On Saturday, March 19th, Matt Macduff sustained a terrible fall attempting to make his way around the Loop Of Doom. After over 3 years of research, determination, and hard work, Matt had managed find everything he needed to make his project happen. Built in a month at the Garden Route Trail Park, the gigantic structure rose 40 Ft into the sky. The crash left him with 10 fractures in his right wrist and 3 in his right ankle. The story behind the stunt is as impactful as the structure itself. A real story of determination. After spending a week in a South African hospital, Matt is now home in Ontario, working on his rehabilitation. Already able to walk, we caught up with him to get his take on his incredible story. In the previous posts about the Loop of Doom, there was a lot of interrogations from the readers. In this interview, we did our best to cover all the aspects of this project. Keep on reading to take a quick journey through the mind of a young man that is determined to leave an impact on the sport he loves.
TR: I know it’s been a long time in the making, but when did you first start thinking about one day hitting a 40ft loop?
Matt: I’ve always seen the loop as a key part of action sports' history. Once I mastered the 20ft one, I came to realize that the loop could be ridden at a much larger scale.
TR: Do you remember when you rolled up the thing?
Matt: It happened faster than you can snap your fingers. I got in that thing and I was like ‘’oh my god I can’t move!’’. I didn’t know it at the time but I was pulling some crazy G’s…. As soon as I hit the top it was like an explosion… I found forces that I didn’t even know existed… I just compressed and I couldn’t control my bike. Then I remember being in the air. I couldn’t believe what happened… But luckily the fall was so huge that I was able to come to my senses of what was happening to me. When I realized “you peeled off the side of the loop man!” My first thought was… “You shouldn’t have done that man, you’re gonna die!’’ It’s weird because time kinda slowed down a bit. I just peeked my head over, and saw where I was gonna land, I knew that this isn’t gonna feel the best… but I knew that I was gonna live. I knew right away I can survive that impact, maybe I’m not gonna die, I might lose my legs. I remember seeing where I was gonna land and just prepared for landing. Just like when you jump off a 40ft cliff. It’s the same thing just... no water.
Just like when you jump off a 40ft cliff. It's the same thing just... no water. - Matt Macduff
TR: Maybe it’s too early to ask it but I’ll just ask it anyway. Considering that right now you are pretty messed up physically, would you consider giving it another try?
Matt: You know what man, I just want to live in the present moment and not think about the future or the past. But if someone would offer me a platform where I believe that I could succeed, I’m not gonna lie man... 100% I’m gonna try it again, because I know it's possible.
We want to thank all of the people that supported the Loop of Doom project through Kickstarter, O'Neal, Kali Protectives, Azonic, Five Ten, and Mud Rocker for their support, and special thanks to Northman Co. for helping Matt with his recovery.
Matt, I'm so happy you're still here with us. Thanks for being the most stoked/creative/badass human I know. Can't wait to see what you do next you mad scientist!
I second that @scottsecco , but whatever madass stunt you come up with next Sir MacDuff, call it the Whatever Of Victory, or the Whatever Of No f*ck-ups-to land-you-in Hospital, because I speak for all Pinkbikers when I say you're a bloody lovable nutter.
Agreed, would of been really sad if you were gone because of this Matt! I think it is def worth investing in those huge blow up bags in case you choose to try this again. Only question I got, does anyone else find it a little scary that the loop seems to be more elliptical than circular? I could see how the g forces might of been unpredictable and hard to get out of with the help that the loop wasn't as equally circular all the way through. Get well soon man!
@coot83: it being elliptical reduces the increasing g forces you experience as you accelerate around the loop. Thats why roller coaster loops are elliptical and not circular. In a circular loop the g forces double with every 90 degrees of the loop. In an elliptical loop the steep sides help decrease the g forces you experience. Roller coasters do this so that normal people dont pass out when going around the loop.
@BGactionSports: Thanks for the info. I never realized that about roller coasters either. I was thinking the same thing as @coot83 regarding the shape of the loop. It intrigued me so I went digging a little further and found this great article that breaks everything down and why elliptical loops (called Clothoid curves) are used over circular ones. It's a good read if you're interested: gizmodo.com/why-roller-coaster-loops-are-never-circular-1549063718
Also, I used the equation toward the bottom of the page to try and determine the amount of acceleration he was experiencing when he came out of the loop. I plugged in values by guesstimating the speed, height, angle, and radius and came up with 3.35 G's, which may not seem like a lot, but most roller coasters don't exceed 3 G's at any point and that's sitting down. Matt is standing up when going through the loop and is thus trying to squat or maintain position while sustaining 3.35 times his body weight due to the normal force being exerted off of the ramp. I don't think this trick is possible without sitting down.
@lobohusky: Nice job on plugging in the numbers! You are right 3.35 G's isn't a lot, but I couldn't imagine trying to balance my bike while being upside down with that pressure on me. Its scary the forces Matt was taking on, that dude just might be unkillable.
@lobohusky: Actually really cool article, but I do physics so maybe I'm just biased/a nerd haha. Surely with the help of a decent speed gun and someone to do the maths this would be a lot easier, i'm sure there's plenty of engineering types on here that'd be happy to do it for free
@Trials-FTW: Ahh, you're one of those guys. I'm pretty sure any one of us can pick apart any of our statements here on PB and find a grammatical error. For example, your statement reads; "All that (should read 'All of that') great spelling & grammar yet (when it should read 'grammar, yet') blah, blah, blah." Why don't we do this?
1) We're not dicks. 2) We have better things to do with our time. 3) Insulting people based on nationality when neither their nationality nor yours is present in their statement is just plain childish and shows a genuine lack of intelligence. 4) It has nothing to do with the topic at hand.
All that being said, I'm sure it fell on deaf ears. So happy trolling.
@hgardner: I agree. The biggest unknown in the quick calcs I did was the speed at the base of the loop. I assumed 40 mph (58.7 ft/s) to be on the high side, but maybe he was going slower? Faster? I want to run the numbers later on to figure out exactly how fast he should be going to be weightless (Vy = 0) at the top of the loop.
I cant help but wonder about the line of attack though. With the current setup, you fly straight down the ramp and as you hit the loop you have to turn slightly to complete the loop. You may have already thought of this but what would happen if you skewed the angle of attack to line up with the loop? That would make it straight, no turns. Any thoughts?
@lobohusky: I made my comments before I watched the video. The start ramp was too high. No wonder he accelerated into the top of the loop and got crushed into it. The same thing happened to Matt Hoffman when he did a loop. He failed a few times until he realised he needed less speed. Hoffman's other problem was that his loop was round, so at least McDuff's loop was a better shape.
@lobohusky: I was just thinking about that, the way I look at it is I would be doing a squat at the gym with 300kg on the bar, I can't squat 300kg so imagine riding a bike with that much weight on you even for a few seconds
Dear Matt I'm currently in whistler, I've been here a month and I've seen so many pros, I saw semenuk, peat and rheeder in the first a line train, I've met tippie, I've seen the Commencal team, I've hitchhiked with Remy, but you're the one guy I'm still looking out for and the one pro I'd definitely like to see, here's hoping to see you at crankworx because you're a fucking legend, everyone knows about you yet the one of the chillest and humble riders ever even lacondeguy and the sensus squad would admit that you da OG Boss man. Keep it real 3
"I was pulling some crazy G’s…. As soon as I hit the top it was like an explosion… I found forces that I didn’t even know existed… I just compressed and I couldn’t control my bike." So at the speed he hit it, the ramp needed to be an even bigger diameter to be rideable. The cruel irony of physics.
@RVD604: no no, this is a clothoid loop for a reason. The speed at the bottom is the greatest, at the top some of it got converted into potential energy, so he is slower. Also, on the bottom you have to overcome gravitation, where at top it accelerates you in the right direction (downward). As a result you have the greatest curvature at the top and the lowest at the bottom, which leads to a constant acceleration.
I think my point is getting missed. The reason he encountered forces he didn't know existed, aka being un-rideable, has to do with the design specs somewhere.
@JoseBravo: or shorten the ramp to reduce the entry speed. given that he was coming in so hot, my original sentiment was that a true circle could work with the same entry speed to distribute the force in a rideable away. but I don't know for sure haha.
What happened? Matt rode this loop, but the (centripet) force was too big. What can yo do to lower the centripet force? 1.- Lower the speed. This has a limit, if you go too slow you will fall down 2.- Change the geometry of the loop a) change the height, Matt wants to ride a 40ft loop, so you CAN'T change the height because that's the f*cking purpose of the stunt, ride a 40ft loop. b) change the curvature, if you make the loop more wide it will have less force.
why he uses this shape and not a circle? because the force that you fell is pushing you towards the loop (the g's he talks about in the interview, the centripet force I have been talking about) depends on two things, the curvature radius and the speed that you are going. More Speed -> More force More curvature radius -> Less force This shape makes the centripet force constant, when you go up in the loop you start going slower, but the radius of cuvature gets smaller to compensate your lost of speed making the force constant. That's why is wider on the bottom, because you have more speed.
@RVD604: you are right, going slower or making it wider, but I think that he feels safer going at match speed,so maybe making a shorter "roll in" would be an option to obligate him to go at the correct speed.
@JoseBravo: When you make less curvature somewhere, you would have to make more curvature somewhere else to still make a loop within 40ft. This would lead to an even higher peak acceleration, only less where there is less curvature. He just was too fast
@Fattylocks: @Fattylocks: I assume you just ignored the entire interview... He explains that the risk for doing this kind of thing is broken down over time as he improves himself, to the point where doing a back flip over a 50ft jump is about as dangerous for him as driving to work is for the average Joe. Just as if any number of people on this site were to work their way up to doing a bigger jump or trick, this was just the next stage for Macduff, I think that he is actually one of the smartest guys out there on the DJ scene, to be as creative and always forward thinking as he is.
It may sound as a stupid question, but did you consider running a simulation to figure at which speed you should be riding to clear that? It is geeky I know but it is a good start. Obviously we don't do that every jump we see in front of us. But when you are talking about a monster loop that you can probably see from the space station... it doesn't sound so geeky at all!!!
I believe I saw another user mention placing pads around the loop in case of a fall, that is a great idea. At least have big piles of mulch or something!
This project is stupid and ill planned out. Maybe consult a something with an advanced degree in physics and make sure the run in and loop radius are correct. A railing at the top of the run in would be simple and useful.
If this is the man's lifelong dream that is rather sad. The risk/reward just doesn't make sense. Risk is death or paralysis. Reward is entertaining some folks on the internet for a week or so until the next spectacle takes place.
I write this because I love cycling and have for about 25 years, I do not want to see someone get killed or seriously injured for a stupid stunt.
If nobody did anything that had "risk of death or paralysis" freeride mountain biking would be nowhere close to where it is today. Whether the project was ill planned or not MacDuff isn't doing this for a few minutes of internet fame.
You're dealing in absolutes. Of course everything carries risks and freeride is risky in nature. I am talking about mitigating the risks by proper planning and safety precautions.
A good example is the Whistler bike park. The park is planned so that medical care is available and injured riders can be helped at any point in the park etc. The risk still exists but it is mitigated so bad things happen less frequently. In the case of this monster loop it appears no though has been given to that.
Plenty of people have had debilitating injuries in Whistler. This sport is dangerous, even for the entry level rider, let alone a professional at the top of the sport. You can feather out some of the risk but not all, and when you're venturing into the unknown it gets harder to control. Much larger injuries happen at just about every WC DH race, food for thought.
Ok captain obvious I'm sure Matt is more aware that anyone else on the planet that this could have been executed a little bit better. I'm sure you have had your share of entertainment from guys making videos and pushing boundaries, show some class.
Hmmm, well I don't wanna see dumb comments by dumb people, but here you are, doing it anyway. :/
With a Red Bull budget I'm sure it could be done safer, you know, like how Rampage is?
Next time you fly on a plane, or use a GPS or any global communications tech etc. remember how dumb it was for all those with balls you wish you had to venture out & explore possibilities.
You're a pussy, we get it. That doesn't mean everyone else has to be. Go worship Robbie Knievel or sump'm lame-o.
We really do not need to lower ourselves to name calling because we disagree. The other users who disagreed with my comments did so in a civil and respectful manner. I have to ask that you keep pinkbike free from this type of behavior, this is a good website and community lets keep it that way.
I posted this exact same thing on VitalMTB. I have no issue with him doing the stunt itself at all. But it just seems obvious that large stunts have always consulted legitamite stunt personnel. People who deal in physics who can tell him the exact run in speed, ramp angle and length and the necessary momentum needed to stay in contact with the ramp. You're not out of bounds. If Matt & crew consulted any one other than welders and carpenters, they didn't mention it.
His comments about the run in seem to indicate they built a loop of 40 feet and then just built a massive run in. No science, no math, no expert consultation. Stunts on this scale always have a professional consultant who can work out the numbers for them. Then if he failed, OK. This was literally just a shot in the dark.
And you're right that safety precautions were not taken. Seriously, a circus cargo net is easy to come by. All he needs is a 10 x 10 foot hole at the entrance of the loop to squirt through. Not that hard. This is a massive stunt and he just looks dumb.
Go as big as your heart desires McDuff, but damn son. A few thousand more dollars of suspended cargo netting and you do that thing a few dozen times to your heart's desire.
I stood on the wall the summer after Josh Bender hucked off the wall at Deer Valley, Utah. To see it in person is to know that there was NO landing and he WOULD crash. There was NO WAY OUT of that stunt. He did it anyway and if you ever have the chance to stand on that wall in Deer Valley, you WILL know what I mean.
Don't fool yourself when you see him case and it looks like he can ride it out. That ditch at the bottom was HUGE and if he had landed, rather than catapulted, he'd have hit an uphill ditch at roughly 40mph and probably snapped both wrists. Tough to see in the video, but I've seen the world's best riders in person pull off amazing feats. Bender was stupid that day, not tough. He had no out though...too afraid to back out of it, knowing he was going to crash.
McDuff had every opportunity to do a legit, huge and ground breaking stunt.
Agree with what you are saying. I feel the same way about Bender. I recall watching him try the jaw drop in high school on the videos. The landing was nowhere near steep enough and was also too sandy and loose. Again like you said no planning = no success.
@ericpalmer: And when you try to support yourself through a transition at 50mph with arms all pumped up from pulling a 30lb bike arm over arm up 5 stories.
Matt, you're an innovator, stay true, stay strong and keep the dream alive... sometimes pushing the envelope carries a price, but full respect for your commitment.
And just remember, we're only just beginning to discover what humans are truly capable of~ after all, we're all made of stardust.
Most captivating teaser ever! Then, when you see the picture... you can't even fathom a happy ending... then you see a f*cked wrist and ankle (even though f*cked thoroughly), and you are like: this is f*cking incredible! Hopefully the recovery goes well and fast.
@mattmacduff: f@ckig awesome for you for not only getting stronger everyday, but to also be in here fielding responses. lots of folks put up posts and get a lot of different POVs and just sit back. you're in here owning it. best of luck with everything. Sorry about having to ride a road bike.
It's always impressive when someone steps up with another jaw dropping accomplishment but it's seems like te game of one-upsmanship has taking us to a point that you can't attempt this stuff with doing some serious research into design and the physics involved. What really struck me is Matts comment that he didn't expect the forces that lead to the accident. That is a critical oversight that could have gone much worse than it did. I'm glad he came out relatively good and hopefully there is a lesson here for next gen athletes to consider all possible options before an attempt like this..
This crash was unfortunate but look on the positive side, normal people die all the time tripping on stairs or falling off ladders. Here is a guy who got shot off an upside down ramp the size of an office building and not only lived to tell about it but avoided having a huge array of much more serious injuries. A little spacial awareness and a cool head saved this guy. This shows how resilient the human body can be.
Nope. Just shows he had a check from Monster Energy and they made money off his ass and he got put in traction for not making them pay for any sort of safety precautions.
He may have chosen to be ultimately hardcore, but I'm pretty well pissed now that I realize a big energy drink company and every media outlet that gets a few bucks for reposting the video gets to cash in on his project that SHOULD have had proper funding. International media just gets to get a lot more clicks from the crash footage than the lander even.
@mattmacduff I know we "learn" from experiences brother, but I would have been a hell of a lot more stoked to see those companies that half ass backed you insist on and/or pay for some simple safety precautions to protect you...the athlete and dreamer.
@bizutch: i have to disagree. It seems to me that this was Matt's idea and project so it was his responsibility to take proper safety precautions. This is a dangerous game and anyone in their mid 20's and up knows the risks. If he wanted more safety precautions he could have insisted on them or simply not dropped in. It's no one's responsibility but his.
@bizutch: the YouTube channel playing this video is from Matt's own company so the advertising revenue from the YouTube views goes to him and not Monster, assuming he monetized it. Making money isn't a bad thing.
I'm all for pushing the limits and this guys is one of the gnarliest but at some point someone is going to die or get paralyzed with these "Nitro" style stunts. Is it really worth it? It also seems as though an airbag next to the loop (as others have done for loops) could have been a smart idea.
Glad you're relatively OK Man! Holy Hell!.....(I'd figure there's no shame in making it a little safer either while testing...a smooth walled railing of sorts might have kept you contained and simply sliding down the "tranny"...I dunno...lol)
There used to be a dog with massive bollocks that used to live round by me when I was younger and his name was 'Zep'. So in my eyes you are now officially called 'Matt Zep Macduff.
It was a failure of design. They either did not do any engineering or did not engineer it the proper way.
Because it was a bike loop at a fatal height, it is more critical to keep the rider in the center of the track as the loop goes up.
If race car tracks bank at corners, so should the bike loop. The design goal should be that a heavy sphere should be able to complete the loop without falling or flying off. This is because at extreme g-forces, you cannot predict if the rider will be able to control the bike. In cycling, the one with the largest mass is the rider, not the machine. Basically, it's your body that's hurtling through the loop.
I'm really sorry guys but there is no bravery in stunts like these. Test pilots are brave but also professional. The key word is professional. If you don't have a clue what could happen to you and you do that anyway, that's... wasteful. Like Russian Roulette. You don't learn anything from a crash like that except that you were stupid at the time you did it.
I hope you get well soon man. If you want to continue to be awesome, please practice your craft professionally and with professionals.
FAAAAWWWWK DUDE, when I saw that roll-in I was all "dude dude dude that's way to fvckin' high dude!" Figged maybe he's gonna start lower or invested in some brakes. No wonder the G's were too high brudda!
Brakes aren't expensive, they're not heavy & they expand the capabilities of your bicycle so much more than taking them off does. Might be something to consider. Especially on a 26". Either that or lower the ramp or move it farther back. Hard tires on hard dirt that close to the loop means little speed will be dissipated by the time you get there just from air & rolling resistance.
Could put maybe a fitty long & low in front for a speed check. Air bags, mulch, loose dirt piles or ponds dug in at the crash zones might be a good idear too.
Sending good vibes your way! So, stoked to finally get any idea of what happened and just how enormous your loop actually is. I had to post this as my wallpaper in the office and it has sparked so many comments from those that never new such a hobby existed, to others which couldn't understand why I choose a pic of someone falling to their death. You're an inspiration and I'm glad the Gods decided spared you.
In my head it looks like it prevents you from using your maximum G force to early by being less of a tight curve initially, then tightening at the top so you G out hard at the top preventing you from dropping out of the air?
I'm sure some one will correct me with some maths that I won't understand if I'm wrong haha !
The loop is shaped like an Ellipse. Mathemathically, it's the best design to prevent the object from stalling as it gets to the highest point.
Imagine going up the loop. It increases the curvature as you go to the highest point to maximize the g-forces. This keeps you glued to the track surface. If it were a regular circle, you start to experience weightlessness the higher you go as gravity would have then caught up with you.
Not sure if you covered all aspects of the loop in this 3 question interview, but the basics are there. 1. I thought about doing it, 2. I rolled into it and math took over, and 3. Yeah, I'd do it again.
Heal up brother, that's some scary shit
We need pioneers if we ever want to get past our boundaries. Everything could look good on paper and still go terribly wrong. I think some people would rather just sit around in a bubble and let the world evolve around them. What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger. Matt MacDuff, If you make a trip to Utah, be sure to take a soak in the Crystal Hot Springs. It has the highest mineral content of any hot spring world wide. Including calcium, which we all know is good for bones. Stay Positive!
Did you ask someone physic related about the loop? You went for the chlotoid loop instead of the hot-wheels loop, so clearly you made some research. It's not hard to calculate what will be the centripet force, can you share the dimensions of your previous succesfull loops? (a picture with some reference would work fine, i.e you standing next to the loop and how tall are you)
I think for practice runs there should be big foam pads on the ground below. I've seen it used before. The idea is just getting used to and comfortable with the loop.
Once the rider feels better and knows what to expect the rider will feel more confident and more comfortable and loosen up a bit.
I'm not sure if he already did this and this was the final run. Mad respect and glad he's doing fine and recovery is almost complete.
Build the loop over water! At least a practice loop to figure out the speed needed / forces generated / energy losses for your expected loop size. Then move to dirt once you've practiced. Jesus man, be safe!
Dude's insane, that roll in looks like an aboriginal village's take on a skyscraper. The decreasing radius loop shape is also a smart idea, hopefully he can accomplish it eventually.
reminds me of bob burnquist's mega ramp - so rad. duff - don't listen to the snark about testing, poor design, or risk versus reward. people like you are rare and important - now more than ever. the world has enough accountants and lawyers. thank you for reminding us all what it means to be truly brave. keep pushing the limits, do not ever change.
so you think guys like robbie maddison, levi levallee, and travis pastrana just go "yeah that ramp angle looks about good", guess a speed, and huck thier shit when they go for distance jumps in a rally car, dirtbike or sled? or you think tanner foust just f*cking pinned it when he did the hot wheels loop in a rally car?
@wiscobiker: maybe, maybe not. are you implying that's what macduff did? either way, I was just trying to give props. and full respect for not using padding or water, and for going balls out. sorry if you don't like my opinion. oh, and go f&ck yourself.
Firstly full respect, the guy has got balls for sure. But I can't help but thinking he didn't do enough prep, the loop didn't even look circular, more egg shaped! If anyone hasn't seen this before it's worth a quick watch - look how much preparation and physics research they did before sending someone round it www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiZoVAZGgsw
Maybe do some research into roller coasters, the keyword being 'coaster', there's a ton of maths involved in curves and the 'egg shape' loop is used in roller coasters and the same principle is used on highway roads; the loop gets tighter at the top as speed is slowest there, the decreased radius helps increase g-force and hold the bike to the top of the loop
@ctd07: It was more calculating the Gforces and seeing if it was actually possible that his body could withstand the forces... something he says in the article were unexpectedly high
Circular wouldn't be ideal. Ideally you want the upper section to be (negative) parabolic shaped. That will keep you at a constant g load. I'm not entirely correct there as you're carrying momentum and are constantly changing direction. But to put it in perspective, a circular shape would be ideal if there were no gravity. If that were the case, a circular shape would keep you at a constant g level.
I've got loads of respect for the guy but no doubt he had help from someone to do the calculations and that person messed up big time. You want to experience a positive g load in that loop because a negative g load isn't possible, it means you're coming off the track. But positive is anything over 0g. From what he said, he must have been at something like 6g or over. Of course close to 0g must be scary because it feels like you're falling, but a fit person like him must have been able to function perfectly fine at 3g or so. To put it in perspective, jet fighter pilots are supposed to sustain 9g (positive) and still be able to control the aircraft. Of course they're in a recumbent position and are wearing suits that help.
So really he should carry less speed, start lower on that ramp. Experiment with smaller loops and figure out how much g feels best. Find an envelope within which you want to stay. Then translate that to how high on the ramp you want/have to start. You can't stop the guy if he really wants to do it, but you can give him the preparation so that he has a fair chance to pull it off.
I sincerely hope he recovers fully and by the time he does another attempt, that he can be confident that he can make it.
one off stunts like that are a waste of time and energy. The amount of time it whent to build that stooopid loop like that... you could build a nice trail that would actually be rideable. Neg prop me all you want, had to say it.
A waste of who's time and energy ? Not yours ! And it's far from a waste it's seriously huge landmark thing to do in your riding career, imagine having the memory of building this and nailing it, a seriously amazing highlight clip to play over and over in your head for the rest of your life. As soon as you ride some thing you have built and enjoy it you pretty much forget about to the work you put in.
No, you didn't have to say it. See, that's the trick. You don't have to vomit your negative opinions all over the internet, all of the time. You can actually just let people do whatever they want to do, with their own time, and not worry about it.
Also, I used the equation toward the bottom of the page to try and determine the amount of acceleration he was experiencing when he came out of the loop. I plugged in values by guesstimating the speed, height, angle, and radius and came up with 3.35 G's, which may not seem like a lot, but most roller coasters don't exceed 3 G's at any point and that's sitting down. Matt is standing up when going through the loop and is thus trying to squat or maintain position while sustaining 3.35 times his body weight due to the normal force being exerted off of the ramp. I don't think this trick is possible without sitting down.
scienceblogs.com/dotphysics/2009/08/31/5th-gear-loop-the-loop
1) We're not dicks.
2) We have better things to do with our time.
3) Insulting people based on nationality when neither their nationality nor yours is present in their statement is just plain childish and shows a genuine lack of intelligence.
4) It has nothing to do with the topic at hand.
All that being said, I'm sure it fell on deaf ears. So happy trolling.
I cant help but wonder about the line of attack though. With the current setup, you fly straight down the ramp and as you hit the loop you have to turn slightly to complete the loop. You may have already thought of this but what would happen if you skewed the angle of attack to line up with the loop? That would make it straight, no turns. Any thoughts?
That was a scary video. Heal up quick!
So at the speed he hit it, the ramp needed to be an even bigger diameter to be rideable. The cruel irony of physics.
What happened?
Matt rode this loop, but the (centripet) force was too big.
What can yo do to lower the centripet force?
1.- Lower the speed.
This has a limit, if you go too slow you will fall down
2.- Change the geometry of the loop
a) change the height, Matt wants to ride a 40ft loop, so you CAN'T change the height because that's the f*cking purpose of the stunt, ride a 40ft loop.
b) change the curvature, if you make the loop more wide it will have less force.
why he uses this shape and not a circle? because the force that you fell is pushing you towards the loop (the g's he talks about in the interview, the centripet force I have been talking about) depends on two things, the curvature radius and the speed that you are going.
More Speed -> More force
More curvature radius -> Less force
This shape makes the centripet force constant, when you go up in the loop you start going slower, but the radius of cuvature gets smaller to compensate your lost of speed making the force constant. That's why is wider on the bottom, because you have more speed.
He just was too fast
Wish you a speedy recovery man!!!
This project is stupid and ill planned out. Maybe consult a something with an advanced degree in physics and make sure the run in and loop radius are correct. A railing at the top of the run in would be simple and useful.
If this is the man's lifelong dream that is rather sad. The risk/reward just doesn't make sense. Risk is death or paralysis. Reward is entertaining some folks on the internet for a week or so until the next spectacle takes place.
I write this because I love cycling and have for about 25 years, I do not want to see someone get killed or seriously injured for a stupid stunt.
planned or not MacDuff isn't doing this for a few minutes of internet fame.
With a Red Bull budget I'm sure it could be done safer, you know, like how Rampage is?
Next time you fly on a plane, or use a GPS or any global communications tech etc. remember how dumb it was for all those with balls you wish you had to venture out & explore possibilities.
You're a pussy, we get it. That doesn't mean everyone else has to be. Go worship Robbie Knievel or sump'm lame-o.
@Trials-FTW:
We really do not need to lower ourselves to name calling because we disagree. The other users who disagreed with my comments did so in a civil and respectful manner. I have to ask that you keep pinkbike free from this type of behavior, this is a good website and community lets keep it that way.
You're not out of bounds. If Matt & crew consulted any one other than welders and carpenters, they didn't mention it.
His comments about the run in seem to indicate they built a loop of 40 feet and then just built a massive run in. No science, no math, no expert consultation. Stunts on this scale always have a professional consultant who can work out the numbers for them. Then if he failed, OK. This was literally just a shot in the dark.
And you're right that safety precautions were not taken. Seriously, a circus cargo net is easy to come by. All he needs is a 10 x 10 foot hole at the entrance of the loop to squirt through. Not that hard. This is a massive stunt and he just looks dumb.
Go as big as your heart desires McDuff, but damn son. A few thousand more dollars of suspended cargo netting and you do that thing a few dozen times to your heart's desire.
I stood on the wall the summer after Josh Bender hucked off the wall at Deer Valley, Utah. To see it in person is to know that there was NO landing and he WOULD crash. There was NO WAY OUT of that stunt. He did it anyway and if you ever have the chance to stand on that wall in Deer Valley, you WILL know what I mean.
Don't fool yourself when you see him case and it looks like he can ride it out. That ditch at the bottom was HUGE and if he had landed, rather than catapulted, he'd have hit an uphill ditch at roughly 40mph and probably snapped both wrists. Tough to see in the video, but I've seen the world's best riders in person pull off amazing feats.
Bender was stupid that day, not tough. He had no out though...too afraid to back out of it, knowing he was going to crash.
McDuff had every opportunity to do a legit, huge and ground breaking stunt.
Agree with what you are saying. I feel the same way about Bender. I recall watching him try the jaw drop in high school on the videos. The landing was nowhere near steep enough and was also too sandy and loose. Again like you said no planning = no success.
And just remember, we're only just beginning to discover what humans are truly capable of~ after all, we're all made of stardust.
Then, when you see the picture... you can't even fathom a happy ending... then you see a f*cked wrist and ankle (even though f*cked thoroughly), and you are like: this is f*cking incredible! Hopefully the recovery goes well and fast.
He may have chosen to be ultimately hardcore, but I'm pretty well pissed now that I realize a big energy drink company and every media outlet that gets a few bucks for reposting the video gets to cash in on his project that SHOULD have had proper funding. International media just gets to get a lot more clicks from the crash footage than the lander even.
@mattmacduff I know we "learn" from experiences brother, but I would have been a hell of a lot more stoked to see those companies that half ass backed you insist on and/or pay for some simple safety precautions to protect you...the athlete and dreamer.
It also seems as though an airbag next to the loop (as others have done for loops) could have been a smart idea.
Brakes aren't expensive, they're not heavy & they expand the capabilities of your bicycle so much more than taking them off does. Might be something to consider. Especially on a 26". Either that or lower the ramp or move it farther back. Hard tires on hard dirt that close to the loop means little speed will be dissipated by the time you get there just from air & rolling resistance.
Could put maybe a fitty long & low in front for a speed check. Air bags, mulch, loose dirt piles or ponds dug in at the crash zones might be a good idear too.
In my head it looks like it prevents you from using your maximum G force to early by being less of a tight curve initially, then tightening at the top so you G out hard at the top preventing you from dropping out of the air?
I'm sure some one will correct me with some maths that I won't understand if I'm wrong haha !
The loop is shaped like an Ellipse. Mathemathically, it's the best design to prevent the object from stalling as it gets to the highest point.
Imagine going up the loop. It increases the curvature as you go to the highest point to maximize the g-forces. This keeps you glued to the track surface. If it were a regular circle, you start to experience weightlessness the higher you go as gravity would have then caught up with you.
Guys got extra large attachments, obviously.
Well...Chuck Norris would have done it with Rollerblades though.
It is pg-13
I've got loads of respect for the guy but no doubt he had help from someone to do the calculations and that person messed up big time. You want to experience a positive g load in that loop because a negative g load isn't possible, it means you're coming off the track. But positive is anything over 0g. From what he said, he must have been at something like 6g or over. Of course close to 0g must be scary because it feels like you're falling, but a fit person like him must have been able to function perfectly fine at 3g or so. To put it in perspective, jet fighter pilots are supposed to sustain 9g (positive) and still be able to control the aircraft. Of course they're in a recumbent position and are wearing suits that help.
So really he should carry less speed, start lower on that ramp. Experiment with smaller loops and figure out how much g feels best. Find an envelope within which you want to stay. Then translate that to how high on the ramp you want/have to start. You can't stop the guy if he really wants to do it, but you can give him the preparation so that he has a fair chance to pull it off.
I sincerely hope he recovers fully and by the time he does another attempt, that he can be confident that he can make it.
Not yours !
And it's far from a waste it's seriously huge landmark thing to do in your riding career, imagine having the memory of building this and nailing it, a seriously amazing highlight clip to play over and over in your head for the rest of your life.
As soon as you ride some thing you have built and enjoy it you pretty much forget about to the work you put in.
I don't.
has anyone done the math?