I’ve been around and around on this. I’m pretty new and older, but progressing quickly. I still can not figure out jumps.
Every how to video I watch shows some form of exaggerated pumping. Stand up to the jump. Ben Shapiro (love this guy) has a very dramatic jump technique.
But every video I see of people jumping in real life, and the people I study with immense jump envy at the bike park, don’t seem to be doing anything. This video for example: https://v.redd.it/6wif60zvyyqf1
These people seem to “just go off” and not be doing anything special. I see them not absorbing or buckling on the lip. But otherwise I just see them riding off the jump smoothly.
This is mirroring what I’ve experienced. When I just ride off at trail speed, I’m fine. I can clear most tabletops. I land composed and balanced.
Literally every time I actively try to “stand up” or do the little bunny hop thing, or point my toes, I’m sideways in the air and out of control.
So now I’m stuck between stuff I’m being instructed to do and what I am observing with my eye and wondering if I’m just not good enough to notice the nuance of what other good jumpers are doing.
by Imanisback
5 Comments
Do you know how to manual?
You are probably talking about Ben Cathro’s how to jump series (and not Ben Shapiro xD different guy). What the guy in the video is essentially doing is not bending under the g forces and getting sent off the jump ig
If you are clearing tabletops you are likely intuitively doing some of the things you see in videos
Also, that video you link and said they are “just going off” the jump isn’t true. Watch the rider closer and you’ll see he’s not just static going up and off the lip of the jump
Just keep riding, having fun and stop trying to be a shredder. The jumps in that video are HUGE and if you just keep riding you will naturally build skills
You’re probably going too fast and relying on speed instead of your legs/arms, you also need a relatively long face on the jump to get a good boost otherwise getting the timing right will be difficult. Iit’s harder to learn on really small jumps. imagine it like you’re jumping on a trampoline, in order to get a good bounce you have to go with the motion and use your legs, if you land and don’t push against it you won’t get any air. Weight the bike through the transition and let it come up to you off the lip.
You have to push into the lip a certain amount. But you can really pull and boost it, you can just ride off it, you can absorb it a bit. Plus there’s steep lips which force you to be more active vs easier mellower lips. TLDR there isn’t a single correct way to hit a jump and you can hit the same jump multiple ways.
In the video you posted I can see some jumps he doesn’t boost. But there are jumps where he does. Like he very clearly pops for the jump at 21 seconds. The boner log a little later and the jump after it also has a very visible preload and pop.
Practice coming into a jump with normal speed. Now come in slow and boost it. Then go in fast and try to absorb. Try to land roughly the same distance each time.