How to Mountain Bike Over a Drop-Off
Drop-offs can be scary, but that's no reason to avoid them. Keep your cool, and you'll handle them like a pro.
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Instructions
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1
Look ahead. As you approach the drop-off, loosen up and tell yourself that you can clear it.
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2
Shift your weight to the back of your bike - all the way over the rear wheel. Your entire body should be as far back as it can go.
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3
Keep your chest low, almost over your seat. You should look a lot like a jockey at this point.
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4
Stay in control and keep your speed in check by using your rear brake.
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5
Keep your wheels rolling.
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6
Stay calm as your front wheel goes over the edge. Keep your wheels rolling when the front wheel hits the ground.
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7
Continue moving forward, with your weight back, until your rear wheel drops off the edge and hits the ground.
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Tips & Warnings
Remember not to touch your front brake as you negotiate a severe drop-off. Doing so could launch you over the handlebars.
Examine the drop-off before you try to clear it. If it looks dangerous, get off your bike and walk over it.
Mountain biking is a physically demanding sport that could result in serious injury. We recommend that you seek proper training and equipment before attempting this activity.
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Comments
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Make sure the drop is no higher than 3' with these instructions. 3' to FLAT. 5 to 10' to slope you want your nose to drop and keep your center of balance over the bottom bracket land with BOTH wheels at the same time! Off a 3' drop you can land rear wheel first and lean "way Back" like he says.When you do a drop off to a landing transition slope, you let the bike drop.Do Not set up at all like a kicker jump where you are in wheelie position waiting for the rear end to Bump up off a LIP. With a drop off Usually you can ride up at a moderate speed sitting down! Then stand and crouch slightly, center of balance over the bottom bracket (Crank Set) follow the bike DO NOT change your center of balance.You will land with both wheels at the same time.If the landing is properly built everything will be A OK , smooth and very little compression on your shock travel, much unlike dropping to flat. Also you will have a lot of speed from the drop so know where your going next. Watch for roots or logs that may wipe out your front wheel. I built a feature and completed it once , only to find I went straight over a log in the ground "Speed Bump" at and angel that took me down..."Yeah I Did IT!" Smash...OOF , Stopped dead on my face over the bars.
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:) tell yourself that you can clear it.
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"keep your wheels rolling when the front wheel hits the ground" should be Number#8.
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Aug 12, 2006
Make sure your suspension is set up correctly for the height of the drop. Higher drops require more bottom out resistance (compression), ramp-up, and slower rebound damping. This will help control your landing. Second, timing is the key for every drop technique. You are basically playing "chicken" by coordinating your speed and executing the appropriate drop technique at the right moment before the edge or lip of the drop. The objective of drops is to keep your front end either up or level as your bike leaves the edge of the drop. You don't want to nosedive off any drop over two-feet. The terrain, size of drop, your speed, the landing, and your abilities will dictate the technique you use. Practice all techniques on curbs, or small drops before even attempting them on a large drop. Techniques: 1. The wheelie drop - Use this technique when dropping to flat surfaces at slow speeds: - Knowing how to cat-walk (stand up wheelies) is required. Be in the proper gear, stand up on your pedals on the approach, and at the right moment (as close as to the edge as you feel comfortable) yank back on the bars and pedal. Make sure you catwalk right off the edge -- don't let your front wheel fall before you have left the edge or you will nose dive! Spot the landing, extend your legs and pull the bars toward yourself. This will keep the front end higher than the rear wheel so you can do a graceful rear wheel landing. Absorb the landing with your arms and legs rather than just relying on the suspension. Emergency move. If you can't catwalk, but find yourself in a situation where you have no choice and don't have time to bail, pedal hard as heck at the last moment before you drop and shift your weight back. 2. The bunny hop drop - This is a simple two-wheel bunny hop, or preload (using your legs, arms, and body weight to load and unload your suspension). This technique is risky at slow speed because mistiming the bunny hop could lead to you nosediving off the edge. Best used at speeds faster than walking speed. Slower speeds drops will require a bigger bunny hop to clear the lip. At faster speeds, you can just pop your suspension just before the lip. 3. The body shift - This is the most graceful of all dropping techniques, has the least risk, and lofts your bike in a controlled manner off the edge. The only thing is you have to have confidence to pull it off because you must commit to the move and trust it will work. Approach the drop at a comfortable speed. Stand up on the pedals, relax, be perched over your handlebars, crouched like a cat ready to pounce. Time it as you approach the edge of the drop and in one swooping but smooth motion shift your weight back using your entire body weight and legs. Your butt should shift behind your seat and over your rear wheel as your bike leaves the lip, and your arms and legs will start to straighten out, or slightly bent at take off. It's easier at faster speeds since you don't have to make as big of a body movement. Slow speeds will require a bigger, more pronounced shift. 4. The bar push. This is basically a manual (no pedal wheelie) and best used at medium to slower speed drops to a "tranny" or transition (landing to a downslope). It is also helpful as an emergency move if you are not prepared for a drop. Start in the same crouched position as the previous technique. Time your move to the edge of the drop as with all the techniques. Then, with one big movement, push your bars out with your arms, and push your pedals out hard with your legs and feet -- you must commit! Don't do it half-hearted or you will endo. This technique is essentially technique 3 in reverse. That is, rather than shifting your body back behind the bike as in technique 3, you are pushing your bike in front of you. The principle is the same: To time it and then get your weight behind the rear wheel in order to keep the front end up. -
Nov 22, 2005
Keep the front wheel up - you want to land with either both wheels simultaneously, or on the back wheel. Depending on the height of the drop off, landing front wheel first may spell doom.
