Drop off practice in JHB

[Palaeodom]

Just started playing with my new trail toy and want to start practicing hitting drops off and catching some air.

 

Anyone know where I can find a selection of different drop off heights and just play preferably not on concrete?

[(Deon)]

ah man, I was going to suggest a parking lot.. Concrete is cool. Makes you want to NOT fall.

[Palaeodom]

Well i'll give it a shot, going to get some platforms for the pedals so I can play without being clipped in first.

 

Where's this car park?

[patches]

Just started playing with my new trail toy and want to start practicing hitting drops off and catching some air.

 

Anyone know where I can find a selection of different drop off heights and just play preferably not on concrete?

 

There are a few places out and about where you can try some drops.

 

There are 3 mentionable ones at the Bryanston bike Park.

 

In oder of difficulty they are (1 being hardest, 3 being easiest):

 

1. The platform drop off on the dirt jump line. approx 1.5m drop from a wooden platform onto shaped dirt

2. What I call the "concrete block" drop off on Space junk. It's in that reedy section. The lip is a concrete block.

3. the 2 "caution drops" on drop zone. the left one is more like steps. The straight one is cooler.

 

Then lets talk about the Spruit.

 

There's a drop off just up from fratelli's (on one's way towards delta). It's just after that ditch jump, and drops down towards river level. Nice and easy. Less than 1m free-fall.

 

And if you want some challenging drops... try "the shoot" at helderkruin. Super rocky drop straight into a tight right hand berm. I wouldn't suggest trying it without a full face though.

[Robrider]

What about the rose gardens at emmerentia dam. There are places there that start at about half a foot on the one side and gradually increase towards the other side. If you fall its on grass. Don't know if that's what you had in mind.

 

Also be careful, I've never been chased out of there, but we wouldn't want to piss them off messing up the grass so they don't allow riders to go there.

[patches]

What about the rose gardens at emmerentia dam. There are places there that start at about half a foot on the one side and gradually increase towards the other side. If you fall its on grass. Don't know if that's what you had in mind.

 

Also be careful, I've never been chased out of there, but we wouldn't want to piss them off messing up the grass so they don't allow riders to go there.

 

The trials guys often ride there.

 

I gues sit depends what sort of "drop-off" Palaeodom is looking for. The rose garden ones are all drops onto flat. The others mentioned are all drops onto a gradient.

[Palaeodom]

Thanks, I'd like to try both drops onto flats and drops onto slopes. Both are good practice and should get me a little more confident. what I'm looking for is some practice in getting my weighting on the bike correct. Then I can start hitting things at speed. Its a very different beast to my hardtail.

Edited February 1, 2012 by Palaeodom