getting some air

smoggierider

hi ive been doing some local trails on my voodoo hoodoo and ive been trying to get airbourne (with some sort of style) but to no avail one ot the problems is keeping my feet on the pedals the ones i have are the platform type also im sure i need to get my saddle lower so i can move around on the bike more easily i must admit im surprised how nose heavy my bike seems to be any tips or advise on this subject
cheers ps theres an old quarry and a bmx local which is where ive been trying to lift off
tah smogs

cooldad

I'm not much of a jumper so will stay out of that, but to keep your feet on he pedals you need to use your legs as shocks.
Also depends on the pedals, some are excellent, some are rubbish.

oxocube1

I assume it is the most recent Hoodoo in red with the Raidon X1 forks? if so it probably is likely to be a little nose heavy due to the fairly heavy forks (somewhere around the 1.8kg mark) and the front wheel also. but that is kind of normal for a Hard Tail XC bike.

In reference to the 'getting airbourne', I would be a little careful with how much air you get and how you land due to it being a HT and not a full suspension frame and also the fact the the bike is designed for cross country use and not dirt jump. That's not to say you cannot take drop offs etc. during a trail, but i definitely would not advise taking purpose built jumps/kickers as the bike will struggle under the extreme use.

The pedals issue is just one that can be solved with some practice on the bike i.e. learning to push through your heels into the pedals for extra grip and stability when riding descents, and also with some new more grippy pedals. The Wellgo pedals that are supplied with the bike could definitely be replaced with something like DMR V8/V12 if you want to keep the same style but gain a lot more grip with longer and more studs in each pedal.

cooldad

DMR V8's are overpriced and not very good.

Majski

Jumping correctly won't put any extra stress on the bike and an XC hartail will handle it just fine providing that you land into an appropriate transition. Basic rule is the higher the jump, the steeper the landing needs to be. Though an XC orientated frame will not inspire as much confidence on jumps as a more specific jump bike frame or even a DH / AM bike, and if you case the landings or land flat it could damage the bike.

With regards to keeping your feet on the pedals I find using the same technique as bunnyhopping to scoop the back wheel up helps - just be careful not to nose the front too much by doing this. If you aren't any good at bunnyhops practice them first, getting the front wheel nice and high before you bring the back up. You can also find a slope to pre jump into to help you with getting your landing angles right

Majski

airtime on an XC bike!

compo

cooldad wrote:

DMR V8's are overpriced and not very good.

+1

try the wellgo copies if you like the design/feel of them. They are more or less the same

YeehaaMcgee

If it's nosediving, then it's going to be a technique issue rather than a nose heavy bike.
You're probably letting the rear of the bike get kicked up too hard when going over the lip of the jump, causing it to flip forwards. Or, maybe the jump is too short. Ideally, you're going to need the launch ramp to be at least as long as the wheelbase of the bike for a stable launch.

1mancity2

Change the pedals to some decent flats and also wear shoes with grip,

On approach to any jump compress into the transition and push the bars into the lip of the jump and pop the bike up(Bunny hop) as you get into the air keep your body weight over the bottom bracket (central) if your nose diving move weight back a bit but you should be landing front wheel slightly first or both together depending on the type of jump etc.

1mancity2

Majski wrote:

I find using the same technique as bunnyhopping to scoop the back wheel up helps - just be careful not to nose the front too much by doing this. If you aren't any good at bunnyhops practice them first, getting the front wheel nice and high before you bring the back up. You can also find a slope to pre jump into to help you with getting your landing angles right

This is essential, as Majski says, if you can't bunny hop on flat ground practice and get it nailed before jumping, we see loads of riders trying to jump who can't bunnyhop and 9 times out of 10 they land badly or don't get any height on the jump to clear it.

Thewaylander

The only other issue had with trying to jump a very XC bike was having a shard head angle which made hitting the up slope of a jump feel like a hitting a wall in comparison to a slacker bike.

Deal with that just meant moving my weight slightly further back than on a more slack bike.

And as the guys say on flatties go learn to bunny hop the technique you learn will keep your feet planted most of the time no matter what. It's just learning good technique

Majski

Another good idea is to get to a pump track (yes you'll feel like a prat on an XC bike in front of all the kids on bmxs) and learn to pump well through rollers, that'll help you get relaxed on the takeoffs

1mancity2

Majski wrote:

Another good idea is to get to a pump track (yes you'll feel like a prat on an XC bike in front of all the kids on bmxs) and learn to pump well through rollers, that'll help you get relaxed on the takeoffs

+1

best place to learn is to hit the bmx tracks and session jumps/rollers/berms

start on tabletops as these are a safe option before going onto doubles and gap jumps.

P.S, On the pump track remember, upper body shoudn't be moving much, legs, hips and arms to pump the bike round.

Daz555

cooldad wrote:

DMR V8's are overpriced and not very good.

Depends on how much you paid for them.

styxd

The only other issue had with trying to jump a very XC bike was having a shard head angle which made hitting the up slope of a jump feel like a hitting a wall in comparison to a slacker bike.

I think you just need to learn how to jump properly. The head angle on my bmx is far steeper than the headangle on any xc bike. Slacker head angles are worse for jumping if anything. A long stem on an XC bike wouldnt help though.

YeehaaMcgee

styxd wrote:

The only other issue had with trying to jump a very XC bike was having a shard head angle which made hitting the up slope of a jump feel like a hitting a wall in comparison to a slacker bike.

I think you just need to learn how to jump properly. The head angle on my bmx is far steeper than the headangle on any xc bike. Slacker head angles are worse for jumping if anything. A long stem on an XC bike wouldnt help though.

Styx is right. The headangle isn't what makes the XC bike harder to jump, it's the rest of the geometry that puts the rider in a more forward position.
The steeper head tube is just a side effect, so to speak.

Thewaylander

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

styxd wrote:

The only other issue had with trying to jump a very XC bike was having a shard head angle which made hitting the up slope of a jump feel like a hitting a wall in comparison to a slacker bike.

I think you just need to learn how to jump properly. The head angle on my bmx is far steeper than the headangle on any xc bike. Slacker head angles are worse for jumping if anything. A long stem on an XC bike wouldnt help though.

Styx is right. The headangle isn't what makes the XC bike harder to jump, it's the rest of the geometry that puts the rider in a more forward position.
The steeper head tube is just a side effect, so to speak.

Stil slams you in the face like a shack of sh'@ in comparison no matter how you look at it lol. Even if it is other parts of the Geo. My Xc used to hurt my arms with the run ins, got my 160 bike and suddenly i just cleared stuff with out a worry just on the account the ramp in did not jolt me at all badly on steeper set up jumps.

Not saying it isn't doable and all, but something to be aware of to compensate for with learnign on an very XC bike.

bails87

Stil slams you in the face like a shack of sh'@ in comparison no matter how you look at it lol. Even if it is other parts of the Geo. My Xc used to hurt my arms with the run ins, got my 160 bike and suddenly i just cleared stuff with out a worry just on the account the ramp in did not jolt me at all badly on steeper set up jumps.

Not saying it isn't doable and all, but something to be aware of to compensate for with learnign on an very XC bike.

120mm suspension to 160mm? That's a big jump (excuse the pun), probably something to do with it.

styxd

Stil slams you in the face like a shack of sh'@ in comparison no matter how you look at it lol. Even if it is other parts of the Geo. My Xc used to hurt my arms with the run ins, got my 160 bike and suddenly i just cleared stuff with out a worry just on the account the ramp in did not jolt me at all badly on steeper set up jumps.

Not saying it isn't doable and all, but something to be aware of to compensate for with learnign on an very XC bike.

I honestly dont really know what you're trying to say, but it doesnt make any sense.

cooldad

I think he's saying a bike with 160mm suspension has more suspension than an XC bike with less than 160mm suspension.
However I could be wrong.

styxd

Thewaylander

Nope,

Bail's got what i meant. So for Bails

The impact of some of the ramps on the angles of an XC bike can feel alot harsher, throwing you off line. Now my 160 doesn't compress hugely into jumps if you hit it right neither did my XC bike, but the 160 bike does feel a lot nicer hitting the slope(while hardly compressing any different than the XC machine). Also some slacker hardtails felt much easier hitting the ramp in.

I'm not sure what makes this the case but I find sharper angles bars harder to hold in to an up-ramp.