Do want to progress your MTB jumping technique? To ride bigger or more technical MTB jumps?
These tips aren’t just for riders new to jumping mountain bikes. If you want to keep improving, you need to pay attention to the simple things you can notice when riding.
Follow this guide to understand your jumping technique better, and break down improvements into bitesize chunks.
If you want a good detailed video on the fundamentals of jumping technique check out the Pink Bike How to Bike video on jumping
Use video feedback to help you progress your MTB jumping technique
A key part in improving jumping technique is to be able to visualise what you look like when jumping. Seeing videos of yourself riding will help you can tune in to how it feels and incrementally improve your technique.
What are the common jumping mistakes? And how can you avoid them?
Everyone has ‘moments’ when jumping. Even without crashing. Noticing the signs of these mistakes, can help avoid having a big crash further down the line.
Dead Sailor
Going ‘dead sailor’ on a jump is when a rider is stiff in the air and over rotates. Worst case this can result in a heavy nose landing & going OTB.
What causes ‘dead sailor’
This is caused by poor technique in getting the bike off the ground. If you don’t apply enough pressure through each wheel individually as you take-off the bike/body can rotate more than expected in the air.
Casing
Casing is when either wheels hit the highest point of the landing, of the jump.
In the case of front wheel case this is probably due to not going far enough in the air. But it can also be caused by poor jumping technique. If your jumping technique doesn’t give you enough lift or help to angle the bike down into the landing, the back wheel will hit first. Having your weight further forward can help to get a smoother landing.
Brain Farts & lacking committment
This could include a whole range of psychological blocks people encounter. Mental blocks plague a lot of riders. A rider might have good technique on a jump but when they try to progress onto something SLIGHTLY harder or bigger. They freeze up, loose concentration or trying to avoid jumping altogether.
How can you work around mental blocks? You need to take the pressure off.
- Practice on a jump which is as big, but less risky or committing the one you are stuck on. E.g. a table top rather than double.
- Make sure you are only trying to progress incrementally. If you are trying a much bigger or harder jump, it may just be your technique isnt there yet.
- If you feel you would be better off without pressure from your mates, then practice on your own until you’ve built some confidence up.
Improve your take-off technique: get more air with less effort
The fundamental technique for jumping is to pump into the take-off, like this:
- Approach the jump, arms/legs bent
- Extend your arms/legs as your wheels roll up the take-off.
- For maximum lift on a jump you need to have your legs straight & weight centred over the bike, as your back wheel leaves the ground.
(Weight centred means your hips are centred between the two wheels (or axles), relative to the bike).
If you put all of this together you can learn to ‘pop’ or ‘boost’ a jump.
How do you learn to pop or boost on a jump?
Learning how to pop & boost on a jump is fundamental in achieving progress in your MTB jumping technique. Without this you will never be maximising the amount of lift you can get on a jump. Or gaining the range of movement which opens up style & tricks, like tabletops, whips & scrubs.
Use a jump you can already clear. Then reduce the approach speed. Now, in order to clear the jump, you will have to use technique to get more lift.
If you think you’ve got the technique right. Then video yourself and check your technique against this check list.
- Pumping into the take-off using a bigger range of movement
- Straighten legs on take-off
- Weight centred on take-off – feet are parallel to the wheels.
If you struggle to straighten your legs properly. Focus on flexing your ankles when approaching the jump.
A key element to improve your jumping is to work on a range of different jumps. If you only ride MTB trails, then riding a pump track or dirt jumps will improve your lower speed jumping skills.
You can also practice your bunny hop technique on flat ground, which is a very similar movement and will help you to learn to straighten your legs on the take off.
What should your jumping technique look like?
- Your body should follow an arc through the air, following the shape of the take-off & landing of the jump.
- You and the bike should rotate together, so that the wheels match the angle of the landing. Landing weight centred.
- When you are in the air you continue to move fluidly, bending your arms & legs so you land in a position you can pump into the landing.
Gain style with better follow through movement
If you have a good take-off technique, but no follow-through movement in the air. Your jumping will look stiff, and lack the style to unlock new techniques (and tricks!). This follow-through movement is also important in managing small errors in take-off.
This follow through movement, can help to balance inertial forces as you leave the ground and make sure you land smoothly. Its also key in unlocking advanced techniques, such as turning the bike in the air or manipulating which wheel lands first.
Expert tips for common errors:
- The bike rotates away from you in the air – you need to keep your weight centred for a bit longer, as you take off.
- You are stiff in the air – practice squashing/pumping very small jumps. This is the follow-through movement.
- You land too far back on the bike – This can be due to the first point, or it can be due to going a bit short on a jump.
Summary
So if you are struggling with progress jumping. Follow through the process above. Often the key to unlocking a jumping skills is simpler than you think, but takes a lot of practice.