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Great ride yesterday!
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Posted by: wayneg---------------------
Well I did my first fully intentional floater turn in an actual trial this weekend. It was only a very small floater but it felt good, and worked perfectly. I was so surprised I fell off about 10 feet further up the section, but the thought was there. It was up a slight bank, and we had to do a full lock turn about 10 feet up the bank, and then come back down again. After watching the Ryan Young video the night before, I thought I'd be a bit of a smarty pants. Its good to know that even a total goose can get some of these advanced techniques right sometimes.
I also did a rather large 270 degree floater that I wasn't quite expecting! This was up a steepish hill which was covered with very loose soil and rocks. I got a bit out of control, and then suddenly got traction when I didn't really expect to. I was off balance and before I knew what was happening I was off back down the hill, into a tree stump and then over the bars. It gave the other riders something to smile about, once they'd lifted the bike off me. 
I will be smiling all day after having a good fun ride yesterday. Its been the first ride for a month, so even the wind and rain couldn't dampen the spirits down too much (its winter over here!).
Posted by: Leapin Lisa---------------------
Way to go!!!! Keep up the good job. Those little steps of success will lead to bigger and better ones. I also have a copy of Ryan Young's video and it is a great learning tool, and very well worth the cash.
Posted by: yzeater---------------------
can you explain what a floater is?
Posted by: wayneg---------------------
It sort of a wheelie turn, where you do a wheelie and then turn the bike on the back wheel, and then drop the front wheel back onto the ground. You would normally use this technique on a very tight uphill turn, or if theres a lot of loose rocks that you want to avoid hitting with your front wheel. The experts generally make them seem really easy, like poetry in motion, but for beginnners like me they are a pretty ragged affair. Thats why I'm boasting so much, because I'm very happy that I actually managed to do one and make it stick!!! My first ever INTENTIONAL floater!!! 
Posted by: David Trustrum---------------------
Ah which answers my PM. Obviously you did brave the weather.
Keen.
Perhaps the turn was 'Wind Assisted'? 
(we had roofs loosened here in wellington over the weekend)
Posted by: wayneg---------------------
I also went on a BMW "return to riding" session at the go-cart track at Kaitoke. The weather was really bad with rain and wind, but I enjoyed myself anyway. It was my first ride on a road bike for 6 or 7 years, and I didn't even crash!! Quite surprising really, although we could only use the first three gears being quite a small track, and also knee deep in water.
The trial was a good event with cloudy weather until about 1.30pm. And then we got some horizontal rain, but as most of the sections were under some trees anyway, it didn't matter. There was quite a good turnout, with about 30-40 riders, quite a few newish faces as well.
Posted by: David Trustrum---------------------
Yeah I rang a friend who lives a stonethrow away from the trial & it sounded enough to keep me in bed.
Had talked about venues for that BMW day. Tried to convince that Kiatoke would be silly. We race buckets there & it is perfect -but BMWs, please! 
Posted by: Patman---------------------
wayneg that's AWESOME! Nothing like hearing of good progress at the beginning of the work week. Gives me something to look forward to this weekend.
Posted by: GETMETOCA---------------------
Great Job WayneG!!
YZEATER, thanks for asking what a floater is, I too was curiuos.
Posted by: JTT---------------------
Awesome wayneg! I too experienced the "less than desirable" version just recently. Picture a large rack face about 80 degrees incline about 15' high....now picture a perfectly executed floater turn just about at the top of the face...now picture me on knees about halfway up the same rock, watching as my poor little bike performs far better solo than with me attached. In hindsight, after watching the completion of the landing, I guess I was glad to be on my knees watching....ouch!
Posted by: wayneg---------------------
I think its a power to weight thing, but my Beta always seems to be able to go much faster without me on it, especially downhill :scream: . Also I have watched the bike on numerous occasions make it up obstacles by itself with much more skill than if I was on it It is always painful to watch your pride and joy complete a horrendous crash - its basic human nature to be thinking 'ouch that would've hurt'
I have also noticed that my 'saving the bike' technique has improved recently. Before I wouldn't quite manage to 'save' the bike when having one of my awkward little moments, but now I'm getting a bit better at catching it, or flinging it up the last few feet up a hill (when it becomes obvious that I'm not going to make it). It sure is saving me a lot of money in broken plastic bits.
It is always nice to start the week off in a nice positive way. Its Tuesday and I'm still smiling!!!! Roll on October when we have our Nationals!!!
Posted by: bagger---------------------
sounds like you guys ride like me
Posted by: wayneg---------------------
No Bagger - I'm MUCH worse than you!!
Posted by: bagger---------------------
thats hard to belive
Posted by: David Trustrum---------------------
Yeah it is a little, for all his public self flagellation (these married people are sickos 
) Wayne is a pretty handy rider.
Ok he likes to bail out once & a while. . .
& a friend did suggest the factory sent him stuff to test it for durability. . . :D
Posted by: bleh---------------------
uh im a newbie, so i have a stupid question, when doing a floater, how much do you have to turn? i can turn about 120 degrees without flipping or stalling my bike.
Posted by: Patman---------------------
Then your about 110 degrees better than me! I've seen video of 180 and beyond up to about 220 but I'm sure some of the better riders can just ride circles 
Posted by: bagger---------------------
yea like me,just not with my tire in the air.
Posted by: Patman---------------------
Well I can say that 180 is VERY possible as I saw Ray Peters make it look like childs play today.
Posted by: wayneg---------------------
I can safely say that the 270 degree floater that I managed was very painful
and embarrassing!!!
Posted by: bagger---------------------
Quote:
Originally posted by Patman
Well I can say that 180 is VERY possible as I saw Ray Peters make it look like childs play today.
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yea,ray has a way of doing that.
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