Neck Soreness from Drops

[pirate]

Okay, so I did a little "urban assault" in Columbia tonight on my new FR hardtail. I found some nice little stair gaps, some skinnies, and one 4 foot loading dock drop. Everything was fine, (no crashes or anything) until I got home and noticed that my neck felt like it was freakin' broken! I mean REALLY sore. I assume it was from the jarring of the 4 foot drop to flat concrete. My question is, what can I do to minimize the pounding my neck and back are taking? I'm admittedly brand new at this kind of riding, so any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[YJoe]

I have had similar experiences. My FS has helped tremendously with big drops. But I also found a lighter helmet made it better when I was doing 4 foots to flat on my HT. I had a cheaper helmet with a little extra weight but switched to a Xen. A few times felt like I got whiplash. I also ran 2.3's with a little less air in them to take the shock.

[redneckp3ngu1n]

I also ran 2.3's with a little less air in them to take the shock.

I have found that if you run less pressure then you will bottom out your tires and the shock will be transfered directly through the wheelset and frame to your body. I like running higher pressure because i dont bottom out the wheels on big drops and it helps rolling resistance (i have 2.4 hollyrollers) Also try and land on your rear wheel as much as you can without looping out. Try and keep your head level the entire time . Here (http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5514/1638/1600/Ericdrop.jpg) is a sequence shot that jake took of me doing a 2.5-3 footer. As you can see i almost hump the bar so that my rear wheel is directly under my center of gravity. My head never pivots when i land so i dont get the "whiplash" effect. Im not the smoothest rider out there and my style is pretty ugly but it seems to work for me and some other people i know who have similar style. If you want to learn how to drop really smoothly check out some videos of Jeff Lenosky, Ryan Leech or Chris Akrigg. The people who went to the Lenosky show saw him go off a 7 foot to flat concrete with a very smooth style and I have seen videos of Leech drop 15+ feet to flat on a hardtail and roll away from it with no damage to him or his bike. Just try and immitate their style on smaller drops and progess gradually to the 4 foot mark you are at now.

Here are a few vids.
Jeff Lenosky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ExVCtJ3r1E&search=Jeff%20lenosky

Ryan Leech:
http://www.norco.com/ts/pass/norco06usa/templates/extras.php?lang=en&loc=videogallery&sloc=aliasLab_panamania

Chris Akrigg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7TFAmhNpus

All these videos are great to watch and have trials riders landing sizeable drops to flat smoothly. Ryan leech definatly has the biggest. (ps dont listen to fion griffs song on the norco site it will make you want to kill yourself)

[Brizn]

Also try and land on your rear wheelYea, I'm no big dropper, but i'd agree with this, especially after having been a bmx 'weenie'. Even on a bike sans suspension, you can use your body to extend the rear wheel down to the ground, make contact as gently as possible, then smooth it out to a landing. Your bike is an appendage that acts as suspension. Not sher if that made cents, but I felt lyke reesponding. It's finesse.

[jabberwocky]

Its certainly possible you landed wrong on one drop and pulled something in your neck. Back and neck injuries can be weird in that you don't notice them immediately, but much later they hurt like all hell.

If it's a chronic problem, work on landing smooth. Make sure your seat is jammed as low as it will go when doing drops, as that gives you room to absorb the impact with your body. Land rear wheel first, with your legs extended (but not locked), and try to absorb as much with your body as possible. Remember that skateboarders land 15 foot drops to flat pavement with no suspension whatsoever, its all about being smooth and absorbing the impact with your body.

[urbaindk]

My advice, avoid 4 foot drops to flat, unless 1. you learn to drop trials style as mentioned above. 2. you are hauling ass. There is something about hauling ass off a drop that allows a better transfer of downward to forward momentum. There's some funky physics going on there for sure.

Best course of action - find something with a transition and save yourself a lot of pain.


Edit: those trials vids are sick. Thanks for posting them up.

[pirate]

Hmmm... Lots of good info here. I guess I'm going to have to learn to land "trials" style ASAP. Those guys in those videos are ridiculously smooth. They make it look so easy.

Also, that place with the loading dock had a TON of pallets and wood and stuff, so maybe I could build a little temporary transition to mess around on. :D

[urbaindk]

Hmmm... Lots of good info here. I guess I'm going to have to learn to land "trials" style ASAP. Those guys in those videos are ridiculously smooth. They make it look so easy.




When you start doing trials style drops, for the love of god start on something small, curbs even, and move up slowly. Your ass will thank me later. It's real easy to loop out and when you do you will land with all your weight on your tail bone and then experience other realm levels of pain and agony. Been there done that - too many times. Ouch.

You can get the body english from videos like the redneckpenguin posted (assuming you can breakdown and even comprehend what they are doing :eek: ). The part you can't see in the videos is how they feather the rear brake to bring the front down slowly and under control. This will also save you from looping out sometimes.

Lots to think about. Have fun.

More good stuff can be found here http://www.trials-online.com/trials-techniques.php. This stuff really carries over and applies to all types of riding, especially the balance exercises. Good for everybody to read.

[vamodeo]

jdfsakakakakakakakakakakakakakak

[urbaindk]

Note: Hardtails are not designed to do 4 ft drops, nor are XC forks. You are basically abusing the hell out of the bike.


Ummm. Pirate's bike is not an xc HT or and doesn't have an xc fork, dude. It was made to take a modicum of abuse. But thanks for your concern. Watch the videos and learn.

[pirate]

Ummm. Pirate's bike is not an xc HT or and doesn't have an xc fork, dude. It was made to take a modicum of abuse. But thanks for your concern. Watch the videos and learn.

Yeah, I have a Cove Stiffee FR frame, with a Marzocchi Z1 Freeride Fork. The bike also has big ass wheels with a 2.5 tire in the back and a 2.7 in the front. It's definitely built to be burly and to take some serious abuse. :D

[vamodeo]

My bad!

:eek:

Ummm. Pirate's bike is not an xc HT or and doesn't have an xc

fork, dude. It was made to take a modicum of abuse. But thanks for your concern. Watch the videos and learn.

[pirate]

My bad!

:eek:

Heheh... No biggie, dude. I never would have thought a hardtail could take this kind of abuse either. :D

[urbaindk]

Just for giggles check out this veritable orgy of burly hardtail pictures:

http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10689

:D

[pirate]

Yeah, I've seen that thread. You've gotta love a hardtail with a dual crown fork! :eek: