I’m a new convert to flats after riding clips for many many years. It’s been going pretty well and I’ve been enjoying it. Cornering and rough descents are fine, I don’t jump but fine with small drops and getting a bit of air off stuff without gaps. Have generally been flowing with the bike really well..

Until today…. lost my feet from the pedals on the drop on Flinty Badman after landing and slammed into the saddle. Two more attempts resulted in the same thing. I’ve ridden that drop loads of times in clips and I’m sure I’ve ridden bigger drops on flats so cant work out what I was doing wrong. Any tips?

New shock on the bike (Float X2 set up somewhere between Fox and Chris Porters’ recommended settings) but this was the second ride and it’s not misbehaved on anything else.

Are you in the habit of lifting the back of the bike with the clips? Maybe that.

Otherwise, just keep heels down

Little sharp push downwards simultaneously on bars & pedals to make the bike ‘stick’ to you.

You might might already know this 🙂

Or your mind is telling you you don’t like that particular drop??

Its probably not the flat pedals, that plop doesnt kick that nice, I bet the feature (mound) before it you can just float over at speed.

I’ve had a foot blown off before, same place and done a oli wilkins style toe drag into the bushes. But to be fair I had just done 25 miles of that stuff and was blowing out of my a4se

Rrrrrragga Twins step out!! 🙂

Its probably not the flat pedals, that plop doesnt kick that nice, I bet the feature (mound) before it you can just float over at speed.

I’ve had a foot blown off before, same place and done a oli wilkins style toe drag into the bushes. But to be fair I had just done 25 miles of that stuff and was blowing out of my a4se

Yes, feature before was fine. That makes sense – it’s got a slight kick to it as it’s worn out a bit before the log.

So what do I need to do differently – 2nd and 3rd attempts were the same? Katie was watching the 2nd/3rd time – she reckons my feet came off the pedals after landing (should have filmed it).

Foot further forward on pedal, heels down.

^^ +1 foot position and heels down (something I frequently forget)

What pedals and shoes? Platform and pin size, plus grip of the shoes makes a difference also.

Not that I’m in any way an expert on jumps and drops, and that particular drop I often chicken out of though it’s nothing really, but possibly how hard to hit the ground is a factor also. i.e. how much you pop off and thus have a big slap on the ground. More speed, lower air, smoother landing, maybe? Don’t know with that one. As I say I’m no expert / a numpty when it comes to drops 😀

Great trail… needs more dirt on log, has quite a kick now, probably didn’t help Si!!!

What pedals and shoes? Platform and pin size, plus grip of the shoes makes a difference also.

Superstar Nano, Teva, long pins. If anything theres too much grip – have to really lift the foot to relocate.

^^ +1 foot position and heels down (something I frequently forget)

Conscious of foot position and heels down – properly steep stuff like White Honky and switchbacks are fine.

There are a couple of log drops on Thai Bride (over on Winterfold) that must be as big and I’d no problem on those.

Great trail… needs more dirt on log, has quite a kick now, probably didn’t help Si!!!

Maybe I need to get a spade out and do a bit of work. It’s got to be that little kick – so just more heels on it? (or try to bunny hop it – that could end well….)

We rode 40km yesterday afternoon Mickleham/Ranmore and didn’t see a single other person riding off-road. Such a difference to Peaslake.

Katie was watching the 2nd/3rd time – she reckons my feet came off the pedals after landing (should have filmed it).

Sounds like you got bounced off the pedals by a fast extending rear shock. Either up the rebound damping, land smoother (absorb more of the impact with your legs) or buy a hardtail 🙂

Sounds like you got bounced off the pedals by a fast extending rear shock. Either up the rebound damping,

I do wonder about that. The one setting Fox and Chris Porter differ greatly on for the X2 is the LSC and LSR. CP reckons run a lot (4-9 clicks from fully closed), Fox not much (17-19 at my air pressure). Currently running at around 8. Would that mean it’s not absorbing a hit like a drop very well – needing more from my legs?

The biggest change a day with Jedi made that befitted my security on the pedals was changing my brake lever position! Previously my levers were angled downwards to the extent that on landing my wrists tended to go into flexion rather than extension. With my levers now close to horizontal my wrists go into extension and my body sinks into the bike rather than slightly over the bars. This means my feet are getting pressed into the pedals rather than slightly lifted off them. Huge difference in grip and confidence on drops/jumps and anything pointing downhill – all from less than a 1 cm shift in my lever position.

Did your feet slide of the front or back of the pedals? Or did the bike drop away from your feet?

Did your feet slide of the front or back of the pedals? Or did the bike drop away from your feet?

Kate says it looked as if my feet came off the back after landing

Publically discussing Surrey hills trails other than those in the peaslake vicinity, treason.

😕

Noting these are all contentious areas and there has been threats to get the police involved due to digging.

deanfbm – Member 
Publically discussing Surrey hills trails other than those in the peaslake vicinity, treason.

First rule of … is don’t talk about… etc.