How to ride the triple drops on L.T!
Gunchie (Colorado FORC) was telling me he heard a couple of doods talking about the triple drop switchback on LT giving them a tough time. (The switchback with the log waterbars) I've heard a couple of other peeps say the same thing and so I thought I throw out a technique suggestion. Works for me and poof and a few others that have tried it, may not work for everyone.
Biggest thing I've seen is that people try to ride it like a normal corner, trying to stay on the far outside all the way around, thinking that if the back tire drops off the 1st drop before the front drops off the 2nd drop it will make it easier. I can't make this work for me, the corner is a full 180, so by the time I get 3/4 of the way around, I find I'm too far outside and have to either stop or drop off the lower portion of the trail altogether. 
If this describes you, give this a couple tries and see if it works for you- come into it high right, as far to the right as you can comfortably go. Then, about the time your front wheel rolls off the 1st one, start cutting back to the left into the middle of the trail tread. You don't have to go all the way to the inside of the trail but if you end up over there, no problem. The front tire may drop of the 2nd drop about the same time or even before the back drops off the 1st one- you should be relaxed, in the attack position, let the bike move under you and keep moving forward- doesn't have to be fast.
There is a root that runs with the flow direction after the 2nd drop that can weird you out- when you start to cut back I think it's best to pick a side, aim either just to the left or right of this root. If you pick the left of the root, (the inside line) the turn at the top is a little tighter, but it's butta coming out.
If you pick the right, (the outside line) the last 5 ft will require a bit of a left turn to stay on but it's way do-able as long as you run the front tire outside far enough so the back tire doesn't go inside the root. If this happens you can still make the corner because the root is small, but it can slide the back wheel and generally make things tougher than they need to be. 
Taking the time to work on skills like this can be a blast with your riding buddies. Seems like every new trail we go to, we stop and try something a few times watching each other and laughing at our foibles, but these sessions make for great skill learning opportunities. If this section has been giving you fits, grab a friend and go try this a few times and I'll bet you make it within a few attempts.
You can do it. I believe in you.
Believe in yourself? Well sure, of course. But be aware that "believing in myself" has been the root cause of most of my injuries.
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"I feel sorry for people who don't do this." -Badfish41- after bombing the Hermosa's at Levis Trow.
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Originally Posted by Dirt
