Okay, for the whole time I've been riding flat since my "comeback" (ha!) I've been trying and failing to psyche myself into doing barhops. Every time I thought about trying one, I'd get ready to jump and then slowly lose my nerve. As in, I'd be standing there on the pedals, poised to jump, and I'd tense up, and then I'd just say "***k it" and not do it, and then cuss at myself some more for being a weenie.

Well, this evening before I went for my session, I'd been talking to my brother about how I just hadn't been progressing, hadn't even been trying anything new since I moved out here, just because I haven't had the time or was "too tired" for regular sessions. So I went down to my spot to start riding, and went through a bunch of the normal stuff for a while, and then I decided I was going to try at least ONE thing I hadn't been trying. At first, that was going to be double decades, since my singles were feeling really nice... but that kinda wore me out a bit and I'm already too lazy to keep my brakes dialed, meaning I'd land on the frame and my brake would slip a little and I'd have to just ride out. Not time for doubles yet anyway.

So I took a step back and tried to think of another, more basic, trick that I hadn't gotten yet, and barhops were what came to mind.

I stood up on the pedals, tensed my muscles for the spring... nothing. Several "times" in a row, no jump. So I took a step back again, set up, tried a few "straight up" jumps where I wasn't planning on going over the bars, just wanted to gauge how high I could jump. That worked out, except I accidentally got into a surfer on one and had to try that once... but, no, no distraction.

Finally, without thinking about it too much, I just jumped over the bars, rolled a couple feet, and stepped off. Did that about seven or eight more times, but I was tired (still am) so I decided I could be happy just being able to make the jump. I'll learn to roll it and ride out later, the jump was the block. I feel good for powering through the block.

Especially for such a simple, basic, building block trick.

Sometimes I wish I'd progressed at the same rate as Mark (raddad67) since we started at the same time and at pretty much the same level, but that's not something you beat myself up over. It's the little things that make it cool to ride.

Besides, Mark rides more, and actually with other people.

But it's nice to end a session feeling good about something for a change.

progression and breaking personaly barriers rules!

the more you learn, the easier it is to learn more.

no laughing here. with my current bars and state of flexability (or lack there of!!) i'm right at the edge of being able to do barhops. some days, no problem. other days not quite. as old and basic as that trick is, if you hang up it can be a big problem - and as Martin would say - "cost your parents big bucks in dental...".

No laughs here.........I can't do em yet. Rock on.

Sheeaaattt. No laughing @ all. I am still waiting for my Standard to get out of the shop. (I do not handle a wrench w/finesse!) I can only pull decades and tailwhips now. Keep up the practice/training, way I see it is any time on 2 wheels @ my level is progrssion. I am too fat to do a lot of moves I want to. After going to the park I REALLY, REALLY want to ride park. I seriously need some stamina/endurance training as I tire too quickly @ the park. Sucks too being the old fat guy...

congrats on progressing. I just learned how to do double peg stall drop ins. If it wasnt for Bmx Joe encouraging me, I would have never tried it. I learned them on the 5ft. bowl first and then the 7ft. quarter. It took me 2 tries before I got it. I was soo stoked. I cant wait to go back this week to get them dialed. They feel so easy to do. Dont give up, and believe in yourself.

"Follow your dreams. You can meet your goals. I am living proof. Beefcake! BEEFCAKE!!!"

YEAH! awesome thread Thalyli...the only advice I can add to this is make sure you stretch and stay flexible...the one time you aren't and you catch the soles of your shoes on that crossbar.....you'll wish you still had that ability to tuck your legs and feet closer to your torso. Getting past a mental block like that will snowball and make other blocks easier to overcome...don't lose momentum brother!
RobQ

props bro!! not funny!! progression rules and time is envolved...gotta practice......

The good part is that I found a much better spot last night... a basketball court in a park. It's a bit further away than the place I was riding at, but the short drive down the hill is worth it for a completely flat, smooth surface. The fire station I had been riding at is either one or the other, but not both. The combination makes a HUGE difference... I was actually rolling steamrollers for a bit with some real control, hitting fire hydrants out of squeakers, just hitting stuff in general.

It's funny how I keep discovering the fact that a level spot is better than a wavy one. The benefit of memory loss is that you learn the same new things every day.

You won't get any laughing out of me, dude. Even rudimentary flat moves are a dream to me. I need to follow your example and try harder...

no laughing here man, ive been a lil wiener lately with wanting to throw hop barspins i just cant bring myself to do it ive tried a few of them and got like half way around, but it takes me being really pumped up to try them. ive also been working on feeble to smiths on ledges those are hard as crap. barhops are fun i used to do them when i had bars wide enough to get through lol my present bars are way to narrow and i only ride pegs on one side now. dont feel bad if it takes you a while to do things, i can air out alittle bit on 8ft quarters but im still afraid to drop in lol everything takes time

HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Barhops are so easy... jk

Ah, wait a minute, I don't think I can bend my legs that far up anymore...

I think it is that light west coast air over there... you just float over the bars.

It is weird how many tricks are mental. Once you get past the mental part of it you can do it.

I always get nervous thinking about bar hops though, I hung up on the cables once. Ouch.

My knee is starting to feel better. It swelled up black and blue and stairs were a problem. Next time I will wear my hammers.

Almost everyone I know that rides bikes has had either one of two classic slams: Barhop cable snag or, god help you, bunnyhop to hang up going over the chain.

Both of those you never, ever forget.

I crashed out on a barhop when I was 13 and have only done a handful since then. I did one at 20 on a dare from Jody Temple, and another jumping from the peg onto the frame while rolling in a steamroller (back wheen on the ground) while riding with Jeff Foster in 2003 or 2004. It's one of the hardest easy tricks I can think of. Thinking back on it, its amazing that I did that at age 12.

I think it's a lot harder with 2 piece bars, though. Maybe I should use some Phil Dolan bars or something....

Congrats!

I don't think I can bend enough for a barhop these days.
However, a few weeks ago I did my first surfer in many years. It was easy but I forgot how sketchy it feels to stand all the way up like that. Brought back some cool memories.

I could never surf. I could framestand, and fly like jesus all day long, but as soon as I tried to put a foot on the bars I'd wipe out.

Never tried a bar hop, but the fact that there's really no good way to bail makes me cringe.

[ June 07, 2006, 12:05 AM: Message edited by: DILYSI Dave ]