How doesn't Ryan Leech break his bike?

[Req]

Seriously though.. When I watch him do his thing, especially when he does those huge drops onto his rear tire, how does he get away with a drop to flat w/ a hard tail? I'd think that'd destroy your bike aswell as your body :???:

[damian]

Hes smooth like butter. Trails landing is very smooth if you do it right. I'm sure he breaks some frames though...

[IFO]

cuz he's like Fergs...

Smooth like flow....GODlike on a bike...

i only wish i had 5% of that level of skill n finesse....

p.s. most trials riders can do amazing drops to flat. its part of the learning curve...

whereas most MTN riders simply allow the bike to absorb all the energy, cuz we're lazy.....:D

[chopcity]

Trials bike?

[bullit_kid]

because he is the smoothest rider ever ... know how to ride his bike on those drops .. his bikes get mangled .. but not from drops to flat ... lol

[Bukkake]

He breaks his bike all the time. Don't think his body isn't a hurting unit these days either.

He gets away with it by using his long legs as travel. If you watch him drop he has his legs fully extended until his tire touches the ground then he sinks into it until his knees are fully bent and his ass is almost touching the saddle.

[m33p]

hes smooth like me.

[fr33k]

Originally posted by m33p
hes smooth like me. now thats a joke

[Lady Gravity]

Originally posted by m33p
hes smooth like me.

ahaha
i seem to recall a set of very bloody knees...

[fr33k]

Originally posted by Lady Gravity
ahaha
i seem to recall a set of very bloody knees... i was there....seen the flesh skid marks in person :D some good ownage there judy

[m33p]

Originally posted by Lady Gravity
ahaha
i seem to recall a set of very bloody knees...

You weren't complaining last night....

[fr33k]

Originally posted by m33p
You weren't complaining last night.... :kiss: :cry: :heart: :cuffs: :eek: :S

[IFO]

Originally posted by m33p
You weren't complaining last night....

:eek:


Ow nice hit.....

[switch]

Originally posted by m33p
You weren't complaining last night....

:eek:

OMG - that was a good one John. :lol:

[TokSik]

Because he's smooth like http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/healthykids/resources/butter.gif.

[m33p]

Originally posted by TokSik
Because he's smooth like http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/healthykids/resources/butter.gif. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Craz]

He breaks them all the time. Luckily he has a company to supply him with all the free bikes he needs.

[rcoope]

Ryan has broken very very few of the Reynolds 853 frames since we started riding them in 1997. The only ones he did break were from denting the frame badly on railings. I don't think he's broken more than one since 2000, and that's riding almost every day.
Why?

1. The bike is steel, so doesn't fail after a long time like Al bikes always seem to. People have been able to get more hours out of the steel Norco team trials than any other frame ever.

2. Trials in general is not very hard on your bike after you get good. You tend to learn how to land properly as a trials rider.

3. Ryan doesn't do huge drops to flat any more, since it's bad for you, and is very 1996 anyway. Anyway, big drops are hard on cranks and sometimes wheels, not frames.

Ryan isnt hurt and hasn't been for a long time.

[M.W.]

Originally posted by rcoope

since it's bad for you, and is very 1996 anyway.


I'm not sure why, but that was probably the funniest thing I read all day.


And I read the comics, so you should be proud.

[Biking Fiend]

Originally posted by M.W.
I'm not sure why, but that was probably the funniest thing I read all day.


And I read the comics, so you should be proud.


:lol: i to found humor in that, v brakes are sooo 2 years ago.

[dirty deeds]

I love the snippet of him in his K5 section on the big bike when he nollies (rather than ollying) off the log drop. Sweet move. And his control and balance on railings is other-worldly.

If he chose to get into the freeriding thing more he would go straight to the top of the class. But why would he? - seems like he's having a blast and enjoying life just the way it is with his trialsy freeride fusion... and getting lots of exposure for his sponsors.

[Ipecac]

And he's a nice guy too.

[cookedbananas]

hes just super smooth and not a hack

[free ryder]

And he's a nice guy too.

true Ive met him

[rcoope]

I don't know many pro trials riders who break bikes. Even the great big jeff elnosky doesn't. There are certain (not to be named by me) trials bikes that seem to fail more regularly than they should, but I think it's mostly the riders. Some styles seem to be much more failure prone than others. Many people break more stuff as they're learning, and then suddenly stop breaking things after a certain point.

Re Freeriding. One probelm with freeriding is that it's rather dangerous. After the K5 premiere, most people I talked to said the best parts were Berrecloth and Klassen's stuff, and Ryan on the train tracks. Well Berrecloth and Klassen were doing 40-50' drops, and Ryan was riding on train tracks. It seems the latter might be a tad more condusive to a long and fruitful career.

[corey@nsmb.com]

Originally posted by rcoope

Re Freeriding. One probelm with freeriding is that it's rather dangerous. After the K5 premiere, most people I talked to said the best parts were Berrecloth and Klassen's stuff, and Ryan on the train tracks. Well Berrecloth and Klassen were doing 40-50' drops, and Ryan was riding on train tracks. It seems the latter might be a tad more condusive to a long and fruitful career.

Couldn't agree more. Personally, I find the big hucks of Super T and Bearclaw to be pretty amazing and sure they get me excited. But the fact is, I can only relate so much to it, as I know that I will never have the desire and balls to do anything that compares.

Ryan's stuff is as exciting to watch, and I think very inspirational. He exhibits a level of bike handling skill and finesse that few other riders possess, and some would argue no other rider has. He makes the difficult look easy. He does things that won't kill you if you make an error, and things that won't sideline you for 6 months as you try to copy him and learn to do what he does.

My point: I watch K5. When I am done, I feel like grabbing my hard tail and hitting the local school to ride some skinny lines and work on finesse. I don't feel like grabbing my big bike and throwing myself off of the roof of that local school!

[dirty deeds]

If I ever rub a magic bottle and have a genie appear who tells me she'll grant me the skills of any one rider on the planet.... I'm saying Ryan Leetch, no question, even though I have no desire to ride trials. Leetch's skill set is just so applicable to freeriding, Shore riding, urban... the whole gamit. I bet he could even pull off some nice dirt jumps if you give him a couple of days practice.

[switch]

On an episode of Ride Guide (I think it was Ride Guide), Ryan had a small segment where he was instructing on how to get up and over a smallish boulder. Of course he makes it look easy, but his instruction and tips were excellent. My ability to do such a thing improved 100% just by listening to what he had to say. And seeing him doing it improved my desire even more.

I don't care what type of riding a person does - when they're good at their discipline, I'm in awe. And any good rider at any riding style has to have great balance and control of their bike. It's that balance and control that I strive for.

[Bukkake]

No way! You have to be risking death or else it isnt cool!!!!


:rolleyes: <------(please note the sarcasm)

[CraigH]

Originally posted by rcoope
Re Freeriding. One probelm with freeriding is that it's rather dangerous. After the K5 premiere, most people I talked to said the best parts were Berrecloth and Klassen's stuff, and Ryan on the train tracks. Well Berrecloth and Klassen were doing 40-50' drops, and Ryan was riding on train tracks. It seems the latter might be a tad more condusive to a long and fruitful career.

Unless a train is also using the same tracks....
:eek: :D

http://www.train-sim.com/review/bigboy/front.jpg

[brodierider_fReak]

Originally posted by rcoope
1. The bike is steel, so doesn't fail after a long time like Al bikes always seem to. People have been able to get more hours out of the steel Norco team trials than any other frame ever.

steel does fatigue over time even more so than Al but is stronger to start with so it last longer while taking more shit. the Al doesn't flex nearly as much as steel either so the Al tends to snap rather than bend and break. think of a paper clip, you bend it and eventually it breaks but sorta rips almost

[rcoope]

Not strictly true. Steel, if stressed below its yield point, will end up about 60% of its original strength and stay there foreever. Your paper clip example is wrong because that's being stressed way beyond the yield point. Aluminum gets weaker and weaker and eventually breaks not matter how little stress is on it. That's why people who ride touring bikes around the world sometimes have their handlebars come off in their hands. It's also beleived to be why Al bikes are so stiff - you don't want them flexing a lot.

I don't think Al bikes crack becuase of the above however. It's more to do with improper welding or heat treating or something. Many Al frames break way too fast to be anything to do with fatigue. it should be noted as well that most Al front ends of FS bikes never seem to fail. Perhaps it's just a matter of being heavier.

[The_Real_Yeti]

he is hella smooth!