Better Jumps in 3 Steps
Better Jumps in 3 Steps
Photos by Colin Meager
For years, the skill of jumping alluded me. Every time my wheels came off the ground I felt completely out of control, my bars would turn in the air, and if I landed I felt like it was sheer luck. I was scared of everything larger than a 3’ table top. I’d watch other rides fly off jumps, gaps, and drops with envy and a bit of sadness, convinced I could never attain such skill. Fast forward 10+ years and I have cleared jumps I once looked at with certainty I would never hit, and nailed drops that once made my stomach turn. As someone for whom jumping did not come naturally, I now love to help other people jump with greater confidence, control, and fun! Below are my top 3 tips for better jumping.
#1) Even Compression
I like to say there are two variables when it comes to jumping: speed and skill. You can make up for lack of skill with speed, but eventually just hitting things faster is going to bite you in the butt. Compression is the act of pressing your feet down into the ground and forcing your suspension to, literally, compress. I like to make the analogy of stepping onto a scale and trying to make the scale heavier for a moment. The movement you do with your body to make the number on the scale shoot up, is the same movement you should do on your bike directly before take off. The other analogy I make is simply jumping up into the air form a standing position. Try it. Stand on your feet and jump up as high as you can. What’s the first movement you make? You bend your knees and press your feet into the ground. This is compression. You want to do the same thing on your bike as your approach the jump.
#2) Timing
When you compress is as important as the compression itself. Compress too early and you suck up the jump. This can be a tactic in itself if you are trying to keep your tires on the ground! Compress too late and you’re going to throw yourself off balance and not get the benefit of the pre-load. Timing is part art and part science and will differ depending on: your speed, length of the jump face, and curvature of the jump face. Generally speaking you want to start your compression when your front wheel is on the face of the jump and finish your compression as your back wheel is leaving the lip. Having a friend or coach take video of your compression can be really helpful to nail down your timing.
#3) Body Position
If you’ve taken a skills clinic you’ve learned neutral position: Feet are level, chin is over the stem, one finger covers your brakes, eyes are looking up and out, elbows and knees are relaxed. You want to approach the jump in neutral position before you compress! Sometimes I see people get really low as they approach the jump. This is like trying to start your jump from a squat which is much more difficult than starting a jump from a standing position. When you compress, nothing about your body position should change other than your legs extend down towards the ground for a second. Weight should not shift back or forwards. You want to stay evenly balanced and weighted through your feet and your upper body should stay relaxed! If you find your bars are turning in the air (this always used to happen to me) it’s often because you are pulling on your bars on the way up! Another helpful tip is the think about driving your knees into the face of the jump on the approach. This can help prevent you from leaning backwards prior to takeoff.
2 Additional tips that were game changers for me when it came to jumping:
Flat Pedals - it wasn’t until I broke my clipless pedal addiction and became comfortable riding flats that my jumping took off. I know it sounds counter intuitive. But once you are confident riding flat pedals you find greater control in the air with your foot pressing into the wide pedal platform than simple relying on a mechanical connection to keep you attached.
Take a skills clinic - I’ve taken jump clinics from Simon Lawton with Fluid Ride and Kat Sweet with Sweetlines. Both were incredibly helpful, enlightening, and empowering to help me improve my jumping skills and confidence. Check out Brave Endeavors Skills Clinics HERE! We’ve got two great Jump Clinics: Women’s Intro to Jumping and Three Blind Mice Friday Night Spotlight