edit/could conquer this riding challenge

[dantama]

This is the first time in decades that I wanted to do something on my bike, and couldn't do it.

It would surprise you what a simple thing got the best of me. It is a 45 degree incline that is about as narrow as I do 360 parking lot circles with no problem.

I thought that because there isn't a transition from flat to angled, it would be nearly the same as doing it on flat. I tried it last night and couldn't do it. I'll go back this morning and take some pictures to show you what I'm talking about.

Out of all the cliffs, bridges, rocky hills without even a cow trail, skate parks, etc
. I'm surprised that this simple thing is what got me too intimidated.

[dantama]

I went back today to figure this out. I haven't done any parking lot practice this spring, so I went and did some turns. I found that I was rusty on tight turns, so I did them for 5 minutes and then went back to the incline ramp.

This time, after some level ground practice, I could do it. Here is a video of what I'm talking about.


I found that in addition to tight space, broken up concrete with gravel was an additional intimidator. But the transition between one half of the circle leaning up hill, then the other half leaning down hill, and losing speed one way, and gaining speed the other, gives you a lot to think about compared to level parking lot circles.

Here are pictures for those who don't have the net speed to watch videos.










When I went last night, I thought it would be intimidating, but I'd still just go up it and whip one out. I'd just be a little scared while I was doing it, but would do it. I dumped it and when you dump downhill like that you roll up on the crash bars and bend your clutch lever :(
Scratch the crash bars on the side...the part you can see :(
But no paint damage. And it is pretty damn heavy to pick one up that is leaning that many more degrees downhill!


If you aren't catching why this circle is so difficult, think of a circle and clock. If you start the circle at 6:00 and go counter clock wise, as I was in the video. From 6 to 12 is just an up hill turn that takes extra power, then at 12 you have to lean uncomfortably/unnaturally downhill to 9, while gaining speed too easily. 9 to 6 isn't bad, but by 6 you are leaning into the hill with less clearance than usual. From 6 to 3 then 12 takes more power to get up hill.

So you have a strange combination of unnatural leans, and faster acceleration to modulate, and needing extra power.

It wasn't nearly as easy as I thought it would be last night, but ended up doable. It was no fun coming home last night defeated by it, so I went back today and got it. Pheww, life is good again :)

[phenrichs]

nice work Dan. Its nice to have someone who is willing to crash his for the learning experience so we don't have to.

[glwilson]

I've got to hand it to you Dan... turning in a tight, confined area is tough enough let alone having it on an incline. One certainly has to have their confidence up; because even with the skill required to do it... your mind can "freak" yourself right into crashing.

[johnb]

Ride like Pro taken to the next level!

[dandolfn]

I feel much better knowing that you have done it.

Now I don't have to.

:-)

[ringadingh]

Thats a move I wouldn't bother practising myself, if ever the time came I'd gamble and hope for the best.

[Jared]

Nice skills Dan!

[duneseven]

congrats on overcoming your fear. you made it look easy

[dantama]

Originally Posted by Ringadingh

Thats a move I wouldn't bother practising myself, if ever the time came I'd gamble and hope for the best.

A lot of what I do to entertain myself, and challenge myself is useful to have in your bag of skills. Some of it won't ever have a likely application, and is just to challenge myself.

I think this one is the latter, though I have seen riders looking pretty amateurish trying to do a u-turn on a heavily banked road :)

[markusmaximus]

Gotta hand it to you Dan. You continue to impress and delight the rest of us. At the top (12 o'clock, as you put it), was the bike about upright relative to paralel ground? It's hard to tell from the video, but logically thinking about it you wouldn't need as much lean angle. Is this correct?