Taking off from jumps... What to do?!

Geeds

Hi all. I'm totally new to all this, I literally know nothing! My question is this...

I've a Specialized Carve Comp 29er on order, hopefully will have it in next couple of weeks. Now, I know it's more of a cross country machine, but plan on riding trails now and then, at which point I'll come across jumps and stuff. So, what exactly do you do at the point of take off? I'm guessing you should pull back a little on the bars, but any general advice and do's and don'ts would be appreciated.

Cheers in advance, and my apologies if this is covered elsewhere here.

SomeIdeaNoGear

The best plan is to find a small tabletop jump (no gap in the middle) and keep practising. Repetition is the key to everything.

There's a few basics to start you off on the right foot:

1. Stay relaxed, if you tense up then you tend to get pitched forwards, if its a steep take off, and thrown off balance.

2. When you approach the jump you need to make sure your elbows are level, otherwise your bike will naturally drift off axis in the air in the direction of your lowest elbow.

3. Pump your bike (push down) into the jump and allow the bike to come up towards you in the air, this compresses the bike into the jump allowing it to spring off the edge.

4. Be prepared to use small movements in your handlebars to adjust your position in the air, pull the bars up if the back end of the bike starts to get too high and push the bars down to bring the nose down for the landing.

5. The aim is to take off front wheel, then back wheel (like a proper bunny hop, not both wheels at once) and apply the same theory when landing. Ideally you want to land slightly on your front wheel so you gain control quickly and can move on to the next obstacle, whether that's a jump or a turn.

I'm not sure how much of this will help, aside from the practice lots part, but these are a few of the things that I've picked up over the last year of getting my bike airborne and I'd still not consider myself an expert.

delcol

So, what exactly do you do at the point of take off?

unweight the bike...

like the guy above said compress the bike into the lip (pushing your weight down through your arms and feet, loading the the bike) then unweight as you hit the lip.. this should get you airbourne.. then move fore and aft to control the bike...
there are a few vids on you tube showing you how it's done.

best thing to do is go on a skills course with a mtb coach who will sort out all your bad habbits and tech you the right technique...

bennett_346

Just push feet and arms into the bike to compress it down then scoop the bike up and allow it to lift up off the ground.

Thinking about it too hard is usually what makes it hard.

cooldad

But don't pull up.

Tom Barton

Common things on trails are hip jumps and kickers - small jumps in or at the side of the trail. A good way to practice being slightly airborne on these is to try on a kerb (i.e. the driveway ones) - markout with a stone a trail width landing zone to aim for and keep hitting it to get the hang of small jumps.

For slightly bigger jumps where there is definate 'jump ramp' - try and find a good one on a quiet trail and again, using the techniques above keeping hitting it until it starts to click. Same with drop offs - find a good one thatys not to scary and practice it. Worked wonders for me when i wanted to build my confidence - but a couple of tips in the presence of good jumpers will always get the best results. Or indeed trail skills sessions - much more valuable than a new upgrade.

bennett_346

cooldad wrote:

But don't pull up.

Why not? I've always pulled up on the bars then pushed forward to bunny hop, likewise with jumps...

Works well and hasn't ever gone wrong because of it.

cooldad

Because I say so....

1mancity2

bennett_346 wrote:

cooldad wrote:

But don't pull up.

Why not? I've always pulled up on the bars then pushed forward to bunny hop, likewise with jumps...

Works well and hasn't ever gone wrong because of it.

Pushing the bike into the transition allows the bike to rise without you moving your weight to far back, odviously you have to pull if your on a bmx/DJ with rigid forks but its easier to push and once mastered a far more effective method than pulling.

To the OP learn to bunnyhop before takeing to the jumps you will find it far easier to get airborne if you have this technique under your belt.

bennett_346

1mancity2 wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

cooldad wrote:

But don't pull up.

Why not? I've always pulled up on the bars then pushed forward to bunny hop, likewise with jumps...

Works well and hasn't ever gone wrong because of it.

Pushing the bike into the transition allows the bike to rise without you moving your weight to far back, odviously you have to pull if your on a bmx/DJ with rigid forks but its easier to push and once mastered a far more effective method than pulling.

To the OP learn to bunnyhop before takeing to the jumps you will find it far easier to get airborne if you have this technique under your belt.

I was always told not to rely on using the suspension to jump and bunny hop and treat the bike as rigid. Think about it, why would the technique be different for suspension bikes and dirt jump bikes?

Anyway there are various ways of doing it and if one technique works for someone and not another then that's fine.

styxd

If you just want to jump then pumping through the take off is fine. If you want to go really high then be sure to pull up as you're taking off.

Anonymous

You'll find loads of different advice and opinion, even in skills books. I can't say what's the right way, that's why I'm going on a skills course or two, though I suspect there's not an exact "right" way or more that there are many ways that will work but some are better, perhaps even safer.

Anyway, if you're fresh on the trails, look at the basics first. Jumps on trails usually have a line around anyway. Sort out the basics on the trails first then when confident and relaxed with the bike, the balance, flow and footwork, you can move onto the jumps. Though bunnyhop first. Hopping over logs and stuff, at least getting the front lift over mastered.

Oh, and on a bike, if you are jumping, get off the seat. Again you really need basics, but the footwork is key and you can't apply the right forces in the pedals (heels down) when sat down. Well, not easily. Should say I'm crap at jumps by the way, so mine is just another garbage opinion

bennett_346 wrote:

I was always told not to rely on using the suspension to jump and bunny hop and treat the bike as rigid. Think about it, why would the technique be different for suspension bikes and dirt jump bikes?

The impression I get is you're not relying on that, just that you're using a compression technique into the jump. This will work with a rigid as well. It's actually yourself that you're compressing and applying force down and springing back up. I think like how you do tricks on skateboards? Never skateboarded but that's how it looks to me, down low, compress and hop up and the board comes up with you. Or something like that.

1mancity2

styxd wrote:

If you just want to jump then pumping through the take off is fine. If you want to go really high then be sure to pull up as you're taking off.

and keep your legs straight on take off.

deadkenny wrote:

You'll find loads of different advice and opinion, even in skills books. I can't say what's the right way, that's why I'm going on a skills course or two, though I suspect there's not an exact "right" way or more that there are many ways that will work but some are better, perhaps even safer.

Spot on

bennett_346 wrote:

I was always told not to rely on using the suspension to jump and bunny hop and treat the bike as rigid. Think about it, why would the technique be different for suspension bikes and dirt jump bikes?

The impression I get is you're not relying on that, just that you're using a compression technique into the jump. This will work with a rigid as well. It's actually yourself that you're compressing and applying force down and springing back up. I think like how you do tricks on skateboards? Never skateboarded but that's how it looks to me, down low, compress and hop up and the board comes up with you. Or something like that.

Again spot on, also its far easier to get a rigid or hardtail airbourne, full suss take some time to master.

YeehaaMcgee

bennett_346 wrote:

cooldad wrote:

But don't pull up.

Why not? I've always pulled up on the bars then pushed forward to bunny hop, likewise with jumps...

Works well and hasn't ever gone wrong because of it.

It's ok on smaller jumps, but once you're airborne for a substantial amount of time, it's just going to c0ck things up for you. Let the bike launch of it's own accord.

welshkev

cooldad wrote:

But don't pull up.

^^^^^ this, it took me ages to find out why i kept going off to one side until someone pointed out not to pull up

Anonymous

Also, vision forward looking ahead at what comes after the landing. Don't look down, you'll go down quicker, look ahead. After advice on doing that, I'm in the air for longer and prepared for the land and subsequent jump, corner or whatever coming up.

1mancity2

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

cooldad wrote:

But don't pull up.

Why not? I've always pulled up on the bars then pushed forward to bunny hop, likewise with jumps...

Works well and hasn't ever gone wrong because of it.

It's ok on smaller jumps, but once you're airborne for a substantial amount of time, it's just going to c0ck things up for you. Let the bike launch of it's own accord.

Too True, all depends on what your jumping, a slight pull on a small kicker would be fine but I wouldn't pull up on a 20ft table.

I used to struggle clearing big doubles/tables until I stopped pulling up, went against everthing I'd learnt as a kid on the bmx all day, but it really does make a massive difference.

Anonymous

Out of interest, just re-reading one of my skills books and it's basically doing a scoop up and push forward over the jump, bunnyhop style. Illustrated on a table. Approach low and scoop, no mention of a push down.

bennett_346

deadkenny wrote:

Out of interest, just re-reading one of my skills books and it's basically doing a scoop up and push forward over the jump, bunnyhop style. Illustrated on a table. Approach low and scoop, no mention of a push down.

Finally someone sees sense...

bennett_346

Also, just read now in this months MBR

Once you've committed to going for the jump, you need to gain some height and get some airtime. You now need to combine the timing skills of your jumping with the pulling skills of a correct bunny-hop. As there may be no defined lip to offer your front wheel a trajectory, you need to load your pedals, move your weight back from the hips and give the handlebars a pull. This is a combined movement of both arms and legs, which people often get wrong. If you pull only with your arms you'll be pulling against your own body weight, resulting in a nose dive. At this point, you're trying to create the first half of a parabolic curve that a normal jump should follow.

That's written by Chris Ball of dirtschool...

YeehaaMcgee

So you're basically bunnyhopping over a gap.
Watch the guys on the really big jumps, they don't do this. Neither do the FMX riders. Or for that matter, the snowboarders getting immense air. Or, er, rally cars.
Different techniques for different scenarios. Differing ideas on how to do it.

Anonymous

I hear different advice from some of the skills training experts (okay I get it second hand) that's contrary to stuff I read in some books and magazines.

Though I wonder if terminology differs too. When some talk of a push, it depends where they're pushing. Push down, push forward, or even more of a push down then forward/up to scoop. Or something.

Don't know. Will see what I get out of a skills course.

1mancity2

Bunny hop is essential to jumping, the pushing part is really a compression of your body then release so your coming up of the lip which could be described as a pull, if you just ride and then pull on the lip without the body compression you won't get very far (of a small jump)

If you want to gain distance and height, compress your upper body and try to keep your legs straight on take off, as your rear wheel leaves the lip tuck your legs up (boosting) this will get you a lot higher and you will get better distance, as YeehaaMcgee says watch dirtjumpers this is the technique they use when going slow or hitting big gap jumps.

1mancity2

deadkenny wrote:

I hear different advice from some of the skills training experts (okay I get it second hand) that's contrary to stuff I read in some books and magazines.

Though I wonder if terminology differs too. When some talk of a push, it depends where they're pushing. Push down, push forward, or even more of a push down then forward/up to scoop. Or something.

Don't know. Will see what I get out of a skills course.

Exactly, some jumps don't require any input other than speed, some require you to boost, some squash, some a punch then a push, all depends on the jump.

bennett_346

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Different techniques for different scenarios. Differing ideas on how to do it.

Exactly my point.

FMX riders and rally car drivers would have a pretty hard time bunny hopping...

Also, i have snowboarded before, and even in snowboarding it's sometimes better to bunny hop off the takeoff and use the lip to help gain even more height as you do it.

1mancity2 wrote:

Bunny hop is essential to jumping, the pushing part is really a compression of your body then release so your coming up of the lip which could be described as a pull

That's more or less my point. During a bunny hop, you do pull on the bars, and this comes after the compression into the ramp.

1mancity2

bennett_346 wrote:

1mancity2 wrote:

Bunny hop is essential to jumping, the pushing part is really a compression of your body then release so your coming up of the lip which could be described as a pull

That's more or less my point. During a bunny hop, you do pull on the bars, and this comes after the compression into the ramp.

Yeah you do and thats were riders get it wrong, if they can't bunny hop and your trying to show/teach them (believe me this can be frustrating) and you say "pull" they ride stiff armed and just jank the bike up and end up ar*e over t*t, but if you say "push the bike into the lip" they push and then pull as you describe.

So many riders can't do a bunny hop for toffee and if you want to jump and I mean jump well you have got to get bunny hops nailed.

YeehaaMcgee

1mancity2 wrote:

So many riders can't do a bunny hop for toffee and if you want to jump and I mean jump well you have got to get bunny hops nailed.

Or hit it hard and fast

1mancity2

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

1mancity2 wrote:

So many riders can't do a bunny hop for toffee and if you want to jump and I mean jump well you have got to get bunny hops nailed.

Or hit it hard and fast

Yeah that works but it sometimes dosn't get you over a 20ft gap :shock:

1mancity2

Another thing about jumping, once your comfy and are clearing stuff, your mental attitude towards them changes and they all start to become a take off, middle, landing, so no matter how big,long, steep they are they are just another jump.

YeehaaMcgee

1mancity2 wrote:

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

1mancity2 wrote:

So many riders can't do a bunny hop for toffee and if you want to jump and I mean jump well you have got to get bunny hops nailed.

Or hit it hard and fast

Yeah that works but it sometimes dosn't get you over a 20ft gap :shock:

Well go faster then!

bennett_346

1mancity2 wrote:

Another thing about jumping, once your comfy and are clearing stuff, your mental attitude towards them changes and they all start to become a take off, middle, landing, so no matter how big,long, steep they are they are just another jump.

It's my aim to be at that stage ar nearabouts by the end of next year. I've been riding two years now and sort of neglected practicing jumping because there's never been anywhere good to practice it, but now i've got to the stage where technical terrain doesn't phase me at all so m focusing on jumping now.