How To Ride in the Wet

It’s not always going to be sunny rides, dry tracks, and zooming down your favorite bike parks with reckless abandon– some days are gonna be wet, slick, sticky, and slippery as hell. Now that the rainy season has moved to come earlier this year, we’re seeing ourselves (and our bikes) dirtier and muddier than ever.

So how do we live with that? We asked our friends.

EDRIE OCAMPO, BONGABON

Edrie Ocampo is a multi-hyphenate of the highest order — a sought-after camera operator and director of photography, studio head, bike park operator, rider and racer for Specialized, Fox Racing, and many others, it’s safe to say that he knows what he’s doing. And we should know, we’ve worked with him for both local and international races and can testify to his hardwork-driven leadership style, getting things done and seeing things through. So of course, we had to ask him first.

“Basically just prepare to get wet and enjoy the ride,” Edrie tells us, “stay loose and ride within your limits, it’s better to ride in the rain than after, when it gets sticky.” He also reminds us to manage tire pressure, keeping the front at 23 psi and the rear around 25, but “only if naka-tubeless ka.” He continues, saying that for visibility, “it’s really going to be a challenge. So try to wear goggles or glasses with anti-fog, I highly recommend Muc-off’s Anti-fog Spray, that works wonders!” He ends with a wry, “good luck with the laundry.”

Thanks, Edrie. We felt that. *scrubs boxers*

VIC NARCISO, SPECIALIZED

Vic is a good friend of ours from both the biking scene AND the music scene (he’s a kick-ass bassist), he also runs the Specialized Pasig shop in…well, Pasig. He tells us simply, two things: first, “make sure you have the right tires on,” he tells us, “know how your tires move on the different kinds of surfaces, especially when wet.” Say that with us: know how your tires move on different surfaces when wet. That’s great advice right there.

Another thing that Vic tells us is to watch out for obstacles or “surprises that could be hidden underwater.”

SCOTT HOLMAN, THE DAILY GRIND CREW

In his short time here in the Philippines, Scott’s already made a mark on the local riding and racing scene. Not only is he one of the raddest mountain bikers we’ve ever seen and ridden with, he’s also one of the best guys to hang out with too. We’ve gone up plenty a mountain with him, from Subic to Mt. Ugo, Bongabon (where he was Champion at the last Enduro Race) to Bulacan, it’s always a good time with this good guy. The only complaint we have is that he likes to pedal everywhere and usually would always get us to go all the way to the top of a mountain, “just to see it.” But besides that, he’s great.

Scott, like Edrie, tells us to “pay close attention to your tire pressures! Lower those pressures down 2-4 psi lower than you normally run.” He says that this will help the tires hug the rocks and roots like “a warm embrace from and old friend.” But seriously though, he tells us that we’ll be “surprised by the increase in grip when you lower the tire pressure,” while reminding us to ride a little softer so we don’t risk getting a pinch-flat. Thanks Scott, hug you later.

Tire pressure, will not in any way, shape, or form, help you with mud like this though. That’s Scott’s by the way, from our ride last weekend.

RAUL TABIL, BIKE LAB/FLY RACING

Quite possibly one of the best riders in the country, Raul is the go-to guy we…go to when we ride in the Big South aka Bukidnon by way of Cagayan de Oro. Of course, it also helps that he’s part of one of the best bike families in all of Philippine mountain biking, BikeLab, with the godfather Renax Lim leading the train downhill. One of the things that stands out in Raul’s riding is that he rides just as good in the wet as he does in the dry, famously doing a one-day track read for Teban Tr3s, one of the wettest races we’ve seen, and nailing it– placing third in the elite category, a day after he arrived into town.

Raul keeps it simple, besides the obvious bringing down your tire’s pressure by 5-8 psi, he tells us to just “dance with your bike and stay focused. Remember the line and maybe even use a tire insert to protect your wheels,” he continues, “something like the Vittoria Airliner.“

DAVID TORIO, ZAMCREW

David, of the awesome ZAMCREW in Zambales, is and always will be one of the most fun riders to bike with. Whether it’s laps around La Mesa’s single track on E-bikes, or a bit o’ downhill in Xander (one of Zambales’ rowdy spots), David is 100% in for a good time. He tells us something a bit different from the rest, but just as valuable too.

“Maybe take the time to walk the track first,” David says, “do a quick sight lap just to see if there are things like fallen trees or branches sticking out because of the weather.” It will also give you the chance to see how the dirt (or mud) has changed from the rain, if some of the familiar features are still send-ready, slippery, or even gnarlier now. By walking the track or riding it slow first, you not only give yourself a chance to warm up, but think of it as surveying the “damage” before shredding it hard.

CARLO MARAINGAN, SENDR

And last but not the least, our very own Community Head, someone who we’ve seen grow in his riding ever since we had him send a fixie down a trail (did not end well) and almost stabbing himself with his bars (different trail, actual mountain bike). Carlo is one of those weird, mutant riders who actually ENJOYS riding in the wet, and weirdly enough as well, (according to him) he actually does ride better than when it’s dry.

A big reason for his strange love of wet riding is PREPARATION. Prep is a big part of it, especially on the gear side. Carlo’s car is like a bike shop on wheels and is definitely one of the most prepared riders we know, with the mechanic skills to match it too. “Goggles, pads, gloves, everything that gets your ready to ride, put it on and make sure you’re ready too.” Wearing the right gear not only obviously protects you, but it also adds to your confidence– giving you the right amount of guts to ride harder than you’re used to. When riding in the rain, confidence and commitment is definitely something that helps.