# Built a few skinnies



## snmhanson (Apr 17, 2006)

Last weekend my son decided we needed some skinnies for our back yard. Off to home depot and ~$60 later we've got 3 portable 10' skinnies and one 7' They were super easy to build and, though we haven't ridden them much yet, a lot of fun. Each skinny is 12" wide and uses two 10' pressure treated 2x4s and two 10' regular 2x4s. Here are a couple of pics of the current setup. The top of the rock is about 4' off the ground. The alternate exit down to the ramp is pretty fun and preferable to simply riding down the back. Not too impressive compared to other builds I have seen, but it's a start. I think I am going to build some more this weekend to put in some alternate routes (my son is afraid of "The Rock"). I am also planning some additional structures such as a couple wall ride type structures, a see-saw, some pumpable bumps, banked turns, etc...


Matt


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## Skookum (Jan 17, 2005)

How fun. If you're looking at ways to brace the stringers into the rock you can rotohammer some holes in, and fix some braces/bolts whatever with some epoxy. That way you can use some of the rock up top as riding surface instead of the plywood, which i'm assuming you're using to keep the skinny and the ramp from moving?


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## dburatti (Feb 14, 2004)

Nice work! I understand you son's apprehension with the height. This is where the risk to skill (or reward) ratio comes in. The skill it takes to ride something one foot wide is the same whether the skinny is one foot of the ground or 10. The risk, however, increases the higher it is off the ground. Also, take into account that some people are more (or less) risk averse than others. 

Building a technically difficult feature low to the ground makes it accessible for more people...not that you'll have a bunch weekend warriors in your backyard!

Dewayne


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

Dewayne, note the step-up in the first picture. They're OK with risk. ;-)

Yeah, I know it's an exit.... for now.


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## sambs827 (Dec 8, 2008)

Trail Ninja said:


> Yeah, I know it's an exit.... for now.


Beat me to it.:madman:


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## snmhanson (Apr 17, 2006)

Skookum said:


> How fun. If you're looking at ways to brace the stringers into the rock you can rotohammer some holes in, and fix some braces/bolts whatever with some epoxy. That way you can use some of the rock up top as riding surface instead of the plywood, which i'm assuming you're using to keep the skinny and the ramp from moving?


The platform is partially to hold the skinnies in place, but also to provide a smooth bridge across the top of the rock. It isn't evident from the pics but the top of the rock is quite jagged so we needed to smooth it out a bit. Everything is modular so that if we get bored with one setup we can easily change it up.



dburatti said:


> Nice work! I understand you son's apprehension with the height. This is where the risk to skill (or reward) ratio comes in. The skill it takes to ride something one foot wide is the same whether the skinny is one foot of the ground or 10. The risk, however, increases the higher it is off the ground. Also, take into account that some people are more (or less) risk averse than others.
> 
> Building a technically difficult feature low to the ground makes it accessible for more people...not that you'll have a bunch weekend warriors in your backyard!
> 
> Dewayne


Point taken. I actually took a bad spill yesterday, though it was on the lower part, only ~18" off the ground. Was showing off for my son and wasn't paying attention to the front wheel and rode right off the edge. Then my back tire went off the other side and down I went. Now my right hand has swollen up to about twice the size of my left. Hopefully I'll be back at it within a week or so. I am thinking of replacing the current skinnies is this setup with something a bit wider and leaving the 12" wide ones closer to the ground, mainly to make it more accessible for my son since he is now totally freaked about riding it after seeing me go down.

Ironically, I just had a conversation with the local bike shop owner about injuries from riding skinnies and obstacles. He said that at least in our area there have been quite a bit more injuries on obstacles close to the ground than the higher ones. He suggested it was because of reduced reaction time if you fall close to the ground compared to higher off the ground. That may be true, or it could be that beginner riders generally stay on the lower obstacles. In any case, there are plenty of opportunities to get hurt no matter how far off the ground you are. I guess it's just part of the risk we take. I will say though that my body was much more resilient in my twenties than it is now at 39.



Trail Ninja said:


> Dewayne, note the step-up in the first picture. They're OK with risk. ;-)
> 
> Yeah, I know it's an exit.... for now.


I have slowly rolled up it a couple times to see about the potential for a step-up, but I'm not quite there yet. I think if the launch angle was a little steeper I would feel better about it. I do love using it as an exit though. No feeling quite like dropping into a nice transition.

Matt


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## Skookum (Jan 17, 2005)

snmhanson said:


> The platform is partially to hold the skinnies in place, but also to provide a smooth bridge across the top of the rock. It isn't evident from the pics but the top of the rock is quite jagged so we needed to smooth it out a bit. Everything is modular so that if we get bored with one setup we can easily change it up.


Gotcha, with a tractor you can roll the rock to a side with a better riding surface too. Being how it's your backyard, the skies the limit.


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## krott5333 (Aug 6, 2009)

That curved ramp up the side of the big rock.. do you ride UP that?


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## mike_d_1583 (Feb 12, 2008)

It's not a "skinny" unless it's 6" or less. At this point it is only an elevated boardwalk. Practice on 4" curbs around your city to get your balance skills up, then you will feel more comfortable with the elevation. Hell, I can ride off the top of the boulder onto the grass from a dead stop, Urban riding makes me a better technical rider. Just keep your weight back!


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## Ridnparadise (Dec 14, 2007)

mike_d_1583 said:


> It's not a "skinny" unless it's 6" or less. At this point it is only an elevated boardwalk. Practice on 4" curbs around your city to get your balance skills up, then you will feel more comfortable with the elevation. Hell, I can ride off the top of the boulder onto the grass from a dead stop, Urban riding makes me a better technical rider. Just keep your weight back!


Won't that snap your Huffy?


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## dburatti (Feb 14, 2004)

mike_d_1583 said:


> It's not a "skinny" unless it's 6" or less.


Where is this alleged specification documented other than you just stating it?

D


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## mike_d_1583 (Feb 12, 2008)

dburatti said:


> Where is this alleged specification documented other than you just stating it?
> 
> D


Like I said it's just an elevated boardwalk

This is a skinny:


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## dburatti (Feb 14, 2004)

mike_d_1583 said:


> Like I said it's just an elevated boardwalk


Oh, I see. You stated it above so that's the documentation. Got it. Thanks for clarifying.

D


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## Skookum (Jan 17, 2005)

dburatti said:


> Oh, I see. You stated it above so that's the documentation. Got it. Thanks for clarifying.
> 
> D


i just read in the official guidelines that if you're running a 2.1 tire, a skinny has to be 8 inches or less. If you're running a 2.5 it has to be 2 centimenters. This is for the ALL-MOUNTAIN category. i think it changes for trials and freeride. i've got a copy, shall i fax it to you?


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## dburatti (Feb 14, 2004)

Skookum said:


> i just read in the official guidelines that if you're running a 2.1 tire, a skinny has to be 8 inches or less. If you're running a 2.5 it has to be 2 centimenters. This is for the ALL-MOUNTAIN category. i think it changes for trials and freeride. i've got a copy, shall i fax it to you?


What's a fax?

D


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## Skookum (Jan 17, 2005)

dburatti said:


> What's a fax?
> 
> D


i'm not really sure myself but i think it plays cassette tapes.


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

mike_d_1583 said:


> Like I said it's just an elevated boardwalk
> 
> This is a skinny:


That's not a skinny, this is...

Ryan Leech rides a 8mm cable! - YouTube


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## NEPMTBA (Apr 7, 2007)

Our newest...

... 40 feet long, 6 inches wide!


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## Dwreck (Jul 7, 2010)

Left side goes to ground, right side about a 3 foot drop.


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## DanMTB (Feb 28, 2012)

*Question*

Just curious, what do you use/do to get a log in half like that? just run a chainsaw down the middle?


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## Skookum (Jan 17, 2005)

DanMTB said:


> Just curious, what do you use/do to get a log in half like that? just run a chainsaw down the middle?


That or if it's good splittin wood, you can split one log for 2 skinnies. Wedge n sledge bonk tink bonk tink.

But you can't simply run down the middle on your saw cut, you gotta cut relief divits every foot or so.


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## Mr. Lynch (Jun 11, 2010)

We had a 30ft+ tree fall on one of our local trails, and a guy went out with his chain saw and a lumber mill attachment (not exactly sure what it was) and cut the tree down the middle in 1 cut to create two 30ft+ skinnies.


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## Skookum (Jan 17, 2005)

Mr. Lynch said:


> * chain saw* and a lumber *mill* attachment (not exactly sure what it was)


That's what it is, and if you go to the Grand Bridge Puncheon thread, that's exactly what they used to mill the huge slat boards.
It requires a long bar saw.


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## thefriar (Jan 23, 2008)

Some new local goodies from the local gnomes. Local method here is cut top of log horizontally every couple inches and blow out with axe/hatchet/hammer&chisel.


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## DanMTB (Feb 28, 2012)

Nice! Thanks guys, I'm definitely planning on adding one or two of these to the local trails. I'll be sure to snap a few pics so I can post on here.


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## Downhill mtb kid (Feb 7, 2012)

These all look pretty sick!


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## hunrugger (Jul 23, 2008)

I think ~8 inches is in the skinny category, especially if the penalty for failure is >3-4 feet. 

Matt (the OO in case you ADD kids weren't paying attn), That would look much cooler with some natural supports - other boulders or even logs - granted you loose some of the modular-ability. I've built similar skinnies out of rough cedar, they just need a home in the woods and out of my garage.


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