Riding technique: Static

[stirlingpowers]

0:42, for example: http://vimeo.com/32915050

How can one obtain so much momentum to push 30" up - almost without going down to pre-charge the legs.

Of course there is a lot of load in it, but I don't know how to get this fast from the starting position with the handlebar in your way.

Do you know some good mind model related to it?

When I focus on a point a bike length away on the obstacle and concentrate on not bending my knees,

I can pull up onto two wheels with only a fair amount of momentum, but the front wheel does not lift into the air then.

If I use the front brake and leverage around the front tyre contact point by pushing the bars forward,

I can get up to the rear wheel, but not without using a fair amount of space on the obstacle for rolling along with the front tyre

before it lifts. At the moment it feels more effortless for me to do a 45" side hop than a 30" static.

So is it all about abusing the body to do it as fast as possible? It looks so effortless when Vince or Gilles do it...

[FamilyBiker]

i cant hop up static more than 20cm,but even then i have the feeling i should hit my hip against the bars to accelerate the bars upwards.

no,i am not actually hitting it,but thats kind of the movement the technique wants frm me to work

[N.Wood]

This move has very little to do with your legs, hence not a lot of movement. They only come into play 'sucking' up the bike. Your head is probably the most important bit. It's a combo of throwing your head forward, flex in forks and tyre and lifting with your arms and back.

[AdamR28]

And you can't do it on low stuff, the bike needs to be nearly vertical. Check out how much work the rear tyre does too.

[FamilyBiker]

actually you two helped me,too.thx!

[Blake]

Try and give yourself whiplash

[N.Wood]

Actually Adam taught me to do these many moons ago!

[AdamR28]

Wow, claim to fame bro

[N.Wood]

Clang... I just remembered about it, must have been... 8 years ago?? You had a 106 I seem to remember!

[AdamR28]

Maybe even more than that... And yes, the green 106 beast, parked at Waitrose in Bromley, was it?

[PaRtZ]

Its about how fast you can bring your legs up to your chest. The rider goes from a 'standing' position (ie legs straight) to 'sitting' (legs bent). It may sound obvious and stupid but MOVE QUICKER!

In climbing a dyno is basically a jump. I realised I wasn't getting as high as I could because I was being a bit lethargic and not trying much. I kept moving quicker and actually jumping quicker and lo and behold - I got higher.

Anyway

As said, fork flex and tyre squash are also pretty useful mechanics because they don't require strength but DO add to the height.

Isn't this move also called a pigeon?

EDIT: I was taught how pigeon up steep rocks (back wheel off the floor) by THE pigeon master...

Edited September 4, 2013 by PaRtZ

[AdamR28]

Isn't this move also called a pigeon?

Yes

[N.Wood]

Maybe even more than that... And yes, the green 106 beast, parked at Waitrose in Bromley, was it?

Yeah I can't remember what bike I was on, but must have been '04 / '05ish! Yeah thats the one.

[trialsiain]

no idea why but i called this the spanish lunge, i find whiplashing your head up helps alot and bringing your kneed closer to your chest

[dave33]

You push down with your legs and hip drive that's why his tyres compress.

It's alot easyer on a high bb bike though so that will hold you back If you have a low bb you will be really steep

Newtons third law explains it

Third law: When one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to that of the first body.

[stirlingpowers]

Ok, thank you all, then it is as I suspected: Abuse until whiplash.

There seem to be two different styles: Some people go over the bars with a straightened out upper body, almost not moving the legs, using them only for compression,

while others crouch a bit and keep their upper body relatively centered over the handlebars (for example Giacomo).

I can jump up 30" using my legs with an approximation of the latter technique, but then I don't have enough forward movement to stay on the obstacle.

So I will try to focus on tyre compression and whiplash. Perhaps that is the direction for improving my move.

Perhaps I should also try a 150x30 stem, as I have currently a 165x35 on my 24 high-bb bike - which would help in not hitting the stem every time I do this move.

[dave33]

Are you getting the styles mixed up with the way people like Gilles and Carthy do? When the front wheel is hooked over and really that's what's holding the bike and rider.

The other is when both wheels are on touched the ground actually under the bottom centre of the wheel

Like you showed in the video

Edited September 4, 2013 by dave33

[Mark W]

Depending on the object itself, if you can leave your rear brake off your bike can help give you a bit more spring up too. Especially useful for when you're doing the move Dave was talking about up there where you're basically just hanging from the front wheel.

[stirlingpowers]

Be you sorcerers?

Pigeon and "try giving yourself a whiplash"

made it in my head! I can do it now, learned it

within minutes on a 30" flat obstacle, and I

don't even need self-destroying momentum.

Thanks a lot to all contributors, you freed me from the Static curse!

[Ash-Kennard]

this was a very weird topic to read at work earlier as it wouldnt let me see the video.

but yeah, lean over handlebars, push down, as soon as you feel the tyre at its most compressed, explode upwards. can be hanging on a rock or up a vert wall like in the video, will work for both. back brake off helps with the take off. but use it for your landing!

ive always called this a wheel transfer or a wheel switch because you rear wheel replaces your front wheels position.

nick manning is awesome at these, got to a point where he was doing it up near 40" walls with his bars at 90 degrees crazy bugger

[dave33]

When hooked over you better to hold rear brake on when you "per load" but release it as you take off

[Ash-Kennard]

When hooked over you better to hold rear brake on when you "per load" but release it as you take off

I think it depends on how far you can hook your front wheel over, I know i usually dont need mine

[N.Wood]

Totally depends on the rock for me, sometimes it's no rear brake, sometimes fully locked (when it's really slippery for example), sometimes just on for preload. (This is for full static hooks by the way, not pigeons as shown in first post)

[Ross McArthur]

I tend to never hold my rear brake. Only the front.

Holding the rear brake will cause your bike to pivot backwards on the rear wheel and if your weights going back when you want it to go forward, the locked rear wheel will act like a fulcrum.

[N.Wood]

Thats why I only do it on slippery surfaces. I find a locked brake helps with stability, sometimes the rear wheel will spin just from whe weight of you on the pedals. if it's a slippy off camber / gnarly rock it also helps resist the front wheel turning (i.e if the top of the rock is on a slope, front wheel wants to turn if all your weight is hanging off it). As the rock is slippery, the tyre slides on it as you lift up and doesn't affect the move.

Anyway, personal preference I suppose. I only really ride natural so have to find these little techniques that help me out, and it's very specific to the type of rock you're on.