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Squirrel catchers

Beast

Beast

Turbo Monkey
May 23, 2002
1,579
0
Where the riding is good
Who has them? What works? Got pics?

ie the Post Office - Berm jump/drop thing. Pretty effective. Takes most experienced riders at least a few tries to get it.
 
Beast

Beast

Turbo Monkey
May 23, 2002
1,579
0
Where the riding is good
JayBear said:
I was just asking what a squirrel catcher was today at my jumps, someone said it was a colorado term.. The term is awesome..
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Haha. Let me guess - at the grotto and a big ginger filled you in?

The term is also used in cali, and I imagine other states/countries, too. What do the oregonites call it?
 
sittingduck

sittingduck

Turbo Monkey
Jun 22, 2007
1,958
2
Oregon
Triple roller into the middle line....
It has kept the traffic down quite a bit, compared to last year when it wasn't there.
 
cmc

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
i like to build scenes that squirrels can ride and become good riders.
 
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Cru Jones

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
2
Hell Track
Hidden had the ultimate squirrel catcher. I don't have a pic, but it was like a little lip to an on-off table that wasn't much longer than a bike length. There was a little lip at the end of the table, so you you had to hit it right to gap to the next landing. Super tech.

Our new spot has a little bit of squirrel catcher. It's not much, but it does seem to keep the randoms from trying the line. It's basically a 10 foot gap and almost 90 degree hip from about a foot tall lip. You gotta pump and carve off the lip just right to get setup on the landing that drops into a little valley for speed.
 
crkt

crkt

Monkey
Nov 5, 2008
293
0
In the woods
all combination of rollers super tight jumps and berms are the goodness. you know a jump is tight enough if the space between landing and lip is half as long as the gap out of it. rollers directly after landings are the goods
 
Beast

Beast

Turbo Monkey
May 23, 2002
1,579
0
Where the riding is good
Haha, we're probably the least hostile trail bosses you'll ever meet. I'm routinely teaching new riders how to approach various jump types, and often help build new bike parks in the area (Lyons and Lory, for example).

We're building squirrel catchers becuase, quite frankly, if someone can't make it through the entire line, they don't belong in it.

Not only does it cut down on our work, but it's also a safety thing. Riders incapable of jumping the first hit in a set cleanly will likely case really freaking hard down the line (or worse yet, nose case). We've seen it happen time and time again...
 
sittingduck

sittingduck

Turbo Monkey
Jun 22, 2007
1,958
2
Oregon
cmc said:
i like to build scenes that squirrels can ride and become good riders.
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That's what the smaller jumps are for where I'm from.... The squirrel catchers are designed as "skill filters" on the bigger stuff so people (hopefully) don't get in over their heads too quickly.
 
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Salty4X

Monkey
Jun 17, 2006
222
0
best one I've seen is in Riverside at Mike Zephedra's (sp) spot called blue bench. the first jump was right out of a little turn and the top/back of the landing had a wall of concrete built into it with two pieces of rebar sticking out about two inches. it would've been more like a squirrel bazooka or holocaust.
 
Cru Jones

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
2
Hell Track
Salty4X said:
best one I've seen is in Riverside at Mike Zephedra's (sp) spot called blue bench. the first jump was right out of a little turn and the top/back of the landing had a wall of concrete built into it with two pieces of rebar sticking out about two inches. it would've been more like a squirrel bazooka or holocaust.
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I've ridden there. That entrance is super tech. And that's even before you get to the rebar of death. Those trails rule, though.
 
Cru Jones

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
2
Hell Track
I agree with the squirrel catcher being more of a safety thing than anything else. It keeps people off the line that have no business being there. There are people who have bigger balls than skills or brains... and those are the ones who get severly injured trying a massive set. Maybe you can just put that on them, but I don't want that happening at my trails.
 
T

TortugaTonta

Monkey
Aug 27, 2008
539
0
I build rollers because they are fun, but they do seem to cut down on traffic.

How about a combo of trees, rollers and a turn. . . .



Mainly there to keep the dirt bikes from getting bright ideas
 
cmc

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
cmc said:
i like to build scenes that squirrels can ride and become good riders.
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newrider3 said:
THIS is what trails is about.
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Beast said:
I disagree. That is what community bike parks and skateparks are for. Until I get paid to fix skids and case marks, you'll have to know how to ride BEFORE showing up.
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sittingduck said:
That's what the smaller jumps are for where I'm from.... The squirrel catchers are designed as "skill filters" on the bigger stuff so people (hopefully) don't get in over their heads too quickly.
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yeah.. my point was just about how it has been cool that our pump track has turned some squirrely riders into much better riders.... not a comment on 'trails.'

oh yeah... Taj's props to our spot: http://taj.transworld.net/2009/01/12/this-is-the-old-guy-post/ . i was psyched on that.

clint (not a squirrel) :
 
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Motomack86

Chimp
Jun 26, 2004
11
0
Belmont,California
I know this thread is about filtering riders that don't belong at a spot but i need some advice on a similar subject.Im in my mid 30s and have been dirt jumping and digging for many years.Im at the point where im into med size jumps because i have too many responsibilities to be getting hurt.I like to go ride a few times a week,have fun and get a work out.

Ive been digging at 3 spots for over 10 years.I put in major amounts of labor year after year at all 3.This past winter i had one spot get taken over by some bmxers and i decided to just give up,they tore down a pack that had multple lines to make 1 unrealstic line.I decided to put all my effort into a small spot that i built 10 years ago from the ground up and have been maintaining since.My buddy and i spent our weekends putting in work and re doing the entire place so we would have a fun place to ride this summer.We have had our fair share of drama since.Seems like a mass email goes out when the dirt starts moving.

My point is people are constantly chopping stuff,riding when wet and just showing a lack of respect in general for our efforts.Im all for people coming out and riding but today i had a run in with a kid i recently met at this spot that decided to re do a jump that is popular with many people.I told him not to modify anything without talking to me first, but he went ahead and started moving dirt anyway.I got into it with him tonight asking where the repect is? He says respect? For what? Im like the years of work ive put into this place.Hes like whatever im going to tear everthing down.

This is the attitude i get from all these groms these days.I guess there just spoiled and used to getting what they want.This is one of the last spots with decent dirt jumps in my area and im not giving up on this place.If anyone has any advice on how to handle these entitled punk ass groms im all ears.I just want to ride, and i certainly do my part.Im super frustrated at this point. Thanks for reading my rant.
 
sittingduck

sittingduck

Turbo Monkey
Jun 22, 2007
1,958
2
Oregon
That's a really tough situation, and not uncommon at all.
It only takes one or two of these type of sh*theads to really cause problems.
The best thing you can do is swallow your pride and try to include the idiots too, and hope they get tired of the place before they cause problems.
If you fight them, they will often cause a lot more damage than they will if you let them think they are helping. 9 times out of 10, they will quit after they figure out how much work it is to actually build anything.
Try giving them other jobs to do, like picking up trash, hauling water, etc. They will make themselves scarce, fast.
 
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Salty4X

Monkey
Jun 17, 2006
222
0
if you have no priors, then you could just give him a hot one to the nose, or find a grom that is willing to do this for you. that's how **** gets done at ninth street and its the second longest standing dj's in north america (next to sheep). Im not seriously suggesting this, but if someone told me they were going to destroy or tear down my jumps, extreme measures would have to be taken.
 
Stoked

Stoked

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2004
1,809
1
LI, NY
motomack, i feel for you. how big is your core dig crew? is it just you? then i could understand it could be a little overwhelming...its a shame the kids have no respect. people who don't respect certainly get dealt with at the trails and many get banned.
 
cmc

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
know everyone out there and make sure everyone knows you. if you can't be there all the time, then you need allies who are. make sure you have everyone's phone number and everyone has yours. if shady stuff is going down they can call you.....
 
M

Motomack86

Chimp
Jun 26, 2004
11
0
Belmont,California
Thanks for the replies.The kid was super cool when i met him a month ago.He was eager to help out and seemed like a genuinely nice kid.He was a good rider too_Out of the blue he built up a jump that was a smaller beginner line popular with a lot of people.I told him it wasn't cool to change stuff without talking to me first and i let him know i was angry that he had done that.As he left he said he was going to tear the place down.I went up there today and he did just that.Tore down my entire line. Im not going to let it get to me and will rebuild.Karma will bite the punk in the ass. Sometimes i wish i didn't live in the bay area.
 
sittingduck

sittingduck

Turbo Monkey
Jun 22, 2007
1,958
2
Oregon
Anger and violence will bring you more of the same.
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked, "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
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S

Salty4X

Monkey
Jun 17, 2006
222
0
this happens all the time, all over. rebuild bigger and better. encourage this kid to try huge tubular stunts on the new big jumps. good luck
 
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