Spent some time down at the local cheeky jumps last night, and had myself an epiphany.

I’ve got a weird relationship with getting the wheels off the ground. Sometimes it’s fine, sometimes it’s all wonk. Sometimes I’m confident and carefree, and sometimes it’s deathgrip time. I’ve also never been able to really get the sort of elevation that I think should be possible.

So last night, I gave myself an hour to practice going over a set of 3 jumps. Again and again, experimenting, getting comfortable. It occurred to me that my timing might be a bit off – pumping the transition with everything I had still wasn’t getting me any height or distance,  and I never felt in control. So, I wondered if it might be a timing issue (it certainly wasn’t lack of effort). I tried putting my jumping effort in much earlier on the take-off, and…

Nothing. Well that was a waste of time.

Unless… What if I try delaying the push until much later on the ramp? Now, this may be obvious to literally everyone else, but I suddenly found that if I time the jump so the bulk of the push happens just as the front leaves the ground, and all the effort is going through the back wheel as I leave the lip, suddenly I get height, and distance, and I’ve got much more control.  Not to mention having much more time to panic in.

So, in conclusion, now I feel like a hero. I can thoroughly recommend to anyone having issues with any aspect of their technique to spend some time playing and experimenting, and most importantly observing your and your bike’s behaviour (which is harder than it sounds). Practise until it feels right, then carry on practising, and too can be a mtbing demi-god like me.

I know what you mean.  Practice lots in a controlled manner.

Too often we do a ride with a jump in it, try it, cock it up and don’t repeat it till we do that bit of trail again weeks or months later.

I’ve found chasing my mates round Chicksands dual slalom track good for jumping.  Its got 4 jumps on it and we session it about 15 times till we are knackered.

Disclaimer – when I say “distance” I’m talking about a 5-foot gap…

Nice one OP, keep at it. Try and pump early into the ramp and pull on the bars while pushing through with your feet (similar to a manual) and you’ll get even higher/further.

Why does everyone keep saying “pull on the bars”? That’s the worst thing I can think to do.

Because it stops your front end dropping after taking off the lip, giving you more height.

Fair enough. I just associate that motion with trying too hard to pull the bike up in the air, and ending up sideways..

Best thing to do is get someone to film you and watch it back. It took me a while to get the front end lifting properly.

When you get it right you get much more height on take off.

Focus more on driving with the legs. The pull is more of a rocking back motion like a manual.

As ^ says.  Its not so much a pull, more a drive of the legs.

Christ I’d love to be able to hit a 5 foot gap jump!

Whilst a “late” action can get you up and away, and one some short take off ramps is the only possible “boost” be a bit careful, because if you don’t also hold the front up (not pull the front up!) it can be a one way ticket to a massive over-rotation and a painful face first landing!

Christ I’d love to be able to hit a 5 foot gap jump!

Find Ned a good coach, they’ll have you doing thing you never thought possible in no time.