines on the road that are slippery.

And my other half still doesn't understand how I manage to fall off so often :roll:

elPedro666

^^^

Hucking Fell wrote:

And my other half still doesn't understand how I manage to fall off so often :roll:

To be fair, you seem to have it nailed, so you can't claim any of it has caught you by surprise!

robertpb

Hucking Fell wrote:

Although not really what the OP was asking, here's a few different surfaces and their properties:

Mud which is slippery,

Roots that are slippery,

Loose gravel that is slippery,

Stream beds that are slippery,

Wet grass that is slippery,

Leaves and pine needles that are slippery,

Wet tarmac that is slippery,

Moss covered rock that is slippery,

Snow and ice that is slippery,

Any off camber corner that is slippery,

Painted lines on the road that are slippery.

And my other half still doesn't understand how I manage to fall off so often :roll:

Now I think you need a list of surfaces listed from best to the worst to land on.

I'd go with the leaves and pine needles to land on every time, in fact I have bounced a few times in a pine forest

Northwind

Fire roads and fire breaks are different things, a firebreak needs to be pretty wide to be effective while a fire road is, well, just a road. Sometimes they come in pairs though. Most of what we call fire roads aren't really fire roads at all, it's just a catch all for an unsurfaced road really.

Tim.s

llamafarmer wrote:

Tim.s wrote:

Being a fellow Brisolian you will only ever experience two types of surface, Tarmac and mud.

Try to dress accordingly please.

Nah, we's got fireroad too.

Comes under the mud category im afraid. Been into Leigh woods lately?