Drops on retro machine?

[medoramas]

Do you ride (or fly...) drops on your retro bike? I don't mean some huge air time ones, but a 1-2 feet. I've got about 4 possible jumps on my regular route, but I've never tried to do it. I always brake and roll down, but... There is that thing inside me saying I should take my fingers off the brake levers and see what happens.
The bike is Indian Fire Trail '93, on XC717 wheels, 2.1 tyres and 80mm Bombers.

I've got that old book (purchased here btw) with Paul Hinton. He says about flying in the air like it was a normal procedure on a bike. On some photos he literally flies on his Raleigh!

So would the bike take it?

 

[retrobate]

I ride all the manmade trails in Ashton court, Leigh woods and 50 acre wood on a cyclocross bike with drops. Its awesome
There are quite a few small step down jumps but you have to land soft or the bars can tend to try and rotate. Or they do if you are as heavy as me and ride on the hoods

 

[legrandefromage]

On some recent RB rides there have been some fast downhill sections and 'air' was often 'got big' whether you wanted it or not.

Bike survived.

 

[SantaHul]

Yeah basic rule is just brace for impact, always feels like your landing a lot harder than you actually are. Used to hammer my 88 CB Cape Wrath round Cannock Chase a lot and the bike held out ok, little buckling in the wheels after about 5 or so laps but I was going pretty fast. My wrists suffered more than the bike did.

 

[Osella]

I used to 'jump' my old steel Saracen Hardtrax (1997) off 1-2 ft drops on a daily basis (paper round - what can I say!) and ride down concrete steps and the only thing that suffered was the cheap-as-chips hubs gave out after about 6 months..

Needless to say, new rear wheels were par for the course when the brake blocks started rubbing due to mulched bearings wobbling the wheel all over the place!
Never had any trouble with rims or tyres, tho I did find that a 'chain device' helped hugely stopping the damn chain falling off!

If you're 'jumping' down onto soil/mud though, at least the landing should be softer than concrete / tarmac!

 

[FluffyChicken]

Well the bikes did it fine BiTD without suspension or fat tyres.. Just used your legs and arms and body to take the landing. Of course, not talking the Redbull style down a mountainside crag, but 1 or 2 foot is not really going to punish it. My mates use to do 6+foot drop offs/jumps on them and didn't do any harm.

 

[medoramas]

Thanks for your replies. If the weather gets a bit better I'll... expect a visit in hospital! :-D

 

[MADJEZ]

As a reformed BMXer who should be old enough know better I can't resist jumping over/off stuff. This is why I got rid of my road bike !

I figure a 15 or 20 year old quality bike will still take an impact better than a new cheap bike and parts round here are relatively cheap.