What goes up, must come down!?

[Sink]

You know the saying, throw shit up it's coming back down...

Well this morning while having my daily visit to the Skate park, I sat and watched a few lads over the spines, i just don't get it, can someone explain in lamens terms how to get over the spine and down the other side without smashing ya teeth in,
brake it down for me, i'm an old slow fart, i just can't get my head round it, body shifting, weight distribution etc etc....
I kind of like my front teeth, they cost me £500 and i don't wanna end up eating em 

[Betty]

Don't go too slow, you'll hang up on it

Carve over it slightly, when your front wheel is over push forward and down

You'll more than likely land flat the first couple of times, stay on the bike, don't try to bail... it hurts!

Once you've got over it you can work on the technique 

[kev-s]

as above cut across the spine slightly, once your front wheel is over push the front end down into the transition

[Sink]

And a big dose of bottle 

Anything i should or could pratice before taking the plunge? i.e bounching on my head

[Dannywhac]

Yep - as above - cutting across the spine will give you more to land on Try finding a smaller one first - don't go headlong onto a 6'er....

[kev-s]

small and mellow as poss to start off with, keep doing it till you can do it without thinking about it then find a slightly bigger one

having some balls help lol

there is a 6 year old at southsea who can do the 5ft spine on a 12in bike, he clips his chainring everytime but he makes it, now that takes balls!!

[Sink]

The one's in the park i ride are pretty small, maybe 4ft, but when up there they seem like 40ft  

[griff]

Peter J will be along in a bit to tell you exactly how it's done  

[Sink]

Is it nessasary to get air over the spine?

[Sink]

there is a 6 year old at southsea who can do the 5ft spine on a 12in bike, he clips his chainring everytime but he makes it, now that takes balls!!

No fear or concept of pain at that age 

[TwoBobRob]

Is it nessasary to get air over the spine?

Nope, not at all. You can almost skim over them with the right technique.

A couple of things;

As the others have said, you need to carve on the way up - but - if you carve your opposite way on the way up, this means that as you pop over the top you'll find yourself in the correct orientation to come down the other side in your natural stance, as it were.

Unfortunately, it'll only make sense to you once you're having a crack at it.

Also (and more importantly) don't get into the habit of dabbing your foot or feet on the top. It's a fcuking nightmare habit to break and does you absolutely no good at all. Far better to keep your feet on and just monster truck over it smashing chainrings on the way.

Finally, a few of us took another course of action when getting over our first spines and simply launched to flat. Usually painful, but it removes the fear immediately and you can get on with the job of getting smooth.

[Badbaldie]

You know the saying, throw shit up it's coming back down...

Well this morning while having my daily visit to the Skate park, I sat and watched a few lads over the spines, i just don't get it, can someone explain in lamens terms how to get over the spine and down the other side without smashing ya teeth in,
brake it down for me, i'm an old slow fart, i just can't get my head round it, body shifting, weight distribution etc etc....
I kind of like my front teeth, they cost me £500 and i don't wanna end up eating em 

Peter j is your man for this one , he gives demos on how NOT to do the spine 

[Sink]

Is it nessasary to get air over the spine?

Finally, a few of us took another course of action when getting over our first spines and simply launched to flat. Usually painful, but it removes the fear immediately and you can get on with the job of getting smooth.

When you say launched to flat, do you mean missing the transition and just hitting flat ground?

[TwoBobRob]

Yep!

[oldtired]

tis a real mind game the spine,   local ones near me scare the sit out of me every time , as said i found carving made it a bit easier , although you carve opposite to land the right way,   or carve the right way and then lean in the wrong way to land        ,   going straight over is real tough for me, just feels real odd pushing the front end down so far,   as always start small n well padded up    will scare the shite out of you but the grinn soon takes over 

[Sink]

Thanks for all the info and pointers, I think i got it worked out in my mind now, just need to get out on it and give it a go 

The couple of times i've made it to the top, I've ended up standing on the spine and dropping the bike over the other side, just need to do it I guess 

[TwoBobRob]

Best to go with someone who can do it already. Best break that habit of standing on the top - that'll fcuk you up big style....

[Sink]

Best to go with someone who can do it already. Best break that habit of standing on the top - that'll fcuk you up big style....

I'm going to pull up one of the lads in there next time their doing the spine, and tie my feet to the pedals so i don't foot plant again 

[TwoBobRob]

You have to make that decision in your own head - you make it down the other side on your wheels or on your chin. Either way, your feet remain on those bastard pedals 

[Sink]

Maybe i should wear a full face helmet instead of my pi$$ pot, i might just come away with some teeth

[TwoBobRob]

Don't be self concious mate, pad up! Wear it all and get yourself over.

You can look cool in your pisspot after you've mastered it 

[Sink]

  Is it possible to look cool in a Pi$$pot   Turns my stomache to watch these youngens throwing their bikes over ramps, with now protection at all
Would they throw their todger up some tart with no protection................................. Oh yea most of em would!!

[TwoBobRob]

Just the way it is. Nothing really changes, just how we remember it does. I never wore pads back in the 80s, wore loads of pads in the 90s, wear some pads now.

The only thing I disagree with is riders taking the piss out of other riders for wearing pads. Out of order in my eyes.

You're right about the pisspots of course, it's very nearly completely impossible to look cool in one of those. Let alone be protected..... but don't get me started on that one..... 

[evamedia]

+ 1 in the send it to flat camp

[ED209]

theres plenty other stuff to ride.

Fuc* Spines.