Hi,

giving flats a try after 20 years clipped in. can anyone offer advice on how to keep my feet securely on the pedals when jumping.

drops are generally fine and I can bunny hop on flats but just struggling with jumping. any tips you can share would be appreciated.

Ta

I too would appreciate some of this.
Recently moved to flats after 5 years on Spuds and having a bit of a confidence crisis when it comes to leaving the ground.
I know a big dose of kneepads and MTFU is in order, but any other hints??

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/jumping-educate-me

Dmr v8 pedals have exellent grip and would recomend softish sole shoes or knobly grips on the sole so the pins get a good grip on your shoe. I honestly have troble geting my foot of the pedal although i go through alot of shoes :p

Despite the advice above, You’re better off without really grippy shoes and pedals. You cant move your foot about if needed, you become “locked in” almost.

Jumping correctly is about technique, not grippy shoes and pedals.

Disagree. Grippy shoes are a good place to start. Vans are best. Then again I couldn’t imagine jumping clipped in. I guess the difference is that you are not going to be pulling up with your knees, if on flats. Gotta be easier to jump with flats. Clips are not big on the jump bike scene.

About 2:00 in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt6tHWrcz2E

Bend the knees

Keep your heels down and get some grippy shoes + pedals.
Biker66: Clips aren’t big on the dirt jump scene because feet need to come off for tricks, not because they’re worse for jumping.

Don’t MTFU! Practice hopping off kerbs and bunny-hopping, only go larger when your feet are always staying where you want them. Lots of DHers catch huge air with clips but they could do it on flats too!

Heels down defo works, I found it came with time my feet were always coming adrift the first few months but then they just got it, you just adapt I suppose, it never happens anymore and I’ve been on flats for a full year now,

Just stick with it.

Fives Sam Hill and podium pedals here, not a cheap combo but honestly feel just like being clipped in.

If you can bunnyhop with flat pedals the technique is similar for jumping.

Go and ride a bmx or pump track and learn how to pump. Once you can pump, think about springing off the lip in a similar way to a flat footed jump. Bend your knees and push the pedals away from you.

The harder you pump the transition the higher you will go.

Kudos100 has just said exactly what I was going to, the shoes don’t matter, it’s technique

Cheers. riding vans gravels and some superstar pedals. I find jumping cliped in relatively easy and it felt pretty comfortable but wanted to try the freedom of flats.

When you hit the takeoff are you actually pulling up like you would in a bunny hop or just comressing into the lip and letting the bike come up on it’s own? my feet go light in the air on the way down or i I try to pull up! is this normal? I understand heels down for general riding but don’t see how that helps taking off or in the air?

To start with just compress into the transition with your legs and don’t pull up. You can get plenty of air by ramming your legs hard into the transition.

If your feet are going light you are getting the timing wrong or pulling up.

Keep practicing pumping the transition and you will get it.

Don’t worry about your heels, just keep the pedals flat.

Feet do not need gluing to pedals, thinking this is so very wrong.

I blame spd’s for this misconception.

Seriously, do you think skateboarders give a toss? Same principal applies, any “need” to be attached is just in your head.

Maybe clipping in teaches you bad habits but I wouldn’t know coz I have always used flats.

clipping yourself ONto an offroad bike is ridiculous.

enfht – I don’t want to be glued to the pedal otherwise I would have stuck with clips. I just want to ensure my feet don’t wave goodbye to my pedals in mid air or on take off.

Kudos to kudos. Feet should be pushed hard down when jumping. Just have a look at dirt jumpers. Push with feet and pull on the bars. Pump it.

Gravity already ensures your feet are pushing down.

Really helpful tip I was given was to place my midfoot over the axle rather than the ball as you would with clueless. that way, your feet don’t push the bike away while you’re in the air.

Someone will now say your heels should always been down, which is true to a point but it’s just not possible in the air. Stand up right now and just jump up. Now try it keeping your heels down. Just doesn’t happen.

When you hit the lip pull up as hard as you can and straighten your legs until the stem is fully between your thighs.

When you hit the lip pull up as hard as you can and straighten your legs until the stem is fully between your thighs.

Then grip toptube near stem with legs with bars across waist and extend arms outstretched to the sides. Voila Old school tuck no-hander.

Don’t ask me how you do the landing part, I have never managed to master that…

clipping yourself ONto an offroad bike is ridiculous.

most of the pro downhillers and all XC riders use clips – cant be that ridiculous