Mountain Biking - Do you use the brakes for short, steep, roll-able drop-offs?

There's a short(~2 1/2') steep drop at the local trail that I'm pretty certain is roll-able. It's a large rock face that has a distinct edge to it where it drops down, and is basically vertical until right near the end where it does make a quick turn out away from the face. I tried rolling it today and went OTB. :( Got to try out my new helmet, though. :o So question is, if I can roll it, do I just go slowly, get way behind the seat before I go over the edge, and then just roll without touching the brakes? Or do you ride the brakes a little? I'm not sure exactly what sent me OTB the first time, but I want to try it again tomorrow.

look where you want to go, and go there. no brakes when rolling. if it's rollable, just roll it and keep on going. apply brakes when you are level.

if you don't have enough speed, a well place rock will stop you enough to send you over the bars. brake before the roll to scrub speed, then just point and go.

Awesome. Thanks. I'll try it again tomorrow and hopefully won't end up in front of the bike and getting hit in the helmet by the back wheel again. :) I'm planning a big day tomorrow of skill progression. Gonna nail that roller and hit a ~3 1/2' drop I've been building up the courage to try. So, get behind seat right before I roll it, no brakes, then brakes immediately after once on level ground(because there is a turn right after it).

Sounds like you have something similar to this (only probably not quite so large. Is that the one you asked about in the other thread?

This one was a roller but if you went slow, you'd have to pull up mightily to avoid the front end plummeting straight down. Get back (note how far back I am), roll it with authority so the front end leaves the edge, then brake below, as pablo said. This one had a sharp left less that 20' from the bottom:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t162/dminorwa/Moscow%20Arms%20Race/l_0ff89ee2240fd451117f1ef81f027e0b.jpg

If there is a skate park nearby where you live, try riding up and down the quarter-pipe, if they have one. It's good practice.

Thanks, D. Which other thread? Anywho, wow, you are Really far back. Thanks for the pic to show that. I'd say this drop is about as steep as the part below your front wheel, but yeah, not nearly as large of a drop. Once I get better, I'll probably just ride it fast enough to go right off the edge and drop in the air rather than roll it, but for now I'm gonna learn to do the roll. It's a skill I need to master anyway. Hopefully I'll report back with good news this afternoon.

The half pipe is a good suggestion. I'll have to see if we have one nearby. I do have a DJ fork on my bike too, which should be fairly well suited to the skate park. Could be fun.

Thanks, D. Which other thread? Anywho, wow, you are Really far back. Thanks for the pic to show that. I'd say this drop is about as steep as the part below your front wheel, but yeah, not nearly as large of a drop. Once I get better, I'll probably just ride it fast enough to go right off the edge and drop in the air rather than roll it, but for now I'm gonna learn to do the roll. It's a skill I need to master anyway. Hopefully I'll report back with good news this afternoon.My bad . . . I was mixing your question up with a similar post by spohn in another thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/545271-Taken-for-granted-techniques-for-new-riders?p=14195839&viewfull=1#post14195839). about rolling small drops. (I'm going to blame it on age and failling memory :D)

There are a lot of even bigger rolls that you only need enough momentum to get the front lofted a bit so it doesn't dive on you - - you don't necessarily have to air to clean them (but it is fun if you can eventually work up to it). Sounds like you're on the right track; good luck.

Oh yeah! I don't know why I stopped keeping an eye on that thread! Thanks for reminding me about it. Full of good tips and even just little reminders of things that a newbie(like me) might have read but forgotten to do.

I followed a guy down a steep roller, his front suspension absorbed the sudden transition to flat, allowing him to keep rolling through it. My rigid fork did not. Superman!!! A bunch of wrist sized alders caught me and let me down easy. Whew!