Inch Pinching

[JoNnY__Mc]

Its always good to measure things to see how you are improving... Like when you beat your best gap or sidehop

For me its more of a standard I set for myself rather than "Ohhh I can gap 8ft 5.59955"" type thing... I dont measure it to that degree of acuracy, if im doing a gap I always aim to beat my record by 2 or so inches

[Ben Cox]

im not bothered really, if i get up something or gap it, ill be happy if i dont i wont cry and get the tape out saying i done a gap 0.0000023mm smaller a couple of days back etc

[Metal]

I just try things that I think that I can do and measure it after, if i think its worthy.

Not like some people who measure it to see if they can make the gap/sidehop, thats just crazy.

[Deonn h]

Yeh if i think its my biggest i will probs measure it , occasionally.I don`t always have it with me.

[Mod Man Leo]

If the gap looks good.

Ill do it

Sometimes good to check though, looks can be deceiving.

[Simpson]

I usually use my body length by lying in gaps, im about 6 foot, but dont use it to measure the size of it just weather i think i can make the gap or not, and i know my bars about 38-39" so like a pallet over bar is like 41-42 e.t.c. so yea i know i can go about like 5" over bar and a lil bit more than my body length.... so need to know any more

[Rich Pearson]

I think if I knew what I was really doing inch wise, I'd probably quit.

I'm happier not knowing and just riding. If it looks big, it usually is.

Rich

[Joe Papasnap Maher]

I actually cant remember the last time i measured somethhing i did. Must of been about 2 years ago maybe?

[Tony Harrison]

I used to measure things years ago, because back then it was just good fun and kept our small group competitive. Now with some people it seems a little obsessive. Rather than persuing personal goals, something only seems to be good if it's a certain height/size.

Like Rich, I'm happier not bothering with measuring. It's pretty sad if something was only worth doing if it's a certain height - sort of suggests that the riding itself wasn't fun.

[ben_travis]

Just curious as to peoples habits when it comes down to a big gap, or a sidehop..Or any move for that matter.

Do you chase the inches, get out the measuring tape on occasion? Or do you not prefer to know how high or far your going?

Personally, im all for the occassional inch pinching session, but not every ride. I do tend to get semi-annoyed if I miss a gap or a sidehop by an inch or two.

Your Views..

I really really really used to care. Now i dont, i have always ridden for fun, the inch pinching was part of the fun.

Now i have reached a 'reasonable' standard (not in my own eyes though) i dont care anymore. I ride for the banter with my mates, i ride comps to improve my skills, i ride street for the ease of access to it.

Riding for fun is the way forward

[N.Wood]

If it can't be measured in bike lengths, its not worth measuring.

[Fixed Pants™]

I measure with my bike, it's about 5 foot long (i hope, better if it's more) and lines on the road (i only have kerbs) so it will be furthest bit of the front tyre lined up roughly with the yellow line, then i gap up to the kerb n stuff, measuring is a bit gay. Unless you're out to improve a certain thing, so you'll know how you're progressing.

[eskimo]

I'm proud to say i've never measured anything. If it's big, it's big. If it isn't, it isn't. SIMPLE>

[will]

Just for fun is great, but it does not measure progression, which is a very rewarding part of trials! When you've only been riding for a few months you can see your progression every week. After a few years that rapidly deteriorates

Edited June 11, 2007 by will

[Brian Bleech]

Just for fun is great, but it does not measure progression, which is a very rewarding part of trials! When you've only been riding for a few months you can see your progression every week. After a few years that rapidly deteriorates

possibly true, but there is more to progression than just inches...

[Greetings]

if i do a big tap i'll just stand next to it and see if it's nipple height or whatever

don't know how high my nipples are and couldn't really care, it's just a way of comparing walls

[GlynnP]

Personally i just ride for fun an get on with it.

no need to get tape measures out

[squince]

I really really really used to care. Now i dont, i have always ridden for fun, the inch pinching was part of the fun.

Now i have reached a 'reasonable' standard (not in my own eyes though) i dont care anymore. I ride for the banter with my mates, i ride comps to improve my skills, i ride street for the ease of access to it.

Riding for fun is the way forward

Everybody rides for fun, some take it more seriously than others like some want to be the best.

If you dident find it fun, you wouldent ride.

I personally rarely measure things, on the occasion i do it normally upsets me haha.

[PaRtZ]

i rarely measure sidehops. I live by an ever-progressing wall and i just make my way up on that....chasing will arnold + craig daives on it I've made a mark on the wall as to where im up to on it but not measured it, except its a fist over bar

the only advantage to measuring is that its a generic + easy-to-relate-to method of communicating performance to other riders

[Ali C]

nothing like a good old measure after a big move is pulled, unless its then smaller than you thought in which case it sucks!

[will]

possibly true, but there is more to progression than just inches...

Care to elaborate. Yeah theres different ways up, and different ways down and across. Linking ups and downs. Maybe if your 24 you might go round.

(When you say, Dam! that was a clean 360, thats just a measurement in degrees ) But at the end of everything, height & length matter, you can try convince yourself otherwise, but if like a lot of people on here, you say you don't care. Then why do you persist with that wall you cant glance, or that 360 you havent dialed in? Everyone measures, be it with eyesight or with a rule

Edited June 11, 2007 by will

[Has anyone seen my shoe?]

Linking moves together is progression, learning new moves is progression, finding a new line that you've never done before and doing it is progression, having the balls to do something you didnt before is progression.

All without need for measureing

[trials rules]

I think it's important to know when you're getting higher/further so you want to keep riding and progressing, i suppose even getting out the measuring tape on the odd occasion is ok but i think if you are getting it out constantly to see if you're that tiny bit better than your mate or whatever just takes the fun out of it.

I kind of work on the basis, if you want to make a move, keep trying until you do it. Thats progression as i see it.

[B.E.A.U]

i like to measure to see if im getting better and to see how far off a big number i am. e.g sidehop im doing about 47 48 i want to get 50 etc. I just like it makes me feel better once ive done it

[Brian Bleech]

Care to elaborate. Yeah theres different ways up, and different ways down and across. Linking ups and downs. Maybe if your 24 you might go round.

(When you say, Dam! that was a clean 360, thats just a measurement in degrees ) But at the end of everything, height & length matter, you can try convince yourself otherwise, but if like a lot of people on here, you say you don't care. Then why do you persist with that wall you cant glance, or that 360 you havent dialed in? Everyone measures, be it with eyesight or with a rule

Pretty much this...

Linking moves together is progression, learning new moves is progression, finding a new line that you've never done before and doing it is progression, having the balls to do something you didnt before is progression.

All without need for measureing

Progression is important and inches are part of that, I just don't feel the need to tape measure, i know in my head if it big for me or not and I know if I am progresing in that area

But to me progression is way more than just inches (and I am not talking about tricks here, although that is progression too) , carrying on from HASMS's post - trying a move with a crap run up, been able to spot a new line (especially in well ridden area's), working on smoothness, less set up hops, trying moves in different situation (like an up to front from a steep bank, instead of flat), to name but a few