Really twist sideways, tuck your chin to your chest, close your left eye, and let go with your hands.

With all the mixed advice above, this probably makes as much sense to the poor chap!

DrP

As others have said the technique is simple its just getting your head around the size of the drop! I'm no expert but doing a short manual off the end seems to work for me – basically unweighting the front end rather than pulling it up or hopping. Seems to work for me but the biggest drop I've done is only about 2ft with a nice long run-out into a berm.

there is two way you can do this. If you have enough inertia, the trolley/jedi technique is good.
If you are standing still, you'll have to pull the handlebar/push a bit on the pedal (like you would do for a wheeling) otherwise you might not be able to get over it, and you would just "ride over it" as oppose to get over it.
However, I have found that in real life, drop off big enough that you must get over them, have usually a take off and landing areas allowing you to get enough momentum. Second technique is for this buggering big step just before/after a tight switchback.

Thanks everyone – some really good stuff here.

I think I always try to pull the bars up and that lifts my weight up not back – I'm liking the idea of pulling back. Also the tip RE the squeaky toy – that's one to try somewhere no-one can see! 🙂

Thanks!

David.

Like this:

"WEEEEEEEEEEE!

BUMP!

OUCH!"

That's my technique anyway.

Something I'd like to learn too as there are a load of drops I'd like to try. I'd be interesting in some sort of skills course that teaches this kind of stuff where I could just practice on simple stuff and build up to bigger ones.

I don't have the no fear attitude I had as a kid, so at the moment I come to a drop and just crap myself 😀 . There's no way I'm going to just go for it without knowing what I'm doing though. At the very least it will cost me money to not be working! 😀

Drops are simple, wait till you start trying jumps…

There's a great article here:
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/fitness/article/complete-guide-to-downhill-mountain-biking-part-1-25183

This tip has made a big difference to me:
"Think of a cone of movement, which is basically your weight pivoting around the bottom bracket. Whether the bike is pointing up or down, leaning left or right, you should be able to draw an imaginary vertical line through your core (the area round your hips) and the bike’s bottom bracket"

Looks like he rolled that one!

I'm impressed with that!

Amazing looking bike!

Tragic looking outfit!

never pull the bars . push and weight shift.

If you have your weight forward the front wheel will drop, if you have it back the back wheel will drop, if you lean to one side the bike will lean to one side, if you get cross rutted you'll probably go over the bars. It isn't rocket science. Look ahead hit the drop/jump/whatever centred on the bike and match the angle of the bike to the angle of the down slope.

Iain

OK Jedi i'm fully aware of your abilities but explain pushing the bars please.

you push down/away with hands and heals that moves the bike under you forwards therefore putting u behind the bb andf the wheel raises/unweights

Ok so i've been thinking, Pushing? so by pushing the bars forward/down and adding a correctly timed weight shift rearwards…..You achieve the drop technique?

you wont need to shift rearwards as you move the bike forwards underneath you by pushing which puts you behind the bb by default

you offer guiding and coaching in the cairngorms?

Ah beat me to it Jedi, but….. once you've pushed the bars forward and shifted rearward and your arms are fully extended are you not pulling backwards on the bars? 😀
Just to be an arse (me that is)

no

Aye

I'm always interested in how other people demo/describe things as it's all tools in my box.
that's all

the only time you pull a bike with hands or feet is when clean in the air and making it look good 🙂

No. How?

jedi , he`s taking the piss. andy entered red bull rampage years ago ;O)

lol

Marty. bite me;-]

I'm not taking the piss.

i need to think more

you push down/away with hands and heals that moves the bike under you forwards therefore putting u behind the bb andf the wheel raises/unweights

Having been shown and taught this technique by Jedi I can confirm it does work. Even with short arms you can move the bike a fair bit forward (and level) with the arm push and the heals 'down' causes the bike to front wheel to unweight/lift.

Taking the shopping trolley analogy how would you get one to land flat over a kerb? Kicking the rear wheels gets the front up and pushing the bars moves the whole trolley forward quickly over the lip.

I'm not a doubter, but i am a doer. I'll be back J 😉

Jedi, serious question, you say never pull on the bars? So does that mean that you can do a bunnyhop with just weight shifts? I'm intruiged as I was trying it the other day, and I definitely pull up on the bars a bit, just with tons of body language as well… I can pop into a manual with just a rear weight shift thingy, but not a hop. Im seriously interested if that's how you hop?

Ignore all interweb advisors and book yourself onto a skills course ASAP…

"wonderful"

i think this is what jedi means…..

lyons. nope

alpin, kind of .:)

Right, I wasn't sure if that was what you were saying… I know exactly what you mean by pushing the bike away etc, and I do that when I hop and drop, and stuff anyway. Ps, fancy Corby again soon?

lyons, im off to corby today 🙂

nah lads. you are all wrong.

roll in with no speed at all, then just jump backwards as hard as possible, tuck your feet up and hope for the best. bit of lean might help, but might not. remember to REALLY tuck your head back and pull up with your feets.

easy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVnoY715B4Q&feature=player_embedded

wot you mean, kind of?!??

surely it depends on the size of the drop and the speed at which you approach it.

a decent sized, steep drop being hit at speed will require you to push the wheels to the ground so that you can regain control more quickly.

if hitting a drop to flat at lower speeds then you'll have to pull up/pop front wheel/shift weight back more otherwise your front wheel will drop and the rear will hang on the lip throwing you over the bars.

smaller drops at speed can mostly be run at with your weight shifted back a litle and slightly bent knees/arms to absorb the landing.

get the wheels back on the ground more quickly

Hah, wish I could come, I'm tempted, for midday?

More training was had with a (easy) five inch drop 😉

"The Shopping Trolley"

Owned, Nailed , Awesome Rad , sick air and stuff. Matching the STW profile perfectly 😉

red thunder, your cranks need to be level.
alpin, why try to land. it's a given that it will happen.