Mountain Biking - Safest way to ditch

Youre going downhill wayy to fast the turns coming up, you start to brake you just skid at the same speed your doing now the lakes coming up, what do you do? i personally would edge close to the tree line and when the right time came cut my front wheel into a nice solid oak causing me to filp but stop mabey wreck a rim but still live. whats the safest way to ditch i see racers ditch in the way i just described how do you do it and why does it work.

You got to learn how to fall as well, that though is just learning from experience. The method you described will leave you in a hospital bed or in a cast for a certain amount of time. In situations described, look at which side will be less painful go that direction, tuck your arms in and cross them and tumble and if you tumble into the lake, then you get wet. If there was a dout though that situation is that the person is using way too much rear brake though, most pros use the front brake primarily for breaking and when the use it, they get the weight over the rear wheel.

Cut your front wheel into a tree? What do you think would happen to the handlebars? My guess is handlebars aimed at your stomach (or nuts) + a sudden stop = bad news. Plus, if you're going fast enough to have to bail, I'm not sure how much control you'd have to manouver your bike in this way.

Some cycling mag I was reading in the doctor's waiting room the other day had something on this. Bike Cops are trained to do a running dismount. They swing their right leg over the bike and remain standing on the left pedal. That way, they can break into a run when they bail. Not sure how well this would work at high speed, but who knows.

the idea is you do a flip horisontally like you come into it horisontally your motion then carries you into the air where you do a roation (or 7) paralell to the ground

the idea is you do a flip horisontally like you come into it horisontally your motion then carries you into the air where you do a roation (or 7) paralell to the ground

Doesn't work.

the idea is you do a flip horisontally like you come into it horisontally your motion then carries you into the air where you do a roation (or 7) paralell to the ground

I see what you're trying to accomplish, but if you can't maintain control of you're bike (you're skidding), then how are you going to have enough control to accomplish this manouver? What if you slip up and smoke the tree with your head?

The recommondation from Konarider seems reasonable. Tuck and roll. I think I'd try to avoid as standing solid objects if possible.

true i have never had to ditch or anything just i was riding a few days ago with one of my friends who rides for a local shop and he described this process to me but he wasnt sucessful so I was just questioning it with the reason being if i ever have to i want to know the safest quickest recovery way

Another way is to also push the bike away from you if you're going too fast or in a section where neither way is safe to tuck and roll.

Good idea to try to get it down before you crash. You're talking to two guys who messed up their hands recently. So, from my "learning experience" don't put your hands out in front of you. Keep them tucked in. This will help you save your hands/wrists, but will also help protect your ribs if you crash.

Forgot to mention, if you're clipped in and you can't get unclipped in time, just go downwhen you go down the pedals should disengage.

If all else fails get behind the seat and just let the bike go. Hopefully you can run it out, if not at least you won't get tangled up in the bike. To me intentionally running into a tree is the last thing I am going to try, the only reason to even consider that option is if your brakes are out and your coming up on a clif.

If you're going to go off the back of the bike, push the bike away from you (maybe into the woods). At least the force you put into throwing your bike will slow your body down a little (conservation of momentum m1v1=m2v2 etc and so on). Or just dive into the lake. I would rather take my bike apart to clean the water out than have to buy a new rim, frame, cast for my ass or anything else!

Lock the rear wheel twist your bar so it goes sideways and fall off away from direction of travel. On a motorbike its a lowside. Still hurts but you shouldn't break anything.

edit: though in truth I usually end up going over the bars again, or off sort of side ways when the bike stops and I dont.

lake jumping would probably be the most fun and least painful.

lake jumping would probably be the most fun and least painful.
i jump off of a bike into a lake on purpose. that would most definetly be the prefered way to bail. just remember that if you have to take the bike with you, that when the bike hits the water it will flip you over forewards, no matter what. and get unclipped first. Other than that, if i am going fast, i will try to go off the back of the bike. if i am going slow alongside a dropoff with trees, then i dont even think about getting out of the bike when i start to tip over the edge. i look for a tree and then grab it with my arms.

that works the best.
harris

If I was on platform pedals I would just push away from the pedals, and at the same time slide off the back of the bike. Your bike will go forward and it will propel you backwards enough that you might get lucky.

If I was clipless I would say a quick prayer and close my eyes.

if i was clipped i would get myself back, over the rear tire. and hit the front brakes(not a quick motion or you are most likely going to be catapulted)

actually, that is probobly what i would do if i was on platforms too.

One trick I learned in the old xc racing days was to do the straddle-and-run. You're heading down a steep pitch, and since your stem is 140mm and your seat is 4" higher than your handlebars, you're slowly doing an endo. Instead of fighting it, unclip both feet, push down on the bar and do a straddle jump of the handlebar. Now land on your feet and start running, 'cause your bike will be coming down behind you like a boulder behind Indiana Jones.

If all else fails get behind the seat and just let the bike go. Hopefully you can run it out, if not at least you won't get tangled up in the bike. To me intentionally running into a tree is the last thing I am going to try, the only reason to even consider that option is if your brakes are out and your coming up on a clif.

Yep, get off. Get the bike away from your body if it's gonna get bad.
You see bmx riders airborne that are bailing push the bike far away from them in the air.

If you have a wide enough trail, steer to the right, lock the rear wheel and turn left -pulling the skidding rear tire sideways while lowering the bike to the ground -then sit n' slide.
Similar to dropping a motorcycle on a wet road.
The right then left move is to be able to drop the bike on the non-drive $ide.

One trick I learned in the old xc racing days was to do the straddle-and-run. You're heading down a steep pitch, and since your stem is 140mm and your seat is 4" higher than your handlebars, you're slowly doing an endo. Instead of fighting it, unclip both feet, push down on the bar and do a straddle jump of the handlebar. Now land on your feet and start running, 'cause your bike will be coming down behind you like a boulder behind Indiana Jones.

i have done that before, out of instinct though. comming down fast, i was concentrating on the burm, i get around it and hello, 3 ft downed tree.

If you have a wide enough trail, steer to the right, lock the rear wheel and turn left -pulling the skidding rear tire sideways while lowering the bike to the ground -then sit n' slide.
Similar to dropping a motorcycle on a wet road. The right then left move is to be able to drop the bike on the non-drive $ide.[/QUOTE]
that has worked for me on more than 1 occasion. if I flip over sideways I just tuck and roll
call me a woose but if Ive never ridden the trail before I dont go for broke in the turns, Ill take it easy until Im more used to the trails. its just as much for trail damage control as it is for a$$ damage control

do whatever you can to lowside, gravity sucks!

lowside = scraps and few cuts

high side (superman) = ^^^^above, plus a larger chance to break bones or have some really nasty stuff happen, like hit your head, snap your colarbone from the impact.

I like to go over the bars with my chin out and my arms back. This explains my ruggedly handsome good looks.

yah. thats how i shave in morning...

If the lakes coming up, and youre skidding, and you can remain calm cant you just bail off back, or at least grab the front to have the front wash out,so the handlebars dig in the ground, bike pivots and you turn on the ground? I washed out a berm, that worked, but I didn't cross my arms in time, and my handlebar almost went into my gut. Lesson is : wear armor if you're goinna do anything dangerous. Safety freak, perhaps, but at least you won't get hurt.