Originally Posted by
alcanoe
The step is easy: get off the saddle and unweight the front wheel. The rear wheel will be ok. If your proficient, unweight both wheels at the same time.
Typical kill mandatory for mountain biking and works on the road. Good to practice. Works on ruts/potholes as you can lift the front wheel over the hole if one sneaks up on you.
The cattle grate is a new one: get off the saddle and hold the bars super tight and obviously cross at right angle. Will it work? Don't know about the grate as never have done one. Have done the step thing several times.
I use 25 mm tires @ 110 front and 120 rear. A little better for riding on the shoulder if you have to escape a car coming too close.
You don't have to watch the Tour DE France or Paris-Roubaix (on the wet cobble stones at around 30 mph) to know things can get risky. But what activity doesn't get risky. Seems like I remember something like most people get hurt in accidents at home.
I don't know what a bike made to go fast means as none are made for grates and steps. You gotta improvise and practice defense. My cyclocross goes very fast yet has that extra strength (e
specially in the carbon fork) and good handling to deal with steps and grates if I do my job.
Al
I hope someone reads this and gets something out of this.
Rabbit Hops, as you describe are great at moderate speeds. I do it all the time on trails at speeds around 20 MPH. Going downhill in New Mexico for instance, I was the chicken and limited my speed to the 30's. Others went 50's. I am not good enough to do a Rabbit Hop at that speed.
Cattle Guards are popular in NM. Please be warned.
Another hidden danger is Washboards. These are wrinkled up asphalt in hairpin curves. It takes a lot of skill to handle that.
I now use a bike like a
Cyclocross, There is a vast improvement in safety because of fatter tires and generally more sturdy construction. Can not keep up with my Madone.