Steps To Success
By Abby Brunner

Leaving The Ground


Jumping your mountain bike with both wheels actually off the ground at once will get you out of some jams on the trails, help you get over obstacles, and best of all, could be an impressive trick to show off some skill. But first learning how to jump properly is vital for safe landing. Most rides desire hitting a jump that will send us flying but landing safely is critical to the safety of both the rider and the bike.  Here are some tips:

To get yourself ready for jumping you should start small and then advance to larger jumps. Start out by trying to jump small inclines. Bike set-up isn't as important as you may think, as both hard tail and full suspension options are capable. Hard tails are actually morepopular among the dirt jumping crowd because they pump better from jump to jump and generally weigh less.

First and foremost in order to land a good jump you must position yourself correctly on the bike. Adjust your body with your arms bent slightly, holding the bars firmly, and with your rear lifted off the seat. This is how you should look when you begin and how you should look when you land it in order to absorb the shock.

If you have that down it's time to approach the jump. Ride at a medium speed, if you try going too slow you will simply drop off the ramp rather then float off the lip. Ride up to the jump and concentrate on the object. As the front wheel begins to rise up the incline, shift your weight slightly to the back of the bike and pull your handle bars up and back(kind of like your doing a wheelie). To further the lift draw your legs and abs upward. Just think of it as doing a long jump in track practice but bringing your bike with you. The stronger the explosion the higher the jump, the time you are in the air is when you bring your weight back forward, pushing down on the bars to level out the bike. When you land keep the handle bars straight and let your arms and legs absorb the landing. Let the rear wheel land first on flat ground, and let the front wheel land first on a down-hill landing.

To the common person who doesn't know much about mountain biking "catching some air" may seem foolish, But to the average mountain biker fanatic it's an essential skill that must be mastered in order to hang with the big boys.