Jumping Technique

Nijinsky

Ive recently got into MTB'ing and I'm loving it. I do around 14 miles a day then hit a big ride or a trail on the weekend. Only been doing it a few weeks mind!
Anyway, I took on the red route with my brother at sherwood pines this weekend. I was getting around fine, and I really was having a good time.

I got to the downhill section and it all went wrong. Full of confidence I decided to take on more i could chew. I'm going down fine, flying through the course, then I came to a gap jump, I'd been doing jumps all morning so wasnt phased and just went for it. I didnt make the other side!

Well i did but it was over my handlebars, upside down on my head, without my bike.

How the hell do you do them?! they seem physically impossible. I cant seem to get the "air" needed to get from one side of the other.

Any tips for this or anything for trails would be great.

thel33ter

Do you ride a full sus or hardtail?

Basic technique is push the bike down into the lip upslope, then spring off the lip, Keep you weight pretty central or a bit backwards. Keep the cranks parallel to the ground and point your toes down a tiny bit. Finally, go faster

Atz

Basic technique for jumping is the same as if you're getting your front wheel off the ground to get over, say, a branch. Unweight the front wheel and push down with your legs and the front wheel comes up. Jedi (yet another thumbs up for UK Bike Skills coaching) teaches to "push" about a foot or two before the lip. After that it's a case of remaining neutral on the bike and, if really needed, a slight push to get the front end down if it's up in the air (because you're leaning back).

concorde

Speeeeeeeed!

Nijinsky

im riding a spesh rockhopper hardtail. speed is what took me off the bike and so far down the hill :P.
I'm not too phased by anything difficult in my mind, i just need the ability. It didnt hurt as much as it looks on you've been framed.
I'll try the push into the ground technique then pull up. See how it goes at cannock this weekend!

specialeyes

Nijinsky wrote:

It didnt hurt as much as it looks on you've been framed.

quality!

Muttly1981

Nijinsky wrote:

im riding a spesh rockhopper hardtail. speed is what took me off the bike and so far down the hill :P.
I'm not too phased by anything difficult in my mind, i just need the ability. It didnt hurt as much as it looks on you've been framed.
I'll try the push into the ground technique then pull up. See how it goes at cannock this weekend!

Once tried that technique when i was 17 and pulled back waaaaaay to hard and flipped the bike leaving me with cracked ribs, a broken collerbone, whiplash, concussiion and i was coughing up blood for 3 days :oops: didn't ride again properly for 11 years untill i got back into it last year, I'm going to make sure this latest injury doesn't set me back as long.

Atz

the push into the ground stuff is really just a cheat, like jumping with spds and pretending it's a bunnyhop. Learn technique (mine is deficient but getting better) and you'll be better. And safer.

Nijinsky

Muttly1981 wrote:

Nijinsky wrote:

im riding a spesh rockhopper hardtail. speed is what took me off the bike and so far down the hill :P.
I'm not too phased by anything difficult in my mind, i just need the ability. It didnt hurt as much as it looks on you've been framed.
I'll try the push into the ground technique then pull up. See how it goes at cannock this weekend!

Once tried that technique when i was 17 and pulled back waaaaaay to hard and flipped the bike leaving me with cracked ribs, a broken collerbone, whiplash, concussiion and i was coughing up blood for 3 days :oops: didn't ride again properly for 11 years untill i got back into it last year, I'm going to make sure this latest injury doesn't set me back as long.

bloody el. Maybe i'll just still to canal paths!

Cheers for the advice tho guys. Ive been scanning youtube. gonna try a few things out tonight and put them in to practice this weekend.

hard-rider

Wouldn't a bunny hop help clear the gap in this case or is that what is being described in the techniques above? Not that I can bunny hop though. If I could properly bunny hop I think I'd enjoy my riding so much more as it gives many more options of clearing an obstacle.

Muttly1981

Nijinsky wrote:

Muttly1981 wrote:

Nijinsky wrote:

im riding a spesh rockhopper hardtail. speed is what took me off the bike and so far down the hill :P.
I'm not too phased by anything difficult in my mind, i just need the ability. It didnt hurt as much as it looks on you've been framed.
I'll try the push into the ground technique then pull up. See how it goes at cannock this weekend!

Once tried that technique when i was 17 and pulled back waaaaaay to hard and flipped the bike leaving me with cracked ribs, a broken collerbone, whiplash, concussiion and i was coughing up blood for 3 days :oops: didn't ride again properly for 11 years untill i got back into it last year, I'm going to make sure this latest injury doesn't set me back as long.

bloody el. Maybe i'll just still to canal paths!

Cheers for the advice tho guys. Ive been scanning youtube. gonna try a few things out tonight and put them in to practice this weekend.

Don't let my accidents put you off i'm just an idiot who is injury prone :-s i think it's a case of ambition outweighing tallent

getonyourbike

Muttly1981 wrote:

i'm just an idiot who is injury prone

join the club

Muttly1981

getonyourbike wrote:

Muttly1981 wrote:

i'm just an idiot who is injury prone

join the club

My philosophy is if your going to hurt yourself you may aswell do a proper job of it 8)

getonyourbike

Muttly1981 wrote:

getonyourbike wrote:

Muttly1981 wrote:

i'm just an idiot who is injury prone

join the club

My philosophy is if your going to hurt yourself you may aswell do a proper job of it 8)

yep. everytime I've been out on the downhill course the past few weeks I've had a crash. So I'm sporting some massive multi coloured bruises on my left knee from last saturday and today i had an off on the 15/20ft tabletop. The new kneepads saved me though. I should have got them ages ago.

Jedi

lol@at the lip etc..

concorde

Check ouy my flawless technique on my shitty bike! NOT! Haha. More air rolling off a curb!

http://s1137.photobucket.com/albums/n512/gussyboy84/?start=all

getonyourbike

Jedi wrote:

lol@at the lip etc..

:?

PapaLazar0u

http://www.yfrog.com/0f3r9z

This should make you smile

concorde

It might do if you quality and resolution wasn't like somethign from 1655 :-/

PapaLazar0u

It was sent to me from a friend who was out in Sherwood Pines so probably from an iPhone or equivalent.

If you squint and keep the window small you'll get the idea - still bloody funny irrespective of quality!

ollie_lucas1985

Concorde wrote:

Check ouy my flawless technique on my shitty bike! NOT! Haha. More air rolling off a curb!

http://s1137.photobucket.com/albums/n512/gussyboy84/?start=all

I'm no expert or anything close to it.. but this looks ok to me? Anyone else?.. Just load up the front (weight over) more if you have to and then pull up and shift the weight back a little.. the rest.. should just follow ..

***All theroy based, cant actually jump forcing it myself, only when theres a big run up and a "jump" style takeoff - then the landings abit hairy!..***

concorde

I am getting the gist after a few viewings! Yeah it looks like it's been sized down for MMS quality.

concorde

ollie_lucas1985 wrote:

Concorde wrote:

Check ouy my flawless technique on my shitty bike! NOT! Haha. More air rolling off a curb!

http://s1137.photobucket.com/albums/n512/gussyboy84/?start=all

I'm no expert or anything close to it.. but this looks ok to me? Anyone else?.. Just load up the front (weight over) more if you have to and then pull up and shift the weight back a little.. the rest.. should just follow ..

***All theroy based, cant actually jump forcing it myself, only when theres a big run up and a "jump" style takeoff - then the landings abit hairy!..***

Cool. Only thing I was trying (well I weren't really trying anything actually, it just happened) I wanted to record and see if my feet were pointing down slightly and elbows level etc. That's all I know is meant to be happening. THe jumo is tiny anway lol

PapaLazar0u

It's not the video that's really funny - it's listening to his mate Pete who can't stop laughing and is so concerned that he doesn't stop filming when rushing to see if he is ok!

concorde

PapaLazar0u wrote:

It's not the video that's really funny - it's listening to his mate Pete who can't stop laughing and is so concerned that he doesn't stop filming when rushing to see if he is ok!

Haha yes, I did have some respect for him standing there asking are you ok and still filming and pissing his self lol. Top man!

thel33ter

ollie_lucas1985 wrote:

Concorde wrote:

Check ouy my flawless technique on my shitty bike! NOT! Haha. More air rolling off a curb!

http://s1137.photobucket.com/albums/n512/gussyboy84/?start=all

I'm no expert or anything close to it.. but this looks ok to me? Anyone else?.. Just load up the front (weight over) more if you have to and then pull up and shift the weight back a little.. the rest.. should just follow ..

***All theroy based, cant actually jump forcing it myself, only when theres a big run up and a "jump" style takeoff - then the landings abit hairy!..***

Don't pull up, push down and weight the forks near the lip, then spring up. It gives you much more control than just pulling up.

popstar

Don't listen to all this e-net malarkey. That kind of advice will hurt you.

RobJ20

The way i always see jumping my bike is like jumping just while stood up, you dont just push up you first go low then push up to get some power and speed. Same with your bike push it down then power up.