I call them the happy trails. But Fort Ord is on a giant sand dune and inevitably, once the weather dries, so do the trails. They turn sandy. Some so sandy they are just unrideable. Some lightly sandy so that they are a good test of strength and balance, some just deep pockets of sand so they test your gumption to just speed through them.
In my after work fun rides on these happy trails, I think I have learned a few things about riding in the sand:
Go with the flow.
Don't fight the sand, ride with it. Do not turn the bar to change direction. You will come to a quick stop and launch through the air. Instead, if you don't like the direction you're headed gently use your body weight and hips to shift directions. Or better yet, as long as you are staying on trail, just change your mind and go where the bike and sand take you. This is especially fun on a long sandy downhill. Done correctly, the sensation is similar to skiing.
Unweight the front wheel.
If that front tire gets buried in the sand, you're done. Shift your weight back a little and feel the front tire "float" over the sand. Another good way to get your weight off the front is to sit taller and put your chin up (Like you are in a parade). This is easy to do on a descent, okay on a flat, but real tricky on a climb. Climbing in the sand just plain sucks. Avoid it.
Use wide tires.
Knobs are less of a factor than width. Although I would avoid a tread pattern that gives the tire a round profile in favor of a flatter profile. The difference wide tires make is huge. Don't believe me? Just go take a cross bike with 30mm tires out into the sand. Go ahead. Not that I would be dumb enough to try something like this or anything. Not that I would come home looking like a sugar cookie after repeatedly getting squirrely and falling in the sand.
Momentum is your friend.
The faster you go, the easier it is to get across the sand. Sand is kind of soft and doesn't hurt too much if you fall in it, so let go of the brakes, unweight that front wheel and go for it.
Spin.
When you run out of momentum and must actually propel yourself though the sand, its better to spin than to mash. Mashing moves the bike around too much. I sometimes throw it into the granny and spin my little heart out, zipping right past the guys mashing and fumbling and turning sideways while they struggle in the big cookie. But don't spin if it means losing your momentum because that just looks silly.
Carry lube.
The sand will wreak havoc with your drivetrain and if that incessant noise drives you nuts and makes you want to strangle your riding buddies with your spare tube, you will want to carry lube around for the ride.
Don't go off trail to try to avoid the sand.
You will only make the sand patch bigger. Stay on the trail and deal with it. Its not so bad.
Don't forget to smile.
Even if you fall and get sand in your ears. Smiling is always a good tip, it keeps you from tensing up and makes everyone around you wonder why you are so damn happy when there's all this sand all over the place!
