[muddywings]

Just wondering what the max height you would drop to flat with a 5.5? Some trails that I ride have a "skills zone" with skinnies and some drop ramps. Its a pretty nice setup and I can do the small (1.5 feet) and medium (3 feet) but the highest is about 4 feet or so and when I go off the medium, I use up about 85% of my shock. Little worried to that next....for my shock...yeah...thats it...the shock!!
Whats the highest you can drop to flat witha 5.5??

 

[PolkaDot]

I am currently building my confidence for a 6 feet drop to flat this summer. I've had the 5.5 for a little over two years, I ride it in average four times a week all year. On every ride I do smaller drops in order to improve my skills. I've got a jump by my house I always end every ride with, that's four feet. I've just started jumping a 5 feet one on one of my rides. All flat landings.

The frame will take it, but:
- You will bottom your shock, and in my opinion you should every now and again.
- You will probably break the black aluminum cup that the rear shock pivot bolt runs through. The "cap" will break off, but you can still use and jump your bike until you get a replacement. I've broken four or five, can't remember.
- You might break the rear shock pivot bolt. I've broken one.

The above should suggest "get a 6.6.", but I really like the quick feel of the 5.5. And my bike has seen a lot of muddy winter with temperatures just above freezing (=less snow, more mud), and it's still working brilliantly with a set of fresh new bearings.

-KT

 

[peachy-B]

the best part is when a person would post a broken frame here for just riding off a curb and say it's weak... but all along they have been dropping 6 footers to FLAT.

 

[muddywings]

yeah

the best part is when a person would post a broken frame here for just riding off a curb and say it's weak... but all along they have been dropping 6 footers to FLAT.

I could do a 10 foot to flat but I want to ride the bike afterwards too!!! I think I'll stick to 3 foot or so till someone shows me a picture otherwise (before and after) haha :thumbsup:

 

[Blue Shorts]

5 feet to flat is a bit big for that bike. You might get away with it for a while, but it will break if you do that regularly.

A 6.6 would do far better.

 

[Blaster1200]

I've done many 4 to 5 footers on my 5.5, and I weigh about 200 pounds in gear. I didn't even bottom on most of those. However, even though I'm 37 years old and grew up racing BMX bikes, I've learned to land very smoothly - that's the key. Having said that, I wouldn't recommend that anyone near my weight to do that kind of stuff unless they know how to land jumps.

I was the kid who used to jump off my school roof to flat on a 20" BMX bike. Now, I couldn't imagine doing that on my DH bike! But yes, back in the old days, my scrawny little @ss used to break lots of stuff.

 

[screamingforvengeance]

I think it has alot to do with your weight and skill ,I know guys dropping with xc bikes with no problems with their frames.That being said I would get an Uzzi and save the 5.5 for xc type of rides.I'm about 190 with gear and I never had a problem with the 5.5 on flats three to four feet.

 

[5$Milkshake]

Drop to transition my brothers! WCH summed it up best in the downhill/Freeride forum by saying: dropping to flat is stupid - you might as well just run your bike over with a truck and get the inevitable over with!

 

[[email protected]]

It's all about how smooth you land, comming from a trials background, I have done 8 ft. to flat on an old Gary Fisher Montare back when I was a shorty riding around @ age 13-17 before I was driving, and had NO problems with it, and it was FULLY rigid, backwheel first and overexagerated body movement ( think OT PI, or Hans Rey) for those of you who know who they are. Granted having suspension does give the bike a bit different feel. Speed of the drop is also key, faster you're going useually the smoother the landing will be. E2

 

[Blue Shorts]

A 5 foot drop to flat is a lot of force... especially with a 200 pound rider on it. If you regularly do 5 foot drops to flat, the bike will break eventually... probably as you're JRA

The best you can hope to land on a drop to flat is with both wheels touching at the same time, or the back touching slightly before the front.

Check with Intense. I will be extremely surprised if they tell you that it's OK to do that to a 5.5.

 

[Fat Elvis]

It's all about how smooth you land, comming from a trials background, I have done 8 ft. to flat on an old Gary Fisher Montare back when I was a shorty riding around @ age 13-17 before I was driving, and had NO problems with it, and it was FULLY rigid, backwheel first and overexagerated body movement ( think OT PI, or Hans Rey) for those of you who know who they are. Granted having suspension does give the bike a bit different feel. Speed of the drop is also key, faster you're going useually the smoother the landing will be. E2

Shoot, Hans Rey could do 5' to flat on a road bike and not damage it.

 

[kidwoo]

I am currently building my confidence for a 6 feet drop to flat this summer.
-KT

Why?

Why would you ever do that?

ANY drop to flat should be an accident, not a goal. Especially on an aluminum xc bike.

6 feet. No transition. Think really hard about that.

I don't think I've ever done that on my 45lb dh bike.

And no I don't think he means dropping his back wheel and shouldering it down from a stationary position you trials fanboys.

 

[[email protected]]

Why?

Why would you ever do that?

ANY drop to flat should be an accident, not a goal. Especially on an aluminum xc bike.

6 feet. No transition. Think really hard about that.

I don't think I've ever done that on my 45lb dh bike.

And no I don't think he means dropping his back wheel and shouldering it down from a stationary position you trials fanboys.

Kidwoo, once you understand the idea of dropping rear wheel first to flat, you can put some speed to it, and lay off the rear brake for a much smoother landing, it doesn't have to be trials style, I was just using that as an example, because of the amount of force that is applied on the rear dropout when doing a trials style drop to flat, I agree transitions are deffinitely BETTER than a flat drop anyday, I was simply using this as an example of the frame more than likely being stronger than alot of people think........(a trials fanboy, turned street rider, and freerider.) think Jeff Lenosky, or Aaron Chase( both came from trials backgrounds and are smooth as butter, and can drop to flat on hartails all day long)

 

[Zuke]

5 foot drop?!? Holey kaka! Glad to hear the frame can handle that (so far), but mommy how in the world do you not snap/bend bars, cranks, or pedals?!?! Wow, boy got skillz.

I like to ride technical rock garden stuff much more than drops, but will ocassionally do 2-3 foot drops (don't laugh) and jumps when I find 'em, and I'm convinced I'm going to bend my Eggbeaters some time.

 

[kidwoo]

Kidwoo, once you understand the idea of dropping rear wheel first to flat, you can put some speed to it,

science gives me open sores

so much in this world I do not understand

Jeff Lenosky, or Aaron Chase( both came from trials backgrounds and are smooth as butter, and can drop to flat on hartails all day long)

Sweet!!!

I had no idea that when we were talking about someone doing a 6 foot drop to flat on a 5.5......you know the kind of person who comes on an internet message board looking for frame advice, we were ACTUALLY talking about one of the most highly skilled street and trials riders on the planet hopping off a 6 foot retaining wall on a giant stp or cannondale chase frame.

Man........really gotta read between the lines here sometimes.

Be patient with me. I'll catch up eventually.

 

[sus13]

"5. Intense frames are not intended for use in stunt riding, ramp riding, hucking or any similar activity."

This except from their warranty seems a bit odd considering they make some burly frames, e.g. Uzzi VPX and M3. Anyway, I think anybody using an 5.5 EVP for freeridng or hucking should expect to be buying their next frame through the Intense's crash replacement program.

Didn't I read somewhere that the 5.5 EVP was the "ultimate trail bike" for those epic all day rides?

-sus13

 

[Blaster1200]

A 5 foot drop to flat is a lot of force... especially with a 200 pound rider on it. If you regularly do 5 foot drops to flat, the bike will break eventually... probably as you're JRA

The best you can hope to land on a drop to flat is with both wheels touching at the same time, or the back touching slightly before the front.

Check with Intense. I will be extremely surprised if they tell you that it's OK to do that to a 5.5.

As repeated in this thread, it all depends on how you land. My 819 rims are still straight, even after riding the bike on the same stuff where I ride DH bikes - it's all about being smooth, which also comes from many years of racing BMX bikes (after my early years of jumping off school roofs).

No, you don't want to land both wheels at the same time when landing to flat - rear first. Also as mentioned, in some situations, speed helps (it reduces the effective downward drop).

I don't care what Intense says. I got my 5.5 when they first came out in 2003, and I've never had a problem. And I won't go whining to them if I break it at this point - that frame has served me well. I'll break the bars first, though, which is why I do replace bars more frequently as a preventative measure.

Also as mentioned, I don't understand why someone would making dropping 6' to flat as their goal. Going to flat isn't really fun. Even thought I'll do it, I think it's kind of a lame goal, in my opinion. Try something else, like riding one-handed or even one-handed wheelies (which I've become even better at after spending the last 4 months with my left arm in a cast). No, none of my friends have never accused me of being sane.

 

[Blaster1200]

Shoot, Hans Rey could do 5' to flat on a road bike and not damage it.

I believe it!

After my years of breaking stuff and racing BMX, I had a road bike that I converted to an over-sized BMX bike (it was a 10 speed converted to a 5 speed) in the mid 80s, before mountain bikes became popular. I tossed the drop bars in favor of a set of Race Inc. aluminum mini riser bars (am I dating myself?) That bike was awesome! I think riding that is part of what taught me to ride smoothly. I did some pretty wild jumps and drops with it, and it held up really well. If I remember correctly, I think the weak point was the old wedge bolt that held the cranks on - anyone remember those?

 

[Blue Shorts]

No, you don't want to land both wheels at the same time when landing to flat - rear first. Also as mentioned, in some situations, speed helps (it reduces the effective downward drop). .

I agree that proper technique will definitely help... and maybe some riders can get away with it, but generally speaking, that bike is not built to take such a pounding. Most riders don't have the skill to land softly from a 5 foot drop to flat. Even those with skill will occasionally screw up and land hard.

I am confused about your comment that speed reduces the effective downward drop. Are you serious? You're breaking the laws of physics here. Whether you drop the bike from 5 feet.... or shoot it out of a cannon at 5 feet... The vertical drop and speed is solely dependent on gravity. The vertical component of the force when you touch down will be the same regardless of your forward speed. If you don't agree with me, you can argue it with Isaac Newton and a few others

I don't care what Intense says. I got my 5.5 when they first came out in 2003, and I've never had a problem. And I won't go whining to them if I break it at this point - that frame has served me well. I'll break the bars first, though, which is why I do replace bars more frequently as a preventative measure. .

Nothing wrong with that. You think that you're smooth enough and you take responsibility for what happens. I wish others would take responsibility for their actions

 

[Blaster1200]

I agree that proper technique will definitely help... and maybe some riders can get away with it, but generally speaking, that bike is not built to take such a pounding. Most riders don't have the skill to land softly from a 5 foot drop to flat. Even those with skill will occasionally screw up and land hard.:

Agreed.

I am confused about your comment that speed reduces the effective downward drop. Are you serious? You're breaking the laws of physics here. Whether you drop the bike from 5 feet.... or shoot it out of a cannon at 5 feet... The vertical drop and speed is solely dependent on gravity. The vertical component of the force when you touch down will be the same regardless of your forward speed. If you don't agree with me, you can argue it with Isaac Newton and a few others :

Ever drop a rock in the water? Note how it sinks? Ever skip a rock across the water? Note how the same rock when thrown at speed can skip across the water's surface and doesn't sink until it's horizontal velocity is reduced? You're right, gravity doesn't change, but the direction of forces applied is different when moving horizontally vs. vertically.

I wish others would take responsibility for their actions

Agreed again.

Years ago, I broke a GT STS (their old thermoplastic frames). And sure enough, it was while JRA, not during the time I was abusing it. I broke my wrist (no, not this time, but another time [3rd of my now 4th time], got 11 stiches above my right eye, and just generally messed up - ok, I was JRA at a standing sprint in top gear.

A couple of my friends who worked at GT suggested that I had a good lawsuit against GT based on the way it broke. But I knew I was abusing it before that time (cased some big doubles a few times while trying to clear them at a BMX track), so I didn't want to go that route. GT was generous enough to replace the frame with an aluminum version and upgrade a bunch of my parts. The old frame broke within a couple months after that model was released to the public. Soon thereafter, they radically changed the design in the area mine broke. Anyhow, people should realize that things break. Sometimes due to poor design, sometimes due to abuse - it can be very hard to differentiate what was the actual cause.