Just watched the drops video on the home page ( http://singletrackworld.com/2016/06/video-how-do-do-drops/ if you didn’t know there was a home page). Some good skills in there and while it’s a bit brief and covers wide range of drops and techniques it all looks consistent with what I’ve seen, read and been taught. That said there’s a couple of negative posts in the comments saying it’s bad but no follow up. Anyone here with more skillz care to elaborate?

Looks good to me, technique explained well with decent camera angles to show the different types of drop-off.

Well, for a start he didn’t chuck in any barspins or tailwhips. 😉

Apart from that I’d say it’s an excellent start point to go out and try it.

I think perhaps you can over-analyse these things as an adult. As kids you just try things, starting small and building up, without a skills course in sight! 😀

I think the advice is good, trying to land with both wheels together is not a bad place to start and also, the having a bit more speed can also help.

Nah, good video imho.

its a bit down to how you translate the words into action, but two phrases used scare the carp out of me.
lock your arms
aim to land on the rear wheel

I was puzzled by the comments too. I pretty much do what he does and am “self taught” so haven’t had instruction. It just developed naturally with riding.

I’d be intrigued to see what method the naysayers recommend.

aim to land on the rear wheel

Nothing wrong with landing on the rear, much more preferable to the front. Both together is a good one but not the easiest when starting out

but two phrases used scare the carp out of me.
lock your arms
aim to land on the rear wheel

Makes sense to me. He doesn’t mean lock your arms throughout the whole thing as you then start to bend to absorb the landing. He’s talking about the manual manoeuvre as you go off the drop that helps to level the bike.
Yes, if you lock your arms throughout, your face may well hurt 🙂

Landing on the back wheel is safer to aim for initially I’d have thought. Certainly preferable to the front.

Pretty good I thought. As he said at the end, practice is essential and start small!

Back first worked for Evel Knievel and he did some massive jumps, mostly without a parachute

I prefer this description:

https://vimeo.com/15098401

His comments and technique is certainly very different to what is taught by a very popular and respected STW coach, who I think would shudder at this video.

pinch_flat – Member
His comments and technique is certainly very different to what is taught by a very popular and respected STW coach, who I think would shudder at this video.

This.

My comment was based on what I’ve been taught, makes sense and works (for me and, I guess, a lot of other riders).

The guy in the video can clearly ride (if it is him and not some other rider with the coach just doing the voice over), but a few bits in there look awkward and don’t match what I know . . .

manual off drops (although this does seem to be received wisdom among quite a few riders)
“get your weight behind/over the rear axle”
aim to land rear wheel first

As opposed to the technique I know works for me . . .

stay centred on the bike
unweight off the lip (no manual or pushing the bike away from you / getting your weight back)
keep your weight over the bottom bracket
aim to land both wheels together or front very slightly first

Having said that, it’s all horses for courses in some ways as long as it work safely and smoothly for you?

If you can manual off a drop at low speed it’s a great technique to have as it gets you out of a lot of trouble.
The staying centered is another technique and well used.
Both have their place (like when you have no speed to unweight and jump)

qwerty – Member
I prefer this description:

https://vimeo.com/15098401

Well, if you meant to link to the video of Jedi sitting on a bench talking about the mental skills involved with doing drops, then drops must be performed by concentrating, making sure there’s no-one there to put you off and landing front wheel first. Sounds a bit risky to me. I’d rather know some more about the actual technique before I gave it a go.

Not that different to what is said on GMBN in their vid GMBN drop off technique although I think they are clearer in describing why you are completing each element