Transition Bikes Rolling Big Lines!

[Nickle]

Per ebxtreme's recommendation, we'll fire up a sister thread to the growing "Transition Bikes in midair!" thread found here. This one will be for the folks that embrace the highly technical, slow speed aspect of free riding that emphasizes bike control and balance. Not that other facets of biking don't require a lot of bike control or balance, but the low speed technical stuff will test a rider's limits for sure. So, I know you're all out there. Let's see what you can make your T-bikes do for you.

Taken by icegeek


Taken by Kristian


Taken by Kristian




Takan by DaveC113


Taken by me

[ebxtreme]

Nickle, awesome vid dude. I love that song (and the others I've heard off the cd). Great pics as well.

Attached are a few pics of steeps. Of course, as is always the case, the steeps never actually look steep in a pic.

Pics 1 and 3 - Boogie Man on Mt. Seymour. #3 is just before things get interesting on the multi-pitch rock face and the pile driver. I've yet to clean the rock face and then make the hard right turn up onto the ladder. I always have to dab on the corner.
Pic 2 - Upper Oil Can optional entrance on Mt. Fromme with some of the north shore fog.
Pic 4 and 5 - a steep slab on Gargamel / Whistler (the "steep" and loose section is just after these pics, so this is all set up for that section). If you like steeps, you'd LOVE this trail.

Cheers,
EB

[Nickle]

Originally Posted by ebxtreme

Of course, as is always the case, the steeps never actually look steep in a pic.

Yeah, what's up with that? Some of my most prized rear tire to butt, arms fully extended, precise brake modulation, front wheel eating, over the bars provoking rollers look like a beginner's slope when the pictures hit the computer screen. For instance, the roller in pictures 3 and 4 in my first post do not do that line justice. I would not have my body that far over the rear wheel if I didn't have to, but on that line, it's the only way to stay on the bike. Here's the same line from the top looking down. The rider is Jordan on an ASX.



The video I posted was shot just to the right (left in the video) of where Jordan and I chose to roll into the first flat. Notice in the above pic that you can't even see the last 1/3 of the roller when you are already on the roller and committed to your line. Pretty wild how the camera plays tricks with depth and dimensions.

Here's another example. As far as I know, there has been only one other rider to successfully roll this line (without going over the bars) and make the immediate 90 degree right at the bottom. Doesn't look like much, huh? In reality, you're aiming for a 3" wide strip just above the rock at the bottom. If you are either side of that strip, you're going over the bars.

Originally Posted by ebxtreme

a steep slab on Gargamel / Whistler (the "steep" and loose section is just after these pics, so this is all set up for that section). If you like steeps, you'd LOVE this trail.

I'll bet. Steeps, techy descents are what I do best and pretty much what I love to ride. I hear you boys have quite a bit of that. One word... lucky.

BTW, you're 4th pic is fantastic! That looks like a wonderful line with a lot to play with. Very cool.

[Hardtails Are Better]

I don't have many ride pics of me on the Bottle Rocket yet, but here are a couple. Nothing very impressive, but they're what I've got. Might have some more to add once I see the pics from our ride on Sunday.
A little A-Frame-



Hanging on by 1 knob. I think I might have actually made it this time. You come in perpendicular to the log, and have to do a bit of a wheel hop to get pointed the right direction.

[MaddSquirrel]

FOUL, you are wearing lycra riding a BR.

[ebxtreme]

Originally Posted by MaddSquirrel

FOUL, you are wearing lycra riding a BR.

True dat, but he also posted some riding pics.

In the words of Flavor flav, MaddSquirrel "show, show, show us whatcha got".

EB

[llatsni]

well, its big for me

[scrublover]

Ok, not all that steep and gnarly, but I like the pic.


A shot of Nickle. (his girl likes this one)


Nothing as ugly as some of the others in the thread, but it's what I've got. the last one ends in a sharp upslope; then trialsy hopping to get around the tight right hander. Took a few tries to get it right, but it's a fun move.

[eobf]

Keep the pics coming, Steeps get my heart racing way more than drops. A couple of those freaked me out just looking at them.

[Hardtails Are Better]

Originally Posted by MaddSquirrel

FOUL, you are wearing lycra riding a BR.

Actually, no. There are baggies over the lycra shorts. Not very baggy ones, but baggies nonetheless. The one pic on the skinny they do look awfully tight, it's true. If it was just the lyrca though, there would be a big white hammer visible on each leg.


EDIT: Wow, looking at that last pic, it really does look like lycra. You can even see the chamois and everything. I SWEAR to all that is holy that there were baggies over the lycra though.

[eobf]

Real tight baggies? That makes no sense at all. Still a foul.

[Hardtails Are Better]

Originally Posted by eobf

Real tight baggies? That makes no sense at all. Still a foul.

I didn't say really tight baggies! Just not circus tent baggies either! Whatever. I'm not going to waste my breath (or would that be keystrokes?) trying to convince y'all that I'm wearing more than lycra in those pictures. I just don't care that much. Think what you will. Carry on.

[MaddSquirrel]

Lol

[ebxtreme]

Originally Posted by Hardtails Are Better

I didn't say really tight baggies! Just not circus tent baggies either! Whatever. I'm not going to waste my breath (or would that be keystrokes?) trying to convince y'all that I'm wearing more than lycra in those pictures. I just don't care that much. Think what you will. Carry on.

Too funny.

HTAB, I can kinda see the shorts.....maybe.....kinda?

[Nickle]

Hey, thanks Scrubby. I had forgotten about that roller... but I don't think Amy did. ;-)

[Snowpug]

Awesome pics guys!

Some of those steeps look...er...STEEP!!! I agree with eobf steeps scare me more than big drops.

[Nickle]

SW Wyoming has more lines in an acre than you can hit in a day. I'm in love.

[Luvz2Ridez]

wow, that line in the middle pic above looks a bit hairy...

[MaddSquirrel]

Nice outcrops, the last photos appear to have a ball and pillar structure in it. Also, that rock formation looks very familair to me. I did some mapping near Cody and Elk Basin.

[Nickle]

ite

Originally Posted by MaddSquirrel

Nice outcrops, the last photos appear to have a ball and pillar structure in it.

Sadly, I don't know what the means.

Originally Posted by MaddSquirrel

Also, that rock formation looks very familair to me. I did some mapping near Cody and Elk Basin.

Correct state, just the wrong side. Regardless, there are some good lines over that way. I am without question making a return trip. It's a technical rider's paradise.

[juan pablo]

awesome thread i didnt even know this was an established style of riding. i have been eyeballing this steep in my local area and have always thought it would be nice to roll it but i guess i have been putting too much time into working on my gaps and drops. i will definately be trying it when i get home on the weekend. i might put a little dirt at the botom to help roll out the front wheel and give me a little more confidence but i have always wondered how i would keep the front wheel from digging in. any advice would be great. judging from the pics you guys are worthy of giving advice.

i,m riding a kona and dreaming of a transition and cant help poping into the this forum as the threads always rock.

[Hardtails Are Better]

This is for MaddSquirrel:





BTW, that's what it would have looked like if I really was wearing just lycra in those first pics.

[gsweet]

MaddSquirrel - do you mean ball and pillow structures? cuz i think i see those. always a pleasure to run into a fellow geol nerd. cheers

[icegeek]

'Nuther one of half-dime:

[icegeek]

more of same:

[shirk]

mattj nose manual down a nice rock face on his GranMal.

[Nickle]

Niiicccceee, Shirk. That's a pretty dang good distance on a nose manual. I'm working on mine. Sometimes I can ride 'em smooth and long, and other times they're short and sloppy. It's a 50/50 shot as to whether or not I can ride them for any reasonable distance. I hope to have them dialed soon because it is certainly a good skill to have in the toolbox.

Credit for this picture goes to Dave Morse (icegeek). If it weren't for him and his talented photographic eye, this thread wouldn't exist.

[shirk]

Originally Posted by Nickle

Niiicccceee, Shirk. That's a pretty dang good distance on a nose manual. I'm working on mine. Sometimes I can ride 'em smooth and long, and other times they're short and sloppy. It's a 50/50 shot as to whether or not I can ride them for any reasonable distance. I hope to have them dialed soon because it is certainly a good skill to have in the toolbox.

Credit for this picture goes to Dave Morse (icegeek). If it weren't for him and his talented photographic eye, this thread wouldn't exist.

mattj has sick manula skillz. We were coming back from a ride on Fromme the other day and he blasted past me on the street doing a wicked fast high speed nose manual. He then regular manualed down Lonsdale at mach loonie.

Where do you guys ride? That looks like BC granite in your pic and the other one from icegeek.

[Nickle]

Originally Posted by shirk

mattj has sick manula skillz. We were coming back from a ride on Fromme the other day and he blasted past me on the street doing a wicked fast high speed nose manual. He then regular manualed down Lonsdale at mach loonie.

I have a huge appreciation for manuals of any kind. There's just something cool about cruising behind a rider who pulls a smooth manual over a rough section at speed like it was paved. Big style points in my book.

Originally Posted by shirk

Where do you guys ride? That looks like BC granite in your pic and the other one from icegeek.

Actually, that's Colorader granite. I've never been up to Canada, but it's high on my list of places to go.

[Luvz2Ridez]

It's not much, but it's a start for me! I felt so good rolling rock faces that I went on to roll all the rock faces on Schlayer and the 3 on Lower Whistler DH with no problems, of course, I didn't think to get a pic of them!!

[Mr.Merchant]

[quote=Luvz2Ridez]It's not much, but it's a start for me! I felt so good rolling rock faces that I went on to roll all the rock faces on Schlayer and the 3 on Lower Whistler DH with no problems, of course, I didn't think to get a pic of them!!


Nice work . Next thing you guys know, you'll be rollin in Goats Gully !!! (Whistler, up in Garbonzo for the people that don't know)

[Yazzle Dazzle]

Everybody used to say I was crazy for rolling everything instead of dropping, but it was what I felt more comfortable with. It's definitely given me lots of confidence in all my riding and now I'm dropping most everything I was rolling to begin with (sometimes I still roll them because it's fun!). My first "drop" off the A-line rock was when I came in too fast to roll but it was too late to stop so off I went, piece of cake! My hubby gets a lot of flak just for the fact that I rolled the big Detroit Rock City before he did! There were a couple others too but I won't rub it in! Keep up the good work.

[Luvz2Ridez]

Mr. Merchant, I never made it up top this trip. My 5th run down on my second day, I took a digger and smacked my head on a rock going down Crack Addict. Bruised my elbow pretty good where the armor slid out of the way. That was the end of my riding this weekend. Carb went up top, endoed and tacoed his front tire, that was the end of his riding too! We came home a day early...
Yazzle, I'd rather roll stuff too rather than drop it, I'm not a huge fan of getting too much air. By the way, I did the one long rock face on Schlayer when the other 3 in my group rode around, nanananananahhh!!! =)~

[Nickle]

Luvz2Ridez, that's a great roll. A line does not have to have a lot of vertical drop to make it super challenging and technical. It's all about the face, the traction, and what's waiting at the bottom to snag that front tire.

Here's one of my first. It's a cakewalk now. Pictue credit and roller discovery to Kristian.

[p-mcq]

Here I am rolling the steeps on I think In Deep up on Garbanzo on my Dirtbag..



I love rollin the steeps, and it helps to follow a local down them.


YazzleDazzle...how's that big rock face on Detroit Rock City. that one scares the
crap outa me.

[thom9719]

Originally Posted by p-mcq

YazzleDazzle...how's that big rock face on Detroit Rock City. that one scares the
crap outa me.

that roll isn't bad until you start hopping into it

Kyle,

[Yazzle Dazzle]

It is actually better now than it was the first time I tried it, the trail crew brought the dirt back against the rock to create a more gradual transition. Make sure your fork is in top working order to soften the blow and your neck is limbered up to tipped back as far as it can.

[Luvz2Ridez]

I've done this rock many times, but have yet been able to catch a good pic of it, so here you go...

[p-mcq]

Originally Posted by thom9719

that roll isn't bad until you start hopping into it

Kyle,

I don't think I'll be attempting that anytime soon...I'll just stick to rolling it.
I just need to hit that rock face, it's been my nemisis for the past 2 years now..rolled
up to it 2 or 3 times, and syched myself out.

I'll be at Whistler August 24th if anyone wants to ride with a couple of flatlanders
from Kansas

[Yazzle Dazzle]

Went to Seymour, BC this past weekend with Luvz2Ridez with hubby's in tow. Borrowed her Bottle Rocket to try this roller, wasn't until we looked at the pictures on the PC that we saw the back tire off the wood!

[carbuncle]

Now I know why you said you didn't want to run that one again! I've rolled up to that, hmmm, four-ish times now and not done it once. Nicely done!

[Hardtails Are Better]

Originally Posted by Yazzle Dazzle

Went to Seymour, BC this past weekend with Luvz2Ridez with hubby's in tow. Borrowed her Bottle Rocket to try this roller, wasn't until we looked at the pictures on the PC that we saw the back tire off the wood!

At least from that picture, it looks like it'd be way easier to drop that than roll it. Well done.

[Mr.Merchant]

Originally Posted by Hardtails Are Better

At least from that picture, it looks like it'd be way easier to drop that than roll it. Well done.

I was thinking that same thing when I was standing there watching her. But then I had this really smart idea..........you just started the trail.....save your wheels. Great job Yazzle!

FYI, the landing flat and rocky

[scrublover]

[ebxtreme]

Originally Posted by Yazzle Dazzle

Went to Seymour, BC this past weekend with Luvz2Ridez with hubby's in tow. Borrowed her Bottle Rocket to try this roller, wasn't until we looked at the pictures on the PC that we saw the back tire off the wood!

Nice one, Yazzle!! That's lower on Ned's, eh? You gal's were shredding up there.

Here's a recent pic from In Deep (photo taken by whafe). Nice rock roller option, but I think it's easier than the main route when it's wet out.

[Luvz2Ridez]

Yeesh EB, no thank you...

[Luvz2Ridez]

Originally Posted by carbuncle

I've rolled up to that, hmmm, four-ish times now and not done it once.

That's more than I've done, I just go around...

[ebxtreme]

Originally Posted by Luvz2Ridez

Yeesh EB, no thank you...

Honestly, it's easier than going through that "V" between the rocks when it's wet....which is the primary way down that section. The roots up top on the V are totally treacherous and the rock was still mostly dry and rideable. I crashed going down the "V" on my first day up there last time because the roots up top were slicker than snot. Honestly, I think they're gonna need to rock part of that channel in as it's getting eroded like crazy.

The insane thing is they did the big Garbonzo DH race through In Deep in the pouring rain. I would've paid to see Sam Hill ride this in those conditions.

EB

[stumpy_dan]

Hey. These shots are really inspiring. Would anyone like to give a few tips on how to actually ride a steep or a slab?

[ebxtreme]

Originally Posted by stumpy_dan

Hey. These shots are really inspiring. Would anyone like to give a few tips on how to actually ride a steep or a slab?

Stumpy,

Of course, the first thing is to have your seat low and you've got to bring your weight back, but I think the issue most people have is good brake control. The key is to be right at the friction point where you're not skidding.....because as soon as you start skidding, your dragging your tire and you've got no control.

A lot of people have the "front brake= BAD" thought ingrained in their head because they always think they're going to endo. Well, it's probably no surprise that most of your braking power comes from the front brake, so it's critical you trust and utilize it when things get steep. If you start to skid with either the front or rear, you have to ease off the brake until you get the wheel rolling again and then you can reapply the brake again.

On some steeps like the one on In Deep above, there comes a point where you have to ease up on the brakes because it starts to get near vert and braking hard at the bottom is gonna be a recipe for disaster. So, on a roller like that, I brake hard as long as I can while maintaining control. Then, I lay off the brakes (not entirely, but mostly) when it gets really steep and focus on controlling the bike the rest of the way down. Then, when it starts to transition to the flat ground again, I focus on applying more brake in a spot that is safe so I can regain control of the bike down there.

A good way to practice is to get on a steep grassy hill that you can ride and use different combos of your front/rear brake. This will allow you to feel out how much you need to keep control of the bike. To simulate steeper hills, come into it with more speed and try to slow down quickly without skidding. Find a trail with a few, short steeps and practice on those too. Wear pads if necessary.

Cheers,
EB

[Luvz2Ridez]

EB, great advice above! I agree with the grassy hill to practice on. Once you know the exact point where your brakes engage and again where the tire will start to skid, you will learn control. This was taught to me in the Dirst Series Class last June. Very helpful. I use it every time while riding now. Once, at Seymour this past Saturday, I thougth for sure I was going over the bars and had to actually scream to my brain "let off the brakes!!!" Well, I did and I made it down with my heart beating about 1,000x per min. It's a physical reaction to want to hit the brakes, but sometimes you need to learn to lay off the brakes and just trust the bike...

[Yazzle Dazzle]

I would add to EB's excellent advice by saying "practice your track standing". It is so disruptive when you have to stop, get off the bike, and walk over to something to check it out, then try and get back on and flow it. I have much better luck when I slowly roll up to an edge, track stand while I take a peek over the edge, and let it roll once I'm comfortable with what I see. Just be prepared for the fork to try and flop to one side or another as you roll the front over the edge. And watch out for those rear tires! They'll come up and buzz you if you get too far behind the seat!

[Yazzle Dazzle]

Caught in the act!

[Hardtails Are Better]

Interesting about the track stands. I can track stand for a good long time, but I like to be rolling into things. Starting that close dosn't work for me.

[Luvz2Ridez]

[Nickle]

I prefer pausing before a line if it's one that's unfamiliar to me. EBX's advice was absolutely flawless.

Here are a few taken over the weekend in Steamboat. The first three were taken by edemtbs. The third pic is a different line on the same face. The forth was taken by AnthonyS. And yes, these lines are steeper than they look.

[carbuncle]

Originally Posted by Nickle

I prefer pausing before a line if it's one that's unfamiliar to me. EBX's advice was absolutely flawless.

Here are a few taken over the weekend in Steamboat. The first three were taken by edemtbs. The third pic is a different line on the same face. The forth was taken by AnthonyS. And yes, these lines are steeper than they look.

That's messed up, because the lines look pretty steep!

[romar]

Here's a shot from today. I'm in front with an Instigator right on my tail.

[Bikezilla]

Fantastic thread! Nice bikes WICKED lines.

[romar]

One more shot from yesterday's ride. This is a modified x-post from the Preston photo thread. I was wondering why the pic in that thread made this roller look lame. God knows it's anything but! So I rotated the pic a bit and made the trees vertical, because that is how they mostly grow...right? Now I think that reflects it a bit better. Although not very long in vertical feet, this roller is really cool due to the approach. You really cannot see the roll until you crest the top of the rock, and by that time you are already committed. Super smooth with a nice runout, no brakes are needed at all.

[Nickle]

That line looks delicious, Romar. Good choice.

[sly_foxx]

not "big", but pretty steep for me

[CountryBoy]

There is some crazy lines here!

[Nickle]

I miss the loyalty, enthusiasm, and shear number of Transition riders. Roller threads just aren't the same without you guys.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=356438

[singletrack]

Waitamahoosit.... I've got it all backwards!

[carbuncle]

Have you ever had one of those lines that stops you up every time, and you always say "next time, next time?" Julie checked this one off the list for the first time today:

[Yazzle Dazzle]

Yay! Nice job Julie! Looks wet and slick too!

[Luvz2Ridez]

It was as easy as butta! I've been by this rock 2 or 3 times before and have always walked by! This time, I stoop up top with the 3 guys I was with, with one of them saying "I dunno.." and Trace asked if I wanted him to go first. I said nope, I'm doing it right now! So I did it first before the 2 newbs we had with us! Yeehaa! I was amazed at how easy I found this trail to be this time, I used to think it was so hard, I guess I'm actually getting better.

[drum714]

Alright, this thread has just pushed me over the top with my hate for snow coverd trails 50's this weekend so fingers crossed

[carbuncle]

So we hit Fromme today, it was J's b-day ride of choice. For some reason we decided to ride Ladies Only first, which none of the three of us had ever been down...good times, but in the way the Shore can hand your ass to you and still have you wanting to go back for a rematch. In the words of Alice Cooper, "we've still got a long way to go." After that we said goodbye to one of our group who had to work and went back up for a rip down Pipeline. I'd been down this about 15 months ago once, and J hadn't been yet. Had a great time on that and on the BP out to Mountain Highway, and then finished with a run down Natural High. The new, finished version of NH is amazing, next time at Fromme we'll hit it as a warm up so we have some legs left for it!

[Luvz2Ridez]

Thought I'd start this thread up again...
Here's me on the Joyride Rock Roll, weeeeeee!!!

[connie]

Drop In Clinic on my Syren - not that it's even that steep coming down it, but the head on angle you see when looking up at it from the bottom always weirded me out. But it's fun.

[Luvz2Ridez]

I was going to have a friend show me where this infamous Drop In Clinic was our last weekend up there and it rained the whole time, the top was socked in with fog, never made it up there.

[JMH]

Dang, these things never look rad in the pics, but when you are standing at the top in real life and it's steep enough that you can't see over all the ledges, it's a different story!

Little Creek Roller

[Hardtails Are Better]

A double roller.


Steep roller into rock drop. Roller doesn't look like much in the vid, but it was steep, and had a big root across the middle that required some care.


Enter through the rocks, and then roll out onto the skinny. Tight.




Wheee... nothing hard, but fun.


Another skinny.


The second roller from the first video.

[flaudia042]

Damn, some of you guys ride clipless doing this? Insane!

[bitflogger]

Originally Posted by flaudia042

Damn, some of you guys ride clipless doing this? Insane!

YMMV, but this isn't cars and seat belts. For me bikes and feet belts (cleats) mean the bike crashes with me. I hardly ever wear cleats anymore and I've upped my ability to ride more difficult stuff as a result.

I suggest some Transition Stepdown pedals with your new bike and some sticky shoes.

[Archdukeferdinand]

Originally Posted by bitflogger

YMMV, but this isn't cars and seat belts. For me bikes and feet belts (cleats) mean the bike crashes with me. I hardly ever wear cleats anymore and I've upped my ability to ride more difficult stuff as a result.

I suggest some Transition Stepdown pedals with your new bike and some sticky shoes.

I think that's what he means. Clipless=spd/cleats. I feel that riders who ride super-techy stuff clipless are a bit nuts too, but that's me. I like being able to bail the bike if I have to, and find that confidence means that I do so less often.

[coiler8]

Poor quality pic -- but here's me rolling that Upper Garbanzo roller during the #2 week of SGC this summer! Bottlerocket handled it with ease

[zurcmax1]

Hey Nickle, Cool vid...just picked up an 07 and diggin it! What bsong/artist is that on your vid?