How can I fly like you?

.blitz

A little help, please...

I've gained enough confidence to get some moderate air at Stile Cop but I am a big fella and need a minimum amount of speed to get airborne. Although the take-off seems reasonably smooth, I fly for a short distance then sort of stall in the air and drop like a sack of sh1t, all limbs and suspension whereas the other lads just kiss the transition and carry on, all smooth like. They seem to go faster but stay low.

What am I doing wrong?

davenewcastle1973

I have the same problem and was looking for help - I found a skills course that Ed Oxley is running (Great Rock) called Jumping for Dads - which sounds perfect!

Going to get booked on for the summer with some mates....

.blitz

davenewcastle1973 wrote:

...called Jumping for Dads

Oh hai!

Anonymous

Jedi session may do it also if you're down south-ish. There's a public Jumps and Drops or can do a private group or one to one.

I've got a similar problem. I can get air but I just nose dive and I'm not that heavy, unless the jump is very small and I seem to do something right and I'm more confidently flying off it. Loads of it is confidence with me. Size of the jump, not being able to see the landing and especially if there's a gap or ditch will just throw me completely. Not committing properly, speed isn't there, position is wrong and I think I just end up letting gravity do the work.

Anyway, I need to stop just recommending skills courses and actually put my money where my mouth is and do one!

1mancity2

If they are staying low over the jump, they are squashing the take off, but if you want to clear a jump, I take it your pushing the bike into the transition for take off, and the hardest part is staying relaxed while airborne, let the bike go were it wants don't fight it.

Session a tabletop, before your even taking off you have spotted your exit point, hit the lip, stay loose and adjust the bike for the landing, front wheel slightly first if possibe.

It takes time but does become second nature, If your going short on length you may need to boost the lip, stay tall compress into the lip then lift your backend for extra height, again sessioning is brilliant for this.

1mancity2

deadkenny wrote:

Jedi session may do it also if you're down south-ish. There's a public Jumps and Drops or can do a private group or one to one.

I've got a similar problem. I can get air but I just nose dive and I'm not that heavy, unless the jump is very small and I seem to do something right and I'm more confidently flying off it. Loads of it is confidence with me. Size of the jump, not being able to see the landing and especially if there's a gap or ditch will just throw me completely. Not committing properly, speed isn't there, position is wrong and I think I just end up letting gravity do the work.

Anyway, I need to stop just recommending skills courses and actually put my money where my mouth is and do one!

Sounds like your over thinking it DK, I used to do this, the way I got over the thinking bit was to try and do a little x up on the jumps, I found that thinking about doing a little trick stopped me thinking about the jump it's self and I started landing well getting good height and distance, now it's second nature to waz the bike in the air.

Takes time but once your comfy it's the best fun.

.blitz

1mancity2 wrote:

I take it your pushing the bike into the transition for take off

Sometimes. There's a lot to remember

1mancity2 wrote:

let the bike go were it wants don't fight it.

It wants to land and take me with it

1mancity2 wrote:

Session a tabletop

Sessioning may be the answer. Am too busy trying to put in a 'good run'

1mancity2 wrote:

It takes time but does become second nature

It doesn't come naturally at all at the moment I have to think about it.

Cheers mancity

x3man

2nd for Jedi if you can/want to. He will get you jumping properly.

1mancity2

Also another major part of jumping is actually being able to bunny hop the bike as your doing a bunny hop on the jump.

Skills training is defo worth considering, I did a course with Ed Oxley and although it was about flowing we did cover some drops/jump techniques.

There is a DH run at gisburn that starts with a little drop to a transition which is about 2ft, I was sh** scared of it but Ed got me doing it, and by the end I was hitting it and landing a good 5ft down the transition.

When your thinking about it, I always found it went wrong, be relaxed about it all, and it will come, honest

x3man

Which jumps on Stile Cop .blitz?

Anonymous

On the bunny hop side of things, I just can't understand at all how to bring the back up. It's anchored to the ground solidly and anything I do with the feet doesn't work. Bearing in mind I was never a skateboarder.

bennett_346

I have all these problems described above. I can do drops where there is no "up" ramp or lip first fine, even pretty big ones, but when it comes to jumps ie things that go up then down i jus't cant seem to do them properly. I keep landing with my weight all over the place, most of the time i land with my weight miles off the back.

As soon as i've left the takeoff i feel like nothing i do changes how i land and it all happens so fast i haven't got time to think about what im doing!

.blitz

x3man wrote:

Which jumps on Stile Cop .blitz?

Red run bud specifically the three near the top and especially the is-it-or-isn't-it-a-double just after the push-up path crossing.

bennett_346 wrote:

As soon as i've left the takeoff i feel like nothing i do changes how i land and it all happens so fast i haven't got
time to think about what im doing!

^^ this

mrmonkfinger

deadkenny wrote:

On the bunny hop side of things, I just can't understand at all how to bring the back up. It's anchored to the ground solidly and anything I do with the feet doesn't work. Bearing in mind I was never a skateboarder.

listen carefully, here's the science bit:

push bars forward + push pedals back = grip on pedals, enough to bring the back end up by curling your legs


now, can someone use fake maths to explain how to do a manual, please?

Neal_

I've only just got the knack of jumping although I'm far from styling it up yet! I had a mental block about it because I went over the bars years ago and knocked myself up so every time I'd try to jump I'd be tense and pull the bike all over the place causing me and the bike to fly off in a random and dangerous way. I'd watched videos and read up on it but it was the below extract from Mastering Mountain Bike Skills that made it click for me, you pretty much just push down with your legs on the up ramp, keep your arms loose and stay relaxed.

1. Coast in a neutral position. Center yourself over your pedals, arms and legs
slightly bent. Pedals should be level.
2. Crouch down as you approach the jump. This is all in your legs. Let your arms
follow.
3. Your crouch should be lowest when you reach the bottom of the face. Note
how the front tire is on the face and the rear tire is just reaching it.
4. From your low position, immediately begin to spring upward. Don’t hang out in
a crouch. Bend down and then immediately pop back up like you’re bouncing
on a trampoline. This is the crux move.
5. Push down with your legs as you ride up the face. The harder you cram your
bike into the face of the jump, the more lift you’ll get. Push all the way up the
face. Big jumps require a longer, slower push than tiny jumps. For max lift,
straighten your legs all the way as you reach the lip. This should be almost all
leg power; your arms follow.
6. As you leave the lip, bend your arms and legs to let your bike rise into your
body. This gives you added clearance, and it helps to keep you loose in the
air.

1mancity2

As soon as your airbourne, relax let the bike move under you, focus on your exit and you will land fine, you naturally move back as you get in the air, try to stay central on the bike and follow the jumps transition,

i.e table top you go, up straight, down, dirt jump, up, down etc

The reason why you have no time to think is exactly the opposite, its because your thinking about it.

Bunny hop as mrmonk says push don't lift the front then scoop the back end up by pushing your feet backwards.

Manual is opposite really, extend your arms, push with your feet and get your arse as close to your rear wheel as you can, low centre of gravity needed, to keep it going pump with your knees, try it on a slight downhill. (im pretty crap at manuals but getting there)

1mancity2

Point 5 and 6. in Neal_ post is boosting the jump, it looks hard but really as neal says once it clicks your flying!!!

.blitz

Nice one Neal will print that out and stick it on the bars

Thanks again mancity

1mancity2

Not good quality or stylish jumping but an idea of body position etc,

Me at Lee quarry doing the bottom table tops, (about 10ft long) first time out on jump bike,

http://youtu.be/7EdGwm78wmY

and doing the jump to the pump track (clearing a good 15ft length)

http://youtu.be/oF0ZmKA3r-4

x3man

Re bunnyhopping: No need to scoop - the rear of the bike will come up when you push the front (like an ollie on a skateboard). Just bend your knees to allow the bike to come up.

@blitz The first 2 drops on the red run I usually just unweight the front rather than trying get much air anyway. And the "tabletop" is a git. The take off is too small and steep.I usually end up trying to absorb it. The double is awkward - I think i tried to manual it (unsuccesfully) last time. Not been for a while - need to get back there soon to check my progression.

x3man

deadkenny wrote:

On the bunny hop side of things, I just can't understand at all how to bring the back up. It's anchored to the ground solidly and anything I do with the feet doesn't work. Bearing in mind I was never a skateboarder.

Sorry i just used the skateboard example! If you stand on the ground holding the bike by the bars next to you with the front wheel off the ground and then push forward, notice that the rear wheel leaves the ground. That push is the action that you are looking for. I'm sure I owe that simple demonstration to Jedi!

sandy771

Looking forward to mastering some jumps with Jedi in june - he'll have his work cut out with me

angry_bird

.blitz wrote:

x3man wrote:

Which jumps on Stile Cop .blitz?

Red run bud specifically the three near the top and especially the is-it-or-isn't-it-a-double just after the push-up path crossing.

The drops near the top need very little, to be honest if you just hit them at a reasonable speed and unweight the front you'll easily clear the landings. The tabletop is ghey, it's tiny and pointless, I never bother with it to be honest, just hit it slightly to the left and take a smooth line over it.

The "is it or isn't it a double" is annoying, I struggle to clear it and as a result frequently can't be bothered, especially as most of my efforts are going into keeping my feet on the pedals with the HT once I get down towards the bottom. Try hitting it and landing just to the left of the trail, you have to avoid a tree stump (not difficult) but it's slightly lower and smoother and will let you guage how much more you need to do to make it.

.blitz

Thanks again for the advice fellas. I am all fired up to go out and practice some more 8)

bennett_346

x3man wrote:

Re bunnyhopping: No need to scoop - the rear of the bike will come up when you push the front (like an ollie on a skateboard). Just bend your knees to allow the bike to come up.

Wouldn't that leave you hung way over the back of the bike? Awkward to land like that surely?

Anonymous

The details of you do X, with Y and a bit of Z all at the same time or whatever is my problem. I'm a bloke and can't multi task, and I'm no kid any more either

Key really is going to be getting it drummed into me to do it without thinking. If I think about what's needed I just can't coordinate everything.

bennett_346

deadkenny wrote:

The details of you do X, with Y and a bit of Z all at the same time or whatever is my problem. I'm a bloke and can't multi task, If I think about what's needed I just can't coordinate everything.

Well that's pretty much why i struggle. I can jump skis really well and have no fear, it just took a lot of crashing to learn a good technique. I never read anything or listened to anything about technique i just went and did it until it worked.

Ofcourse that was on snow so it didn't hurt when you failed. MTB does

1mancity2

deadkenny wrote:

The details of you do X, with Y and a bit of Z all at the same time or whatever is my problem. I'm a bloke and can't multi task, and I'm no kid any more either

Key really is going to be getting it drummed into me to do it without thinking. If I think about what's needed I just can't coordinate everything.

Break it down into parts, take off, air, landing, a wise man told me "all jumps are the same apart from the bit in the middle" which is sort of true.

Took me ages to get it, I spent months sessioning the bmx/skatepark (15yr olds looking at me like I was a nutter)

Relax, don't over think it and it will come.

sanchez89

Blitz, im in exactly the same boat as you buddy. i binned it on a jump years ago by going OTB and eating dirt. and have been scared of anything bigger than a foot drop ever since.

im booked onto the Jumps and Drops course held at Stile Cop by the guys at Bike School, LINKY

unfortunatly my course is fulled booked, only 6 places per course, but the next is 3rd June.

hopefully this will be big help.

Jedi

high5 x3man

DodgeT

Seeing as a lot of us are only perhaps an hour away from being in a similar spot, ie north west, why don't we have a BR jump skills day ourselves?? It'd be a laugh if nothing else.

Oh, got a mini one coming up on sunday at gisburn