It is a SS.

mael, I've had this bike for a while, I just havent been riding it much due to road cycling. I just sort of rode it to class and hopped it off curbs and stuff.

theres a common theme here that I should try to learn to hop w/o clipless and I can kinda do it, only about 3-4 inches from playing around on the bmx bikes that we have at the store. after all, I have to do a test ride, right? I would use platforms, but the big prob I had was that the platforms hurt my knees for some reaspn, and I was so used to pulling up that I kept lifting my foot off the pedal. thats what I kept doing when riding to class, anyway. I put the clipless on for going to class too.

and my seat is a bit lower than on the roadie, I figured that w/ a SS rigid, I'd be standing more than sitting anyway. I was actually clearing logs and stuff pretty well. I'm not sure if I was doing it right, I lifted the front wheel so that it hit the top of the log, the front would bounce up due to the huge tires then I'd sort of throw the bike like I was finishing a sprint, and pop the bike over the top. It seemed to work ok. I suppose I need to just work on finding lines, and that might be helped by riding by myself.

the thing I'm worried about though is what would I do if I had this happen when I was by myself? I was lucky in that I was riding with a doctor, and he made a sling out of my camelback and whatnot. I mean aside from daskobtimburt, has anyone ever had a serious crash by themselves?

You definitely want to be careful when riding by yourself. I only do stuff I know I can do or at least won't get hurt if I botch it up (i.e. no log bridges or stuff like that unless they're low and there's a soft landing below). Even practicing some not-so-difficult manuevers helps, though. It's like practicing scales in music. They're fundementally simple, but it still helps a lot with more difficult pieces when you can do them well.

Maybe you got too cocky for those guys you were riding with, and they decided to see just what you're made of. Just because your a decent roadie, don't mean squat when it comes to some technique's used off road. I bet I could make you do an endo within the 1st ½ mile on some trails I ride....

Balance and momentum are two important skills to learn if you plan to stick with the sport....

No, no, no ...

Find someone who is more patient with a beginner and follow HIS line. There are those souls out there who have learned through the school of hard knocks, and are more than willing to help newbies avoid their injuries. Your uber MTB friends may not be right for the job.

Making up your own lines is a bad recipe. This is for the experienced soul. Follow someone who KNOWS the trail and follow THEIR line.

The alternative is to find someone at a LOT lower level and ride with them.

Yes, there is. The key is to spread the impact force over the greatest number of points as possible. This is what makes a "rolling fall" preferable to a "hand stand fall".

When rolling forward in an endo, you will be better off going with the flow and landing on your back (so long as you tuck your head). If you do put your arms out to shield yourself, make sure that your arms give, don't lock out your elbows.

There is no way to think your way through this. You'll have to go to a gym and work on it with mats. The best way is to find a Aikido, Jujitsu, or Hapkido school (listed in order of preference) and take some classes. They will train you how to fall without hurting yourself.

To stick to the pedals or not:
A common theme when dealing with newbies is that they should avoid clipless. While riding flats will give the newbie more confidence, riding clipless is probably better for their crashworthiness.

When crashing on clipless, a theme is being "locked in" such that you must complete the obstacle. This will push the newbie farther. But it also has the added bonus of "locking" the newbie into poses that are more crashworthy. If you fall on your side, you'll likely impact the handlebars and hips at the same time while the leg follows. On an endo, your "stuck" so that a simple head tuck will naturally send you tumbling onto your back instead of sticking your arms out in front of you. Likewise, getting to much vertical send you into a backroll that will see one revolution over the back and likely flattening the bike (and yourself onto the side).

Being able to jump off your bike before a crash is GREAT. But being stuck half way in is bad. Being stuck ALL the way is GOOD as it will keep you safe (so long as you're not biking by large precipices).