New to newer riders with zero ability to wheelie drop makes me shake my head and cringe for the continued future of this sport. Here's to praying that every root section or 2 foot drop isn't covered in manicured rock and gold.
yeah bro!!
Another mountain bike injury on Seymour?
I've been riding here for 4 years and notice a HUGE increase in the traffic on Seymour and fromme, more riders = more crashes and injuries. Everyone's going to take some spills. I started riding really young in Ontario. and when I moved here the shore beat the shit out of me. I assume a lot of people are drawn to this sport for the same reasons as me, seeing the progression in your skills grow of the years is why I love it so much, but it's going to come with risks.
And this discussion about the Floppy Bunny entrance is just another thing that's probably going to go into my bag of excuses. While I admit it can be potentially intimidating at first glance, I always thought that entrance was pretty smooth however you prefer it, roll or drop, as long as you don't over think it, hesitate, grab too much brake, go way too slow or way too fast, y'know, the usual no-nos. But next time, I'm going to have to stop and check it out (never a bad idea really to check stuff out no matter how many times you've done it before), and I will probably think about it for an extra few seconds or so at least. Which is fine, thinking is usually a good thing, but too much thinking is a bad thing. Think in moderation I guess.
It's that tree straight ahead that freaks me. I'm always imagining that after whatever successful entry, the tree will reach our and smack me before I get any sort of turning underway.
Fail = Eating moss of a rather large stump.
The entrance doesn't freak me out but that tree right after the jump in the middle does. I've almost eaten that tree a few times - tough to change direction when you're in the air!!!!
It's that tree straight ahead that freaks me. I'm always imagining that after whatever successful entry, the tree will reach our and smack me before I get any sort of turning underway.
Fail = Eating moss of a rather large stump.
There's a tree nearby? Crap. Yet another thing to look at next time.
As far as the wheelie drop as a remedy for newer riders crashing and having a rough go of it, I don't know about that. I've seen people wreck pretty bad trying to wheelie drop sections that didn't require it. It's worth experimenting with, but an even better skill to learn would definitely be the manual. Even if you can't manual worth a damn, or anywhere near as good as you wish you could (which probably includes most of us), it's a good idea to have some feel for doing a small manual before you starting doing drops (imho). The wheelie drop can get you out of a tough spot if you're practically stopped and have no speed, but as most drops on the new shore are of the flow variety, carrying momentum and doing a little manual is generally a good way to avoid going OTB. I love talking about technique, mindset, all the stuff, it's a nice diversion if you want to bore your riding partner to death on the climb, but in terms of actual skill progression, I'm pretty sure there are no secrets, just time on the bike.
These days my goals are less about progression, more about maintaining and just getting off my arse. But if my goal was to not suck at mountain biking, then I'd spend $300 or $400 to a buy a 24" bmx cruiser, start racing bmx and make a point to finally learn how to pump and manual.
Bunnies entrance was far better before they "improved and fixed it"
The raw, primitive, unrefined trails that see little to no maintenance are the kinds of trails that really build skill. What kind of skills do you learn riding a trail that was made by a machine, groomed to perfection and void of any rocks, roots or other obstacles that could send you careening over the handlebars?
Checked it out today. Definitely not a safely rollable feature. That's an expert roll for sure, but for the less skilled rider, it's a mandatory 1-2ft drop.
why would you roll that? way faster to jump it…
I'm speaking for the riders that are on the fence whether to roll or drop, or skip altogether. It's not a good roll.
enduro carnage looms
Big thing that changed vs a bunch of years ago from what I can see is that most people don't ride with any protection any more, or very little at least. XC lids are the norm; it's very rare to see someone wearing elbow pads and even knee pads aren't as common as in the past. If you're an experienced rider the chances of falling are lower and maybe the consequences of getting mangled are lower, but if you're a new rider having troubles on something like that easy roll-over in the above photos wearing a full-face and some solid protection is probably not a bad idea until you get over the learning curve.
I saw a guy riding Deamweaver without a helmet the other day. He looked like a pretty serious rider, but still…
I saw a guy riding Deamweaver without a helmet the other day. He looked like a pretty serious rider, but still…
Dude is a moron. I don't want to have to pay for his health care when he cracks his head open…
Dude is a moron. I don't want to have to pay for his health care when he cracks his head open…
That was me. I guess they didn't see my neck device
People always ask me what's the phenomenon
Yo what's up? Yo what's goin' on- Adam Yauch
FWIW, the trail in question by the OP was closed for a short while back a week ago or so. Reopened to some nice changes. Nice little kicker after the corner drop, then a table top over what used to be a jump over a couple of fallen trees. Lower part of trail also was cleaned up. Rides very nice for a lower trail on the mtn.
Great work and thanks to the builders / maintainers of this trail.
^^Yes, I like the additions too. Nice work fairies!
Forum jump:
