sharp turn, uneven heights and distance apart and steeper than the picture suggests, how would you tackle them (it'll be on a rigid or 100mm front sus bike, so no "6/8" travel what steps??" advice please)
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5180/5484579707_b845e8e84e_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/5484579707/ ]the next challenge[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr
i use the hang on and hope technique , of course i fall off a lot
straight down no front brake,cut the inside line on the 's' bend so the bumps on the corner dont catch you out, lean back and feel your sherriffs badge gripping the saddle baby!!!!!!! Good Luck we want to see a vid!
Get off and walk.
left side til turn then turn as little as you need to make the bend 🙂 heals down, wrists dipppped and enjoy it
bike over the shoulder and walk technique
Seat down, straight down to the first corner, lock up the back till you stop. Trackstand bounce the front round, release, repeat.
Or take that path on the right...
Looks you can air the lot, rear wheel down on the inside just before the last step, put the front down just after, setting you up nicely for the corner.
Or what?
on the right of the first turn, the gradient is significantly steeper, it doesn't show on the pic, so straight down isn't really that easy, the exit is extreme left from the last step too
Ignore that they're steps, they're just bumps ride like you would a rocky descent.
In SdBs case get off and walk. 😛
Actually, I'd follow the curve of them with the front the to outside, nice and easy, fairly slowly.
But not knowing what they actually look like, I might well take the approach of looking at them, ride up to them a couple of times, chicken out and tell myself I'd get them next time...
One step at a time.
Boom-tish.
Slowly, they don't look that bad.................
There's a set just outside Pangbourne that's probably as steep, but near enough straight, as long as you keep the wheels rolling its fine, the real puckering moment is if you pick up speed and end up locking a wheel trying to control it. Either let off the brakes and try and ride it out with even more speed, or keep trying to slow down and hope the whole bike doesn't go rubber side up!
If it were me I'd give Jedi's description a try (but keep right to start surely?) then when that doesn't work, straight down the first bit and cut the corners 🙂
I think you'd need to pedal [i]really really[/i] hard to get up those
sit up straight.. death grip.. eyes closed.. stiff upper lip..
Just wheelie all the way down, then pull a massive skid at the bottom.
Pick a dry day for a start if the edge of the step is wood.....
they are all wood 🙂
Carefully
just turn right at the top and head for the direct route through the trees.
You'll crash faster that way - no point in delaying the inevitable and you might actually make it.
I'd probably ride on the dirt to the left hand side and then ride the last few steps at the end, possibly cutting across over to the dirt on the right hand side, thus avoiding most of the steps, if that would be possible.
Kev
I actually find it easier riding techi steps in the dark. 🙂
That way you cant see too much ahead and concentrate on the ones just in front.
Where's that?
steps down from the Aquaduct, NW Alps
for a first attempt i would hit them about 30mph clearing the 1st five steps , then a tail spin with triple pike round the right hander finishing off with a rolling endo to finish.
building up to more extravagant decents thereafter
Think I would be heading for an inside line on the right hander.... keeping central on the upper ones as the gravel goes right to the lip, making them flatter in front of the wood edge.
Am I taking this too seriously...?
Just fit Conti Vert Pro's, think about doing this on a wet day but save yourself all the trouble and pain by going straight to hospital A & E.....
if I'm honest, I wouldn't ride them as even if you don't grab the front brake, the front wheel is likely to tuck under and you're on your face/ back/ arse onto wooden steps and a world of ouch.
ride the dirt round the edge on your way to something [s]more[/s] fun to ride.
Put flats on.
I'm sure that I would wimp out. Looks fine in reality if I've got my good head on. That right hander does look tricky though. Difficult to see a "nice" line to get in position for that.
Tricky.
Drop yer seat first, so if you have to bail you don't catch yer nads and just roll down em nice and steady with a fair bit of rear brake and butt clenching. Second time down you might not do quite as much butt clenching.
29er or trainer wheels?
No comment *see my other thread*
they look really easy if you just get your weight over the back wheel and drag the back brake?
take it easy and don't tense up
ride up nice and fast, compress the front fork as your approach the first step and as the fork rebounds "pump" the bike into the air, whilst soaring through the air like the glorious eagle your dad said you'd never grow up to be, grab a big defiant fistful of front brake, shift your weight forward over the front wheel and scream "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!!!" as you land.
did you eat cheese before bed Phil?
29er or trainer wheels?
big wheels, ladies love a set of big'uns
Pump them: for added comfort and control. I find it helps
no cheese before bed... no cheese since... ummmm.... wednesday last week?
i did however sprinkle some extra crack on my morning frosties.
Ride up to the first one and change your mind at the last minute. Topple off sideways. (Funnier if clipped in)
Get your spade out (you do carry one of those in your backpack?) and flatten them out.
To be honest, that look scarily steep (when trying to ride steps) in your photo, and photo tend to flatten out decent badly.
My technic would be, roll in gently.. falling off and sliding down the rest...
Has anyone suggested not bothering with the corners and just straight lining it?
Like this?:
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5217/5487925209_dd2602db92_o.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_atkin/5487925209/ ]5484579707_b845e8e84e_z[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/peter_atkin/ ]PeterPoddy[/url], on Flickr
I've no doubt they are steeper than they look. I'd say go slowly but if there's a big lip on the wooden edges it'll throw a spanner in the works and increase chance of stall/fall over.
With twisty turny steps like that I'd either go wide round the far side of the corners or straightline the steep apex. So either keep left till the sharp righthander and take the middle of the trail there or start right and zig zag across the trail cutting across the apex of the corners.
green or red
[img] 
[/img]
EDIT but yeah, if you don't mind going off piste Poddys line is better.
i tried to draw a line to show evryone and cant get the marker pen off my screen 🙂
probably be using this bike....maybe so i think straight line might not be best
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5476177825_01a031bb94.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/5476177825/ ]steps[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr
this is a very cool thread (even if i did start it) i was expecting a **** take as i'm having trouble riding it, but some very good tips here
Straightlining/cutting corners kinda misses the point IMO.
Drop yer saddle, steady speed - fast enough not to stall, not so fast that your out of control - and then go roughly apex to apex all the way down. For the most part the steps look quite widely spaced so there's braking space between them.
I dunno if my straight line is any good, but it does give you the option of braking on the flat bit away from the steps, which might be handy if you end up going a bit quick!
I always seem to be going a bit quick on steps. There's some wooden ones down to the canal near home (Off the bridge near Mytchett Canal Centre, on the way to the cafe/pub!) that have a platform in the middle, on the second flight I'm usually pretty much flat out....It makes a helluva noise 🙂
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=157zam&outx=483&quality=70 [/img]
The line I saw was similar to PPs* but you don't touch the off-piste bit, just boost of the big nice looking step and then land for the corner after the nasty looking bit of the steps. The foliage looks quite soft on the landing/crash zone
*The curved bit of the line is meant to be where you are in the air
But that's not riding them.
Outside right hand edge cutting to left hand edge on the nasty bit in the middle. You lot can stand at the side just in case. 🙂
Think about what normally goes wrong, then counter that with technique.
So, drop the saddle as far as it will go - you will then be able to rub your bum on the rear tyre.
Next, ensure your compression is adjusted so the steps dont eat up all the travel and pitch you forward - same with air pressure, get it right. You want to use the travel, but not at the expense of it compressing so fast it changes the geometry and pitches you forward.
Roll fast enough that you skim them rather than see/saw them.
Enter at the speed you need to finish with, thereby eliminating the need to have to use too much braking.
Lean dont steer, to get round the corner.
Where are they - id like a go.
How about this?
[img] 
?t=1298973785[/img]
they are here [url= http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Aqueduct+Lane,+Alvechurch&aq=0&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=1.92067,8.701172&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Aqueduct+Ln,+Alvechurch,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.360611,-1.966724&spn=0.049166,0.110035&z=13 ]aqueduct lane[/url]
STW forum session meet anyone...?
Rickmeister - now thats a plan.
Lets see how all those with advice on technique actually ride in real life - Oh, hang on, I offered advice.
Good idea though.
The most important thing you have to do when riding steps like these is to make sure the video camera is running before you start. Second most important is that it's got enough capacity to stay running at least until the helicopter appears. 😀
Enter at the speed you need to finish with, thereby eliminating the need to have to use too much braking.
......and while you are at it, remember to turn off gravity for a few seconds 😉
...and LOL @ TheBrick
Lean dont steer, to get round the corner
That would depend on speed and tightness of corner, they look too tight to lean around.
Drac, you may be right - I can do stright down steps - but ones with corners Ive not tried. Didnt stop me giving advice though 🙂
OH dear, my camera has HD video too...gulp
Drac, you may be right - I can do stright down steps - but ones with corners Ive not tried. Didnt stop me giving advice though
No why not might add some comedy effect when he tries different techniques.
Aaaaaah just down the road from lickey hills.
Ohhhh thats on my way home to see my parents, I feel a challange coming on!
Rickmeister - yeah! Where / when?
Bart Green? They all ride £6000 bikes around there don't they?
Will scope this one out on a ride to the in-laws (after a few others here have had a go and reported back injury stats)
Dont do it without witnesses.
Will have to drop in there and have a look next time I ride the lickeys, bet they are a lot worse than the photo appears
Does anyone remember coffeekings playground thread? 190 posts and 7 months later it still hasn't been done:
[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/how-to-attack-this ]http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/how-to-attack-this[/url]
rOcKeTdOg, don't be that guy. You can be a hero, in HD. A video diary containing all of the aborted attempts, the inevitable half arsed, non committed mess you make of the first go, the slow road to recovery, and then finally (eight months later, once you've healed and learnt what it is to be alive. I mean, really alive)...redemption, in slo mo, with a soundtrack to match.
I can't wait...do you need an agent?
If there is a half decent route that is nearby or takes the steps in email it and I'll make the trip, have a crack/crash 🙂
Why not ride on the smooth dirt on the RHS until the turn, then just release the brakes and whoop till you reach the bottom, looks like a straight line to me?!
Popped over on the commute home and did a bit of filming, will upload later
do hospitals have wi-fi nowadays?
*excited*
remember coffeeking's thread, massive anticlimax
thanks for the map link, without that i wouldn't know there was a place called 'bell end'!
thanks for the map link, without that i wouldn't know there was a place called 'bell end'!How about Lickey , Lickey End and Rubery? 😀 😯
[i]thanks for the map link, without that i wouldn't know there was a place called 'bell end'! [/i]
Look even closer and you will find a road up the Lickey Hills is called ****ling Road........ 8)
What tyres? That'll decide the line choice, that and your preference for either a superman no-hander or a tail-whip on the 7th step
i filmed the steps, not me riding them, i'm not doing that alone!
bell and lickey end are about as exciting as it gets around here 😕
video still uploading, but here is a pic from the bottom
bike and bemused dog walker for scale
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/5489403273_f800d256e6_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/5489403273/ ]from the bottom[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr
another maybe better angle
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5295/5489992988_62b7fc8b12_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/5489992988/ ]bottom II[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr
Write to chipps, this should be a feature. 'the forum shows its hand(to the dirt)' who would be brave enough to turn up? Or jedi could do a 'fish out of water' of old with a jeyboy to do the steps.
that actually looks a lot more tame from the bottom
Is this like the 'guess where the football is' competition you get in newspapers but instead we have to put a dot where we think you'll land?