Leaving From The Edge

[Dan-Walker]

why do all the pros and all the good riders i see leave right from the edge of the object when just about to gap, what are the advanteges of doing this ?

:ermm:

dan,

cheers

[Luke Rainbird]

I would imagine that it creates a bit more forward push as the tyre will be starting to wrap its way around the wall/crates or whatecer you are taking off from, therefore pushing forward more.

Also makes the gap that little bit smaller :ermm:"

[Watson©]

It has a great advantage... when the tyre folds round the edge of the object the tyre pressure gives you an extra spring to boost you forward making the gap feel less effertless... it has an amzing effect, you can even feel it working... I love doing it :- :huh: :( :ermm:

Watson

[JIX]

Yes it gives you a kick and makes the gap a touch smaller. It also gives you more grip, because the tyre grips around the edge. When riding in the wet or on really slippery obstacles you have to gap like this or you die. In the wet you have to use the edges to get grip.

EDIT: Just to add to this, you have to have your gapping technique pretty dialled to do this properly, and by this I mean that you preload your hub and you push against your brake before you go. This means that you leave the edge in one clean motion and your wheel doesnt roll at all. When you watch some people gap, they roll slightly on the back wheel. Its hard to explain, I think you understand though?? :ermm:

Edited September 8, 2005 by JIX

[Watson©]

EDIT: Just to add to this, you have to have your gapping technique pretty dialled to do this properly, and by this I mean that you preload your hub and you push against your brake before you go. This means that you leave the edge in one clean motion and your wheel doesnt roll at all. When you watch some people gap, they roll slightly on the back wheel. Its hard to explain, I think you understand though?? :huh:

←

Forgot to talk about that... yeah you need to do what is said above to make it work :ermm:

[Luke Drewery]

If you watch riders such as craig lee scott you can clearly see the spring bouncing him up and forward when he gaps, he sets off with his tyre half off the edge.

I use this technique sometimes, but most of the time i set off with most of my tyre still on the object that i am taking off from. :ermm:

[D-L-B]

making the gap feel less effertless... :D  :(  :-  :huh:

Watson

←

:ermm:

Exactly what you don't want.

Doing it this way you are also able to put more emphasis on using your whole body to push back on the object and throw yourself across the gap, rather than relying purely on your pedal kick.

Dan

Edited September 8, 2005 by D-L-B

[Bergia]

It's called pinch gap/technique I think.

[STEVE-0]

I find it helps to take off from the edge on drop gaps but not on flat gaps. I seem to fall into the gap when i do it. I feel that the pinch pushes out and down, not upwards... :)

[JIX]

Steve mate that is because of what I mentioned above. Maybe you need to work on that. Or sometimes you can take off to far over the edge and then you and the bike just drop and that can hurt. There is a skill to it, like everything the more you do it the more it becomes second nature. Remeber to look at your rear wheel when hopping to the edge and dont forget that when you drop the front the bike will pivot forward slightly e.g. get closer to the edge.

I hope that makes some sense :)

[munkee]

The reason why you can only do it when doing a drop gap is because your rolling off the edge as you pinch gap since your kicking outwards. Simplest way to do it is get on back wheel, hop to the edge lower the front sum and then kick but throw your body upwards not outwards. Think about it, if you kick outwards your wheel rolls off the edge, if you throw your body up and kick you pinch off the edge, your body movement will do the gapping.

Just concentrate on going up and not out, should sort out any problems.

[Burton]

I personally think its a shit technique. if your not 100% in the right place then you either gap down(as in you just spring downwards) or not as far.

I think CLS,Tunni,Hermance,Beleay,Benito etc. use the technique in which they have theyre tyre about 1" away from the edge so they get a bit of roll before they gap, and keep the height, without loosing power.

[Si-man]

I always pinch gap, can't help it.

Tried not to loads but doesn't work.

[James_Porter]

ye, me and johan were trying this gap in reading today and i said about his taking off like right on the edge, seems to work for him so :) good lad.

i cant do it that way, i allways smack my legs and it hurts and i find it just puches my back wheel down to the round more.

i like to take off quite far from the edge, and give it some motion before i leave. people have different techniques that work for them, i personally dont think you can say one way is going to be best for someone else (in a way), people are different...

[Will Arnold]

one of my mates got a pinch puncture from the wall he was taking off on with this technique haha :)

[JIX]

True james, you have to use what works for you. Think about when you do rail gaps. That is pretty much exactly what you do, go off the edge as there is no other option. James you do go off the edge alot of the time. You dont start there, but once you have dropped your front, your going off the edge.

Im sure you do, just going to go and check my back :)

[PaRtZ]

So correct me if Im wrong, but this technique should be practiced on rail gaps as you cant not be on the edge to take off (depending on the size of the rail ofcourse (Y) )

[DrEvil270183]

i struggle to do this technique right off the edge but get quite close to the edge.

i think so long as your close its something you will gradually find easier an work more for you.

Rossi seems to gap better off rails, backs of benches, edges etc than off flat objects which i find wierd but each to there own.

Edited September 9, 2005 by DrEvil270183

[Mr Motivator]

You have to backhop to the edge to do it >_<

So boon to the edge and then on the last hop to the edge as you push down so your tyre folds round the lip you want to be compressed and have your pedal preloaded so that when you start to spring back up you can kick and flick out of it.

I can do it this way about as far as I can when I power gap it (one to the edge and off)

[Josephine]

I'm just getting the hang of this and it's making things so much more precise and controlled for me, just allows me to pop from one side of the gap to the other without the need for the short roll which somehow makes me feel unbalanced.

Joe

[zoojames]

Its strange but I think this technique helps more with 20" riders, as it seems harder to get the same level of pre-load as us stock boys can. When you look at Neil Tunnicliffe gap he uses the same technique as Mr Porter, which requires a bit of roll and ALOT of power, but he also uses the pinch gap to great effect. Craig on the other hand will Pinch gap alot more than power gap, he manages to get so much force on that 0.10psi rear wheel its unbelievable! I think I'm going to try learn the pinch gap as I seem to be able to power gap quite far now but I'd prefer to gap a bit more controlled like.

James :-