Items on your 'to do' list that mess with your head...

Greg · May 6, 2009

Oh. I know the downhill you're talking about. Leads down to that sketchy bridge, right?

bvibert · May 6, 2009

Greg said:
Oh. I know the downhill you're talking about. Leads down to that sketchy bridge, right?

Yes, the bridge is not on my list, just the downhill.

jarrodski · May 6, 2009

this is my next goal. i've been eating right and trying to ride as often as possible. and in that quest, i'm giving up my new routine of running before work and doing a pre-work ride.

bvibert · May 6, 2009

ishovelsnow said:
this is my next goal. i've been eating right and trying to ride as often as possible. and in that quest, i'm giving up my new routine of running before work and doing a pre-work ride.

Where is that?

You post reminded me that there's some stuff in Nepaug on my list, mostly to hit everything in the deli slicer.

GrilledSteezeSandwich · May 6, 2009

ishovelsnow said:
this is my next goal. i've been eating right and trying to ride as often as possible. and in that quest, i'm giving up my new routine of running before work and doing a pre-work ride.

that's the sort of stuff Travis Pastrami hits.. :daffy:

RootDKJ · May 6, 2009

bvibert said:
I don't know if I've ridden the area of the Tim OTB rock again, and if I did I probably rode around it, I'm such a wuss. I've made some progress on some of those techy little climbs in the latter part of the cemetery twisties, but not consistantly. Unfortunately a couple of them have giant braids around the hard parts and it's getting hard to see the original lines. I did ride all three of the caveman bridges in the warm-up twisties before they got washed away last year, but never all three in one shot. :roll: They're not the same now that they're been rebuilt, I can ride the whole section without any problems now. I need to get the balls up to try the skinny bridge alternative at the end though.

Still haven't been back to that sketchy downhill, it's not an area we ride that often.

I'd like to clear the two climbs at the beginning of the Stone ride, as well as the blue trail rock garden, in both directions. I almost made it on the way out the last time we were there. That was really a confidence builder, I didn't think I had it in my to make as much of it as I did.

The biggest thing on my list is to make the Cornwall climb. I'll be happy at first to make the section in the middle with the most pitch in one shot, but eventually I want to make it from where the climb peels off the fire road all the way to the top to where the trail crosses the other fire road. That's probably a lofty goal, but I like to aim high sometimes.

Greg said:
It's such a non-item now. Total roller. It took me a while to do it though after seeing Tim come flying towards me OTB.

Haven't done that either. The left option has a turn in it so it's challenging too.

I've done it enough times to not feel the need to hit it again. The by-pass seems to be the preferred route lately anyway.

Only rode East through the rock garden a few time. I've cleared it a handful of times going West, but always take the lady's tee in the real gnarly stretch at the East end.

DT to DT would be a feat for sure. I've done all the pieces, but haven't even considered trying to link them all together. The last ledge right before the forest access road is tricky, but a fun one. You need a lot of speed heading into that and it's tough getting between the trees and into the right line, but it's totally doable once you get the rubber on the rocks. Gotta grind it out to clear it once you get that far.

bvibert said:
That's not the section I'm talking about:

We've only ridden through there a couple of times, mostly because the rest of that area can be kinda boring.

There's two sections that I haven't successfully cleared, even in pieces; That section in the last steepish part that gets all of us, and that last section you're talking about. When I went through there with Tim last time I made it further than I ever had, but not quite. At least I'm making progress.

Like I said, it's probably a lofty goal to do the whole thing in one shot, but what good is a goal if it's easy to obtain?

Greg said:
Oh. I know the downhill you're talking about. Leads down to that sketchy bridge, right?

bvibert said:
Yes, the bridge is not on my list, just the downhill.

you guys need to post up some pics of this stuff...

bvibert · May 6, 2009

RootDKJ said:
you guys need to post up some pics of this stuff...

Nah, then it would just further illustrate what a wuss I am. Not to mention that I don't think I have any pictures of any of it.

jarrodski · May 7, 2009

bvibert said:
Where is that?

You post reminded me that there's some stuff in Nepaug on my list, mostly to hit everything in the deli slicer.

diablo, off of upper dominion.

deli slicer will be a good stepping stone trail for you brian. you don't have to clear anything.. you can just focus on getting the nerves to go off the jumps with out a lot of penelty.

MR. evil · May 27, 2009

MR. evil said:
Mine are riding that ladder drop at the beggining of the sessions area and eventually riding Red's Rock (That is what Greg and I have dubbed the spot my buddie broke his ribs). .

Red's Rock is off the list, hit it twice on our Sunday ride. Next up is the ladder drop at the beggining of sessions and cleaning the entire BIG climb top to bottom on the main loop at Nass.

Greg · May 27, 2009

MR. evil said:
Red's Rock is off the list, hit it twice on our Sunday ride. Next up is the ladder drop at the beggining of sessions and cleaning the entire BIG climb top to bottom on the main loop at Nass.

Nice job on that one again. I know it's totally doable. It's lining up that has me freaked. Haven't really had a list in my head this season. Just having fun riding. I was glad I made that climb south of Red's Rock. I went into it knowing I had it.

That ladder drop right off Scoville should be doable. rueler says it transitions smoothly. Dropping it is not what freaks me out, but rather riding off the thing and ending up tangled in the logs is.

BTW, this entire first post is uber gay:

Greg said:
One was a spot that I never had the intention of clearing so soon, but I pulled it off today. The next big item on my list is a spot I've dubbed the MR. evil OTB-hug-a-tree. A month or so back, Tim attempted a small probably 2 foot drop on a section of trail that is pretty tight with not a lot of landing (the trail turns). Anyway, he hit it way too slow, OTB'd and ended up throwing a shoulder firmly into the 10" diameter tree right next to the drop. I watched the whole thing transpire from below about 4 feet away.

Today, I was third behind Tim and o3jeff. Tim styled the drop without any sort of hesitation. Jeff cruised it right after him. Me? I sallied around the lady's tee trail braid. How is it that the dude that OTB'd can take it and I still wuss it?

That little roller is nothing more than a bump in the trail. Amazing what seems difficult when you're starting out.

o3jeff · May 27, 2009

Greg said:
Nice job on that one again. I know it's totally doable. It's lining up that has me freaked. Haven't really had a list in my head this season. Just having fun riding. I was glad I made that climb south of Red's Rock. I went into it knowing I had it.

That ladder drop right off Scoville should be doable. rueler says it transitions smoothly. Dropping it is not what freaks me out, but rather riding off the thing and ending up tangled in the logs is.

Where is our local mx racer to brag about hitting them both last year:lol:

After watching Pat hit the the ladder drop twice Sunday, it is starting to look very doable and not as intimidating. Good line up and perfect downhill landing, what more could we ask for.

Greg said:
BTW, this entire first post is uber gay:

That little roller is nothing more than a bump in the trail. Amazing what seems difficult when you're starting out.

Can probably pull a 180 off it with the bike.

Greg · May 27, 2009

o3jeff said:
Where is our local mx racer to brag about hitting them both last year:lol:

I know, right? :lol: He's got the mental game already conquered. With a real bike and some time on the trail, the dude would be a rippin' rider.

o3jeff said:
After watching Pat hit the the ladder drop twice Sunday, it is starting to look very doable and not as intimidating. Good line up and perfect downhill landing, what more could we ask for.

I'll hit it if you do tonight...

2knees · May 27, 2009

ishovelsnow said:
this is my next goal. i've been eating right and trying to ride as often as possible. and in that quest, i'm giving up my new routine of running before work and doing a pre-work ride.

now we're talking. that landing looks awesome.

o3jeff said:
Where is our local mx racer to brag about hitting them both last year:lol:

After watching Pat hit the the ladder drop twice Sunday, it is starting to look very doable and not as intimidating. Good line up and perfect downhill landing, what more could we ask for.

Saying i did it is far from bragging. honestly, you wont believe how easy that ladder is when you do it. the takeoff is slightly downhill and the landing is smooth as butter. You barely feel like you've left the ground. As far as red rocks, if thats the little chute where Tims friend got hurt, i think you just have to go down it. looking at it too much will just make you hesitate. I just walked down to it to make sure there werent any major obstacles. as long as you have enough speed, its a piece of cake.

I just want to be able to handle the basic things better. I wiped out twice last week just trying to climb little root infested rises.

MR. evil · May 27, 2009

2knees said:
Saying i did it is far from bragging. honestly, you wont believe how easy that ladder is when you do it. the takeoff is slightly downhill and the landing is smooth as butter. You barely feel like you've left the ground.

Do you pull up off the edge of that ladder, or just keep your weight back and roll off it with speed? About 1 month ago I was showing a friend around Nass, he is a pretty big guy and he hit that ladder and made it look so easy. Even with his weight the landing looked & sounded really smooth

2knees · May 27, 2009

MR. evil said:
Do you pull up off the edge of that ladder, or just keep your weight back and roll off it with speed? About 1 month ago I was showing a friend around Nass, he is a pretty big guy and he hit that ladder and made it look so easy. Even with his weight the landing looked & sounded really smooth

basically you're just riding right off it. Obviously, you dont want your front wheel to drop like a man hole cover but there isnt much to do.

quite honestly, the ladder drop after the 2 a-frames is more difficult cause its a flat take-off to flat landing.

Greg · May 27, 2009

Tim - Hit Scoville tonight with me and we'll cheerlead each other on like the girls we are.

rueler · May 27, 2009

i feel that Pat has a far deeper jumping skill set than most of us due to dirtbiking and such...i'm not much of a jumper, and I will tell you that I feel that I need to pull up a bit on the take-off of the Scoville ladder drop. Not too much though...The other way I have done it is that you can cruise in at higher speed and just keep everything level as you come off the ladder. Like Pat says, don't let your nose/front wheel drop down/lead. BAD news if that happens!!

bvibert · May 28, 2009

I'm seem to have a hard time with pulling up on the bars at the right time, with the right amount of force. Or maybe I'm just going about it all wrong. Usually when I do small drops I nose dive off of them, which is why I don't try bigger ones. One time I tried to wheelie drop a small rock and ended up sending the bike flying in the air while I fell flat on my back.

Greg · May 28, 2009

bvibert said:
I'm seem to have a hard time with pulling up on the bars at the right time, with the right amount of force. Or maybe I'm just going about it all wrong. Usually when I do small drops I nose dive off of them, which is why I don't try bigger ones. One time I tried to wheelie drop a small rock and ended up sending the bike flying in the air while I fell flat on my back.

I'm far from a drop expert, but from what I've found the motion on small drops is the same as it is for bigger ones. Once you're in the air, you're in the air. Find a 1 footer with a good approach/landing and session it until you get the motion and correct speed down. Then try bigger drops. Then head to the pickle park and try the double drops there. They're about 30" and 42" respectively. Uber clear approaches and landings and good for building confidence:

I sallied the bigger lower drop the first few times in that vid and wheelied to the rider's left of that tree. It's about 2' on that side and closer to 4' closer to the big tree. They look small in the video.

MR. evil · May 28, 2009

I am also no expert on wheely drops. But on most I that I do, I actually don’t pull up on the bars that much. I give a slight pull, but rely more on a strong pedal kick and follow through to get my front wheel up. You don’t need the front wheel that high. When I am in the air instead of focusing on keeping my front end up by pulling, I push my rear tire down towards the ground by extending my legs and pushing the pedals down. Almost like I am reaching for the ground with my legs. When I touch down my legs are almost straight and I use my legs to help absorb when landing.

For practice I built a small 6’ long platform in the backyard. Its just long enough for my bike to fit on it with several inched to spare front & back. I ride up onto it very slowly, stop and hold a track stand for a few seconds. Then from a complete stop do a wheely drop. This drill lets me work on a couple of things at once (slow speed maneuvering, track stands, & wheely drops). Lately I have been working on doing wheely drops to my left or right side after a track stand instead of straight off the end. I set the platform on concrete blocks and can adjust the height to suit my mood.

Items on your 'to do' list that mess with your head...

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