OTB Jump

Gibbo3771

Hi guys,

Posting this in the beginner section for a simple reason, tips and a bit more info on my technique.

I was at Bonaly 2 days ago practicing, a little background about my biking. I have a fairly entry bike, Carrera Vengeance with Exiler 1's w/ Recon silvers forks as well as FSB chainset and Triumvate cranks. Pretty much entry level and not too bad stuff fort he money, I have been riding for 3 years but recently have been taking it exclusively offroad exploring the pentlands as well as Bonaly.

What I have done is injure my upper back, shoulder, head and collarbone. Can't move much!

So this is what happened and I want to know what I done wrong.

The jump is aprox 0.5 meters(I think, now that I measure it, might have been closer to 1 meter), nothing big and other side is a small gradient downhill, plenty of space either side.
I took a massive run up and gathered a stupid amount of speed.
I loosened up, center gravity of bike.
Right before the jump I leaned back.
Soon as I hit the air my body got lunged forward and bike went front heavy.
I hit the ground stupidly hard head first and black out for a few seconds.
I end up in the A&E .

So my technique, I am not sure what I done wrong. I was going too fast, that was one thing. Will this cause me to be more front heavy? I leaned back pretty far, could this have caused me to lunge forward when I hit the jump?

I have done jumps before and tbh, now that I look at it I can't quite remember what I was doing before, it feels like I have been doing the above the whole time. Perhaps the bump has messed with my memory but still...

I have this habit of riding 100% to my limit (I feel as if I learn more), I fall almost every ride but mostly just a shrug off and back on after I catch my breath/check for damages.

The Rookie

I guess there was a kicker on the lip, if you don't lift the front and/or reduce the rear kick with your legs (or if you get it wrong the saddle hits your harris and propels your body up) then the back will get launched up over the front, did that once when I was about 11, eyewitness reports were that I almost managed a front flip before landing, injuries not quite as bad as yours (less inertia at 11!)......

rockmonkeysc

Body low , weight back, arms and knees bent. I doubt you were going too fast, not enough speed is more likely to cause you problems. You need your cranks level and finish pedalling well before the jump.
Make sure your saddle is nice and low and rebound damping not too fast.
Pulling up can help but isnt essential unless its a drop rather than a jump.

concorde

This happened to me and ever since I've al ways overcompensated by getting to far off the back of my bike, takes the fun out of the jumping really.

What I find helps though is compress before the lip and when on the lip do a standing up motion so you rise as the bike rises rather than the bike rising you not rising and the bike kicking you in the arse and OTB!

Kowalski675

This any use to you?

http://vimeo.com/69255024

jairaj

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Pulling up can help but isnt essential unless its a drop rather than a jump.

I was learning only on small table top jumps. Is this a technique for different kinds of jumps?

In my lessons I was told never to pull up. You push into the jump not pull up. Similar to what you do to jump when on your feet. You crouch down and push down with your feet to spring you up.

Same for drops, you push the bike out in front shifting your weight back stopping the front from nose diving.

rockmonkeysc

You dont really pull up. Thats a bad description.
You compress in to the bottom of the kicker and rebound off the lip, not an easy thing to describe.

pesky_jones

RockmonkeySC wrote:

You dont really pull up. Thats a bad description.
You compress in to the bottom of the kicker and rebound off the lip, not an easy thing to describe.

Boosting?

rockmonkeysc

Yes though boosting won't mean anything to anyone who doesn't know how to do it.

jairaj

yeah fair enough sounds like you're describing pretty much what I was taught.