[Closed] Jumps - why do most riders make no attempt and just roll them?

Even the OP's got bored with this one.

He's under his bridge, sheltering from the rain

If there's a jump to be had, Jump it!

Even if you can't jump it, try, surly??

[img] ?w=500[/img]

54% of the people here are truly 'rad' apparently… According to our 2010 poll. Time for a new one?
I'd put myself in the biggest group…. 😉

http://singletrackworld.com/pollsarchive/?poll_page=62

Some of us do launch the jumps.... even manage to "launch" something you might not have noticed on the trail in front of you.

The problem I have at the moment, is not being able to get enough speed to cleanly clear gaps (BMX race track), but I'm working on it..

I'll do small jumps, mostly kerb style jumps as the trail pops them up, but if my wheels get any more than a foot of the ground, i'm getting out of my comfort zone. Table tops and humps and stuff? I've no interest in doing at all. Then again trail centres are few and far between for me mind, so I don't really get much exposure to them. But again, mtbing for me isn't really about getting round the trail as fast as I can it's about being out on the bike, I'll be as adverturous as I feel like at a certain time.

Plus if you smoked as much weed as I do while out and about, you'd probably get a little vertigo too when it came to the jumps! 😆

While I admire some guys skills, that sort of stuff has no value in my riding.
Miles, hours and days over country is my thing.

But I understand your statement about folk not moving on. It's all about comfort zones now.

My aim this year was to push my boundaires, push my comfort zones and become a more rounded MTBer. All began with an AM purchase at Xmas, then trips to BPW at JEDI, i feel now that as far as 'skills' go, ive upped my game massively this year, with jumps, drops and gaps now being more viable a prosepct.

I've also up my balls factor, attacking trails more than i would have previously and taking on stuff that once would have scared me.

I must admit, i'm not sure where this will take me, or how much i want to get more 'gnar' than i have, i'm in my 40's with wife/son and whilst pushing yourself is exceptional fun, it's also dangerous and can end in broken bones quite easily.

oh, FFS.

Is it all right with you if I just ride my bike? 🙄

Plus if you smoked as much weed as I do while out and about, you'd probably get a little vertigo too when it came to the jumps!

Its weird, I've ridden all my life, I used to be crazy for air as a youth. But ten years riding xc has killed that for me, the skills and bottle has gone and now I'm simply risk averse as regards air time. I'll ride off a cliff when going dh, I just hate jumps.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ap2J9RbXaP4

Miles, hours and days over country is my thing.

They're just missing out so much that is fundemental to MTB'ing

Curious thing to say. When was the last time you left a trail centre and headed out into the mountains?

There is no right or wrong. There is just enjoying riding bikes.

Caffeineoldbean

I was thinking that this thread needs more of

maybe this 🙂

[img] [/img]

Is that cat wearing a GoPro ?

🙂

^ 😀 ^
Simon says.........JUMP!

ohrats - Member
Plus if you smoked as much weed as I do while out and about, you'd probably get a little vertigo too when it came to the jumps!

Sounds good.

I'd probably jump more if I had a carbon bike and spds, but my bike is alu and I'm rocking flats. BUT I do try and jump, not big ones but when I'm flying down the lower cliff at Cannock it's difficult not to jump and I have to admit I absolutely love it when I do get some air and land it nice.

Some comments above have made me chuckle, others are a little more balanced and quite sensible and relevant.

BUT, for those of you who don't have sugar in your tea, you really should up your game. It's one of the fundamentals of tea drinking, you know.

Whatever makes you smile innit!

I started riding bikes offroad over 30 years ago, me and my mates didn't have access to trail centers even if they did exist. So we just clattered around local woods and ranges and where we did get air it tended to be the odd natural roller. I'm still more than happy to jump off something like that.

But deliberately manufactured trail center jumps are steep faced and deliberately kicked, they seem designed to give you 3 feet of altitude for every 6 inches forward and I have no idea how you're supposed to go about it, even if most of them weren't only about 3 inches wide. So, it's cos they build them wrong! 😆

Kids eh!

I think WaywardRider is just a bit passionate about what he does. and when you are, you can't understand why other folk don't seem the same.

I can relate. I apologised on a club run last Tuesday for going on about how easy it would be for them to join me on a 300 or 600km road ride, none of them had any interest in riding past 100km.

That kid doing the jumps is amazing!

OT sorry, oldgit, do you or anyone in the club do local audaxes?

jameso PM'd you.

Kids these days on Twitter keep saying

#thatshowIroll

Maybe the op isn't down with it.

They're just missing out so much that is fundamental to MTB'ing.

I think you mean BMX, the fundamentals of MTB are trail features found naturally, this does not generally include tabletops or gap jumps (particularly on Leith Hill and the North Downs). 😉

One day you will be old and broken too.

Yep, over the decades your mates get hurt. One is still recovering over a year after coming out of a coma. Another has a leg that'll never work properly again and one in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

If you're young and get sick pay perhaps it effects your judgement?

What's this air and rollover stuff, I get off and walk.

oldgit - Member
"One day you will be old and broken too."
Yep, over the decades your mates get hurt. One is still recovering over a year after coming out of a coma. Another has a leg that'll never work properly again and one in a wheelchair for the rest of his life...

I'm in the same boat.

None of my "hero" mates are capable of riding anymore.

We all used to have the attitude that instead of growing old gracefully we would skid sideways into our graves with our broken and worn out bodies.

Sadly the reality is if you wreck your body being a hero your old age starts right then - for some of my friends that was in my 30s. And over my 40s and 50s more of them joined that club.

They're not going to skid sideways into anything, just get tipped off their zimmer frames into their coffins after a long miserable life not being able to do the active stuff they love.

Stunt riding is a question of probabilities. No matter how good you are, one day you will get it wrong. Your next probability is how you land, one day that will go wrong. Developing skills is good, it reduces the probability, but doesn't take it away.

So maybe the question should be "Is it worth becoming a decrepit old man tomorrow for the sake of that jump?"

And the answer from most young people is "That will never happen to me" 🙂

[s]Jumps[/s] Hills - why do [s]most riders[/s] kids make no attempt and just [s]roll[/s] push their overweight bikes up them?

Started mtb riding rigid and broke collar bone on a very modest jump. Now have HT and make a little effort. But wheels off the ground doesn't really do it for me. Now thrashing people uphill on my singlespeed, that is a different matter 😈

So what is the limit to "getting rad"? Most of my major injuries have been slow speed. Last one for example I was crossing a slippy bridge and the front wheel went from under me and I hit my knee on a post. Slippy grass is another one.

Just because you are not jumping does not mean that you are safe. Speed and some skills are usually your friend in avoiding crashes. Yes I agree that huge drops and jumps have the possibility of injury but not being confident to tackle anything technical though fear of hurting yourself will conversely make you more likely to hurt yourself.

Northwind ^^

Winner 🙂

GEDA
Most of my major injuries have been slow speed. Last one for example I was crossing a slippy bridge and the front wheel went from under me and I hit my knee on a post.

[img] [/img]

climbingkev - Member
Some comments above have made me chuckle, others are a little more balanced and quite sensible and relevant.

BUT, for those of you who don't have sugar in your tea, you really should up your game. It's one of the fundamentals of tea drinking, you know.

Whatever makes you smile innit!

oldgit - Member
One day you will be old and broken too.
Yep, over the decades your mates get hurt. One is still recovering over a year after coming out of a coma. Another has a leg that'll never work properly again and one in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

To paraphrase from my SCUBA diving days...

"There are old bikers and bold bikers, but not many old bold bikers"

'...basic skills such as manual lifts and pumps are fundamental to all aspects of mountain biking, once these are mastered the rest will come. Nick and Nige were informative and supportive.' - Deb.

belugabob - Member
To paraphrase from my SCUBA diving days...

"There are old bikers and bold bikers, but not many old bold bikers"

The reason why old men don't jump....

😆 😀

That looks like great fun.

welshfarmer - Member

The reason why old men don't jump....

To be fair though, that would have been rubbish if he'd landed it. It's all about the bumslide.

 

Waiting for it to dry out a bit here to have another go. Need to stabilise the ramp a bit too I think. If my mate ever nails it I will be forced to have a go.