How to crash?

[pavetim]

Any tips to do of you are going to case a jump? Try pulling the front up, getting in the rear of the bike?

[DEATH_INC.]

I guess it depends on how short you are, if you pull the front up, and it clears the landing jump, you're in for a violent trip over the bars. If you're gonna be really short, and can land on the upface with both wheels, then yes, try to 'flatland' on the face, throttle on.

If you're just a bit short, tip the nose down and hit it with the front wheel, it'll help to not actually case it. Basically if you can hit it high enough for the front to roll over just hit it head on, like an airborne whoop. at least if you go over the bars you'll still be able to walk.

If you are seriously going the straddle the jump with both wheels I'd seriously consider bailing out if you can fall down the backside of the landing, many riders have been paralyzed from casing doubles etc, and many more have serious back injuries. Otherwise if you're not coming down too hard and think you can survive it hit it as evenly as possible with the throttle nailed and try to absorb as much as you can with your arms and legs.

It's never an easy one.

 

 

[pavetim]

Most of my cases have been like the too 2/3 of the face. I rarely hit way short and rarely hit the very top. Last one was probably bad cause it was stock suspension settings and I am 230 lol. I revalved. And resprung it now though. Im not a pro rider and don't got big jumps but still seems casing small doubles is pretty violent still.

Edited November 11, 2018 by pavetim

[temporarily_locked]

The name of the game is extending the hit over the longest period of time possible. Landing both wheels at the same time minimizes the time your suspension compressed before you bottom. When you go front or rear tire first, it extends the case over a greater period of time, making the impact less. 

Its situational dependent, go too nose low into a steep landing and it’s easy to break wrists. Land too back wheel first on a less steep landing and you can endo or loop. How much throttle, whether to try to pull the front wheel over or skip it off the top, or even drag the rear brake are all things you learn. 

[Lahms]

I cased a good sized jump and wrecked pretty good. I managed the case really well, saw that it was going to happen and used my whole body to help absorb the impact. I wouldve been fine but the bike rebounded sideways and there was no saving it.

[4Sevens]

Stay with the bike if you can.  Anytime you leave the bike it can hurt you.  A hard landing with an upright bike between you and the ground is way better than a hard landing taking all impact to your body.  I way over jumped one time and stayed with the bike.  I landed crazy hard but the forgiveness the bike provided saved me from injury.  Bottom line, crashes are usually a last second, no time to think and react type deal.  It's usually instinct that drives your response.  Unfortunately, like most things, crashing technique takes practice and nobody wants that kind of practice.

[turbo dan]

I have only ever bailed off of the bike once and that was a big time nose dive over a ~60 foot step up.  Had I rode it in I would have been going head first with the bike coming in right behind me.  No time to think about it, as soon as the bike bogged I knew I was &%$#@!ed.  I had a fraction of a second in the air to observe the situation and hop over the bars.  That messed me up pretty bad.  I'm about two and a half months into recovery and I am nearly 100% but I was in bad shape for weeks.

Coming up short is always going to be unpleasant, especially at 230 pounds.  If you're casing a classic double with a sharp backside to the landing you should probably try to set the bike down more or less level, both wheels at the same time.  Casing nose high into that will send you rotating forward over the bars.  You can expect a hard hit with the bike slowing down sometimes nearly to a stop when you hit.  You have to have the upper body strength to prevent collapsing like a rag doll.

 

[Tankslap]

My advice would be to spend more time planning and thinking about the jump before doing it, and if it is a big enough jump, follow someone into it to gauge the right speed.  I would not recommend a universal tactic like pulling up on the bars.  It would completely depend on the situation.  In general, and the way modern tracks tend to make the landings relatively safe (compared to years ago), stay balanced on the bike, and most importantly keep it straight.  The absolute last thing you want to do is case a jump with the rear tire kicked out to either side.  As @Lahms pointed out, the results can be disastrous.

[ss-racing66]

I'm with @Tankslap on this one  ....Coming up short on a table-top  is no biggie, but (truly) casing a double , or landing on the uphill face is not something you should be contemplating...if you're not 100% sure you can clear it. Don't try it, you're not ready.  Something else you should be concerned about when hitting steep-faced jumps is using proper form the ensure the bike flies properly, and if it doesn't, proper use of corrective actions (brake-tap vs panic-rev) 

[Garrettfields]

P

[gatorfan]

I shorted a double in May. Managed to salvage the first impact but  bounced all the way to the flat area past the back of the jump for an ugly landing.

Three weeks in the hospital. Two more living in a recliner chair. Four more weeks of agony while working.

I'm fine now but have limited use of one arm.

Could've been worse.

Edited August 9, 2019 by gatorfan

[Turborex473]

Generally I approach a casejob or a overjump the same way. If its going to be a very harsh landing landing back wheel first hard on the gas is a good idea. Landing under power puts tension through the chain effectively stiffening the rear suspension. The front will probably slam down if its a hard enough landing so prepare to bottom out. Landing under power can also help keep you from swapping if it gets weird.