Forum coaching – what do I do to start jumping and get more confident on drops

I’m pretty sure there is a link between both of these things – but I don’t feel at all comfortable jumping and drops also tend to give me a fear.

Very aware that the more I do, the more confident it should make me – and I’m starting to make inroads with this, but – embarrassingly, I coach kids, so I have a decent concept of the techniques – I just can’t make myself do them.

So what should I be looking for to start helping me build up my abilities?

For jumps, it seems I’m not moving the bars to hips on the take-off…I’m generally ‘ok’ on the landing, but we aren’t talking big jumps here, so the technique needs serious work. At Cathkin yesterday and heading down the jump line to the pump track and I wasn’t comfy on any of the tabletops, so wasn’t getting anywhere near landing on the downslope.

For drops, I’m thinking my lack of confident (and commitment) to be in the air is possibly also impacting any drops.

So what is the forum recommended method(s) for me to improve? What kind of jumps should I be looking for (or making)? I’m assuming start small and work up, but before I book myself on a Jumps course, I’m figuring I’ll see what the hive mind from here can suggest.

Just another one of those things I’m needing to work on and improve!!!

Cheers.

If the kids you coach are anything like the standard I was coaching, ask them for tips!

Sorry, nothing more useful to add than ‘book yourself on a course’. It worked wonders for Mrs a11y ahead of us going to the Alps years ago – think she did a 2-day course over a weekend at GT as part of an Air Maiden thing or similar.

Drops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJJAW0iNhUY

Jumps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB5GmIL0slg

I came here to say “watch some coaching vid’s on Youtube”

They contain the basic tips – just add practice.

I am not a great ‘jumper’ either!

“moving the bars to hips on the take-off”
I’m no Matt Jones, but where did you hear that advice? It’s not how I’d describe it on most trail style. Bar humps are not cool. Steep dirt jumps are a different matter and do require more of that technique.

Not trying to teach to suck eggs, but can you bunny hop without SPDs? The people I watch with more worrying technique are the ones who can’t, IMO that’s kind of a basic requirement.

The best easy I can describe it is a rolling motion. Load up like a spring as you approach the lip, then release that energy and pull the bike up as you approach the lip. It’s like a modified hop -pull the front first, draw the back second.

But the best advice I can give is practice. Los. Find/build a small table, session it. Lots. Then some more. Get people to video you, and compare the timing. The best jumpers I know aren’t the ones who’ve been on a skills course, they’re the ones who grew up mucking about in the woods with their mates.

The best advice I can give is go to another coach – they will be able to break down your technique in a way that no amount of instructional videos from YouTube ever can.

get a coach, then ride that style over and over, a trip to bike park wales for 2 days should get you there..

Ha, this has been my pet project (obsession!) for a few years now. To the point where the neighbours think I’m a bit odd spending hours on the drive riding in circles trying to clear my homemade bunnyhop machine, or ages sessioning the jumps at the bike park while my mates go ride the rest of it. Self filming is really helpful, as you can see where you’re going wrong – direct feedback if you like. My persistent issue with jumps is timing (unweighting before the lip), and not standing upright enough, so I kind of flop forward over the bars, not getting the height I need to clear the table. (Think I’ve the common fear of looping out onto my bum.) YouTube is an amazing resource, but can be awash with conflicting opinions. I toy with the idea of coaching, but reckon the absolute key ingredient is targeted practice. Shedloads of it. Too many folk like the idea of being able to jump, but lose interest after an hour or two of not magically getting the knack of it.

I’m in Calderdale if you fancy a practice buddy sometime.

We went through a journey over the past few years from no proper gap jumps to doing what I used to think were terrifying gaps and drops, without fuss or stress. From my perspective, thinking about stuff too much and watching too many videos really didn’t help. Keeping it simple and gradually progressing did help; try to stay as relaxed as possible and don’t let the jump control you when you hit the take off, stand up (often slower than you think) as you go up the take off. From there I gradually add in other modifiers on harder jumps, knowing when to squash or add a little pop, or a bit of movement on the bike or the bars if I start to dead sailor. No drastic technique changes, gentle and slow progressions works for me. I’ve been the first of our group to hit all the big stuff and we’ve used these principles to get pretty much everyone through some pretty big features. One big proviso, if you’re really not feeling it then don’t do it, find other features.

One bit of good news, when the jumps and drops get bigger, they can often be easier as they do everything for you! 🙂

I’m in my 50’s so not a spring chicken when I started jumping…

I’d get a coaching seasion – preferably 121 rather than a group session.

The best advice on my last session a few years ago with drops is don’t be afraid to land front wheel first. Prior to that my technique was to try and bump / manual the front up and hope for the best. Which works sometimes but not others. On slow speed / awkward drops or where you have a corner just after you want to be wheels back on the ground asap for breaking / turning.

The technique was more pushing the bars away from you and down rather than lifting the front wheel up. I find it really helps on off piste tech stuff where you don’t necessarily want to be getting more height off the drop.

Obviously you don’t want to be horrifically nose diving and going over the bars so you just need to play around with the technique.

Jumping I’m not great at – I’ve been told the technique and I can clear small / middling tables but I have ‘the fear’ with gaps and longer jumps I need to commit more boost / speed to I think.

It is way to easy to over think these things and in reality on a run up to the jump you really only want to be thinking about speed and landing, not pushing, bar position etc etc etc.  Need to get comfortable riding small stuff over and over until your muscle memory takes over.

Have you got a pump track, old bmx track near you?

So, I’ll start by saying get some coaching.

Even a group jumps / drops course will help you progress massively. I did one at Cannock with Adam who owns Skillsloop. In one day I went from clueless to able to get off the ground and back again comfortably. I know he has a course coming up soon…

Anyway, there were a few things I learned which seemed really important. First was timing, and this was done by learning to bunnyhop over a stick. Tiny steps, but the method of the ‘american bunny hop’ is almost exactly the same motion as a jump. And learning to do that, and time it well, means you learn to do it on the lip of a takeoff.

Then it was just a manner of expanding on that over a few hours. Pulling the bar towards your hips, not perfect. But a bit of backwards pressure on the bars to keep the front wheel high is good. Then a push of the bars to complete the arc.

As it happens the push on the bars is much the same one as you do over a drop – we called it the trolly push – and it works really well.

Another vote for coaching, specifically Adam from Skillsloop.

Yes, kids who’ve been sessioning jumps in the woods get really good, but that’s over the course of years, with broken bones to show for it. Coaching will get you there quicker and safer.

I think a lot of the instructions people give out are confusing and hard to think of when you are just trying to get off the ground.  What you are basically doing is a little mini jump of your own off the lip of a drop. Not a big one – you’ll go flying – just a little jumping motion. This helps keep the front wheel is what you need, you don’t want it to dive which is what will happen if you just ride off the lip.  So:

• Find a very small drop, like a kerb. Ride off it and see how your front wheel drops.
• Do it again but put in a tiny little jumping motion of your own, just enough to lift the bars.  Aim to get both wheels landing at the same time.
• If you have a FS you will have to bounce down on the suspension first, so that when the suspension extends it’s pushing you up at the right time.
• Now do it at different speeds
• Now find a slightly bigger drop – a step or something, and repeat.
• Keep doing this and on bigger drops – et voila.  You just need to become familiar with how the bike behaves.  If you are nervous on a drop, keep doing it over and over again until you are blase.

Two less obvious things that I think have helped me massively with more technical riding such as drops are:

• Being in a good hinged ready position and being more dynamic on the bike.
• Working on good braking technique, looking for appropriate braking zones and avoiding comfort braking.

This popped up on my YT feed. I think it does a pretty good job of illustrating the movements.

And this, like the rest of Cathro’s how to series, is great for drop techniques. https://youtu.be/uJJAW0iNhUY?si=2MdWDnPvS8yEGYdI

@molgrips technique of unweighting works well for some, but for others, like @joebristol describes, it’s more of a push. I’m still trying to get this right so I can get out if the bloody woods at the top of Dai Hard…

Drops are much harder than jumps in my opinion. You don’t really need to do much to clear even medium sized jumps, but with drops it’s quite easy to get pitched over the bars if you’re either going too fast or slow or just mistime it.

The only way to get better is to just session them. If you’re not feeling it then don’t force it. Go ride something else and then come back once you’re a bit more relaxed.  Also get someone who is a better rider than you so can see how they do it and even follow them into the jumps and drops.

The skills section at Comrie Croft is really good for practicing both drops and jumps.

“Drops are much harder than jumps in my opinion.”

You see I’d say the opposite!

I think the technique is sort of the same for both – you’re getting the bike to leave the ground in a balanced state, so that when it reaches the ground again it’s travelling in the right direction, has gone the right distance and rotated the right amount (eg zero rotation for a drop when the ground before the lip and the landing spot are at the same ankle, or a lot of rotation for a tabletop or gap with a steep take-off and landing).

And that comes down to loading and unloading with the right force and timing – which I’m fine at until things get bigger (for me) and then I get totally psyched out and forget how to ride a bike…

Are you anywhere near BPW? If so, ride Popty Ping at a reasonable pace and you’ll teach yourself how to jump in a few runs. Such nicely crafted lumps you can’t fail to enjoy them and get airborn.

If you’re not near BPW get a coach, most do drops and jump courses. I fancy doing a coaching session this year because I think my bottle needs reminding I can do the stuff that my body forgets it’s done millions of times.

also if you go to BPW then the first bit of flat landing (is that it?) has some lovely drops with never ending slopes to land on, go as fast or slow as you like – pretty sure you can roll most of them by pushing down into the drop – and again you’ll be smashing the rest in no time.

drops and jumps are ace, best bit of mtb riding, I look forward to reading about your progress.

Jumps and drops are the same thing

The ‘Runway’ at Carron Valley is also a great place to learn how to jump. Nothing too big and you can roll into them and clear them without having to use too much body language.

Jumps and drops are the same thing

I know Jedi is an amazing rider but I’m not so sure they are. For example my 11 year old son can clear a table top easier than he can ride a drop with both wheels hitting the ground at the same time. I think it comes down to the fact he’s not that strong yet to pull the bike level on the drop but can use the lip of a jump to get some height.

Obviously this is only my opinion and experience.

Also Cathkin Braes can be terrifyingly unpredictable in the dry. There were quite a few incidents in an xc race there last year due to the dry weather. The pump track is by far the best thing there. If this is local to you then it is also good for practicing getting some air. Try to go with someone who can jump and follow them around the pump track and match their speed, you should find your bike leaving the ground after a couple of laps. Just relax and concentrate on being smooth. You’ll soon be clearing the odd jump.

Or maybe book in with a course with Jedi? His riding skill is rather high.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/5hyDksBmzbk7drcX/

I know its a pretty standard answer but go see Jedi. Its not just his way of explaining but the perfect playground he has to take you from wheels on the floor to flight.

Other coaches are available but from a jumps and drops point of view he is the best I’ve coached by. Go on your own or with a mate of similar ability.

“I think it comes down to the fact he’s not that strong yet to pull the bike level on the drop but can use the lip of a jump to get some height.”

I don’t think you really use “strength” to pull a bike level for a drop, not generally anyway. Sometimes you might have to do a disaster weight shift manual type thing but normally it’s a push thing like a jump.

but I’m not so sure they (drops & jumps) are (the same). For example my 11 year old son can clear a table top easier than he can ride a drop with both wheels hitting the ground at the same time.

I’m the other way round, I’ll ride drops to flat (in predictable urban settings errm so yeah maybe not actually all that relevant, and very rarely as high as handlebars) but jumps, they try to make me fly upwards first, that scares me! I don’t mind the dropping bit, I can (mostly) control that, but not the flying upwards bit.

https://www.imbikemag.com/technique/skills/drop-and-roll/

I found this article helpful too.

@didnthurt I think it may be more to do with size relative to the bike rather than strength per se?

WRT BPW Hotstepper is a good one to go and practice drops.

Thanks for all the suggestions, pointers and advice. Coaching course will be booked, but I’m looking to try and start an improvement so I don’t go to the course thinking I can’t do this.
Oddly, I clear all the bits on the Runway at Carron Valley.
Pretty sure it is largely going to be down to loads of practice and starting very small and building from there.
Glad I asked as although some.stuff was already known, plenty was confirming I’m not doing things properly.

Having a burly bike helps. I didn’t dare try much on my XC bikes then I got a Patriot and that gave me the confidence to try things out, get confident in the air (to a point!) and then I could take what I’d learned back to other lighter bikes.

princejohn is correct give up now as you can’t go back in time and learn in the woods messing about !!!!!!

seriously get booked on a course and enjoy

Go see Jedi

@molgrips I think modern geometry helps too.

To hijack slightly – has anyone done the jump course at Farmer John’s, run by Dirt Factory?

I am thinking of trying this soon.

To hijack a bit more – has anyone been to Pimbo Bike Park since it re-opened?

Any thoughts on it as a place to progress dad jumping?

Jumps and drops are the same thing

Likely for technique they are. Mentally for me they aren’t. Anything with a steep uphill takeoff scares me.

To hijack a bit more – has anyone been to Pimbo Bike Park since it re-opened?

I went last year, it’s okay, plenty to play on for a half day. Will probably head back soon.

I went last year, it’s okay, plenty to play on for a half day. Will probably head back soon.

Cheers for the reply.

I believe they shut down for ages and re-did loads of the lines for this year?

I’d previously heard feedback that the progression curve was maybe a little steep, but not been myself.

Looks good from the Insta though.

Coaching course will be booked, but I’m looking to try and start an improvement so I don’t go to the course thinking I can’t do this.

Your call dude, but I’d put that in the hands of a coach as well, let them help guide you and build your confidence.

You’ve got nothing to lose and I’ve only ever heard good things about Jedi. Make haste and you’ll be doing turn downs over big senders in a heartbeat.

True, but a 6+ hour drive to see him will mean I’ll be looking more locally and there have been plenty recommendations so I need to get something booked.