[Closed] Chatel road gap

Its a decent size:

It used to be quite a bit smaller, but has grown over the years.

You see that looks big but nice n smooth. Do you need to pop it like a jump or just ride it like a drop?

I don't do jumps or drops. That looks massive to me. 😯

If you do look at it - I agree, its massive. But if you come out of the berm at a steady speed the gap is gifted to you. Basically you do nothing but ride off it and land on a nice smooth transition.

Ive seen it, stopped to look and thought F***me, that's massive. But its in your head. Just come out of the berm and focus on the landing, job done.

Do you need to pop it like a jump or just ride it like a drop?

Like a stepdown I would say. You can roll from the RH corner above, no braking in the berm and just off the end, it's not 'that' big or eventful to be honest , the worst bit always used to be the corner after 🙂

Decent rolling speed out of the berm, smile for the camera
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Cheers all. I'll do my usual thing of telling everyone I want to hit it so when we get there I have to do it in order not to look like a total tit! Worked so far..

I looked at it a few times in 2014 but never mustered up the courage. Told myself the landing was too chopped up after all the rain (was the week after the Mega so was really bad). I did do the river gap which also looked massive but was very doable, so maybe try that first?

Yeah I'll be riding other stuff first. There's a couple bits in Huez I want to do which I didn't get last year, then there's plenty in Morzine to tick off. The road gap is the one I've been eyeing up since we decided to go though. River gap also something I'm keen on

I'll do my usual thing of telling everyone I want to hit it so when we get there I have to do it in order not to look like a total tit!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who does that 😆

Anywhere local you can get some practice in first? We have a few jumps like that locally.

The river gap is always a nice one to get in early as its so easy once you have done it once, it's a feel good jump, then you can buzz back up and hit the other.

Honestly the hardest bit is making sure the cow is under it.... (not done it 😉 )

I
Would
Die.

Do it on the last day, after lunch.

I've looked at it a lot (from the lift) but I know it'll never pass my risk to reward test, never going to happen. Same for the river jump in the bike park and the old shed jump that was in Let Gets. I'm sure it would be a great buzz to do, but I'm told old, the kids too young and too broken from old crashes.

I'm avin it!

Do air voltage first. Then it's easy

Nothing. I repeat nothing, would ever make me want to do that. I'm sure it's lovely if everything goes right, but if something do go wrong it's gonna be like total f-ing ruptured spleen time.

Bravo if you can do it though. Each to their own I suppose.

I
Would
Die.

Me two (the left and right halves after my top tube passes through my body!)

The video is more recent than goodgriefs picture. Trimix is correct however it's basically gifted to you the gradient in gives you the right speed to roll from one of the jumps before the big right hand berm that sets you up into it and the landing is smooth... however as on that video you do see quite a few people putting a couple of pedal strokes into it now...so your call... you don't need to go flat out into it but you do need to be carrying speed!

However... I would recommend that you are prepared to corner hard left after it and that you know how to place your bike down into a steep landing as they have removed the wooden take off ramp and made the landing much steeper in the last 3 years. They have done this by cutting into the banking more so it's also a little narrower.

If you want something easier to focus on first I'd say do the step up down further down the hill or the river gap.

The river gap is dead easy you just need speed - the jump isn't kicky or weird but you do need to know how to jump.. ie how to pop a lip.

There are other features down at the bottom of the swiss national that are smaller and maybe easier to get your head around...

Theres another good road gap in Morgins too but the entry in is harder but it's smaller.

Enjoy!

Morgin has a lovely catchnet too..

Just remembered Zougouloukata. Now that's a river gap

Just remembered Zougouloukata. Now that's a river gap

Insane track. I'll never have the skill to ride it, but I love watching others smash it.

Better wear the brown shorts that day.
Never managed the double after the gap as it spits you to the left oddly

It's shut at the moment

no_eyed_deer

"but if something do go wrong it's gonna be like total f-ing ruptured spleen time"

Na, just a broken arm and three days in Thonon Les Bains hospital.

I have however also ruptured my spleen at a different jump / drop

Just searched that Zougouloukata. I need to stop worrying about the road gap and start worrying about that trail I think! 2 of the lads will be all over that, and they're pretty good at talking me into stuff as well.

*Goes over to pinkbike to look at neck braces

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/329693/ @1.30ish

Watch to the end, worth it for the HTF

Awesome vid! Perfect landing, just too many Gs!!

chrishc777 - Member
I'm avin it!

Too big for me.

Slight thread derail but I'm off there on Friday for a week. Any local updates re the trails, weather etc.?

According to a guy I follow on strava (I rode the Surrey hills with him a couple of times) they had a day's torrential rain earlier this week and there's some trails closed but he didn't know where they were and of course Crankworx looked a total washout in Les Gets.

(I've been there a number of times so yes I know it rains, well except for last year when it was 42 degrees plus I have a better grasp of the trails than my Strava buddy does).

search avoriaz mtb on facebook, its looking good now

Looks ok

Some mud but not bad at all

cheers guys, looking sweet. Was there in 2014 too when we had a total washout and really don't want that again.

Well just got back, weather was horrific, it was snowing when we went to chatel so was a no go..

We're on our way back now. Chatel is a muddy mess three of us ended up in the river because the wooden shoot on the red has no netting on it. The people trail and all the their trails on that side are closed because of rebuilding works.

Jesus Christ.

Glad I went to Italy instead this year.

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