[Closed] Tackling drops on steeps

I do a dynamic risk assessment then just get off and walk 😉
Too old and do not mend easily anymore 🙄

I have the same type of fear. Weight is too far back so you are unbalanced when you land. Aim is both wheels touching the ground at the same time with your weight in the middle. I think the first step is just being used to steep first then the drop after.

let go of the breaks, stop pedalling, weight back and slight yoink of the bars.

Trekster +1 LOL

I tend to try and ensure that my weight isn't too far back, or else you'd probably end up lofting the up too much and have no traction on landing.

Stay off brakes rolling up to the drop, weight pretty central, if you are going at a decent pace, then you should only need a little tweak backwards (no upwards) on the bars, and then brake on the landing, but don't skid, or else you will be out of control.

Works for me, although others may be more expert than me.

See yoinking on the bars almost always ends up with me landing leaning over to the left, I reckon there's a pushy feet thing instead but I'm dammed if I can work it out.

how fast are you going?

brake on the landing

Why do this?

Depends how steep but usually pretty quick I tend to chicken run the drops at the mo as I've had some ahem, unfortunate, incidents.

There's one specifically where it's around waist high, so a steep roll in then this waist high step then around two feet and it's all steep again. I expect just hitting it faster would help..

Think of the children.

That's what my wife says.

I do a dynamic risk assessment then just get off and walk
Too old and do not mend easily anymore

I'm not too old to mend but I am a wimp 😛

fergal - Member
Think of the children.

POSTED 9 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST
joolsburger - Member
That's what my wife says.

I think with the right technique it needn't be dangerous hence the question. I'm just keen to avoid that comedy endo moment at high speed.

i got caught out following a friend down a section of singletrack that had 3 successive drops down a fairly steep slope, didnt have time to do a risk assessment, get off to walk for my own safety and to save kids faces all over the UK.. so I was rolling over them before i even had a chance to clock them mentally.

just kept my heels down, in the 'ready' position (cranks level, arms and legs bent with some flex to absorb the bumps) and looked ahead instead of at the near certain death below my wheels... seemed to work ok 🙂

Difficult to explain, it's sort of a thrutching motion, let go of the brakes, push with feet, roll the bars forwards and ever so slightly up, not to lift the bars but to unweight the front, make sure you saddle is way down low and don't get your tackle caught in the rear tyre/seatstay bridge 😉

If it's steep, you barely need to do anything. Slight shrug of the shoulders really.

Pics of the obstacle would be good

Something like this...

See you'd ride the roll in no problem but that step halfway down would have me off and walking or going round. However I can see that it's actually not that pronounced a movement to do that drop however it would be a refusal from me.

If it's steep, you barely need to do anything. Slight shrug of the shoulders really

+1 Its getting over the mental barrier thats the hard part

60-degree head angle innit

that video is a little more extreme that my amazing tale of bravery 😳

Try it again but twice as fast?

Edit: Just seen the vid. Slightest additional drop of the heels, slight push forwards with hands (not down.. forwards!) and feet.

Y'all be reet.

joolsburger - Member
Something like this...

As Jedi would say, speed is you're friend 😆

I do a dynamic risk assessment then just get off and walk

Nah you wouldn't. I'm with Rich it's the mental part that's hard. Faffed for over 5 minutes at the top of something yesterday which although it looked absolutely ridiculous was actually really, really easy..

I do a dynamic risk assessment

And in english please?

The hard part is getting your head round the fact the drops on steep are actually easier than drops on flat or not so steep.

All you really have to do is let the brakes go, meanwhile every fibre of you being is screaming "STOP YOU FOOL YOU WILL DIE"

Despite knowing all this I still refuse steep drops or use a chicken run as often as I try them.

Yup. I expect what I really need is some new forks with more travel and a coil shock and a full face helmet or just some larger balls.

[i]And in english please? [/i]

He looks at it and thinks 'No way!' and walks down.

This is my preferred approach too.

I move my body position forward slightly and gently pull up a bit,you only need to pull up to keep the bike level to the landing,so this means its a very light pull.

i never say speed is your friend fergal.

your talking of a ski jump style drop where your front wheel is lower than horizontal? same way as anyother drop. push heels and hands to unweight

there's one on schleyer/clown shoes in whistler iirc. roll down rockface and drop halfway down = fun

Brake at the last minute and go down on your forehead - works for me

If it's steep, you barely need to do anything. Slight shrug of the shoulders really.

+1
I tend to also close my eyes and scream like a girl..

"Pants Down" on Tunnel Hill is like that

So steep that the roll in looks like a drop as you approach, then it 'drops' about 10ft before you reach the drop itself, then there's a near vertical run out.

Gives me the heebie jeebies just watchign people go down it, lots of people with their rear wheel in the air for a very long time!

Jedi- I have hit the One on Schleyer,Loved that track,Crack addict was interesting.Scared me the first time

Got to admit I'd struggle with this one big time. Flat to steep drop no problems, just like hopping into a mini ramp off of a subbox, hop and twist the bike point it where you want to go, but I can't get my head around already hanging off the back down a steep run in then a drop halfway down. Can't imagine riding it.

If your off the brakes then your weight should be pretty central on the bike rather than off the back. Think of skiers, they don't stand vertical whilst skiing down steep slopes. Bikers only do this to counter the braking forces. No brakes = no forces trying to put you over the bars. Think of a BMX rider dropping into and then riding a halfpipe, they don't have their arses over the rear wheel. Their weight is nicely centered on the bike.

Once you are riding the steep run in correctly the drop becomes easy. If you need to control your speed on the run in then by all means move your weight back whilst braking but make sure you bring your weight back forward and release the brakes as you commit to the drop.

Watch the forward weight shift as he rides into the quarterpipe.

what has this got to do with this topic?

Relax and let the bike run.

That's all I do 😆

Once you are riding the steep run in correctly the drop becomes easy. If you need to control your speed on the run in then by all means move your weight back whilst braking but make sure you bring your weight back forward and release the brakes as you commit to the drop.

Robz - Member
what has this got to do with this topic?

because dropping in, especially off of a sub box (a essentially a raised drop off out of the top of the ramp) is the same as doing a drop from flat in to a very steep landing. I can handle that it's the idea of a drop half way down a steep roll in.

Ok, next time I am flying down a steep slope with a drop off halfway down I will make sure I come to a complete stop and approach the drop at 45 degrees making sure not to catch me chainring on the coping then.

Dropping in to a quarter pipe is not the same as actually dropping off something, especially a drop on a steep slope where you are traveling, usually very quickly, in a straight line. (which is the topic under discussion on this thread)