Solid rider Sam Dale pinning the 'Atherton Gap' near Bala on his Mission 9.

One of the scariest photos I've ever taken - I didn't want to ask him to do it again just for the camera!

The gap looks bigger in real life!  Full story here : http://www.gravity-slaves.co.uk/?a=475
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Solid rider Sam Dale pinning the 'Atherton Gap' near Bala on his Mission 9. One of the scariest photos I've ever taken - I didn't want to ask him to do it again just for the camera! The gap looks bigger in real life! Full story here : http://www.gravity-slaves.co.uk/?a=475
367 Comments
  • 266 34
 llllllllllllooooooooooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllll Fucking huge gap You are good rider
  • 194 6
 love the dust above the kicker. great shot - pod
  • 157 2
 If you'd seen how fast he was going, you'd wonder how he put it down in time! Wink
  • 360 12
 Farmer Jack hit that better Wink
  • 113 11
 farmer jacks got some sills
  • 57 6
 when we were at the race the other week, i went up to see this, from take off to landing it looks real easy and quite nice, but once u start pushing up the run in it kicks in, from the top, all u can see is the lip and hills in the distnce, i bottled it at this point lol, respect for hitting it sam
  • 32 5
 Holy fuck imagine casing that, OUCH
  • 19 8
 And I say POD
  • 11 1
 yeah Dale!
  • 16 3
 about time its pod.
  • 11 0
 HUGE! Props for man'n up and doin' it. Takes serious balls.
  • 26 7
 OMG a FREERIDE pod?! No... not on pinkbike...
Sick pod
  • 10 0
 Cheers!

Yup, freeride shot, fully race rider though. Sam is now rubbing shoulders with Riffle on Team Cannondale. This is one racer boy that can huck too! Smile
  • 6 0
 ^^^^ yer man, Dales an awsome rider. and he's right up there in the WC's too. can't wait to see him in elite next year
  • 6 1
 HUGE!
  • 8 1
 Absoloutely huge. I have like 3 posters of the athertons hitting this in my room!
  • 5 0
 that was nuts watching him do that!! fair play to dale for having the balls to do that!!
  • 19 2
 ^^^^^WTF? Theirs been a biker kissing dirt make pod and this frequent flyer clocking up some air miles ain't worthy!!!!????? Dude get those training wheels back on!!! respect were respect is due!!!!
  • 7 3
 Great Pic But why are we getting old photo's these days apart from yesterdays boring POD, I wanna see something fresh
  • 17 2
 i think i speak for all of us wen i say sd52bad... your a dick head
  • 12 7
 I would have called him a cockfag, but dickhead works too. How about fudge-packer, cock-receptacle, shit-eater, or just simply "poser"???Sick Pod today, that guy is going huge. Respect.
  • 2 13
flag shondo (Aug 11, 2008 at 9:05) (Below Threshold)
 maybe that was him in the farmer jack suit.
  • 1 0
 and I'm asking again: where is he going to land?
  • 1 0
 o fuck.I can see it.
  • 2 0
 Sam finaly gets pod
HE DESERVE IT WELL DONE !!Big Grin
  • 2 2
 that really cool man. did he bottom out?
  • 2 1
 this is sweet man i hope you get a good landing cuz if you dont theres only gonna be 2 words going threw your head " OH SHIT" lol nice POD
  • 3 3
 hoooooooollllllyyyyyyyyyy sssshhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttt~!!!!!
  • 2 2
 WELL DID HE
  • 1 0
 where is this at?
  • 1 0
 SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 0 0
 Dale earn his spot in foot out flat out!!! he is sick!
  • 33 3
 nice one dude. id like to have a go at that. taking the photo that is lol.
  • 7 0
 that guy just grew a pair of wings
  • 3 0
 that takes a lot of balls
  • 6 0
 small mistake in description... not Solid rider but Solit pilot Smile this is monster... respect
  • 5 0
 theres an MBUK poster of Gee Atherton hitting that road gap but that is so fucking big
  • 9 0
 And in that poster there is rach in a bikini Big Grin
  • 2 0
 yeh i got that one Big Grin . Its huge!
  • 2 0
 I have it as well, it looks like a hip in that shot.
  • 2 0
 yeah this is the same jump that was on the earthed series.
  • 1 0
 bollox! I knew i would miss some thing good in MBUK one day ! rach in a bikini 3
  • 1 0
 Yeah, for that poster I was like
"Nice gap Gee, I'll get the blu-tac but you're facing the wall"
X)
  • 0 0
 I got that poster aswellBig Grin

But its Rach standing in the gap in a bikini, not a pic of Rach in a bikini on the other side (of the poster)! Gee and Rach are in the same pic, if u know what I mean!
  • 2 0
 i can only hope that i'll ever got the courage to think doing that gap Smile
and for all of you idiots that don't understand the difficulty and the size of that gap, shut the f*ck up! keep your "that not big at all" comments for your selfs.
good photo, nicely done sam!
  • 9 3
 huge!
  • 5 1
 norcolarry is a fag fag fag fag fag fag fag
  • 1 1
 you've had a sarcasm bypass Wink
  • 4 0
 man thats like a freeway gap lol (6 road gaps)
  • 3 0
 Farmer Jack has jumped this too - check out uk.youtube.com/watch?v=liMY7spUNrQ for a vid.
  • 0 0
 This is sick, although Farmer Jack did it with a bit more style.. Razz .

BobbyK92 yes it is the same gap.

I really like Sam's style of riding - love those photos from trip to Portugal with Josh Bryceland took by Victor Lucas Wink .
  • 3 0
 When the Athertons tried it i thought they were mental, that is seriously big! Give the man a medal of honour...............
  • 1 0
 Thanks for the POD Pinkbike!

I've written up the full story of the gap - read it here. Some interesting gap calculations in there too! Wink
  • 3 0
 wow! props to sam dale...thats some excellent riding for true...gud work tot he photographer too.... its excellent
  • 2 0
 OMG that gap is massive. Props to the ride. Nice work Smile

Haha this photo is on your website.

Keep up the good riding...
  • 3 0
 fuck me, sam dales on drugs!!!
  • 2 2
 I just quit mountain biking, one just can't compare! There's just too many 'ifs' as to what could go wrong with something that huge in my books, what a rush though - I'll drink to that!
  • 2 2
 Nobody likes a quitter. So now you're just a lazy alcoholic on pinkbike? You are probably too much of a pussy to get good at biking anyways. Poser.
  • 4 1
 looks better when farmer jack hits hit :L
  • 4 0
 ez nagyon zsir
  • 3 0
 Sick jump, Sick rider! Big Grin Nice pic! Wink
  • 2 0
 first dh picture i like...nice...that man reallyy have balls.... I think this pic really deserve to be pod..
  • 1 0
 he has either just been fired out of a cannon or is posing for the picture to go with the defonition of FREEEAAAKING HUUUUUUGE!
  • 2 0
 It was a cannon...you can even see the smoke lol
  • 3 0
 Huge props for rider and photographer on this one. Love it. Salute
  • 1 0
 Thanks!
  • 0 0
 I HAve BEEEN THERE Big Grin

its in the quarry near the dh track in bala but u cant get near it as the track is only open for Racing but when there is a race on you can get to it(Y)
  • 1 0
 it is about time we got some gnar back up in here. those corner shots when you know the guys were just doing a uncontrolled slide/falling were gettting old
  • 1 0
 sam is a legend, i sat on the gondala at fort bill this year with him, hes a minted rider

does he still ride for cannondale?
  • 2 0
 Yup, he's Cannondale this year. Sam was 2nd Junior in the Worlds at Val di Sole this year!
  • 3 0
 farmer jack might of hit it better but still an awesome pic.
  • 1 0
 from this angle it looks possible but from the take off, f*ck me, i would never dream of doing it, its soo big and a pretty crap exit aswell
  • 1 0
 Yup, true, the runout is almost gnarlier than the gap itself!
  • 5 2
 is huge man :O
  • 4 2
 holy scrap.. realy big Big Grin
  • 3 1
 i was going to say the same thing^^^^^^
  • 2 0
 holy man!insane 4 me,monsterous gap!
  • 1 0
 Another shot, another rider. Check Jim Stock also hitting the gap.
  • 1 1
 This photo is amazing. when i've seen pics of Gee Hitting it in MBUK, it hasnt looked as big, because of the angle, but this shot makes it look huuuge!
  • 3 0
 PO-fricken-D!!!
  • 2 0
 POD all the way gets saved to my favourites
  • 2 0
 nothing really to say... POD FLYING!!!!
  • 2 0
 thats crazy.. huge!! Prope to the rider!
  • 1 1
 wow thats big he has balls theres loads of waste/mine area around were i live i dno why noone makes drops like that lol not ballsy enough lol
  • 2 0
 how big you reckon??? 50 - 60ft??? his rig looks tiny in the air
  • 2 0
 i dont even know where he is gonna land
  • 3 0
 On this attempt, he put it down somewhere about 1/3 of the way down the shale slope on the right of the shot!
  • 2 0
 Definitely POD that is huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge
  • 3 0
 fuuuuuuuccccccckkkkkkkk
  • 2 0
 ive seen that photo on the stockists of solid bikes. cooool.
  • 2 0
 farmer jack hits it much cooler!!! lol
  • 1 0
 is this the same shot where athertons(sorry if i spelled it wrong) were filmed in erthed 3?
  • 1 0
 yh i did a stepdown the other day thankgod it wast this one !!! that is epic !
  • 2 0
 come on guys even framer jack can do that.................joke
  • 2 1
 http://www.pinkbike.com/video/12624/ -- here is a movie when farmer jack hit it.
  • 2 0
 wow that metal! Good camera work as well!
  • 2 0
 you either learn to fly or, you learn to die crazy gap man
  • 2 0
 that's a massive gap! You're huge! Razz
  • 3 1
 that is a huge gap sweet pic POD!!!
  • 2 0
 WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
  • 2 0
 intense, dont see somthing that huge very often.
  • 2 0
 that has gotta be the gnarliest gab iv ever seen POD 100%
  • 1 0
 yeah pretty sick now you come to kamloops and hit the ord road gap that thin's fu*kin huge
  • 2 0
 DAM!!!! Thats HUGE, props to u dude
  • 2 1
 slauredant you're wrong. check this out www.gravity-slaves.co.uk/?a=475
and see it your self
  • 3 0
 nice gap!!!Big Grin
  • 3 0
 thanks everyone! Sam
  • 2 0
 oh my f*ck...thats ENORMOUS!
  • 2 0
 i would be afraid to hit that
  • 1 0
 Aye! Somehow I don't think you're alone! Wink
  • 1 0
 lol
  • 3 2
 pretty big Smile .in earthed 3 looks a lot smaller.POD for sure
  • 1 0
 thats fcking huge.. u have iron bollocks lol
  • 0 0
 I can't take credit for the bollocks - Sam's the one with the iron balls. Thanks for the comment though! It was huge, and took some bottle just to shoot the photo.
  • 1 0
 hard core!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 2 0
 huge crazy pic Smile
  • 0 0
 haha first comment 'are youa good rider' who isnt that can do something that big defo POD
  • 2 0
 hat ez zsirkiralySmile
  • 1 1
 that would suck to case that shit. look at the rocks and stuff he could've ate
  • 1 0
 this near llanrhychwyn near my grans house nice oeneeeee
  • 1 0
 that is f*cking awsome man huge gap =]
  • 1 0
 HOLY CHEESE!! thats siick!! f*cking great pic!! Razz WoW!!!
  • 1 0
 solid bikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 1 0
 wow man thats fuckin huge props to the rider man
  • 1 0
 its taken ages for this shot to become POD!!
  • 1 0
 NICE!!!! i want to fly like him :$ Big Grin
  • 0 0
 pod without doubt ...
you can say you have wings ... Wink
great flight ... Smile
  • 1 0
 omg! its finally pod! this has been my pod and faved photo for so long.
  • 2 0
 Cheers dude!
  • 1 0
 Ã¢â‚¬Â  Sick jump, Sick rider! Nice pic! †
  • 1 0
 sending it mate huge props!
  • 1 0
 omfg great photo and respect for rider :O Big Grin
  • 2 1
 where's the f*cking landing ?!?!?
  • 2 0
 Wink

You can see the where he's landing in the sequence at the bottom of this article.
  • 0 0
 rather good shot, but wheres the photo of farmer jack hitting it on a unicycle?
  • 2 1
 WHAT IS THAT?!?!

You are mad, man Smile
  • 1 0
 amazaing!! this man is sick
  • 2 0
 PERFECT!
  • 1 0
 all i can say is...thats large, props bro
  • 1 0
 YEAH nice...no not nice this awesome
  • 1 0
 sick sick sick!! EPIC! plus i had the 1000 faveBig Grin
  • 1 0
 Thanks for the fave! Smile
  • 0 0
 is this the gee atherton's road gap...? i think so!!! got bubbles to do that!!! just WOW!!!
  • 0 0
 You say it's bigger is you see it in real life but it looks huge already. It's MASSIVE!
  • 1 0
 Thats a fricken huge gap!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 1 0
 absolutly huge man!!! i wouldnt even take a look at it! lol
  • 0 0
 fucking CRAZY props for that one and yea farmer jack hit it pretty good haha
  • 0 0
 huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge, could fit like... a lot of Yao Mings in there, maaaajor props
  • 1 0
 it took me a minute to locate the landing
  • 1 0
 i dont think i've seen a bigger gap........ thats like 50 feet
  • 1 0
 holy fucking shit, that's a huge drop. Props man.
  • 1 0
 this is at the atherton house
  • 1 0
 They don't live in a quarry dude!
  • 1 0
 "oh, i just **** my pants"!!!! imagine the adreneline rush
  • 1 0
 its.....its....AMAZING !!!!!!
  • 0 2
 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW TO MINS LATER AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW AND POOF
  • 2 0
 wo'
  • 3 3
 caaaraaaaaaaaaaaaaaalhooo!
  • 1 0
 massssive!!!
  • 1 0
 ouuu shit HUGE!!!!
  • 0 0
 you've got balls man! huge gap!
  • 1 1
 norcolarry you are a tool this is huge
  • 0 0
 props dude. that takes balls and commitment. nice job
  • 1 1
 id say pod, thats fuggin big!
  • 2 1
 Very Nice ! :O
  • 1 0
 OMFG....
  • 0 0
 POD!!!!...........DONT DUDE
  • 1 1
 pod that looks like the athertons trail
  • 0 0
 sweet total respect for that
  • 1 0
 woow, nice ..
  • 1 0
 holly thats HUGE!!!! pod
  • 1 0
 pod pod pod?
  • 1 0
 props! respect
  • 0 0
 Going Huge with no pads!! pretty Sick!!
  • 0 0
 is this the gap that farmer jack did on the atherton film
  • 2 0
 Check my comment from the 5th March!
  • 0 0
 POD all the way thats a massive gap props to the rider
  • 1 0
 huuuuuuugee!
  • 1 0
 niceeeeeee pod
  • 0 0
 thats a beast of a pod makes me feel like a puss
  • 1 0
 HOLY CRAP!!!!!POD
  • 1 0
 nice Big Grin
  • 1 0
 masacre
  • 1 0
 thats sick
  • 1 0
 Nice POD
  • 0 0
 Massive gap, total commitment
  • 1 0
 huge gap!
  • 1 0
 brill POD
  • 0 0
 this is biiiig!!! :-D big big big and stupid :-D POD
  • 1 0
 Big nice jump!
  • 1 0
 cool jump!!!
  • 1 0
 mad man
  • 0 0
 wooooooooooooooooooooooooow


you crezy man ?? :s
  • 1 0
 huge road gap dude...!!
  • 1 0
 Love it! That is scary!
  • 0 0
 besy pod in a long time props 2 sam
  • 1 0
 FARMER JACK lol.
  • 1 0
 great jump, very rider
  • 1 0
 crazy Big Grin
  • 1 0
 nice
  • 0 0
 hahaha farmer jack gap xD..
  • 0 0
 crazy huge gap, sick deals, smooth kicker. POD for sure. Smile
  • 0 0
 you mang sick shit great photo
  • 1 1
 Porra que salto hemmmm...
  • 1 0
 WOW THAT GAP IS HUGE
  • 1 0
 Where is the land ??
  • 1 0
 thats soooo sick
  • 1 1
 all i can say is sham-wooow
  • 0 0
 no its on farmer jacks land
  • 0 0
 i just crapped my pants seeing how big that gap is
  • 0 0
 sure this has been pod before ohwell
  • 1 0
 No, it's not been.
  • 0 1
 Norcolarry u are a dick ur norco would crumble doing that , u wouldnt even stand on the take off fag
  • 0 0
 that has to be a case u have some balls sam nice shot
  • 0 0
 muy muy brutal ese vuelo !!!
  • 1 0
 wow! 300th comment
  • 1 1
 wow im imagining wat wood happen if he cased that wood hurt like hell
  • 1 0
 SKEET SKEET!
  • 0 0
 hmmm...I'd say this is the defenition of "sending it"
  • 0 0
 emm..jsut..CRAZAY!!!VERY NICE JUMP DUDE!!!!
  • 0 0
 holy f*ck that huge jump niceeeeee
  • 0 0
 That's Ginormous. Congrats on POD!
  • 0 0
 holy shit man sik jump its huge
  • 1 0
 it sweet
  • 1 0
 Favourite!!!
  • 1 0
 i would never do that
  • 0 0
 eee chapa quete rsrsrsr!!!
  • 0 0
 butterflies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 0 0
 small rode gap lol
  • 0 0
 hes definately made tht!! Razz
  • 0 0
 farmer jack can do it too haha Big Grin
  • 0 0
 wow to jest mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmega roat-gap.kriss.
  • 1 0
 Now that a gap
  • 0 0
 to sie nazywa road gap ;D
  • 0 0
 farmer jack was better!...... na joke! awsum shot dude
  • 0 0
 woooooooooooooooooooooooooow pod pod pod amazing rider and photo
  • 0 0
 i wanna see his non biker friends face when he said he wanted to gap that.
  • 1 0
 thats insane !
  • 1 1
 thats that in farmer jack vid awesome mental air-time!
  • 1 0
 WOW dobre dobre
  • 1 0
 Balls you have
  • 1 1
 i bet that framee snappd lol
  • 1 0
 Hot Damn
  • 1 0
 Like a shot. Nice man!!!
  • 0 0
 FKING HUGE!!!
  • 0 0
 Are you for real!
  • 1 1
 w o w .... omg
  • 0 0
 POD please
  • 0 0
 hugeee
  • 0 0
 thats insane man
  • 0 0
 thats sooooooo big Razz
  • 0 0
 jump of earthed 4
  • 1 1
 is that u?????????
  • 2 0
 No, it's Sam Dale. I'm the photographer.
  • 2 0
 Does no-one read the description anymore?
  • 1 0
 From the comments, it appears not! I thought all the info anyone could need is on there! Live and learn, I guess. I might post a 'FAQ' for this photo! Wink
  • 0 0
 PoD for shure
  • 0 0
 sick gap!! pod
  • 1 1
 POD!
  • 0 0
 Mama...I'm going fast!
  • 0 0
 wow that is nice
  • 0 0
 massive
  • 0 0
 ya pod its sick
  • 0 0
 thats one hell of a gap
  • 0 0
 f*cking huge gap ! :O
  • 1 3
 krzysiekodho wiesz co to znaczy lol ze tak piszesz?? chyba nie bardzo a jak nie wiesz to nie uzywaj takich skrotow
  • 0 0
 wasnt this already pod?
  • 0 0
 that's BIG !!!
  • 0 0
 wow im scard now
  • 0 0
 THAT'S HUGE!
  • 1 2
 mmmmmm Farmer Jack hit that better farmer jack is gee atherton
  • 2 0
 Holy shit dude, you should start your own detective agency
  • 0 0
 thats a pod for shure
  • 0 1
 Oh my goddd :O
Deff. worth POD
  • 0 0
 Respect man... FIRE!!!
  • 0 0
 :S
  • 0 0
 !!!!!! HUGEEEEEEEEEEEE.
  • 0 0
 looks huge,nice work..Big Grin
  • 1 1
 sick!!!
  • 0 0
 siiicccckkkk!!!!!!!!
  • 0 1
 insane.................. caralhooooooooooooooooooooo
  • 0 0
 Wow.
  • 0 1
 ...I think I just peed a little....
  • 0 0
 holy shit sick air
  • 0 2
 its a HUGE drop n everything but i don't really like it i think theres a better POD out ther....just saying thats how i feel
  • 0 0
 wow!!
  • 0 0
 HUGE, POD for sure!!!!!
  • 0 0
 nice hit
  • 0 0
 !!!WOW!!!
  • 0 0
 holy shit
  • 0 0
 THATS HUGE!!
  • 0 0
 Sweet!
  • 0 0
 This is a fucking POD!!!
  • 0 2
 www.pinkbike.com/video/27434
yep for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(sorry if it was say...)
  • 0 1
 wow.... very very crazy... big jump... no words...
  • 0 1
 yeah thats in the athertons garden, quite a garden if you ask me!
  • 0 0
 It's not their garden, it's a quarry! They don't live far away though...
  • 0 0
 best POD EVER!
  • 0 0
 huge man, POD fosho
  • 0 0
 sick gap!!!!! POD
  • 0 0
 Dont Case
  • 0 1
 farmer jack will show you how its done
  • 0 1
 Da pra faze propaganda da redbull!!!
  • 0 0
 sweet man!!!
  • 0 0
 that is a HUGE gap!
  • 0 0
 AMAZING!
  • 0 0
 sweet air huge gap
  • 0 0
 thts HUGE!!!!!!!!
  • 1 1
 fly to the sky
  • 0 0
 pOd ?
  • 1 1
 huge.
  • 0 0
 thats huge
  • 0 0
 AAAAaaaamezing
  • 0 0
 sam Dale!!! nice
  • 0 1
 Huge one POD
  • 1 3
 bigger in real life pfff how its can be bigger
  • 3 0
 When a lad you know is pedalling at it full speed on a mates bike, believe me it looks twice the size! Wink Sam made it look half as big though...
  • 0 1
 pod
  • 0 1
 wow huge gap
  • 0 2
 f*cking insane man!!! that`s huge!!! awesome pic
  • 0 2
 osz kurwa ale duże to Big Grin
  • 0 1
 Wasn't this POD before?
  • 0 0
 Pretty sure this is the first time.
  • 1 1
 Bearhunter exactly what I thort, im sure it has been, or a very similar one.
  • 1 0
 Comments go nuts on POD day. Check the comments for this photo, it's not been POD before.
  • 1 3
 isnt that in wales and isnt that that one of the athertons ????
  • 1 0
 I'm so glad I wrote a description for this photo, with all the details of the location and the rider!
  • 1 2
 were did you land
  • 0 1
 EARTHED 4
  • 0 1
 PROPS
  • 0 3
 hey thats farmer jacks road gap at farmer jacks farm and that is where the athertons bike
  • 0 1
 puta q pariuuuu...
  • 0 2
 All I have to say is "WOW!"

Where is the landing anyway?
  • 2 0
 follow this link and you'll see:

www.gravity-slaves.co.uk/?a=475
  • 0 1
 ot verry verry huge...
  • 0 2
 if the landing is where i think it is he cased the shit out of it
  • 1 0
 Where do you think the landing is? To save folk from guessing, I gave a link in the description with the lowdown - here it is again : http://www.gravity-slaves.co.uk/?a=475
  • 0 2
 where does he land???????????
  • 1 0
 You haven't read the description have you! Wink
  • 0 2
 who are the rider?
  • 3 1
 What is a description? What is reading? Where are my slippers?
  • 1 4
 it's not the best pod i've seen.but it's ok.
  • 0 3
 Is that sam hill or steve smith?
  • 1 0
 Read the description!
  • 0 3
 shouldnt be on POD isnt that great
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