Why am I such a pansy?

TRock and I hit Vietnam the other day. We came across this nice little spot with the potential for a small double hit. The easy line offered a quick hop over at least one rock with a nice long run-out.

http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...rpics/93da.jpg

I lined it up, remembering the glory days of big air on my BMX twenty years ago (and a few not-so glorious scars from Killington 10 years ago), clicked in, and shot for the first rock.

http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...rpics/8ed4.jpg

Any apparent air in the above photo is deceiving. I chickened out and went to the left of the rock.

http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...rpics/102b.jpg

So lame. Why am I such a pansy at mountain biking?

Because you think about falling... That's what has been keeping me from going more 5-6ft. I think it's more of a comfort thing than anything else. The more you ride and jump, the less you'll think about it.

I can visualize myself jumping off big stuff and landing. But I also tend to visualize myself wrecking, which isn't good so I haven't pushed it.

I'd blame it on your bike and the size of your nuts.

i suck more. trust me.

Eat some tacos. You'll feel much better.

You must look inside yourself to determine why. But in the meantime, I recommend baked goods.sally

http://www.freedsbakery.org/images/vday.jpg

It's because your stem is 3 feet long. Get a shorter stem and you'll instantly go huge.

I offer two explinations


Due to current stock prices among shareholders of Douche Technologies, you were not able to get the sand out of your vag and sack up in that tight skirt.

or

No matter how hard you ride the same trail over and over, there is always something out there to try next time. A line not taken, a obstacle not cleaned or cleared. That is what is great about the sport, there is always room for improvement and there are always fun ways to try and hurt ourselves. Enjoy the challeng, question yourself less, things will change in a hurry.

wax on......

mmmm....cupcakes....


that's pretty much all I got out of this thread....

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Originally Posted by Crinkle

I offer two explinations


Due to current stock prices among shareholders of Douche Technologies, you were not able to get the sand out of your vag and sack up in that tight skirt.

or

No matter how hard you ride the same trail over and over, there is always something out there to try next time. A line not taken, a obstacle not cleaned or cleared. That is what is great about the sport, there is always room for improvement and there are always fun ways to try and hurt ourselves. Enjoy the challeng, question yourself less, things will change in a hurry.

wax on......

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All that? I was just gonna say the bike.

Seriously, I'd be afraid to take much air on that bike and its fork, cranks, etc.

Of course the angle of the pics makes all the difference, but from what i can tell the second hit looks undoable. It just doesn't look like there's enough room to land the bike on top of it.

I think fondigley and funken hit it dead on. I've had the bike since '97 and after getting a tune up earlier this year, the shop owner told me, "There sure aren't any cobwebs on it. Just don't put any more money into this thing and when it dies, lay it down wherever you might be and walk away from it."

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Originally Posted by JMO

I think fondigley and funken hit it dead on. I've had the bike since '97 and after getting a tune up earlier this year, the shop owner told me, "There sure aren't any cobwebs on it. Just don't put any more money into this thing and when it dies, lay it down wherever you might be and walk away from it."

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It's true. Bikes have come a long way, especially for that type of riding. I wouldn't try much of anything on that bike...

I believe we have come to the conclusion it is the bikes fault. I would only use that bike to commute around town if I were you. If you want to hit that line, get a new bike with some more squish and watch your nuts grow instantly and your pansiness will disappear.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fondigley

I believe we have come to the conclusion it is the bikes fault. I would only use that bike to commute around town if I were you. If you want to hit that line, get a new bike with some more squish and watch your nuts grow instantly and your pansiness will disappear.

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The geometry is way more important than the squish. That frame/stem/bar combo puts your way way to far forward for proper FRONJing.

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Originally Posted by Dromond

The geometry is way more important than the squish.

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Oh yeah, forgot to mention that, but most bikes now adays adjust all that when increasing the squish. Not that you need a full suspension, but more fork travel is defly needed.

One does not need suspension to jump... Seriously, it's all in your head, don't blame the bike.

http://www.hcor.net/gallery/album163/DSC6388.sized.jpg

Sanjay is the exception to all biking rules (so I'm told).

Dromond: Don't mix forums. It's bad form and nobody knows what you're talking about. :D

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Originally Posted by bagtagley

Sanjay is the exception to all biking rules (so I'm told).

Dromond: Don't mix forums. It's bad form and nobody knows what you're talking about. :D

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Whoops, you're right.

I'll go check my TGR etiquette handbook :eek:


For Everyone's Information: FRONJ = Free Riders Of New Jersey. FRONJ is a multipurpose noun, verb, adjective (FRONJy) to describe all things silly and hucker-like on a mountainbike. At least where I'm from.

jumping is definitely not like droping. I mean he could drop that line with the bike he has there, but it could be very bad. Lots of pain could be had. I mean it is doable, but you got to be dialed on a bike like that. Some new school bikes would leave you the extra room needed for error.

I know... I just think it's a little funny that some people think you need a 7"/7" bike to ride little stuff. I'm not saying any of you are that way, but imho, stuff like that is totally doable on his bike.

And to think us stupid people used to huck little stuff like that with solid forks....

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Originally Posted by likwid

And to think us stupid people used to huck little stuff like that with solid forks....

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And (more shockingly) 130mm stems!

I can't believe that, for a time, I had a stem that long on a slalom frame. :cussing: That was so dumb.

So really, it has nothing to do with the bike. My suspicions all along. It's ok. There's always surfing.

Bump because I checked out a new bike today that I really like and it's a hardtail. And because that wipe out pic of me surfing is ridonculous.

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/...Disc_Blk_l.jpg

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Originally Posted by watersnowdirt

mmmm....cupcakes....


that's pretty much all I got out of this thread....

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I prefered the loamy soil pics.

woah, that's not at birch mt by chance is it? looks kinda familiar.

edit. n/m.

Maybe your mind is saying to you: "hey, you don't have the ability to do that in control and there is a good chance you will hurt yourself"

I'd roll a manual over that shiz! Speed is your friend.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arty50

Of course the angle of the pics makes all the difference, but from what i can tell the second hit looks undoable. It just doesn't look like there's enough room to land the bike on top of it.

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That and its a uphill landing on the 2nd rock....

Initially those cupcakes distracted me, but I'm getting into my own Mother's Taffy cookies here, so I'm going to continue with my dissertation.

Think about the body position that your BMX bike's geometry puts you into, and the amount of scrotum clearance you have on a little bike. Modern freeride doctrine subscribes more to this than to the old Ned Overend geometry that forces your ass way up in the air and hunches you over. A properly sized hardtail frame is going to be great for climbing, but not so great for getting your center of balance lower, for stuff like bunnyhopping and dropping off shit (not necessarily cliff drops.) On a BMX bike, when you land hard, your ass has ample room to drop down almost to the rear wheel. Of course, the stability on a BMX bike comes solely from the rider, since there's not much to grip with your knees or thighs.

When hucking, your body is the most important thing. In motocross, I see a lot of guys wad because they go off a jump in a rut, and they try to force the bike into a certain trajectory off the jump, and the rear end swaps one way or the other. The rider tries to stay aligned with the bike, and ends up with his/her body out of alignment to the trajectory. That's a mistake. Once your body is rotated wacky, you're fucked. A 230 lb motorcycle is going to track that rut off the jump, and the only thing the rider can do about it is let it go, deflect to one side or the other, then pull it back once in the air and it can no longer be acted on by the ground. The bike has it's own mass and it's best not to let it affect yours. You can even land all sideways and fucked on a full suspension bike, and if your body is well aligned with the direction of travel, you will recover, usually.

Bicycles are much more easy to wrangle than a motorcycle, but this thinking holds true. Maybe you should pick up a cheap BMX bike and go get back to your roots, it will help.

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Originally Posted by bio-smear

Maybe you should pick up a cheap BMX bike and go get back to your roots, it will help.

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I am so tempted to do this. There were a couple jumps in Wellesley where I was KING! Ahhh...those were the days. Now, I just drool with envy while watching guys like mildbill huck massive cliffs.

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Originally Posted by Dromond

It's true. Bikes have come a long way, especially for that type of riding. I wouldn't try much of anything on that bike...

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I won't argue that bikes have come a long way and all, but cuh-huh-huh-MON already! It's just not the bike! :rolleyes:

JMO, in this humble JONG's opinion, you just need to practice lifting your front end off of small straight drops at speed. Practice plus progression will make it all work fine. Don't throw your money away on a new bike until you at least LEARN how to ride the basics on this one, fer fuck's sake.

Yes, the doods know it's harder to launch with a longish stem, but please...you don't have to call in Gandalf to make the shit happen--you've just gotta yank harder. And hard yanking is truly my area of expertise. :biggrin:

Just practice. Practice yanking your bars up while riding off a curb at a good clip. We all had to figure it out at some point. When the curb's no worry, practice the same lift off a couple of steps. Once you get that dialed in, keep on working up a foot at a time, progression, blah blah blah.

Sorry for the kinda serious post, but it sounded like you were kinda maybe asking seriously for help. It's my respectful opinion that if you're asking this q, you need technique help, not a burlier bike. There's nothing great about your bike, but there's nothing that'll stop you from learning the essentials, either. Rip it. Go go go. :)

those cupcakes look good. seriously.

I have nothing else to add. I'm just finally learning to air little tiny drops. Definitely have endo'd many times before really understanding how to get the hang of it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShawnB

I won't argue that bikes have come a long way and all, but cuh-huh-huh-MON already! It's just not the bike! :rolleyes:

JMO, in this humble JONG's opinion, you just need to practice lifting your front end off of small straight drops at speed. Practice plus progression will make it all work fine. Don't throw your money away on a new bike until you at least LEARN how to ride the basics on this one, fer fuck's sake.

Yes, the doods know it's harder to launch with a longish stem, but please...you don't have to call in Gandalf to make the shit happen--you've just gotta yank harder. And hard yanking is truly my area of expertise. :biggrin:

Just practice. Practice yanking your bars up while riding off a curb at a good clip. We all had to figure it out at some point. When the curb's no worry, practice the same lift off a couple of steps. Once you get that dialed in, keep on working up a foot at a time, progression, blah blah blah.

Sorry for the kinda serious post, but it sounded like you were kinda maybe asking seriously for help. It's my respectful opinion that if you're asking this q, you need technique help, not a burlier bike. There's nothing great about your bike, but there's nothing that'll stop you from learning the essentials, either. Rip it. Go go go. :)

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I like your style motherfucker

I vote that's it's due to your inner pussy.

(Don't act like it doesn't exist, mary)

edg

Hard to go wrong with a Specialized. I rode one for years. Just got a Giant Reign 1 and sometimes wonder what I was thinking. It is my first full suspension and I really want another hardtail.