Hiya folks,

My son (13, getting quite handy on a bike, deffo faster than me in a bike park, but I still win when we have to pedal!), quite fancies using some savings to buy a sender ramp or similar. Something like this:
Sender 350 Curved

Any reasons not to? I’d quite like him to! Anything else we should consider?

Quite like to modular nature of the Sender, can see us getting a new additions in the future

I’ve order the Ramp set…then after ordering it watched a video of how they are built…and promptly bricked myself at the height of the ramps!!! I’m sure they’ll get used, but suspect the 2 bigger ones will be by some of the kids in the street as I’ll not be near those for a wee while yet!

I’ve recently got the manual master and ramp set (200, 350, 500 and 650) for coaching with. They’re really solidly built to a high standard, plus fold nicely for storage/transporting too. Pretty happy with mine!
As DickBarton says they are pretty big, especially once you account for the curved nature which kicks you steeply up. I’ll be using the 200mm flat ramp far more than the others when coaching. Anything bigger than the 350 puts both your wheels over a metre off the floor even at a slow speed which makes for heavy landings on the flat. I’m mainly using the taller ones with a stepped-up or down-sloped landing, (or another ramp to create a double) as a result.

Another option, just buy him some tools, plywood and strapping and let him build away till his heart is content?

That way if he wants to go bigger, he can just build something from scrap, rather than bugging you for the next size up! While learning some useful skill DIY skills.

https://www.gmbn.com/video/how-to-build-a-mountain-bike-mini-kicker-blake-builds-a-portable-wooden-jump

Not as portable mind, but I guess designing a better more portable option could be part of the fun.

Obviously no use if he’s no interest in the building part, but it’s an option!

What Joe says, or even better, but him a mattock, point him in the direction of the local woodland, owned by a Tory gammonoholic.

As above. When the girls were little they asked for some shore and jumps. Spent £20 on reclaimed timber and nails and they helped dad build and stain it. Made it in 6 ft lengths which they used to carry into the field. They spent days with their mates messing about on it

As did I

They now just disappear into the woods to dig.

I like that OP and Tracey I like what you did with your girls too!

Great pics Tracey!

Tracy – Thats quite inspirational. The jump designs look really simple. I’ve a load of wood i was going to use to build similar but looking at yours i think hugely ive over designed it.

i`m going to be building my girls some ramps like Tracys.

excellent work.

Smashing stuff, thanks folks!

Actually really appreciate the advice re. size of ramp – even the 350 looks pretty big.

I’ll have a think about building, however eldest seems to have inherited many of the male side of my family’s worst traits! Inability to kick a football, hay fever and a total absence of whatever gene it is that makes folks practical with wood/tools. (I’m good with bikes, terrible with DIY!)

I’ll see where I can find some wood, that might spur things on.

Great work Tracey!

We’ve recently moved and have a huge garden – I had similar in the plans and that’s given me the inspiration to sort it out for my girls for summer.

We built our own last summer-

Both ramps’ surfaces and sides came from the same sheet of 240×120 (8×4) ply and we had the material for the battens kicking about. They took an afternoon to make.

Being a complete wuss when it comes to jumps, I bought myself a Sender 200 ramp to practice on and get some confidence. It’s working 🙂

If or when I get the next size up, the 200 will still work as a down ramp so it’s not wasted. It also folds up and comes with straps so you can carry it like a rucksack while on the bike. Not exactly comfy but it works.

If you can build your own, that’s great. But I’d highly recommend the Sender ramps.

What thickness ply do people use? Don’t have any so would need to purchase some and keen to get something sensible!

Didn’t use any ply in the ones we built. Just reclaimed wooden 2.5″ x 1″ planks with 1″ spacings nailed to 4″ X 2″ runners.

I think we used 9mm ply so it would bend easily to fit the take-off ramp profile. It’s stiff (pfft) enough. The battens are a mix of 100×50 and 75×38 and were what we had kicking about from another job (a sedan chair arrangement to shift the shed!)

I’ll echo the “it works” to get your confidence up jumping gaps as well, I was wary of my jump bike when I got it (coming off a few years on LLS comfort blankets) but am comfy chucking it over a metre and a bit gap now!

I have a Sender 500 and the 650 extension.

I got a bargain off of someone who had too many delivered, it is well worth the full retail the ramp is very solid.

As per the notes above they do send you well high so be ready for that.

Thought I’d pop a wee update – we bought the sender 350 curved. as everyone has mentioned, extremely well made, borrowed some tools to build it and didn’t **** it up.

When you sit it on the ground, goodness, it is quite big though. First time you approach it is a slightly intimidating experience. When my son first went over it, on landing his foot slipped off and he knacked his knackers off the saddle. Ooyah!

For both of us now, its great fun! Really a good skill builder as it gives a lot more confidence on similar trail features (mostly big fallen trees around here).

We did hope to help others in our riding group to build confidence on the jumps, but the 350 is way to big for that – I think we’d have some serious injuries on our hands.

Marvellous!