Hey guys, i'm just starting to jump my new 04 4hun and find sometimes when I jump I get bucked from the rear a bit too high. Any tips on a more smoother take off?
Getting bucked?
- Thread starter Mitch
- Start date
Yes,
The reason you find that the rear wheel is kicking at you when you leave the lip is because you don't load the rear of the bike on the transition.
What I mean by this, is that as you enter the transition of the takeoff, you want to pull on the bars, shift your hips back a little and load the rear tire through leverage. You will feel like you are actually pushing more on the pedals..
What this does for you is set plants the bike more firmly, and lets YOU direct it's trajectory. in reality most times you never actually roll right to the lip on takeoff, you actually launch just before on the transition, and this happens when you have loaded the bike, and the change in direction imparted by the takeoff tranny sends the bike up.
You initiate this with a motion VERY similar to rowing a boat, where as you draw up the bars towards your chest and push with your legs down in the opposite direction, then switch, relax your legs and drive the bars in the direction you are traveling.
You will find that this push forward makes the pedals plant firmly on your shoes.
If you let your shoulders lead the jump (as you are doing) rather than your hips, the rear tire will stay on the tranny longer than the front, and you will get a forward pitch.
This applies for both full suspension and hardtails.
except when loading up an FS bike, you have to be a little more prepared and patient as it takes some time and space to get the suspension to compress.
This is a picture of me, notice how deeply I have loaded the suspension for takeoff, note my hips are back and a line drawn from my pelvis to ankle would end up just behind the pedals.. this allows me the greatest leverage on the rear wheel.
I hope this helps.
The reason you find that the rear wheel is kicking at you when you leave the lip is because you don't load the rear of the bike on the transition.
What I mean by this, is that as you enter the transition of the takeoff, you want to pull on the bars, shift your hips back a little and load the rear tire through leverage. You will feel like you are actually pushing more on the pedals..
What this does for you is set plants the bike more firmly, and lets YOU direct it's trajectory. in reality most times you never actually roll right to the lip on takeoff, you actually launch just before on the transition, and this happens when you have loaded the bike, and the change in direction imparted by the takeoff tranny sends the bike up.
You initiate this with a motion VERY similar to rowing a boat, where as you draw up the bars towards your chest and push with your legs down in the opposite direction, then switch, relax your legs and drive the bars in the direction you are traveling.
You will find that this push forward makes the pedals plant firmly on your shoes.
If you let your shoulders lead the jump (as you are doing) rather than your hips, the rear tire will stay on the tranny longer than the front, and you will get a forward pitch.
This applies for both full suspension and hardtails.
except when loading up an FS bike, you have to be a little more prepared and patient as it takes some time and space to get the suspension to compress.
This is a picture of me, notice how deeply I have loaded the suspension for takeoff, note my hips are back and a line drawn from my pelvis to ankle would end up just behind the pedals.. this allows me the greatest leverage on the rear wheel.
I hope this helps.
Attachments
If your going to race the jump you should transfer your weight backwards on the lip, that'll keep you rear end down.
I am glad it helped.. if you search through this forum (bmx and DJing) you will find other posts where I have explained various jumping techniques..
Got a quick one. Say for example your jump is lipped but the landing is more of a step up instead of a tranny. Whats the best technique to land rear tire first off a lip?
Sorry tosh, you are correct.. how I should have stated it was "a line drawn from the pelvis through the ankle should extend to a point on the ground just IN FRONT of the pedal..".. if it were extended and fell behind the pedal you would be standing too forward on the bike, and thus failing to load the rear tire.
Thank you for pointing that out.
Now Mitch,
The easiest and best way to reposition the bike without changing your trajectory or drastically changing your body position (and the corresponding shift in balance) is to do the "ROW" motion while in the air.. just before touching down, but instead of driving the hands forward alot.. delay until the rear tire touches down.. because the initial row in will bring the front wheel up relative to the back, allowing it to land first.. but dont stay in that position, as the bike will eventually touch down the front tire, and if you haven't shifted positions so that you are driving the bars forward (the row reset) you will be very front heavy when the front wheel hits the ground.. and that is not safe.
I hope again this helps.
Thank you for pointing that out.
Now Mitch,
The easiest and best way to reposition the bike without changing your trajectory or drastically changing your body position (and the corresponding shift in balance) is to do the "ROW" motion while in the air.. just before touching down, but instead of driving the hands forward alot.. delay until the rear tire touches down.. because the initial row in will bring the front wheel up relative to the back, allowing it to land first.. but dont stay in that position, as the bike will eventually touch down the front tire, and if you haven't shifted positions so that you are driving the bars forward (the row reset) you will be very front heavy when the front wheel hits the ground.. and that is not safe.
I hope again this helps.