Riding over wet logs noob question

Discussion in 'Trials' started by ejtv, Jan 8, 2013.

  1. ejtv

    ejtv Per ipsum

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    Have tried to several times but the double blip not working for me when logs are wet and at an angle. I know it should not work. The front tire goes over but when the rear tire touches to log, the bike slides....what's the trick? I know the rear tire should jump over the rear log....help! Thanks!
    #1
  2. lineaway

    lineaway Long timer

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    The trick is hours and hours of practice. How much air are in the tires? 6 in front and 4 in the back. How big of logs? Are you trail riding or trials riding? It is all about timing. The main thing with wet logs is to make sure you are unloading your own weight. You might quit the double blip and just bunny hop or jump over. The splatter would be more correct when wet, but might bring a fast fall !
    #2
  3. nwcycle

    nwcycle Long timer

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    3Rd Gear.................
    #3
  4. 2whlrcr

    2whlrcr gooligan

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    ice screws:D
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  5. lineaway

    lineaway Long timer

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    Actually the worst are the small 2 inch ones. They catch you off guard !
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  6. Brewtus

    Brewtus Buffoonery, Inc.

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    :nod
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  7. Sting32

    Sting32 Trials Evangelist

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    The trick is you haven't learned how to hop the rear wheel up over or almost over the log. it's called "unloading the rear wheel". It's something that you might want to practice when it's not slippery, but the idea is to get all your weight off of the rear wheel before it hits the log, and actually do a bunnyhop over the log as much as you possibly can. It still may slip so what I usually do is pull clutch in some, at the same time I'm jumpin ( in the act of it) so that it doesn't have full power to the rear wheel, then it ( the rear tire ) can kind of grip.

    Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
    #7
  8. Bent_boot42

    Bent_boot42 Adventurer

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    +1

    Unloading or un-weighting the rear wheel is the way to go... not easy though.
    #8
  9. motojunky

    motojunky Professional Idiot

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    As others have said, it's all in the unweight and the timing. I wouldn't worry about any other techniques at this point if you are a noob to trials. The little double-blip unweight will work when you get it right and the basic technique will eventually come easy for you. I'm a relative noob myself, just having finished my second year of riding. I'm amazed at the things that are now easy for me compared to when I started. I'm also amazed at how much better many riders are. :lol3

    In the video below, you can see the steps for a basic rear wheel unweight to cross a small log. It doesn't take much - you just need to remove your own weight from the bike so that it effortlessly rolls over the log. When you do this, the rear wheel is much more likely to track straight over a wet/angled log. Note how when the rear wheel does hit the log, the knees are bending and allowing the bike to continue to come up instead of pushing downward on the pegs.

    As the logs get bigger, the technique is the same - just bigger.

    <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EzmM3rnGVh4" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" width="640"></iframe>
    #9
  10. Gordo83

    Gordo83 Been here awhile

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    Great video. Thanks.
    I can see it helps to have a lot of room between your butt and the bike, as well as a bendable rear fender. I like to practice like that with my twin shock but have hit the rear frame loop, seat and/or fender more than once. :eek1
    #10
  11. ejtv

    ejtv Per ipsum

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    Thanks! Will practice unloading the rear wheel this weekend! Video was a huge help!
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  12. laser17

    laser17 Long timer

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    Search for some of 2-plys log crossing video's - he really breaks down the sequence (in slow motion) and also shows/talks about the important 2nd phase of the unload.

    In general. the greasier the conditions, the more important the clean technique and exaggerated body motion. You can get away with alot in dry, high traction conditions - so practice in the wet is really a great way to learn. When you do it right, its amazing how much difference it makes. (on all levels)
    #12
  13. laser17

    laser17 Long timer

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    #13
  14. motojunky

    motojunky Professional Idiot

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  15. Twin-shocker

    Twin-shocker Long timer

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    The single most important thing that doesnt seem to have been mentioned, is that pretty much all trials riding is directly related to good throttle control. Without this, even if your basic technique for different obstacles is pretty close to perfect, you are likely to fail an awful lot.
    #15
  16. Sting32

    Sting32 Trials Evangelist

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    That might be right for twinshocks, now days it's throttle and clutch, you can do anything if you can control the clutch accurately. Watch videos, bunches on youtube as well.

    You dont even need the engine... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Ek3SLst4g&list=PL84F79157FD863C10&index=9
    #16
  17. laser17

    laser17 Long timer

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    #17
  18. Twin-shocker

    Twin-shocker Long timer

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    You learn something new every day..........modern bikes must be awfully easy to ride, if you dont need to worry about proper throttle control!....................lol
    #18
  19. ejtv

    ejtv Per ipsum

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    I tried it this morning and it worked! I'm not saying I bunny hop like the video motojunky posted, but I am hopping over the log and unloading the rear as best I canÂ…and the rear is not sliding across the log. Thank you!
    #19
  20. lineaway

    lineaway Long timer

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    The effort to unload goes a long way, log, rock or wet root. Rider input is what trials is all about!
    #20