How To Ride In The Mud | Pro Cyclocross Tips With Tim Johnson

Ever wondered how cyclocross pros glide through the stickiest muddy sections of a course? Or how they find their path through deep ruts without losing speed? Jeremy has met up with cyclocross legend Tim Johnson at the US National Championships to show us how to ride in the mud!
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Leave us a comment below!

[@stephencheung4642]

Tim Johnson is giving tips on riding within the tape in mud? The same Tim Johnson that rode through a mud trench, through the course tape, and ran over my son during the first lap of UCI Toronto CX in 2009? Got home and Jacob proudly exclaims to my wife "Guess what, I got run over by Tim Johnson!"

[@tjohnswah]

OH MANNNN - I still have nightmares of that off-course excursion! Wonder if Jeremy will mention that in one of his upcoming vids...Hope Jacob is scar free from that and will enjoy a muddy bike ride of his own these days...so that I'm guilt free!

[@imilic8]

"How to ride in the mud?" "Ride on the grass!" :D

[@Driver8takeabreak]

Tim and Jeremy back together! Been missing this since the early season of Behind the Barriers. They just have a great chemistry and are truly good friends.

[@santiagobenites]

Two legends of American cyclocross = awesome!

[@chrisbaum998]

Everytime, I see one of Jeremy's cyclecross video tips I want to add some cyclecross riding/racing next season!! Keep it coming Jeremy!!

[@kevin._.farren]

Geez, I need to branch out from the road, cross looks down right fun!

[@zachwong7324]

Love seeing Jeremy and Tim back together!!

[@tbone25]

Another great cross video! So cool seeing ole pals JPOW and TJ. TJ still got the skillz!

[@largearthur1]

Pretty much the best two guys available for a mud handling tutorial.

[@tjohnswah]

Awwww...too kind buddy

[@666parps]

My two most fav cyclocross people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@matthewcurtis8803]

thank you - brilliant - more please =]

[@goaskdra]

Over two years later and still feel this is quality info - THANKS !!!

[@danwilliams783]

Loved watching these two race at Gloucester GP. Thanks guys

[@butlerak]

Thanks for more great advice guys

[@timothycharlesorr]

This is the best cross video y'all have put out! Thanks!

[@brucelangsteiner4599]

Now, that was just fun. Thanks, guys!!

[@GBlackeagle]

Great tips!! Thanks

[@19redmiata94]

Perfect timing on this video, as I am about to take my cross bike out in the mud.

[@DanuelNuel]

****** mud! I cry every ride lately when I must clean my bike... I miss summer...

[@cjharrer01]

Great video - we have lots of mud now and this helps. Like that you brought up tire pressure, that's something that I still play with almost every ride.

[@tjohnswah]

and you'll forever be playing with it...

[@mannyf1441]

Quality video guys!

[@cerrol85]

always a thumb up for Tim Johnson! :D

[@colinthompson5881]

Wonderful range of appreciation for all types of mud, like wine buffs 😂

[@tjohnswah]

terroir baby, terroir...

[@billmaidment5623]

Great video and glad to see one of my all time favorite NE racers TJ too.

[@tjohnswah]

high-5 Bill!

[@AccFinEco]

Great vid! 👍🏼❤👍🏼

[@sargerobo5792]

love these videos, always fun and informative. also, great seeing the lines at the Nationals course 2 weeks after I was there

[@bleckb]

I agree.

[@tjohnswah]

@@bleckb Sorry guys...we're working on a sweet vid about the Providence '05 course next!

[@mediumrick7667]

Legend(s)

[@timocallaghan4408]

I needed this in October at the beginning of cross season..

[@bleckb]

I needed it when I was at the race site. The mud was brutal.

[@tjohnswah]

@@bleckb hope it was a good time anyway...such a killer course!

[@pdog2715]

Great stuff. Need more 'cross talk from GCN.

[@gcn]

Thanks P Dog

[@mattr0815]

I'd be interested in some tips on braking for these sketchy spots - rear only? Bit of front okay, or no go?

[@bleckb]

It would have been nice to see the non-UCI descents since most of us at the event didn't ride the UCI drops. The other mud was a piece of cake in comparison, at least for my and my under-developed skill set.

[@tjohnswah]

We were battling light and a course full of racers...good feedback tho!

[@danielbum912]

Production quality on fleek 👌

[@gamby16a]

Who was sporting the Rapha Focus jacket at 1:59??? Throwback to a few years ago!

[@scotj0667]

It really does look Ellen Noble from the back, but I am sure that if she did not have the flu during nationals, she would have been in her Trek kit. It is more likely someone picked up one of Zach McDonald’s kits from that time frame, he is a local, who went to UW.

[@drb2323]

TJ was so prophetic about the tape....

[@tjohnswah]

well...endoing into the tape at 20mph with your eyes crossed is the kind of moment that's seen with 40+yrs of combined experience between the two of us

[@ckuka]

In Europe they maybe use ropes because they can be reused. But plastic waste isn’t a thing in the US, right?

[@joeldewit5308]

There's an old saying - Asphalt is for racing, mud is for potatos... but I love 'cross anyway!

[@matyourin]

2 guys 1 mud ;)

[@tjohnswah]

keep it clean bud!

[@bscjake]

T J! no gloves as always but where's the yellow shoes? Add Tim to GCN!

[@tjohnswah]

:)

[@bikeste]

Can someone weigh in? I've heard conflicting tips on going around a turn in mud. Do you keep the bike upright and lean the body into the turn, or keep the body upright and lean the bike into the turn?

[@jamesleewright]

I feel like they should have gotten way more into stuff like this and body position. The sand video had a lot more of that, and really helped me in a super sandy race this year. I was looking forward to the same for the mud.

[@tjohnswah]

wish we could have gotten more in-depth but we were limited on time (and light). The golden rule in this case refers to traction. If you have traction, you can do whatever you want. If you don't, then you're limited and have to dial it back, little by little...straight up and down will have the most, but is guaranteed to be the SLOWEST!

[@chrisnicolson2763]

Hello

[@petinka721]

And they speak Tour de France is tough.

[@ritter188]

Pod cast/ GCN Racing question: what’s up with the stop watch’s the CX riders wear? Sven Nys has developed a program helping build the sport. Do you have any friends that would be willing to share how they are helping to build the sport? I would like to share this sport with my 2yr old one day since I am just getting into the sport at the age of 29.

[@bscjake]

Garmin etc fitness watches for their power, HR etc data. they swap bikes during the race so having a normal bike computer wont work.

[@barefootdogwalker1402]

I want to do cycle cross after watching this

[@curtsawin8551]

Cyclocross is like meth but you keep your teeth.

[@CooperDH]

If they would ride in belgium they would be last place 100% for sure, in belgium we don't use our legs in turns because a key of going fast is to accelerate in the middle of a turn and not after the turn so use this tip in a cyclocross race and you'll see

[@Unboxcityunboxcity]

Grass

[@acupunk7379]

Should have had Trebon as the ex pro mudder!

[@tjohnswah]

he only liked the mud he could beat over the head with a club, not the slippery stuff...that was my terrain!

[@321twety]

how do you guys avoid sand and dirt in levers? :D

[@user-lu1lg3ud7b]

There is simply no way to avoid it)

[@tjohnswah]

stay upright!!

[@junkandcrapamen]

LOL. if the standing water is hiding a 4 ft deep hole then the race organizers need a good slapping.

[@jamesleewright]

@8:05. Nobody in a national level CX race would get wrapped up in course tape...right?

[@skyemcdonald371]

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but during the elite race on this course for the 2019 US cyclocross nationals, Gage Hecht and Kerry Werner got caught up in the tape.

[@jamesleewright]

@@skyemcdonald371 It was pure sarcasm.

[@skyemcdonald371]

@@jamesleewright haha whoops

[@DrJPTomlinson]

Mountain bike helmet?

[@Peter-jm4oo]

Jonathon Tomlinson , Yes it is, a Mavic XA Pro.

[@tjohnswah]

we're all slaves to fashion?

[@huzaifahlaher5070]

#MVS

[@ScottGilbert_Agent]

Jeremy's brakes are screaming ;)

[@drifterxl12]

If your brakes are not screaming, it's a pussy ride

[@scotj0667]

Wow who are the six people who disliked this video? (As 12/28/19) Must be Russian bots.

[@gis3820]

Whatd u say? Louder, my brakes are hollerin!

[@duncanmacarthur4711]

Sorry but I have to say that you guys are getting old, sticking your leg out is for when you are afraid to fall off, as soon as you unclip you lose stability and are slower, the young guys will confidently ride past you while still clipped in! How do I know this? I got old :-(

[@gcn]

Don't know about that Duncan, have you seen Sam Hill and wider DH MTB?