always a force to be reckoned with in the tough one races. Looks like a KTM300XC suits him best of all.
Always liked Knighter. Being a taller rider, I have tremendous respect for how smooth he can be and doesn't look awkward on the bike and can just ape it when he has to.
after doing the Jarvis school yesterday i think my profile fits big Dave more than the genteel Graham style......
I think that's a trials rider downfall, if you can call it that. A lot of times they don't have the sprint mentality that you need for events like endurocross and the like. Don't get me wrong they are extremely talented and have mad skills, just not the kind needed for head to head racing. Geoff Aaron comes to mind. Has pure skill in bike control but didnt have the sprint speed.
I think as well its the maddness/aggression factor as well. Even big Dave said it , he sprinted and rode super hard to break his opponent then smoothed out and got it done. And like stated despite the trials skill of big Dave he's also a big strong dude that can plow through things and leverage the bike over stuff without all that grace and style that gracile Graham uses. In the Graham class we had a difficult e-cross section that the man rode through very smoothly, calmly and super talented, low RPM clutch control and balanced.......me I just blasted across the logs, did a sit/squat wheelie up onto the tires then a semi sitting 90 deg right front wheelie pivot turn across the rocks then down off the mess onto level ground. The crew said Graham used me to point out that I did it way too fast and out of control.......out of control was my control, at my skill level slow and controlled meant slow and all hung up with zero forward motion! Lack of talent got me through that section bull dogging it.
Never had the opportunity to try a tire section. What's the easiest way from a riders standpoint. I see most guys (Blaz,Knight,Webb) seem to go towards the center of the tire. For me I feel it would be easier to hit the center where the tires meet and kind of log jumping them instead of front tire over then rear tire on and rear tire falls into the open center of tire and bounces back out. To much of a chance of pegs, controls hanging up in there? Where they meet.
Would love the chance to take his class. Went to GNCC university a few years back. Learned a lot and was epic riding with Duvall,Mullins,Whibley,Hawkins,Hawk. Didn't know there was a semi local one not to long ago. Here's some good video and if you look close I think you will see airrider. View: http://youtu.be/x4oH7UOdMFI
I like to hit the center of the tire..... If you hit the spot where the two tires meat you chancecatching your pegs on tires or even worse your toes..... depends if they are wet also... if so I hit the gap.... I also found when you hit in the center your front wheel tends to land past the hole but on the crack it lands in the hole or on the edge of it and kills your momentum.... also as soon as your front wheel lands you need to be comfortable enough to turn slightly to miss the hole of the next tire...
The Graham way is the wheelie the front to kiss the edge then power up and onto the obstacle then over, very back wheel oriented. Im hard wired to NOT to do wheelies (crazy built in fear to the point of completely freezing up) and this was tough for me, I worked on wheelie techniques but remained off timing. I ride over obstacles with load unload technique right at the face of things, which works fine until I needed to get my front over that almost 3 foot vert hit. So I was lofting the wheel from too close, from too far etc and with me most of these wheelies were out of control coming into the obstacle. I will practice these techniques more next time out.
I like to hit the tires head on and poke my rear brake lever through the tire. That way, the bike instantly stops and you end up making it over the tire, bike less ! Then you go pick your bike up and realize you have no brake lever. Then the skills set in of learning how to ride with a front brake only. Actually, your survival skills set in and you find a fence T post to bend the lever to make back brake work again!
