Mountain Biking - how do you get over big logs?

i can easily clear logs that do not contact or barely contact my front ring, but otherwise i have trouble w/ ones bigger than a foot in diameter. Any tips?

Either bunny hop, or dig your chain ring in the log and torque over with your forward foot.

:eek:
dig your chain ring in the log

Huh?

... or dig your chain ring in the log and torque over with your forward foot.

This works, but your chainring will eventually rebel. There is a technique that works very well, and your chain ring will never touch. It does take practice though.

- Approach log at a relatively slow speed.
- Pull up your front wheel just before the log (you want your ft wheel to be on top of said log)
- When your front wheel hits the log (on top), pull up with your legs (while pushing down on bars) and pull your rear wheel up and over (this is the part that requires much practice)

When done right, this is one smooth move. It can be used on some pretty big logs also. Once you get this down, it's a FANTASTIC tool that you'll use over and over again! I hope my description was good enough. :o

Good luck!

... Brad

here's a fun youtube video on getting over logs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FUo9tzK2SY)

amazing how the trendy fad bike pink 29'er seems to have the most success

here's a fun youtube video on getting over logs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FUo9tzK2SY)

amazing how the trendy fad bike pink rigid 29'er seems to have the most success

Funny vid!

None are using the technique I wrote of, though. They seem to be just slamming their chainrings into the log. The trick is NOT to let your chainring hit by lifting when your front tire is on top of the log. They were all going a bit too fast for this technique also.

... Brad

here's a fun youtube video on getting over logs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FUo9tzK2SY)

amazing how the trendy fad bike pink 29'er seems to have the most success

That has everything to do with the bike too :rolleyes:

Brad's technique works but try to learn to bunnyhop. Eventually your hops will get you over very big obstacles, it is just a matter of practice. The learning curve is steep but if somebody teaches you it is way easier.

Ricardo

Brad's technique works but try to learn to bunnyhop. Eventually your hops will get you over very big obstacles, it is just a matter of practice. The learning curve is steep but if somebody teaches you it is way easier.

Ricardo

But at the cost of how many wheelsets?

But at the cost of how many wheelsets?

Zero...Why the hell would practicing/learning to bunny hop ruin a wheelset?

And to the OP...I knew a guy that had an extremely weird way of getting over logs but it worked for him. What he would do is get his front wheel on top then as his front wheel started falling off the other side he would catch himself on the bottom of his pedal (flats of course) and kinda stand on the long and lift his bike over and then continue riding. Hope you know what I mean but seriously it was the weirdest way to get over a log I ever saw. He was damn good at it...barely even slowed him down.

But seriously your better of just practicing your bunny hops. Just on your driveway at home when you have time stack some 2by4s on top of each other and hop over them...if you knock them down you won't fall and just try again. The just add more as you get better.

2x4s in the driveway won't hurt a wheelset but I went through a couple of rear wheels when I was younger by casing on obstacles I thought I could clear. YMMV

2x4s in the driveway won't hurt a wheelset but I went through a couple of rear wheels when I was younger by casing on obstacles I thought I could clear. YMMV

Thats why you practise before hand...and dang man I still don't see how that could ruin a wheelset unless your going freaking fast. Sure pinch flat of course but actually ruining a wheelset?

This works, but your chainring will eventually rebel. There is a technique that works very well, and your chain ring will never touch. It does take practice though.

- Approach log at a relatively slow speed.
- Pull up your front wheel just before the log (you want your ft wheel to be on top of said log)
- When your front wheel hits the log (on top), pull up with your legs (while pushing down on bars) and pull your rear wheel up and over (this is the part that requires much practice)

When done right, this is one smooth move. It can be used on some pretty big logs also. Once you get this down, it's a FANTASTIC tool that you'll use over and over again! I hope my description was good enough. :o

Good luck!

... Brad


I do this, but as you're pulling up your back wheel, it helps to kinda kick it out to the side a little bit, it keeps you from catching your chainring.

That vid rocks! It never gets old watching people fall and not get hurt.

I was going to say get a 29er, but I know where that will end up :D

Big log.........Robert Plant?

Zero...Why the hell would practicing/learning to bunny hop ruin a wheelset?

And to the OP...I knew a guy that had an extremely weird way of getting over logs but it worked for him. What he would do is get his front wheel on top then as his front wheel started falling off the other side he would catch himself on the bottom of his pedal (flats of course) and kinda stand on the long and lift his bike over and then continue riding. Hope you know what I mean but seriously it was the weirdest way to get over a log I ever saw. He was damn good at it...barely even slowed him down.

But seriously your better of just practicing your bunny hops. Just on your driveway at home when you have time stack some 2by4s on top of each other and hop over them...if you knock them down you won't fall and just try again. The just add more as you get better.

I have done something similar. kind of like a fugged up foot plant haha

i am talking about logs so big that u cant just hop over.

walk?

This works, but your chainring will eventually rebel. There is a technique that works very well, and your chain ring will never touch. It does take practice though.

- Approach log at a relatively slow speed.
- Pull up your front wheel just before the log (you want your ft wheel to be on top of said log)
- When your front wheel hits the log (on top), pull up with your legs (while pushing down on bars) and pull your rear wheel up and over (this is the part that requires much practice)

When done right, this is one smooth move. It can be used on some pretty big logs also. Once you get this down, it's a FANTASTIC tool that you'll use over and over again! I hope my description was good enough. :o

Good luck!

... Brad



http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/9005/pc2ny9.gif (http://imageshack.us)And if you fail happen this:

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/2263/27110616512028medium29yv5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Jjajajaja, :Dsorry I have some problems http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/7425/iconolococomounachotalg4.gif (http://imageshack.us)

i am talking about logs so big that u cant just hop over.

Did you watch the vid? If they are much bigger than that, and you can't figure it out, you probably shouldn't be trying. LOL



A better comment would be:

Learn how to ride, regardless of wheel size and type of bicycle.

Yabbut, I don't want to sound like a dick!

I quit messing around with that SRAM stuff and now I run Oregon chain.

here's a fun youtube video on getting over logs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FUo9tzK2SY)

amazing how the trendy fad bike pink 29'er seems to have the most success
That's it then! 29ers are best for people with no skills!

I hope my description was good enough.

It made sense to me. I think this may be a decent supplement: http://tuktok.com/loghop/

First you need a big trampoline. Line it up just right so it angles up just fine with the trail.
Right at it at full blast then bounny hop onto the trampoline the rebound should be enough to launch you into err over the log.

First you need a big trampoline. Line it up just right so it angles up just fine with the trail.
Right at it at full blast then bounny hop onto the trampoline the rebound should be enough to launch you into err over the log.

that's almost as funny as Vick's "breeding stand"