Testicle enlargement for more air time

[Jay GTI]

Another "how do you do this...?" thread by me, but another skill that I really struggle with.

Jumping!

Not so much the technique itself, I've had a few lessons from an ex-motocross racer, watched plenty of youtube how to vids and read a few articles on the how part, but being that I'm old and very, very mortal, I have a psychological barrier that seems to be impossible to overcome.

I grew up riding clunkers, bikes that if I got more than a metre off the ground, the landing would have broken bits of me and the bike, so while the brain wasn't fully formed and I thought I would be the first person to live forever, I wasted my opportunity to learn how to sail gracefully off the face of a big jump.

Now, I have the machinery to do pretty much any jump I want, but my obvious mortality leaves me with around about the same height restriction. Or rather, I don't have the necessary testicles to get big air.

So, has anyone else had that struggle and if so, how did you overcome it? Just throw caution to the wind and hit a jump far harder than before, suddenly discovering how simple it really is? Or work up to the big stuff, slowly increasing speed and thus distance?

I figure jumping the bigger distances can't be hard, just look at how many club MX guys do it, even in a single race...

[scott411]

start small, and work up, start with singles, then onto table tops, then onto doubles or triples,

biggest things to remember when learning is be constant on the throttle off the take off, (chopping the throttle causes the front to drop, gunning it causes a loop out)

[Jay GTI]

start small, and work up, start with singles, then onto table tops, then onto doubles or triples,

biggest things to remember when learning is be constant on the throttle off the take off, (chopping the throttle causes the front to drop, gunning it causes a loop out)

Yeah got the throttle control part sorted after a few too many nose dives (the other direction is not so much of an issue for some reason).

In fact that has actually been a big help, there's been a couple of times where I've suddenly discovered a big natural jump on a trail ride that I was travelling far too fast to be comfortable hitting, but knowing chopping the throttle is exactly the wrong thing to do, I've kept it steady and jumped nicely, much further than I would have if it were planned.

But if it's planned and I have time to prepare, it's a slow, pathetic little bunny hop.

[raglanash]

Find a more skilled riding buddy and follow them in. Confidence matching speed to distance is what you need.

[Jay GTI]

Find a more skilled riding buddy and follow them in. Confidence matching speed to distance is what you need.

I had one of those, but he moved to Oz 2 years ago. I'm now the fastest in my group of ride buddies, which has slowed my skill development down massively... I did find replacement, but he got a little too close and personal with a tree a few months ago, doing his collar bone and shoulder, all the ribs on one side and a punctured lung for good measure. Quite glad I wasn't following him that day.

[jimmy 2006]

I had one of those, but he moved to Oz 2 years ago. I'm now the fastest in my group of ride buddies, which has slowed my skill development down massively... I did find replacement, but he got a little too close and personal with a tree a few months ago, doing his collar bone and shoulder, all the ribs on one side and a punctured lung for good measure. Quite glad I wasn't following him that day.

go and ride at ardmore, I think this is the perfect place to learn.
Easy flowing MX track with nothing difficult. Nice smooth takeoffs and long landings.

If you are after others to ride with I'm sure most on here wouldn't mind you tagging along.

[scott411]

go and ride at ardmore, I think this is the perfect place to learn.
Easy flowing MX track with nothing difficult. Nice smooth takeoffs and long landings.

If you are after others to ride with I'm sure most on here wouldn't mind you tagging along.

good advice,

[Jay GTI]

Agreed it is good advice, I've only ever been to Ardmore as a spectator, but it looks exactly that, a great place to practice without the scare factor. The ex-racer that was giving me hints at the track out at Dome Valley told me I needed to spend time out there, he reckoned it was perfect for my needs. He also said do not, under any circumstances, go to Harrisville.

[scott411]

Agreed it is good advice, I've only ever been to Ardmore as a spectator, but it looks exactly that, a great place to practice without the scare factor. The ex-racer that was giving me hints at the track out at Dome Valley told me I needed to spend time out there, he reckoned it was perfect for my needs. He also said do not, under any circumstances, go to Harrisville.

agreed, and i would put tokoroa and taupo in the same boat as harrisville, I always recommend going to ardmore or moto x central before hitting harder tracks like harrisville, tokoroa or taupo,

[jimmy 2006]

agreed, and i would put tokoroa and taupo in the same boat as harrisville, I always recommend going to ardmore or moto x central before hitting harder tracks like harrisville, tokoroa or taupo,

I would throw a winter at fells farm into the mix of good experience. I'm going to next year to try and sort out how to ride in a bog.

do a couple of the open training days at ardmore then join in on the B/C grade race series. It is a no stress, fun as all hell series with some hilarious competition from a bunch of amateurs. great atmosphere.

[Jay GTI]

do a couple of the open training days at ardmore then join in on the B/C grade race series. It is a no stress, fun as all hell series with some hilarious competition from a bunch of amateurs. great atmosphere.

Yeah it was a club/amateur day when I first went there, I was pleasantly surprised to see a guy racing on a steel-framed WR, in a bush shirt and work boots. If he can, I can.

[motor_mayhem]

Another "how do you do this...?" thread by me, but another skill that I really struggle with.

Jumping!

Not so much the technique itself, I've had a few lessons from an ex-motocross racer, watched plenty of youtube how to vids and read a few articles on the how part, but being that I'm old and very, very mortal, I have a psychological barrier that seems to be impossible to overcome.

I grew up riding clunkers, bikes that if I got more than a metre off the ground, the landing would have broken bits of me and the bike, so while the brain wasn't fully formed and I thought I would be the first person to live forever, I wasted my opportunity to learn how to sail gracefully off the face of a big jump.

Now, I have the machinery to do pretty much any jump I want, but my obvious mortality leaves me with around about the same height restriction. Or rather, I don't have the necessary testicles to get big air.

So, has anyone else had that struggle and if so, how did you overcome it? Just throw caution to the wind and hit a jump far harder than before, suddenly discovering how simple it really is? Or work up to the big stuff, slowly increasing speed and thus distance?

I figure jumping the bigger distances can't be hard, just look at how many club MX guys do it, even in a single race...

I found going out on the track and racing to be the best medicine. When you start racing with people, you spend less time thinking about the consequences of crashing and more about where you can go faster than someone else and how to get past them.

Any step up jumps are usually quite good too. If you ever got this far down, there's a good one at a track near Foxton:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpRhbOAMZBo

[mattnzl]

Shit, I get vertigo just watching these guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrnwPdSID34

And secondly, imagine if you just choppered in somewhere like that in NZ and started digging bits up and making a track - people would have a freaking fit :msn-wink:

[Jay GTI]

The step-up is a good idea, there's one out at Dome Valley I've been meaning to try, looks like fun.

That other vid is awesome, if I could do one jump in my life like that, but I will never, ever be able to do that shit. Well, maybe the one where the guy on the YZ bails...

[Ktmboy]

I would throw a winter at fells farm into the mix of good experience. I'm going to next year to try and sort out how to ride in a bog.

do a couple of the open training days at ardmore then join in on the B/C grade race series. It is a no stress, fun as all hell series with some hilarious competition from a bunch of amateurs. great atmosphere.

Unfortunately Fells has been sold Jimmy.

Ardmore is the best to learn on. 3 twenty minute motos every Wednesday and the confidence and skill will come.

[Jay GTI]

Unfortunately Fells has been sold Jimmy.

Ardmore is the best to learn on. 3 twenty minute motos every Wednesday and the confidence and skill will come.

Ah shithouse, I was hoping to do some of the Fells next year, after I build some confidence with the XC racing and whatnot.

Yep, definitely going to try Ardmore, sounds ideal.