[Closed] I'm no riding god...but

*COUGH* rotational injuries *SPLUTTER*

Stop all that sensible shite will you.

sorry.. I'm a bit overtired.. it's making me act weird.. 😕

Or someone that doesn't wear a helmet and doesn't nail the jump. Regardless of how good you are there is always a first time and could be the last, just for the sake of covering your bonce.

Where the hell is TJ anyway?

Channeling his great spirit, who's more likely to hurt themselves; someone who believes an inch of polystyrene shaped into a magic hat will protect them, or someone who knows he has no protection and rides accordingly?

widge34 - Member

Or someone that doesn't wear a helmet and doesn't nail the jump

Sorry all i can see in those pictures is a small flop off the end of the patio decking.
They'd be taking more of a risk walking into my local with the wrong accent. Wearing a helmet there wouldn't help them either.

Whatever!!

mdavids - Member
I don't think anyone's getting too "testosteroney" over this. Robsoctane seems to be suggesting it's psychology rather than skill I think, and I agree - I've only ever done drops like that when I didn't know they were there.
It takes no real talent, unless you're doing it really slow, so I don't see why anyone should be proud or ashamed about riding it or not.

Spot on. If you can ride off a kerb and land both wheels together then you have the correct technique and enough talent. Just hit it fast enough and carry the front wheel. There's more chance of hurting yourself hitting a root or rock at the wrong angle and washing out at speed but because your wheels are on the ground you feel safer.

Bingo - and thank you.

I'm not taking the Michael out of anyone. I'm just wondering why they didn't/couldn't do it and I did. That's because I KNOW I'm not great, I'm merely average. If I plucked up the courage then anyone can do it within reason, or so I thought...

It is all in the mind - WAS like jumping off a kerb. I will now be hunting bigger stuff and maybe bottling that the first 2 times BUT again - it will not defeat me.

I guess I was just surprised at dudes on Yeti's etc that were built for this type of riding not doing it. Made me wonder.

Ignoring all the waffle here I totally understand the OP. It's not about how big your balls are, it's about pushing yourself in whatever way you choose to have a bit more fun when riding. It might be climbing hard, or dropping off stuff, or whipping through wooded singletrack on the edges of control.

At 42 I don't bounce or bend any more but the big kid in my head still keeps telling me to try stuff that scares me. Might be things that other riders would laugh at me for being worried by but that's not the point.

Case in point is Howes Run pit at Thetford - nice relatively tame little bowl to play in near the top of The Beast but there's one line in that I've never tried/always bottled because it has a steeper (near vertical) entry and a little drop off a third of the way down. Spent a good five mincy minutes at the top of it a couple of weeks ago umming and arring before finally growing a pair and riding it. Like I said, small beans to lots of riders but it has made a big difference to me confidence-wise in all my riding since.

[img] [/img]

slainte 😳 rob

Lol cracking skill level troll thread this.

Fwiw i wouldn't even contemplate that drop-yep I'm shite I admit it...

Loving the picture of the guy jumping with elbow pads but no helmet-is that called thinking outside the box?

I think the more appropriate question you should be asking is why you went for it a 3rd time after crashing twice, especially given you're a family man with dependants and an important career with responsibilities.

slainte rob

Please explain - I see this all the time in lots of threads but have no idea what it means, would love to be in on it if I'm worth it?

hugor - Member
I think the more appropriate question you should be asking is why you went for it a 3rd time after crashing twice, especially given you're a family man with dependants and an important career with responsibilities.

Is that aimed at me? Sorry if it's not. if it was, I didn't crash at all, just bottled it twice. 🙄

robsoctane - Member
slainte rob
Please explain - I see this all the time in lots of threads but have no idea what it means, would love to be in on it if I'm worth it?

(Scots) Gaelic for "cheers" or "good health". IIRC the Scots pronunciation is 'slarn-cher' or similar.

cheers 😀 rob

Slainte is short-hand for "Slainte Mhah". That's "good health" in Scots Gaelic and it typically said with a glass of decent whisky in one hand. (slanje va)

The poster "colournoise" likes to add it to the end of each of his posts. I assume he is having some sort of withdrawal symptoms from forum signatures.

Not quite as annoying as that dick-head from teh States who has to add his photo to the top of every post....

didn't he invent mountain biking though?

That looks similar to Cadden Bank?

Easy to laugh at folk who are worse than you on a better bike, in fact it's a duty 😛

For a lot of people, bikes are like fast cars. You don't need to drive them particularly well, as long as they make all the right sounds, and make you smile.

For others a bike is a tool, for getting to the bottom in the fastest possible time. Or the top. Or just forgetting about times and life in general...

Lots of reasons for riding bikes for doing jumps, and not doing jumps. As long as everyone is doing their own thing, it's all good.

brakes - Member
didn't he invent mountain biking though?

That would be Cadd[b]o[/b]n Bank Al.

The Cadden bank looks more like this one

[img] [/img]

druidh - Member
The poster "colournoise" likes to add it to the end of each of his posts. I assume he is having some sort of withdrawal symptoms from forum signatures.

It's more just a lingering habit from the dark days of t'interweb before forum signatures was even thought of.

salud 😀 rob

That looks similar to Cadden Bank?

If you mean the three drops at the start of the run then I'd say its not quite as big as the 3rd. However you have to brake as soon as you land in order to make it round the berm.

The poster "colournoise" likes to add it to the end of each of his posts. I assume he is having some sort of withdrawal symptoms from forum signatures.
Not quite as annoying as that dick-head from teh States who has to add his photo to the top of every post....

Ooh get her!

I just put it down to mental walls built up over the years.

There is every reason to be scared when you first start riding, however you have a choice of two paths, either make sure to WORK on your skills in a safe environment, then make sure you push yourself a little bit all the time, eventually, with perseverance, you will "get awesome" in time. The other path is a bad one, no interest in learning basic skills, i mean [i]how much use are bunny hops out the the trail[/i] 🙄 , never attempting anything outside your comfort zone, saving it for another day reinforces bad mental practise and builds up those walls bigger and stronger to a point where they're never going to budge.

No matter how hard people claim they're not interested in leaving the ground or doing something a bit braver, they're just trying to get out of pushing their selves, they are itching to "get awesome".

Bikes isn't treated as a un-serious games enough, too much "i must be sensible" or "that's for kids" or thinking car park time is a "waste".

The OP is on a good path, keep it up.

never attempting anything outside your comfort zone, saving it for another day reinforces bad mental practise and builds up those walls bigger and stronger to a point where they're never going to budge.

No matter how hard people claim they're not interested in leaving the ground or doing something a bit braver, they're just trying to get out of pushing their selves, they are itching to "get awesome".

Bikes isn't treated as a un-serious games enough, too much "i must be sensible" or "that's for kids" or thinking car park time is a "waste".

The OP is on a good path, keep it up.

Thanks for your understanding mate. I'm not stupid on my bike but I do like to push and wont get defeated. If I bottle/crash I just do it again and again until it clicks. It's the only way for me to get better. Surely that's the whole point in riding off road?

Hang on, either that drop's a piece of piss and anyone not riding it is crap, or it's dangerous and you must wear a helmet? Can we make up our minds, please?

I've ridden that trail lots of times and haven't once even considered riding the drop. I don't think I've ever ridden a drop much bigger than 18", though I'd happily do that on a rigid fixie. Still, takes all sorts, eh?

For the drop at Hamsterley, the landing's quite iffy; not a big space before a sharp left-hander. So, chapeau for riding it on your first visit/third attempt.

I like robsoctane's attitude.

Sometimes I find that a smallish/easier obstacle is a bigger mental barrier than something larger. I bottled a 2 foot step down onto a gentle straight downslope in the woods the other day then went and deliberately picked a line to launch off a similar height 'kicker' into an uneven landing and small berm 30 seconds later, which was a bit wierd.

Similarly there's a 3foot ish drop to flat off the river wall near where I live that I'll take at speed on my xc hardtail but there are smaller steps on Whites Level that I mince over. I know I can ride them but just a little moment of tension or "that might hurt" and the brakes come on and I roll it (feeling like a total t1t).

If anyone knows why I do this (and more importantly how to cure it) then please tell me!

Hang on, either that drop's a piece of piss and anyone not riding it is crap, or it's dangerous and you must wear a helmet? Can we make up our minds, please?

Cant it be both? Technique-wise, drop-offs are a piece of piss and if you can ride an 18 inch one then you can ride this one - the only difference is confidence. Of course if you bottle it half way through, go off too slow and dont carry the front end you'll go over the bars and probably hurt yourself. Confidence and commitment - the bloke without the helmet has it, making that obstacle no more dangerous than dropping off a kerb

I forgot to drop my saddle today when and almost got catapulted into the dirt a few times with small levitation moments.They were like last second decisions (brake? what? someone might be watching!) I ended up trying to avoid the launches finally and instead drifting my new build round corners at high speed playing with the breakaway points, which ended up being rather fun. Just as I went to drop my saddle and go break something I got a phone call and had to go home 🙁

mdavids - Member

Cant it be both? Technique-wise, drop-offs are a piece of piss and if you can ride an 18 inch one then you can ride this one - the only difference is confidence

Mmm. The bigger the drop, the longer any mistakes you make have to take effect...

Maybe the "over biked" mob didn't ride it because the OP was stood in their way "deliberating" (yes that's a euphanism)

Mmm. The bigger the drop, the longer [b]you have to right [/b]any mistakes you [b]may have made on leaving the lip [/b][s] make have to take effect[/s]...

True enough. But then most people seem to do all the work on the takeoff and just hope they land right side up

Nah mate, I was at the side of the trail by then just stood wondering!

I still am to a certain extent. Why oh why buy a 4k super gnar bike and not drop 3 foot on it? Was about 30k's worth that didn't try/bother...

It's a bit like breaking the speed limit and driving like a prat.. all without a roll cage installed! Such a dangerous thing to do.
So so dangerous..

I don't know about anyone else but I'm getting a bit bored of people getting slated for what they do or don't ride on whatever bike they've decided to buy. Who the * are you to say that because someone's worked hard enough to be able to afford a nice bike that they have to meet some sort of standard or ride stuff you think they should ride? Get off your *ing judgemental high horse and just ride, ok?

Sheesh..

I still am to a certain extent. Why oh why buy a 4k super gnar bike and not drop 3 foot on it? Was about 30k's worth that didn't try/bother...

Just wondering what value of bike would have meant they were justified in not trying the drop? Is there some sort of sliding scale of bike cost vs acceptable drop height?

Don't understand all the bad tempered bolox on this thread 🙄

I went to hamsterley forest for the second time today and had a great time.

This forum is full of RAD people.

I sort of understand where the OP is coming from but sometimes its just not feeling right so there's no commitment and then crashes happen. Saying that the drop does look pretty small but I suppose it would have looked huge to me this time last year.

idiotdogbrain - Member
I don't know about anyone else but I'm getting a bit bored of people getting slated for what they do or don't ride on whatever bike they've decided to buy. Who the * are you to say that because someone's worked hard enough to be able to afford a nice bike that they have to meet some sort of standard or ride stuff you think they should ride? Get off your *ing judgemental high horse and just ride, ok?

Sheesh..

Oh dear... You sir, clearly don't understand. I have not slated anyone at all. I am hardly judgemental - more inquisitive. I'm not on a high horse at all. Please (if you are concerned) re-read this post and reform your opinion. You may even like to offer an apology at the end - Addressed to me (if you can't work it out). 🙄

grum - Member
I still am to a certain extent. Why oh why buy a 4k super gnar bike and not drop 3 foot on it? Was about 30k's worth that didn't try/bother...
Just wondering what value of bike would have meant they were justified in not trying the drop? Is there some sort of sliding scale of bike cost vs acceptable drop height?

Fair point my friend. Well, I guess my perception may be off. It could be linked to the fact that (like I said) this was my second time there and I've never been to any trail centre. Maybe the flash bikes all over made me think that all the riders would be whipping about in woods etc.

I did think that there was (kind of) some sliding scale. Silly of me really I suppose but I couldn't spend big bucks on what's clearly a trail weapon and then mince around on it.

I did think that there was (kind of) some sliding scale. Silly of me really I suppose but I couldn't spend big bucks on what's clearly a trail weapon and then mince around on it

WTF...??!!! Is this what they call trolling? Deliberate attempts to wind people up. My god man do you think people should be interviewed in the LBS before buying a bike, go on some sort of course to determine if they are 'good enough' to buy a trail bike. Buy your estimation anyone in a Porshe should be a racing driver, if you own an Omega Seamaster you should run around risking life and limb like James Bond... God forbid if someone bought an expensive road racing bike, would you then expect them to ride like a tour de France rider every weekend???

We live in a consumer society where we can buy what the hell we like, regardless of skill or what we'll actually do with it. Either that of the simple fact that you don't own an expensive bike defines you in ways I'm not going to mention...

[edit] by which I infer nothing about you at all. Just that you can't read anything into a person by what they buy. Happy you nailed the drop and had a good ride.

My watch is waterproof to 200m. Does this mean I have to go deep sea diving before im allowed to wear it?

ask1974 - Member
I did think that there was (kind of) some sliding scale. Silly of me really I suppose but I couldn't spend big bucks on what's clearly a trail weapon and then mince around on it
WTF...??!!! Is this what they call trolling? Deliberate attempts to wind people up. My god man do you think people should be interviewed in the LBS before buying a bike, go on some sort of course to determine if they are 'good enough' to buy a trail bike. Buy your estimation anyone in a Porshe should be a racing driver, if you own an Omega Seamaster you should run around risking life and limb like James Bond... God forbid if someone bought an expensive road racing bike, would you then expect them to ride like a tour de France rider every weekend???

We live in a consumer society where we can buy what the hell we like, regardless of skill or what we'll actually do with it. Either that of the simple fact that you don't own an expensive bike defines you in ways I'm not going to mention...

[edit] by which I infer nothing about you at all. Just that you can't read anything into a person by what they buy. Happy you nailed the drop and had a good ride.

I'm not trolling mate, honest.

I suppose I was dazzled when I was multiple gnar bikes mincing, that's all.

I did have a good time though - thanks. Hamsterley seems to be great to me so far.