[Closed] my first drop-off

ime
roll it first, making sure you lean well back

if you're not down with that just aim well ahead where the runout is and concentrate on that, make sure youve got enough speed and enjoy!

Yes, speed is your friend. You're much more likely to come off by going too slow and tipping over the bars or something. Weight back a bit and get a bit of a run at it.

Just to put you at ease... i've wimped out of stuff that is probably smaller for whatever the reason on the day may be.
Once you've done it you'll feel buzzed.

If you want help on that one give me a shout. Love that drop and as far as they go you've picked an alright one for your first. Just trying to think if there is anything better in the area. Yes it does look scary from the top, but keep your speed that's the main thing, and due to the angle of the run in and run out you can keep a fairly neutral position on the bike. You don't need to exaggerate the extending of arms and legs like some drops which have a flatter run in.
I'll try to get up there the next evening or two and think about how I ride it to see if I can give any better tips.

Hi, Darren

Where is that? i am in a partictular situation to you and I would like to have a go myself. (I ride around Painswick, cranham etc but dont recongnise it. )

Dan

edit is that off the Racetrack

You need to MTFU on that one I'm afraid, unless there's more to it than the images show. Looks like a straight roller to me, keep toward the rear as if you were just riding down the landing slope and cruise off at a reasonable but not excessive speed (5+mph should do fine). If you slow you'll barrel it over the bars on many obstacles but I suspect you'll struggle to do that on this drop.

Took me ages to pluck up the courage, but it's amazing what you can simply roll off happily when you have confidence! This was back in 1995...
[img] [/img]

Are you comfortable manualing off of kerbs?

If so then take this technique and use it everywhere you can. Use it off every little drop or rock you come across untill it is your friend.

Then manual off that drop of yours and try to mirror the angle of the landing.

Enjoy.

Thanks for the tips so far guys,
Dan, yeah I think it's the first bombhole starting at the top of the racetrack.
It's the one where you can also role down it sweeping to the right. (easy that bit! )

practice unweighting the front end off of a kerb and landing both wheels together. once dialled repeat it there.

+1 What Jedi said: that's how I learnt.
Taking it a step further; keep practicing this technique on you local trails. Use any small bump or root as the kerb, they dont need to be a proper drop to ensure that you've got the technique nailed. Doing this will give you confidence that you can apply the technique whenever you need it on the trail.

Can you roll-in a few times to begin with, or is the step too tall? I find this helps a lot with understanding what will happen on the run-out.

It looks good.

If you stand next to your bike and hold the bars to flick it up onto it's back wheel you'll find that you're actually pushing the back wheel forward under the bars not pulling the bars up. I find that drops are pretty much the same, you're using your body weight and feet to push the back wheel forward and unweight the front so not pulling up on the bars. Once I realised that drops became easier.

unlike a manual youre not trying to loft the front wheel as high as you can. its just a little pop to keep the front wheel level or higher with the rear wheel until you leave the ground.

unlike a manual youre not trying to loft the front wheel as high as you can. its just a little pop to keep the front wheel level or higher with the rear wheel until you leave the ground

Buzz, The step's too tall to roll down I reckon.
I'd say 2 and a bit foot high. High enough for me!

Darren, sat here in my comfy chair, it probebly looks worse due to the angle of role in and role out and the fact you can't see the landing over the lip. You'll be amazed what you can actually role down with a bit of momentum. I remember being in your shoes not so long ago and once i went for it, made sure i got my technique right, i hardly noticed the drop in transit. If your technique is ok, you are down before you know it, without time for things to go wrong.

i was about to ask what your issue was as it looks tiny on that photo
What the other said the object is to get your wheels to land at the same time to achieve this all you have to do is stop the front wheel landing first as the back will drop naturally. Landing front wheel first wont hurt that much assuming you have suspension as this will compensate for a multitude of poor landings IME.
Practice on a kerb or something a tad higher. You dont need to go flat out nor too slowly. as long as you are fast enough to cary your front wheel lift till the back leaves the drop you will be fine.
Look where you will be going when you land and ENJOY

Are you comfortable manualing off of kerbs?

If so then take this technique and use it everywhere you can. Use it off every little drop or rock you come across untill it is your friend.

Then manual off that drop of yours and try to mirror the angle of the landing.

Enjoy.

+1

Mr Jedi, do you have any tips for hitting drops with bigger gaps? I can pop off 8foot drops with a similar gap but a bit more apprehensive when the gaps 20foot and don't really know the best way to practise that?

Dan, yeah I think it's the first bombhole starting at the top of the racetrack.

yea I know the one looks like a chasm to me, too. 🙂 If I happen to be up there and see a lone chap staring into the abyss, ill be sure to say hi

I am going to practice technique on that little jump at the bottom of teachers? its not as steep or high and the roll in is flat but like a baby one of the one you have there. rolling it is fine so you can play on it ok

yes thats a good question for Jedi we noticed this at Ae as the step up from small [ 8 ft]jumps to the huge ones was large.
How do you practice that there seems to eb nowehere i assume you just MTFU and use the same technique and just stay in the air longer?

I can do things like hamsterly tabletop which must be 25-30ft just when it comes to drops with large gaps its maybe more mind than matter.

Chatel fire road drop is a goodish example
[img] [/img]

Go to www.bikeradar.com

and search for.....

flow over drops

Good skills Qand A article covering the basics.....I can't post the full URL because thit has an ampersand within it!!!! Start small and build up 😀

Ah just looked at your picture properly so a the bikeradar stuff is prob not what you were after!!!

Oh well the skills page has good advice anyway!!!

Best thing would be to go for a skills session with Tony (Jedi) if you can afford to.
Since mine I've done a few drops like that, and I certainly wouldn't have attempted them before. (I still have to mentally build myself up to them each time though 😀 )

Heh heh! That's me in that picture of the Chatel road gap! 😈

the joys of google image sammy 😀 are you local, I'm moving to Morzine in a few weeks to live 🙂

Suggest you give this a go

http://www.myfirstbra.us/bra_size.htm

Or just MTFU

@alexxx
Not local, just on holiday that year:

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

duplicate post

That Chatel road gap is something of the sort I don't think I'll ever achieve. Too big, too much speed needed and too much to lose when it goes wrong. My hats off to those who can!

I can only imagine what that drop looks like when you are rolling up to the edge of the ladder. Like you are about to head off into space. Respect.

coffeeking - dont you think telling someone to 'MTFU' then saying 'But I wouldnt do that' in a subsequent post isnt totally helpful?

Contrast that with the guy who offered to show him the drop and help out?

just sayin

OP I can do stuff like that with someone to follow and help with speed management a backside to look at rather than the drop (so keep your head up without having to think too hard) - but when you're on own, trial and error is just too risky, especially if you've got responsibilities, self employed and so on. So even though I know I can do them I still find it very very hard. I would hook up with the rider who offerred to help.

@coffeeking
Its not as bad as it looks:

[img] [/img]

and in terms of getting the speed right its simply a let off the brakes from the preceding corner, as long as you don't touch the brakes you achieve the correct speed:

Still blimmin' scary the first time.

.

Chatel road gap- something for me to build up to! 😉

Chattel looks about on a par with the Ae one, looks like all you have to do is hit with a bit of speed and hold on, oh yeah and huuuuuuge cajones.

Pretty sure I know this bombhole. If it's the one i'm thinking of there are 2 distinct slopes on the downdside of the bombhole. I always do this in the normal "attack" postion on the bike, roll in slowish on the brakes on the first slope & soon as you are about to enter the second slope let go of the brakes. Don't forget to brake on the upslope coming out or you will be launched over the brow & won't stop untill you hit a tree!!
HTH
Andy

alexxx - Member

Mr Jedi, do you have any tips for hitting drops with bigger gaps? I can pop off 8foot drops with a similar gap but a bit more apprehensive when the gaps 20foot and don't really know the best way to practise that?

It is pretty much rollable, chin up squeeze your butt cheeks together and go. Oh it is quite soft if it does go horribly wrong.

[img] [/img]

Is it this one or the one just down from it towards birdlip?

Oops

Oops +1

It took me 4 years to finally have the balls to do the Chatel road gap. Great buzz once done, but don't really fancy doing it again, I'm too old and fragile 🙂

I've been to Morzine a few times and think 'next year' every time we ride past the road gap.

sammyc - your video makes it look far too easy! How much speed do you carry, doesn't look like a lot!?