Kinked pvc rails

normally resorts do about 15 degree kinks if i recall. it seems mellow but it will feel much harsher when you're hitting it.

length is really up to you, but i wouldn't go much shorter than 20ft for a dfd if you want to actually be able to switch up etc and not feel rushed. a 30 ft dfd might be unreasonable for a summer set up but if it's possible, i would try to make something about that length.

as far as making the kinks goes, you just have to overlap the pvc somehow. get creative. all you need it to be is a fraction of an inch over the next rail.

I was going to do one out pvc or steel tubing screwed to 2x4s but never finished the drop in.


Longer is better within reason. For angles mellower is nice. A lot of places go around 15 degrees. I prefer rails mellower than that. I built mine at 12/12.5 it's got enough of a kink that it still slides like a dfd but you can actually trick it instead of just surviving it.

Also with pvc if you don't lift up through the kink you'll know it.


Another thing is the mellower you make it the less of a pitch it needs to be set on. So you'll be able to make it longer. A 14' dfd may sound awesome in theory but it's really not going to be sick. That said in the backyard you can sometimes get away with shorter semi awkard rails.


You can make your flat as short as 4. The length of the flat won't affect your drop height but if you're trying to build the bottom of your rail flat to set on a hill without snow it'll make that more difficult every foot you add. As far as the downs, pretty much as long as you can imo. I doubt you'll make them too long if you build them in a way you can hit.

I'd recommend building the whole frame out of 2x4s first. If you're going to build a flat bottom rail I'd lay that down from the start so that you cut your legs to the right size. If you're building it with all the legs the same size it really doesn't matter then and you can add a bottom rail for stability after if needed.

If you have a long enough flat space like a garage floor your can cut your lengths for the top. IF you're going for a specific angle you can get it by straightlining out from the flat on both ends, then lifting your first section up above it, and pulling your lower section below it. If you're just going to fun a flat 2x4 or 4x4 lay the rail setup on it's side and go from there.

If you want an easy way to get a rail angle you can use a protractor in sketchup and measure the height above your flat at let's say 13 degrees. You have a 12' down on each end so you figure out that you have have to lift and drop the top and bottom 2.5' or whatever it is.

It's a pretty easy way(at least IMO)to get an exact angle and to match it on both downs.

I would frame it out than attach the pvc. You can chop the pvc to match your angle and get each side lining up nice and fresh. IF you're sketched and want an overlap/never plan to use it as a FDF you could raise the 2x4s a tiny bit on the up hill end when you first frame the top so that there's like an 8th inch of clearance on the DF and FD kink. Just don't forget about it and hit it backwards or you might snag.


Honestly a dfd only works well if you have a hill or if you start it mid way up your drop in. Lets say you build a 10' tall drop in. Maybe make your flat 3 or 4 feet off the ground and then build a ramp wheelchair style the rest of the way. You could set down rails on it urban style and if you built the dfd with a flat base interchange down rails, dfd, down flats etc.


On flatground a frames and flat ups or flat up flats are really the only really solid options. Flat flat downs and fdf's are doable but not that smooth depending on the dimensions but dfds are pretty much impossible/super sketchy in that setting.