[D-machine]

Yes I experienced my first endo today. I was going over a small stack of logs not even high enough to nip the large chain ring and for some reason I decided to look straight down to see if I was going to hit because this was only the third time I've ever tried one of these obstacles and I am still nervous hitting them. Well as I looked I leaned forward over bars ever so slightly but it was enough, when the rear tire hit it stalled just enough to send me over fortunately my handlebars w/barend decided to brake my fall by spearing me in the groin ( the wheel turned as I was going down). I landed tripod style, two hands and well almost my sack (but in the general area). It didn't hurt really it just kind of shook me up. It also knocked my front v-brakes loose so if I touched the front brake or hit a large enough bump it would almost lock up the front wheel so getting out of there was fun fortunately I was only 1 mile from my car.

To sum this up I really need to practice and get confidence out there. Those log obstacles are everywhere were I ride to the point of were they are annoying. Thank you for letting me vent.

 

[Treesmacker]

LOL -- Congrats!!

I remember my first time over. I laughed my butt off. It was in tall grass on a fireroad that was clearly not used in a looooong time. I decided to stand up and give my butt some rest from saddle soreness and I just happened to find the only hole in all the grass. I went over Matrix style, all slow-mo and stuff. It was awesome. Bike landed on me too but i hardly felt it cuz I was laughing so much. Good times!

In fact I went over the bars today on an easy trail. Hogs made some serious damage to one of hte trails from rooting. I thought I could just lean back and sorta glide over most of them. Well as soon as I lose momentum i buried my front wheel in a nice soft hole. I went over again. HAHA! I love this stuff!

I have yet to come across any log obstacles on the trails I normally ride. I am sure they are there - still working on clearing the blues (intermediate level) trails.

-Tree

p.s. On a side note - I did try out a black level trail and cleared about 60% on my first try. I noticed that you gotta carry alot of momentum throughout the whole trail or else you just dont have enough speed to make it out of the valleys. Since it was my first time I was fine with going slow to get a feel for the place.

 

[22b22]

Treesmacker - that could be my name...

This was my first trip to Downieville a few weeks ago. That tree will never be the same.

​

 

[was98strat]

Welcome to the club. You haven't really mountain biked until you've endo'd into a poison ivy patch!!!! (don't ask!)

 

[D-machine]

I just realized that the trails I use are color coded too. There are blue, orange and black. Now that I think about it the loop I normally do (because it is a nice 1 hour loop) starts blue and ends orange and there is definatly more logs on the orange (where I went down) than the blue but they are still there. There is a black square marked trail I went down when I was first exploring in the area. I figured it was just a color coded trail system meaning a different color for each system so you know wich one to stay on to complete a loop. I should have realized it then because of the near vertical decent about 30yrds long that ends up in a rock garden creek bed (I walked all this of course). I use to ski wich uses the same thing, I feel like such a noob.

 

[Idriver]

+1 to was98strat.

I remember my first endo. I was riding down in south Florida through a root garden and cought my front wheel in a crook just big enough to stop all forward momentum except mine. Everything happening in what seemed like slow motion of course. It was definatley worth a laugh

 

[tnickols]

my first endo was on a pretty steep downhill section off a xc course. my friend who has been riding longer than me first tried it and did fine so he told me to keep off my back brake so i wouldn't skid. Well being the noob i was i used the back brake and started to skid. so my natural reaction was to grab on as tight as i could to the handlebars. Only problem was that i had my left hand around my brake lever. I go flying see the bike coming down toward me, it hits something and just misses me. I don't know who was laughing more me or my friend. Next time i endoed i some how landed on my feet which was quite odd and actually fun.

 

[tbulluck76]

my first endo was at Tsali (mountains in NC), it had just rained really good and there as what seemed to be long puddle. Yeah it turned out to be a water break running across the road, it was about 12 inches deep and sent me flying while the bike stayed at the break. the next puddle broke my fall (and the visor on my helmet). The bike was fine.

 

[mongoose-man]

My first time was to days ago on a bmx. i was goin full speed hit a jump then hit a pole.

 

[Rocketbass88]

I've crashed plenty of times, but I've yet to endo... *knock on wood*

 

[DannyC21]

Funny this post was recently started, I had my first endo yesterday.

Yesterday a friend and I went out for a send-off ride (I'm having a minor surgery tomorrow and I'll be off the bike for a few weeks). On the last leg of our trip (after riding by 3 black bears), we came down this sweet downhill toward the parking lot. Half way down I saw this drop to my right that I was going to ride by - but I really wanted to ride over. I stopped my bike and walked back up the hill to come back down and go over it. My friend stopped to watch, and the funny thing is I said outloud to myself (and my friend heard me) "Please God don't let me get freakin hurt before my operation."

Well, now I'm off. I land the drop, but start to lose my balance and control of the bike - which really wants to continue going downhill - I'm heading toward a tree, and instead of pumping my back brake I nail my front and next thing I know I'm auditiong for the role of Superman. Luckily I walked away with only small scrape and bruise on my right knee, a bruise on my left thigh, and a serious case of laughter.

...Also a great mental instant replay

(No one tell my fiance about this though )

 

[smokey422]

I remember my first endo well. It was a log I tried to bunnyhop. I suck at bunnyhopping and plowed my front wheel into it and went right over. The bike landed right beside me. My best endo was on a pretty steep downhill. I hit a hole wrong and launched down the hill, landing on my camelback. I had Time ATACs on the bike and still don't know how I managed to release from them so quickly, maybe the shaved cleats helped. No major injuries in either fall, just the usual cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

Smokey

 

[av23]

Great post. My first endo was a couple of weeks ago. I was leading a group and saw a runner coming towards me. I look back (my first mistake) and try to yell to my friends behind me that a runner is coming. When I look forward I didn't notice a sandy patch, which makes me lose control of my bike. In desperation I grab the brakes, instead of riding it out. I go over the handle bars and only suffered some scrapes and bruises. The worst part was that the runner goes right by me and doesn't stop to see if I was okay. My friends got a good laugh out of it.

 

[Hairllama]

I was an endo machine last summer. I was riding a bike that was setup wrong for the trails. I'd endo at least once a week. On one instance, I was on the top of a hill with three other guys chatting before a run down to the valley. I take of first, one pedal stroke later, boom over I go. Much laughter from all on that one. Another time I went over so fast that I cranked through all the gears on the gripshift as my body left the bike. I sold that blasted bike and really haven't had any trouble on the new rig. I did reverse endo (if that's what it's called) earlier this summer. I was climbing a steep rooted section when I lifted the front end to clear a root step while applying power. That front end was up and I was on my back with the bike still attached. Who says you can't wheelie a FS 29er.

The best endo I ever saw was on a twisty trail where I was following another rider. I hear a smack, crack, and an "oomph". As I come around the corner, the rider had his rear wheel caught on a tree on the side of the trail. He was still clipped in with one hand on the ground and another on the tree branch. Apparently he tried to lift the front wheel over a root and came up short. As the rear wheel lifted, he tipped sideways and got hung up on the tree. Unfortunately, this was the only ride where I didn't have a camera this year . . .