Can`t Jump – Dare`nt Jump

Well, yesterday was my 38th birthday which meant a day off of work and time to do as I pleased. So off I went to the local downhill runs. None of the jumps are massive the largest being about a 4 foot drop off the further you fly and that is fine. On one of the other runs there is a small gap jump (3foot) I finally managed that, then there is a drop off into a steep almost immediate left hand berm, that took two attempts followed by four more jumps and some decent fast bends. Point being, I just decided that I needed to be brave. I checked each jump out, worked out where I should hit it and just rode off of them. It was fine. A few issues with feet leaving pedals but really it never seems as bad as you think.

However, my technique is probably rubbish so will be calling on Jedi once the weather sorts itself out to pay me a visit either in Essex or Rogate.

Oh, one thing i used to do, is to place a small stick or something visible, but not obstructive on the point where i wanted to ride off the drop. This meant I knew I would ride off in the right place and it used to give me confidence.

The Southern Yeti

I'm talking 25+ foot jumps where crashing becomes a bit more serious.

If your talking about a 25' double then it's probably down to technique. Then again, I'd like to think that most people wouldn't attempt a jump of that size unless they were pretty confident they could make it.

If it's a just a kicker and you're gaining that sort of distance using speed, it could be something else that's causing you to come in front wheel hot. Something as simple as slowing down your rear rebound could help (i'm assuming your using a full-sus). Also some jumps have an optimum speed at which they can be hit. Go too fast and (due to the shape/length of the transition) it's impossible not to be pitched forward.

As has been said, the basics of jumping are fairly straightforward. But more advanced techniques take time to learn. The faster you hit a jump, the less time you have on the transition, making it harder to dial in how much 'pump' is needed. It's all too easy to be thrown out of a kicker mid-pump simply by going to fast. The opposite can also happen. Over pumping a transition can also have similar results. Once you have mastered the 'art of pump' you can hit bigger gaps with much less speed and far more control.

Apologies if i'm teaching you suck eggs here, but it's nigh on impossible to cure you 😆 without seeing you ride said jump.

p.s. if any of the above was helpful, please send your cheque to Jedi. I'd hate to think he was losing out on a potential client. 😉

In my limited experience jumping and drops are all down to body weight management / distribution on the bike (plus some confidence / encouragement). Something that is great to learn whether you have your wheels off or on the ground – the balance I've gained from jumping is great for controlling wheel washouts, unintentional skids and all manner of other "adjustments" needed when riding.

Admittedly I've not done anything massive but loving it all the same.

pmsl@euro

Go on then?

TBH I think that my jumping skills might be a slightly diff level to a lot of the other people here, but some serious over the bar landings puts a bit of doubt in my mind.As Jedi said, it will be a rotation problem, and the solution will at least in part involve something that will always improve your general flow at the same time. If you are jumping that big then Jedi has a better profile to teach you than I – I will tell you the same thing, but you won't be as inclined to believe me, because I am not your style of rider.