Jumping – why do people twitch the front wheel and swing the back end?

Watching Pinkbike videos – really I have nothing better to do on a Saturday evening – I notice that everyone is flipping the front wheel and hip swinging the back end and then landing on the front wheel. Any reason for this? Is it just aesthetics? Or is it aerodynamics? Should I be trying it?

Because they can 🙂

Whips. Look at them. 2min10s.

Skillz innit

But don’t try landing on the front wheel on the flat

A lot of people put a ‘tweek’ in whilst in the air to give themselves something to do and avoid ‘dead’ sailoring’.

Because the bastards can.

It is not possible to watch, or hear that, too many times 😀

Avoiding dead sailoring. (What citizeninsane said). I know plenty of people who always do something in the air, even if it is just a bar turn to give themselves something to do.

I on the other hand keep both wheels firmly on the ground where they belong.

Passes the time whilst in the air,jumps can become mundane iff no tweaking.

I do recall being told that it actually helps keep the bike under control. Can’t do it myself so have no idea if that’s true

They do it in motocross too…

You need to try being rubbish at jumps. Far from mundane then.

Passes the time whilst in the air,jumps can become mundane iff no tweaking.

I post on here but it’s impotent not to make the post too long as you never know what might happen, I’m doing a jump….Oh shiiiiiiit!

If you’re deliberately moving the bike then you *may* be more in control. Doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t land in a crumpled heap and spend the next 5 minutes making a noise like a dying moose IME.

Because it feels great (even if sometimes it looks terrible) a “whip” is one of the easiest and funnest things to do as no limbs need to be removed and got back into place before landing. They can look terrible if the rider just pushes their feet sideways and you do see a lot of that, especially with the clipped in.

Avoids the death grip.

Youth of today, no attention span, bored of flying so whips keep them occupied stopping them checking their phone and dying while updating their twitter status / friend list on re-entry.

“Style is everything” jay adams.
Shame I have a lack of it.

Mate told me it helps him stay relaxed and loose in the air but mainly they do it as it looks cool.

In motocross, the Bubba-Scrub (looks a lot like a whip) is a good way killing height over a jump.

If you kill the height/squash the jump more of the energy stays as kinetic energy rather than gravitational potential energy: you go flatter, and faster, and motocross is all about winning!

There’s some great bubba-scrub videos on YouTube: guys scrubbing well before the lip.

OTOH, with MTB, it’s mostly styling it up, coz they can.

(Don’t let this stop you watching motocross vids tho!)

I prefer my 1-degree-tabletop, it’s well boss.

It shows they haven’t got a girlfriend, much like the ability to trackstand demonstrates.

TooTall – Member
It shows they haven’t got a girlfriend, much like the ability to trackstand demonstrates.

Pulling whips or trawling and over analysing pink bike videos?

tabletops look way better than whips imo 🙂

Back end always flicks out to the right when I leave the ground, always put it down to foot position and not pulling up evenly

Sockpuppet nailed it above ^
Air time is ‘dead time’ when you’re racing, so you either suck up or ‘pump’ the jumps/tabletops to keep your wheels on the ground and pedal, or if it’s a steep take off that will Def launch you, you scrub it to keep as low/flat as possible.

jedi – Member
tabletops look way better than whips imo

Yeah they do, in 1995.

Everyone knows that phat whips get the b**ches creamin’.

i find it helps me spot and control the landing better also if your going fast and come a cross a short table or double u can avoid a flat landing and keep a smooth line to the next setup by scrubbin
also seen allot on hips which i find really fun

also looks boom(youth attempt) if the person behind is recording 8)

I think they look crap, and do not serve any purpose I reckon apart from helping to stop the dead sailor move which looks about as cool.

Yes, keeps you alert and interested during those the down time. Otherwise you may fall asleep.

Helps attract Women.

Put some Steeze in that whip innit…

Whips are easier

Because it is RADICAL

Because it’s fun. And yes, like everybody else says, just jumping gets boring after a bit.

I think they look crap, and do not serve any purpose ..

They do serve a purpose. Yes some riders do them all the time as that’s what the spectators heckle for, but the guys winning the races do them too as they are the fastest way over jumps. Physics is great sometimes 😉

It all depends on the situation. Some whips are actually scrubs, a way of getting over a jump without loosing speed. Other times you whip to show off or set you up for a better position on landing.

I ride DH and MX and find I have to let the bike move and flow in the air or it just feels dead- like the bike is controlling me, not the other way round.

It’s a weird one but if you are a jumper, you’ll understand

Josh bryceland aka rat boy did the most amazing whip off the rock drop at the antur stiniog bds, the crowd where totally gobsmaked.

Skills on a totally different level.

They do serve a purpose. Yes some riders do them all the time as that’s what the spectators heckle for, but the guys winning the races do them too as they are the fastest way over jumps. Physics is great sometimes

yes, “scrubbing” serves a purpose, whips? more just for fun I’d say. 😉