How much better can you actually get?

welshkev

I found a trail by my house a few weeks back, it has a quite sizeable road gap jump in it. Probably about a 10ft gap with the take off jump about 6ft in the air (from the floor of the gap) and the landing approx. 3 ft off the ground.

I've been dying to hit it but haven't worked up the balls. I've hit a smaller gap jump - approx. 6ft gap and smaller take off/landing jumps and some ladder drops.

last year I probably wouldn't even have entertained the idea of hitting any of this stuff.

so, am I becoming a better rider or just more confident in my abilities?

The Rookie

Both, you're improving, as you improve that flexible boundary between what you know you can do and what you think you have a chance of surviving gets pushed slowly further out.....unless like Cooldad* age is working in the opposite direction at the same time!

*This may apply to others (ahem, like me) as well!

welshkev

The Rookie wrote:

.....unless like Cooldad* age is working in the opposite direction at the same time!

*This may apply to others (ahem, like me) as well!

um, me too I think...i'm 36 (no where near as old as cool dad though i'm no whipper snapper )

cooldad

Bloody juvenile knobs.

YeehaaMcgee

welshkev wrote:

so, am I becoming a better rider or just more confident in my abilities?

Probably both, becoming more competent increases confidence.

The Rookie

cooldad wrote:

Bloody juvenile knobs.

At least I know that can't be aimed at me! :P

rockmonkeysc

Road gaps are just about balls. They take no skill at all. Just hit it fast, weight back and enjoy the ride.
The stuff I ride now I thought would take serious skills five years ago but most of it just takes commitment, you're more likely to bin it if you bottle and slow or brake in to it.
A 10 foot gap with a 6 foot drop is fairly small, even if you come up short you're unlikely to come off though you would have to be pretty slow to come up short on that.

cooldad

My new internet hero ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

RidingSeed

the gap ain't really that big, psh. *acting tough*

but honestly I wouldn't attack that any time soon.

welshkev

RockmonkeySC wrote:

A 10 foot gap with a 6 foot drop is fairly small, even if you come up short you're unlikely to come off though you would have to be pretty slow to come up short on that.

how'd you mean? if I come up short i'm in the gap...bike stops dead as I hit the landing ramp, I come off.....

but in all honesty, if you want to come and show us how do do it, feel free as we haven't seen anyone do it. once we see someone it'll spur us on. the other problem is the run out is quite short into 2 tight berms and a near vertical 8ft drop onto a fireroad

poah

with practice, ability and testicle size increase. I'm 38 and though my fitness has decreased from back in the day I'm still learning and growing my balls.

welshkev

POAH wrote:

with practice, ability and testicle size increase. I'm 38 and though my fitness has decreased from back in the day I'm still learning and growing my balls.

yeah I get that, mine have grown in the last year

but I've been riding bikes for 20 years on and off (only back riding about 5 years now) but have I always been capable and it was just my head psyching me out

anj132

I'll go with what rockmonkey is saying that it's just about commitment, hit with speed and you'll be fine. I take it your using a big squishy bike that'll soak it up if you come a little short. Fact the landing is a bit lower means there is more room for error.

Same hand, just find some other similar stuff that's a bit easier to build confidence and have it on your to do list

ilovedirt

there's a big-ish roadgap near me, the thing that worries me is the landing, you're practically in a corner. It's a really strangely built jump....

rockmonkeysc

A lot of road gaps lead straight in to a turn, keeps things fun. If its built properly then you should the berm should easily catch you. Its surprising how much speed you can carry in to a berm.
Trails are built to be as much fun as possible which means as little straight as possible.
On Super Tavi at Gawton there is a nice big berm straight after the huge (12 foot drop 30 foot gap) ladder drop.

Kowalski675

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Its surprising how much speed you can carry in to a berm.

Speak for yourself, lol...

welshkev

RockmonkeySC wrote:

A lot of road gaps lead straight in to a turn, keeps things fun. If its built properly then you should the berm should easily catch you. Its surprising how much speed you can carry in to a berm.
Trails are built to be as much fun as possible which means as little straight as possible.
On Super Tavi at Gawton there is a nice big berm straight after the huge (12 foot drop 30 foot gap) ladder drop.

I think you're misunderstanding me a bit, this isn't a trail centre built trail, this is a trail that some locals have put together with some shovels. the berm isn't that big, it's obviously do-able but it's sketchy as hell. I hardly ride trail centres, no matter how ell put together they are. things like gawton, even though tough, are deigned for most people to be able to ride them (experienced riders I mean)

welshkev

I don't get why people are saying "there's room for error" if I come up short? I know in this case speed is my friend - it's just having the balls

but if I don't make it then this happens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFAHSsfoy6c

at about 20 seconds - obviously not that big or fast

rockmonkeysc

welshkev wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

A lot of road gaps lead straight in to a turn, keeps things fun. If its built properly then you should the berm should easily catch you. Its surprising how much speed you can carry in to a berm.
Trails are built to be as much fun as possible which means as little straight as possible.
On Super Tavi at Gawton there is a nice big berm straight after the huge (12 foot drop 30 foot gap) ladder drop.

I think you're misunderstanding me a bit, this isn't a trail centre built trail, this is a trail that some locals have put together with some shovels. the berm isn't that big, it's obviously do-able but it's sketchy as hell. I hardly ride trail centres, no matter how ell put together they are. things like gawton, even though tough, are deigned for most people to be able to ride them (experienced riders I mean)

Super Tavi at Gawton is a double black graded dh track so not built to suit everyone.
Even trails built by locals are built to be fun and usually tweaked until they work right. A lot of stuff looks sketchy until you ride it.

welshkev

RockmonkeySC wrote:

welshkev wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

A lot of road gaps lead straight in to a turn, keeps things fun. If its built properly then you should the berm should easily catch you. Its surprising how much speed you can carry in to a berm.
Trails are built to be as much fun as possible which means as little straight as possible.
On Super Tavi at Gawton there is a nice big berm straight after the huge (12 foot drop 30 foot gap) ladder drop.

I think you're misunderstanding me a bit, this isn't a trail centre built trail, this is a trail that some locals have put together with some shovels. the berm isn't that big, it's obviously do-able but it's sketchy as hell. I hardly ride trail centres, no matter how ell put together they are. things like gawton, even though tough, are deigned for most people to be able to ride them (experienced riders I mean)

Super Tavi at Gawton is a double black graded dh track so not built to suit everyone.
Even trails built by locals are built to be fun and usually tweaked until they work right. A lot of stuff looks sketchy until you ride it.

I know, I've been there.

why are you making out you are a super human rider?

I've ridden the bit after the gap jump i'm on about as there's a chicken line next to the gap, so even at the low speed I was carrying into it it was sketchy, so I know how sketchy it as cos I've ridden it ffs!

rockmonkeysc

Im not a great rider, average on a good day. Features like this are easy and take virtually no technical ability, you just need to man up and hit it. Berms are often built right on landings and even a ropey one will catch you.
The riders who build features will make them rideable. They don't build them for any reason other than to have fun riding them.

lochussie

I agree the jump doesn't sound big, 3m horizontal and 1m vertical, just build up to it. I had problem making a small berm after a fast jump and somebody said "stop braking in the corner", and it worked. Think about cornering rather than slowing down.

97th choice

RockmonkeySC wrote:

. A lot of stuff looks sketchy until you ride it.

Stuff can also look sketchy because it is, there is one run near me that is really poorly built, no one rides it because it just doesn't work.

The trail builder obviously put loads of time and effort in, but it just doesn't work, and as my local natural stuff is very well built, and has been improved here and there over the years I can only assume someone with limited trail building experience had a go. Shame really.

rockmonkeysc

Can you not fix the trail and get it riding nicely?
Im slightly confused by your comment about your local natural stuff being well built :?

97th choice

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Can you not fix the trail and get it riding nicely?

Nope, it's all wrong, uses cambers badly, has jumps built up after slow speed turns that have a long carry over existing fallen trees, cuts onto an existing trail where its flat at a very sharp angle. that sort of thing. It's very 'artifical' for want of a better word.

Im slightly confused by your comment about your local natural stuff being well built :?

Sorry, I mean the existing trails use natural features well, or have been move and had a bit of spadework to take advantage of a fallen tree, rock drop etc. or a berm has been built up to help you hold your speed after a natural gap jump over a stream. There is also some wood work in places where it suits, for example a fallen tree has been used so you can ride along it's length, but as it is on a downslope it has a bit of woodwork to get you on to it then some rocks on the lower side when you drop off and down.

welshkev

lochussie wrote:

I agree the jump doesn't sound big, 3m horizontal and 1m vertical, just build up to it. I had problem making a small berm after a fast jump and somebody said "stop braking in the corner", and it worked. Think about cornering rather than slowing down.

oh I know in the grand sceme of things this thing is tiny

ilovedirt

RockmonkeySC wrote:

A lot of road gaps lead straight in to a turn, keeps things fun. If its built properly then you should the berm should easily catch you. Its surprising how much speed you can carry in to a berm.
Trails are built to be as much fun as possible which means as little straight as possible.
On Super Tavi at Gawton there is a nice big berm straight after the huge (12 foot drop 30 foot gap) ladder drop.

Berm? What berm? It's a flat corner with a tree stump in the middle of it...
You're assuming all road gaps are just straight step downs across some sort of track with a steep transition, which isn't the case at all... But yes, in that case, those things are more about balls than anything else, but they're not all as straight forward or as well built (north Wales trails all seem to be pretty badly built...)

rockmonkeysc

Nope, lots of variations of road gaps. I thought a berm was mentioned.

Downhill_Deamon

tell me how It goes