Going off.....

"Neil Guthrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Boo!

On my last couple of rides I have been gaining more and more confidence. I'm at the point where I
feel like I want to start doing jumps. More precisely riding off ledges of let's say 2-3 feet
where I would usually just let my front tire slowly drop in and then follow my bike over.

Up to now I had it in my head that if I were to "jump" off these things (especially imagining a
30' drop which I will never in my lifetime

attempt)

Quoted message said:

I would just do a nose dive straight into the ground and "die".

So...is this/what is the right technique?

Do you imagine yourself doing a wheelie/bunny hop over the edge?

Do you just get your weight back? Pull up on the handlebars and get your weight back?

Do a clipless cheater bunny hop?

What kind of speed do you need?

Thanks!,

SC

Every situation and terrain are unique. Is the section on a slope? Is it flat? What lies beyond the
section? What lies before the section? Some drops can be taken at speed so can be "bunny hopped".
Other sections with protruding rocks where you must choose a line carefully are taken more slowly
thus using the "wheelie drop". My son (13) and I encountered a drop last week that was about 18". 3
Ft. beyond the drop was 2 rocks with just enough room to get the tires through. He was taking the
drop at speed focusing more on the drop then the line and objects beyond. He hit one of the rocks
with his front wheel and went down. After a little discussion and Band-Aids he got back up and tried
it again successfully. If it is an extreme slope and you're a down hillier then throw it all out the
window and breath after its all done.

Cleanbean still doing it in Texas

Neil Guthrie <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Boo!

On my last couple of rides I have been gaining more and more confidence. I'm at the point where I
feel like I want to start doing jumps. More precisely riding off ledges of let's say 2-3 feet
where I would usually just let my front tire slowly drop in and then follow my bike over.

Up to now I had it in my head that if I were to "jump" off these things (especially imagining a
30' drop which I will never in my lifetime

attempt)

Quoted message said:

I would just do a nose dive straight into the ground and "die".

So...is this/what is the right technique?

Do you imagine yourself doing a wheelie/bunny hop over the edge?

Do you just get your weight back? Pull up on the handlebars and get your weight back?

Do a clipless cheater bunny hop?

What kind of speed do you need?

Thanks!,

The better riders will no doubt tell you better, but here's what I do:

Depends on speed - if I'm going at a clip, I just lean back a bit and go for it without really
thinking about it, if I'm going slower, I pull on the bars by throwing my weight back a bit, roll
the back wheel off with front about 1" off the ground. If I'm going really slow, I push down on a
pedal to get the front light then roll the back wheel off.

One of my first posts here was about me practicing 2-ish foot wheelie drops after seeing a picture
RR of some urban from Carla - I stuffed it up quite nicely and busted my nose up/got a bit of
concussion (Oh, I was new to front suss at the time too, which didn't help matters! Back end hit a
bump before rolling off the edge kicking the front down, when the front hit the deck, it hit a small
dip, fork compressed, I got 'levered' into the ground face first, bike on my back........).

I just practiced and practiced and practiced after that starting with 6" kerbs and building up
bit-by-bit - I'm still far from any good at these, but 3" or so isn't so much of a problem, if I'm
in the mood, heheheheh......

Shaun aRe - offering the novices perspective.

Neil Guthrie said:

Do you imagine yourself doing a wheelie/bunny hop over the edge?

Very rarely, only on short run-ins.

Quoted message said:

Do you just get your weight back? Pull up on the handlebars and get your weight back?

Basically. I just have a healthy amount of speed, pull up a bit to keep the front up, and then fall
gracefully back to earth. But depending on the landing/transition, you may need the front lower.

Quoted message said:

Do a clipless cheater bunny hop?

I wouldnt.

Quoted message said:

What kind of speed do you need?

Depends on the drop. If you need to clear a gap, then obviously more speed. If its just a drop, then
just rolling speed.

--
Matt

Fear of a flat planet

Neil Guthrie said:

So...is this/what is the right technique?

Do you imagine yourself doing a wheelie/bunny hop over the edge?

Do you just get your weight back? Pull up on the handlebars and get your weight back?

The best thing I ever learned were manuals. While I cannot do a true coaster wheelie, it's a
technique that works well for drops that doesn't get you all twisted like a powered wheelie would.
Imagine throwing the bike out in front of you. You weigh more than it does, so it tends to rotate
around your center of gravity, ie: come up in front. It just seems like a more natural motion than
trying to pull up on the bars. Try it on small stuff 1st :-)

-Bruce

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Every situation and terrain are unique. Is the section on a slope? Is it flat? What lies beyond
the section? What lies before the section? Some drops can be taken at speed so can be "bunny
hopped". Other sections with protruding rocks where you must choose a line carefully are taken
more slowly thus using the "wheelie drop". My son (13) and I encountered a

drop

Quoted message said:

last week that was about 18". 3 Ft. beyond the drop was 2 rocks with just enough room to get the
tires through. He was taking the drop at speed focusing more on the drop then the line and objects
beyond. He hit one of the rocks with his front wheel and went down. After a little discussion

and

Quoted message said:

Band-Aids he got back up and tried it again successfully. If it is an extreme slope and you're a
down hillier then throw it all out the window and breath after its all done.

Cleanbean still doing it in Texas

Thanks...

Let's say its x-country riding, clean landing area, and an even to slightly downhill launch and
landing zone.

SC

"Neil Guthrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Every situation and terrain are unique. Is the section on a slope? Is

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

flat? What lies beyond the section? What lies before the section? Some drops can be taken at
speed so can be "bunny hopped". Other sections

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

protruding rocks where you must choose a line carefully are taken more slowly thus using the
"wheelie drop". My son (13) and I encountered a

drop

Quoted message said:

last week that was about 18". 3 Ft. beyond the drop was 2 rocks with

just

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

enough room to get the tires through. He was taking the drop at speed focusing more on the drop
then the line and objects beyond. He hit one

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the rocks with his front wheel and went down. After a little discussion

and

Quoted message said:

Band-Aids he got back up and tried it again successfully. If it is an extreme slope and you're a
down hillier then throw it all

out

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the window and breath after its all done.

Cleanbean still doing it in Texas

Thanks...

Let's say its x-country riding, clean landing area, and an even to

slightly

Quoted message said:

downhill launch and landing zone.

SC

I would just manually (see post on manuals) pull up on the bars or spring off the ledge bunny
hopping, slightly pulling up and letting rear wheel land first. (all with some speed).

Cleanbean

Quoted message said:

The best thing I ever learned were manuals. While I cannot do a true coaster wheelie, it's a
technique that works well for drops that doesn't get you all twisted like a powered wheelie would.
Imagine throwing the bike out in front of you. You weigh more than it does, so it tends to rotate
around your center of gravity, ie: come up in front. It just seems like a more natural motion than
trying to pull up on the bars. Try it on small stuff 1st :-)

-Bruce

So at the ledge you just push the bike forward and get your ass behind the seat and roll off?

I assume that if you don't have anough speed then you will land front wheel first and maybe run into
problems and that with the right speed you will land on both wheels or the rear one first.

Any issues with the seat getting in the way? I ride x-country so its not way down. But it is also
lower than the "recommended" slightly bent knee height. I can maybe imagine pushing the bike
forward, having the front wheel dip slightly initially as I move my ass back and having the now
slightly raised seat get in the way?

Thanks, SC

"Shaun Rimmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Depends on speed - if I'm going at a clip, I just lean back a bit and go

for

Quoted message said:

it without really thinking about it, if I'm going slower, I pull on the

bars

Quoted message said:

by throwing my weight back a bit, roll the back wheel off with front about 1" off the ground. If
I'm going really slow, I push down on a pedal to get the front light then roll the back wheel off.

Thanks!...just what I was looking for..I'll go right for the 30 foot hands-freee drops now.

Quoted message said:

One of my first posts here was about me practicing 2-ish foot wheelie

drops

Quoted message said:

after seeing a picture RR of some urban from Carla - I stuffed it up quite nicely and busted my
nose up/got a bit of concussion (Oh, I was new to

front

Quoted message said:

suss at the time too, which didn't help matters! Back end hit a bump

before

Quoted message said:

rolling off the edge kicking the front down, when the front hit the deck,

it

Quoted message said:

hit a small dip, fork compressed, I got 'levered' into the ground face first, bike on my
back........).

Maybe it's my turn to experience that.

SC

Quoted message said:

What kind of speed do you need?

Thanks!,

SC

The faster your speed, the smoother your landing will be. If the landing area is clear, I generate
as much speed as I can before hitting the drop, then I just pull up on the bars and fly off of it.
If the approach is too rocky to pick up speed, then I'll attempt to wheelie drop by popping a
wheelie just before my front tire goes over the edge. If the landing area is gnarly or ends in a
turn, then I face my last option, trying to go down one wheel at a time with my buttocks saying
hello to my rear tire.

-John Morgan

The first tip was given to me by a former pro DH'er, the rest I just made up.

Neil Guthrie said:

So...is this/what is the right technique?

Plenty of folks are going to chip in technique advice but I'll toss this out there; find a good
place to practice. Urban riding is great for finding nice clean drops at varying heights. Retaining
walls that start small and work their way up are great. Go out and explore on your bike and keep
your eyes peeled when driving around. Do small drops over and over until you get comfortable.

"Neil Guthrie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Boo!

On my last couple of rides I have been gaining more and more confidence. I'm at the point where I
feel like I want to start doing jumps. More precisely riding off ledges of let's say 2-3 feet
where I would usually just let my front tire slowly drop in and then follow my bike over.

Up to now I had it in my head that if I were to "jump" off these things (especially imagining a
30' drop which I will never in my lifetime

attempt)

Quoted message said:

I would just do a nose dive straight into the ground and "die".

So...is this/what is the right technique?

Do you imagine yourself doing a wheelie/bunny hop over the edge?

Do you just get your weight back? Pull up on the handlebars and get your weight back?

Do a clipless cheater bunny hop?

What kind of speed do you need?

Thanks!,

SC

Moderate speed, more is probably safer than less, unless the landing is a downslope :-(. You don't
really need to jump / hop off, just shift your weight back a teeny bit, not too much or you risk
looping out off the back. If you are going slow then you may need to wheelie off, otherwise a gentle
weight shift should do it. You are aiming to keep the bike level and land both wheels together. Stay
clear of drops with an entry that is downhill, you will find it difficult to get your weight far
back enough at first. Relax and all will be well. Oh and wear a helmet just in case.

Steve.

Neil Guthrie said:

Quoted message said:

The best thing I ever learned were manuals. While I cannot do a true coaster wheelie, it's a
technique that works well for drops that doesn't get you all twisted like a powered wheelie
would. Imagine throwing the bike out in front of you. You weigh more than it does, so it tends to
rotate around your center of gravity, ie: come up in front. It just seems like a more natural
motion than trying to pull up on the bars. Try it on small stuff 1st :-)

-Bruce

So at the ledge you just push the bike forward and get your ass behind the seat and roll off?

It's really kind of a throw, not a push. You could also think of it as throwing yourself backwards.
Anything to get the bike to pivot upward and forward.

Quoted message said:

I assume that if you don't have anough speed then you will land front wheel first and maybe run
into problems and that with the right speed you will land on both wheels or the rear one first.

Depends on a lot of factors. With enough effort into the move, you can get it to work pretty slowly,
but in general, faster takes less effort.

Quoted message said:

Any issues with the seat getting in the way? I ride x-country so its not way down. But it is also
lower than the "recommended" slightly bent knee height. I can maybe imagine pushing the bike
forward, having the front wheel dip slightly initially as I move my ass back and having the now
slightly raised seat get in the way?

Yes, drop the seat for DH.

Quoted message said:

Thanks, SC

Neil Guthrie said:

Boo!

On my last couple of rides I have been gaining more and more confidence. I'm at the point where I
feel like I want to start doing jumps. More precisely riding off ledges of let's say 2-3 feet
where I would usually just let my front tire slowly drop in and then follow my bike over.

Up to now I had it in my head that if I were to "jump" off these things (especially imagining a
30' drop which I will never in my lifetime attempt) I would just do a nose dive straight into the
ground and "die".

So...is this/what is the right technique?

Do you imagine yourself doing a wheelie/bunny hop over the edge?

Do you just get your weight back? Pull up on the handlebars and get your weight back?

Do a clipless cheater bunny hop?

What kind of speed do you need?

Learn to manual for short distances. This is wheelying without pedalling - hanging your [censored] over
the rear wheel. When you have some idea of your balance point, start dropping off curbs and work
your way up. Eventually, you'll get to this: j-harris.netcliff.jpgOpen ↗

"kanotspell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Neil Guthrie said:

So...is this/what is the right technique?

Plenty of folks are going to chip in technique advice but I'll toss this out there; find a good
place to practice. Urban riding is great for finding nice clean drops at varying heights.
Retaining walls that start small and work their way up are great. Go out and explore on your bike
and keep your eyes peeled when driving around. Do small drops over and over until you get
comfortable.

Yeah what Kanot said. I haven't looked at landscaping the same way since I started urban riding.
Also if you don't have enough speed, throw in a 'pedal kick' as you reach the edge to help get the
front end up so you make a two point landing. Start practicing on a curb and work your way up to
big walls.

Mike

"bomba" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Neil Guthrie said:

Boo!

On my last couple of rides I have been gaining more and more confidence. I'm at the point where
I feel like I want to start doing jumps. More precisely riding off ledges of let's say 2-3 feet
where I would usually just let my front tire slowly drop in and then follow my bike over.

Up to now I had it in my head that if I were to "jump" off these things (especially imagining a
30' drop which I will never in my lifetime

attempt)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I would just do a nose dive straight into the ground and "die".

So...is this/what is the right technique?

Do you imagine yourself doing a wheelie/bunny hop over the edge?

Do you just get your weight back? Pull up on the handlebars and get

your

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

weight back?

Do a clipless cheater bunny hop?

What kind of speed do you need?

Learn to manual for short distances. This is wheelying without pedalling - hanging your [censored] over
the rear wheel. When you have some idea of your balance point, start dropping off curbs and work
your way up. Eventually, you'll get to this: j-harris.netcliff.jpgOpen ↗

Get to plaid shorts?! ;^0

Mike

"kanotspell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Neil Guthrie said:

So...is this/what is the right technique?

Plenty of folks are going to chip in technique advice but I'll toss this out there; find a good
place to practice. Urban riding is great for finding nice clean drops at varying heights.
Retaining walls that start small and work their way up are great. Go out and explore on your bike
and keep your eyes peeled when driving around. Do small drops over and over until you get
comfortable.

There is a place just like that about one block down the street from me. Sure there is a curb,
with a grass-sidewalk-grass easement. The retaining wall starts flush with the grass in the field,
then moves up the length of the diamond to about five feet. The only problem is the freakin
chainlink fence!!!!

--
Cameron

Neil Guthrie <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Shaun Rimmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Depends on speed - if I'm going at a clip, I just lean back a bit and go

for

Quoted message said:

it without really thinking about it, if I'm going slower, I pull on the

bars

Quoted message said:

by throwing my weight back a bit, roll the back wheel off with front

about

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

1" off the ground. If I'm going really slow, I push down on a pedal to

get

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the front light then roll the back wheel off.

Thanks!...just what I was looking for..I'll go right for the 30 foot hands-freee drops now.

Get your mates to have a camera ready ',;~}~

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

One of my first posts here was about me practicing 2-ish foot wheelie

drops

Quoted message said:

after seeing a picture RR of some urban from Carla - I stuffed it up

quite

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

nicely and busted my nose up/got a bit of concussion (Oh, I was new to

front

Quoted message said:

suss at the time too, which didn't help matters! Back end hit a bump

before

Quoted message said:

rolling off the edge kicking the front down, when the front hit the

deck,

Quoted message said:

it

Quoted message said:

hit a small dip, fork compressed, I got 'levered' into the ground face first, bike on my
back........).

Maybe it's my turn to experience that.

Heh - just don't get carried away at first! - You'll be fine.

Shaun aRe

Shaun Rimmer said:

Neil Guthrie <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Shaun Rimmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Depends on speed - if I'm going at a clip, I just lean back a bit and go

for

Quoted message said:

it without really thinking about it, if I'm going slower, I pull on the

bars

Quoted message said:

by throwing my weight back a bit, roll the back wheel off with front

about

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

1" off the ground. If I'm going really slow, I push down on a pedal to

get

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the front light then roll the back wheel off.

Thanks!...just what I was looking for..I'll go right for the 30 foot hands-freee drops now.

Get your mates to have a camera ready ',;~}~

Redneck's last words: "Hey y'all watch this"

-Bruce

bruce edge scribbled :

Quoted message said:

Shaun Rimmer said:

Neil Guthrie <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Shaun Rimmer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
> Depends on speed - if I'm going at a clip, I just lean back a bit and go
for
> it without really thinking about it, if I'm going slower, I pull on the
bars
> by throwing my weight back a bit, roll the back wheel off with front about 1" off the ground.
> If I'm going really slow, I push down on a pedal to get the front light then roll the back
> wheel off.

Thanks!...just what I was looking for..I'll go right for the 30 foot hands-freee drops now.

Get your mates to have a camera ready ',;~}~

Redneck's last words: "Hey y'all watch this"

-Bruce

I thought it was, "hold my beer and watch this..." ;-)