What is the trick to riding on sand?

penguin_pam

I have been trying to ride on some trials that have very soft sand and especially agitated by ATVs. When I hit a soft patch my front tire pulls in one direction and I freak out a little. I cannot seem to plow through it and ultimately just end up moving slower and slower, which than leads to a full stop. Is there some trick or style to riding on these trails?

Originally asked by Carson Reinke on Stack Exchange (bicycles) (CC BY-SA 3.0).

uphilltech

Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:

Yes there is one main trick, and some regular skills. The trick If you lower the tire pressure, any tire will float over sand like magic. It should not be so underinflated as to allow easy pinch flats, but the lower the pressure, the more marked the floating effect. There are just two limitations: If the tire is skinny (low volume), it might not be possible to have a pressure level that allows flotation and safe riding over rough terrain on other trail sections; It's not possible to adjust tire pressure "on the fly" ;o) But if you know you're having a long stretch of soft terrain, it's possible to have a good trade-off. Anyway, huge tires (2.3 +) are perfect for that (watch this Surly...

Full answer by heltonbiker: https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/10264 (CC BY-SA 3.0).

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