Video: Remy Metailler on How he Approaches Guinea Pigging a Big Drop

Jul 8, 2020
by Rémy Métailler  

There is that big drop that a friend built and he asked me to guinea pig it...

Definitely a bit of adrenaline doing something like that. I had not been on my downhill bike since September or October. You can have a lot of experience doing similar features there is always a bit of unknown when doing it for the first time, and when no one else has jumped it easier. Many questions come to my mind while preparing to drop: Is the landing too short? Too flat? Do I have enough speed? Can I slow down enough before the end of the run out? What if I bounce? Should I slow down even more my rebound? Is my fork stiff enough?

In this video Chris Ricci and I converse about the process while attempting this big drop.

Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/c/remymetailler

Photos: @tylermatthewphotography
Video: @influxproductions
Guinea pigging a big drop. Photo by tylermatthewphotography

Guinea pigging a big drop. Photo by tylermatthewphotography

Photo by Tylermatthewphotography

Photo by Tylermatthewphotography


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59 Comments
  • 92 2
 I thought international flights we a no no, and did you see the way he skipped parts of the trail, typical French lines!
  • 4 107
flag Parabellum (Jul 8, 2020 at 8:24) (Below Threshold)
 Pretty sure Remy lives in Whistler.
  • 50 0
 @Parabellum: was a joke about his airtime.
  • 59 0
 @Parabellum: *whoosh!* (also an airtime joke)
  • 4 0
 @jayacheess: Wait wait... whoosh isn’t a French word, is it?! I’m so confused... ;-)
  • 77 1
 That is over 9.5 baguettes.
  • 15 0
 Can do anything if you have a smooz landing.
  • 41 0
 I got that familiar feeling watching the video that I normally get when I'm building myself up to doing a feature for the first time!!
A lot of people give a lot of bravado saying "Just send it!" but I find a more calculated approach works and I've even gone to the extent of just riding down from the top of the landing just to get an idea of what's going to happen.
I love the feeling of sending something and nailing it after pondering over it and getting worked up!
  • 5 2
 Same man, I was shitting my self when he done the big drop, was so worried about that run out, looked like he may get bucked into a tree on the right hard. Been a while since I had that feeling my self over a feature, time to step out of my comfort zone again soon I guess!
  • 30 0
 Those people saying "Just send it" need only watch the Fridays fails every week to see the outcomes of that.
  • 13 0
 Agreed. I am of the "know fear" rather than "no fear" philosophy.
  • 5 1
 I just look at something decide within 3 seconds if I want to do it then go for it before I have chance to second guess it.
  • 24 0
 Very cool - that first pic after the vid is stellar. Remy is so smooth it doesn't give the right context of how crazy this is.....I showed this to my gf, "that looked easy"....yup, sure. Looking at this kind of stuff in person is so mind boggling. Lastly, trees on landings with no run out scare me, a lot.
  • 4 0
 The tight trees in that run out are terrifying. Dropping from height is often no biggie, just prepare/set suspension for impact. But having all of those trees in your landing makes for such higher risk. Impressive drop!!
  • 27 1
 My suggestion, put a frame guard on the top side of the top tube so your massive balls don’t wreck that sick frame.
  • 17 0
 Going big never goes out of style.
  • 13 0
 I don't know if I'm more impressed by the drop, or his bike control after landing it. That's nuts.
  • 13 0
 Deaks could roll it !
  • 5 0
 You said to just roll it hahahaha
  • 10 0
 Damn, those trees on the bottom are sketch. Huge drop that you have to land perfectly or you are hitting a tree.
  • 10 2
 Reads article headline
Thinks "Just another shredit video"
Watches said video
Watches again the impossible runout between the trees
Head explodes
  • 5 0
 Each time you rolled in , my heart rate was going haha! be good to see more of this and how you dial in the settings for different features dude!
  • 6 0
 Same here. Just watching Remy roll up, stop and balance to unclip made me more nervous than watching him hit the actual drop.
  • 5 1
 “I’ll give it a miss today, don’t think I’ve got the right spring fitted”

Balls of steel????????
  • 2 1
 gave me butterflies! reminds me of hitting my biggest drop i ever made. my landing was crap and not nearly as steep. it was a rock cliff like that but more like 15 plus feet. its cool how the butterflies come back just watching this. fantastic skills. those tree scare the crap out of me. i would like a wider run out with less poles of death! haha. Smile
  • 1 0
 His narrative almost seems to serve as his own way to build his confidence. It’s all a head game to convince yourself you are confident. If you can believe in your own confidence, probability of disaster is just so much lower.
  • 4 0
 Sick dude. Another good one from Rémy
  • 4 0
 What rack is that at the end?
  • 7 0
 It is a Saris MTR 2 Bikes.
  • 4 1
 Thanks for the shout out Remy! Looks like the 500-575 progressive spring was definitely the right choice!
  • 3 0
 I shat myself watching and he's like 'oh yeah, that worked nicely'. What a badass.
  • 4 0
 Red Bull Squampage. Let's do this thing.
  • 4 0
 I go through this process before riding off a curb!
  • 3 0
 @remymetailler: Good to see you back on the big bike.
  • 2 0
 Cool to see him running th Hayes Dominion brakes. I just got a set and they feel great.
  • 2 0
 I love how it's a huge drop on the trail to "no where"
  • 2 0
 anyone else realise they werent breathing for the duration of the flight?
  • 2 0
 Impressive. Super high consequence, high risk drop.
  • 1 0
 Is Remy Saucer boy?

"oh yea, you hit it from the side? Nice! I hit it from the top."
  • 2 0
 The “run out” = a landing and trees.
  • 2 0
 you're a monster remy!
  • 2 0
 Big balls man!!
  • 1 0
 Nice. Very good pro rider Remy.
  • 1 0
 @remymetailler are you growing your hair? #hairtime
  • 1 0
 I was going to say, so can we talk about this hair?!
  • 1 0
 How could you not shoot a photo from the bottom with a fisheye lens?
  • 2 0
 Good stuff More of this
  • 1 0
 So Sick Remi... you’re THE MAN!!!
  • 1 1
 That looks like a butter landing for that sized drop!
  • 1 0
 a virtuoso for sure.
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