I’m trying to learn to go from a crank grab up to rubber (ie up onto the ledge I crank grabbed on). Is there a secret to this technique? (my search didn’t yield anything useful)
I can’t seem to get the tire to clear the ledge. I’m using a KH24, not a trials uni. Will that make much difference? I also can’t really lower my seatpost much (my one complain about the KH frame is that it doesn’t allow much height adjustment), and it’s hard to squat down very far before springing up.
I tried it from a pedal grab instead, but it felt too squirrely–having the whole crank on the ledge gives me the sense of a firm platform that I’m working from.
focus on just pulling up. don’t worry about making it over onto the ledge that’ll take care of itself. squat a bit, then in one fluid motion jump and pull the uni up under you.
But you have to jump higher to go to rubber. A 20" is easier for this move, but there is no “tip” that someone can tell you that will make it easier that you wouldnt think of yourself. Much like with any trick, just go practice a bunch.
I don’t know if anyone picked up on this but crank-grabbing to rubber is so much easier then pedal-grabbing to rubber. I know this probably doesn’t help but i’ve found it helps if you think of crank-grabbing to rubber as a ‘peeling’ motion. You have to lean your uni ‘into’ the ledge so that your crank isn’t completely resting on the ledge then draw up your legs. It takes a bit to get the balance right (to stall without your crank completely on the ledge) but after a couple of tries it becomes natural.
I’m decent at crank grabs and not even that good at pedal grabs and I find pedal grabs easier to go to rubber. I just pull up before I jump till the cranks are nearly vertical, then jump and while im in the air rotate the cranks to horizontal again. I find that I barely have to jump because the tire is only a few inches from the bench/table/whatever your hopping on.
Doing the actual pedal grab is what i’m not good at.
Thanks for the tips, everyone. I completely get the “peeling” idea, which is sort of how I approach most sideways hops anyway. If the rain lets up, I should have a chance to practice this today.
Ok, like the threadstarter, I too am learning to get to rubber so uh, tell me if I’m doing it right and perhaps I can offer some tips from my learning progress.
Initially I’d hop right up or like someone suggested, learn towards the curb and hop up when I lose my balance. That didn’t work.
I got somewhat closeer to getting up on the curb by doing this yesterday - I leaned towards the curb but forward such that my balance is completely on my forefoot and my crank is tilting upwards, pivoting on my pedal.
When I start to lose my balance a little (i.e., fall forward), I’d pull my seat up such that my back foot slams down (at this point in time, my back foot crank would be 45 degrees above the curb), lifting my wheel and my front foot would have to back pedal a bit so that my cranks are in the power position.
I managed to get my wheel a lot higher than previously with less effort so am I on the right track?