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This Sunday I was riding at Swinley with my daughter and managed to do a slow motion fall off the first boardwalk landing badly on my left leg.
I've done it and other boardwalks many times before with no problems, I think I was worrying about my daughter and not concentrating.
If you find yourself on a boardwalk without enough speed what's the best way to dismount? If I'd had more speed I'd have ridden off the side but I didn't and for a higher boardwalk that might not be practical.
Push the bike through under you and catch the seat in its way through
Yep as above. A little bit like going off the back of the bike when looping out on a wheelie or manual. Push the bike through while hopping off and try to catch the saddle or just let the bike fall over without you on it.
Thanks, when my knee is better I'll find something low and practice - a plank on the ground sounds my level of thrill at the moment!
Drop the dropper and stand up..
Raised boardwalks and skinnies are firmly in the 'not worth the risk' category for me, I generally just avoid them unless they're wide enough that I would have be being especially dim to come off them. There's a qualifier one on FtD that precedes a rock garden, how a raised skinny qualifies you for a long straight downhill rock garden I don't know, so I just ride round it and do the rocks.
I see FB reels of the super high skinnies in Canada and the US and just no, wouldn't attempt it, and have no desire to. Not scared of heights, but they fail the fun/risk/consequence calculation for me most of the time. Not enough fun, too easy to fall off, and too high a chance of properly hurting myself.
<p style="text-align: left;">Seems most boardwalk is in a "break neck" hight range. Lower and you could just step off. Higher and you've actually got enough height to right yourself before impact.</p>
The swinley one is low enough that you can ride it out if you are still moving - turn away from the boardwalk so you get sufficiently far out that your pedal or chainring dont catch.
Alternatively, if youre going slow, and probably flat pedal only - stop, and as you start to tip, jump off to the side and land (on your feet) on the floor, bike still on the boardwalk, hands still on the bars to stop the bike going down.
Assume this is the 1 foot wide main boardwalk, not the 3 inch skinny. I have no idea how you do them, they terrify me - mainly the thought that I'll be destroying my brakes or mech if I go over the edge.
both brakes on, move forward with belly over the bars to control the suspension from rising up quickly, one foot behind front wheel and then swing leg over. dont stick a leg out and jump off
2
jediboth brakes on, move forward with belly over the bars to control the suspension from rising up quickly, one foot behind front wheel and then swing leg over. dont stick a leg out and jump off
this could be a trick, I've seen all the videos, jedi doesn't need to step off on boardwalks
DO NOT step off the back as the saddle can catch your shirts as the suspension rises
I'm tempted to go out and practice the jedi trick.
In the meantime, pedals level, grab the brakes and jump up and off to one side. Managed it a few times, and my theory was that if I'm holding the bars I won't break and arm, and if I go both legs together I'm less likely to go over on an ankle.
Dismounting on a boardwalk
...go over the handlebars.
...put arms out to stop your face hitting first.
...arms are too wide and end up going either side of boardwalk.
...land with a massive whack chest-first and end up in A&E having chest XRays for suspected broken ribs.
🙂
I’ve always exited with a side hop, or drop. Went slightly wrong around 20 years ago on the skinny at the end of a downhill at Innerleithen iirc, no dropper post at the time and the saddle made for a hard landing.
Grabbing a tree has also been an option in the past.
Liking the responses 😀
I have an irrational fear of the Swinley boardwalks, they are just high enough to inflict injury in an embarrassing slow speed off, so I just go around them...
both brakes on, move forward with belly over the bars to control the suspension from rising up quickly, one foot behind front wheel and then swing leg over. dont stick a leg out and jump off
What happens with the bike when you stop? I can't quite picture this
I have an irrational fear of the Swinley boardwalks, they are just high enough to inflict injury in an embarrassing slow speed off, so I just go around them
I’ll probably get told off, but go faster, the bike is more stable. Treat it like any other bit of singletrack (it’s actually quite wide).
The narrow bit I only ever clear first time when nobody sees it.
I did similar on the second one a week or so ago, rode the first fine started the second and suddenly thought hang on I'm with my son if I get hurt he will get in a right panic, then I panicked and fell off 😄😄😄. Grazed my leg a bit so was ok really.
Just let go of bike and jump up in the air giving a little flick of the feet and a twist to tuck your legs to one side before landing gracefully commandingly both feet on the on ground arms in a cactus shape.
It's controls the bikes rebound.... leffeboy.
ah ok. I was getting confused by the swinging the leg over bit, first time round I read it that you were swinging your other leg over the bars which made no sense. get it now thanks
both brakes on, move forward with belly over the bars to control the suspension from rising up quickly, one foot behind front wheel and then swing leg over. dont stick a leg out and jump off
Sounds like a generally useful skill to practice for getting off the bike on narrow trails that drop off to the side?
Yes indeed
Drift so you end up under it.