Mountain Biking - Teeter Totter Time

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Zan
10-12-08, 04:44 PM
Decided to go out for a "clean-up" ride with my buddy yesterday. You know, clean up the trees that the beavers and the storms take down.

We took a break at a construction site (the trail originally ran under the freeway, and there's construction happening there now), and played 'round on the jumps in the area.

Afterwards we decided to build a teeter-totter with all the wood lying around. I called up another buddy, and the three of us got to it.

The fulcrum is simply a large PVC pipe with a 2x6 running through it. Originally the plan was to attach the boards to the pipe itself. That didn't work out too well, so we built a box 'round the PVC pipe to keep everything together.

Pictures:

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll288/theConditioned/Teeter%20Totter/IMG_3799.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll288/theConditioned/Teeter%20Totter/IMG_3800.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll288/theConditioned/Teeter%20Totter/IMG_3801.jpg

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll288/theConditioned/Teeter%20Totter/IMG_3804.jpg

the pic of me riding it isn't all that great. the timer has a 10 sec max of it. doesn't give you a lot of time to push the button, hop on the bike, ride back, turn 'round and ride up the damn thing.

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll288/theConditioned/Teeter%20Totter/IMG_3810.jpg

i hadn't ridden a teeter-totter before; this is my first. i guess i made it too easy to ride. 'bout 20' long and 10" wide.

what do you think?

cryptid01
10-12-08, 06:42 PM
shoddy construction, stolen wood...I like it!
scrublover
10-12-08, 06:50 PM
Looks good! IMO, the shorter/higher, the tougher. Also more fun! Steep downside sorta' throws you forward when things begin to tip. Disconcerting feeling the first few times.

Now you need to find a cool feature trail-wise to incorporate that into. Something to give you a tougher on and off. :)

Zan
10-12-08, 06:53 PM
yeah, it might be ugly. only brought hammers + hand saws. we usually use the "eh, that's looks about right" construction method. it's strong, though.

if we want this to last for more than a year, we're going to have to reinforce it laterally. we just ran out of time. riding up and down it (normal use) everything is cool. if someone heavy, however, slams into it sideways (bad bail?), or if vandals come 'round, there might be a problem.