Great video library you're building. For advanced trails with drop after drop, i view it as an attack and float, first if you're attacking you aren't scared or going too slow, and that comes with knowing the trail and trusting your line, and you can't float if you're unfamiliar with terrain and absorbing hits without the rythm of speed. With a racing mindset this is natural because you want to do every move smoother and efficiently to gain momentum.
I agree- there’s also nuance with shorter orders vs taller too. I notice shorter riders tend to hinge more and their legs look a bit straighter. They tend to skip on the tops more. I’m a taller rider and I skip less over the tops but I have more leg to use. So I try to. And yes, your point would be considered advanced awareness! Good work
Nice summary. I would add one important missing piece - unweighting is safe (if you have enough speed to clear the edge with the rear wheel) - but it adds unnecesary height to the drop - so the impact on the bike and body is bigger than necessary. Works fine on smaller drops but you dont want to do this on bigger ones (especially flatter landings).
Does it add height to the drop if you simply compress the shock? Maybe. I saw every world cup rider do this off the drop at the finish line at Snowshoe.
@mountainbikeacademy Yes, as the shock needs to rebound before the lip (otherwise the front wheel sinks). You also press with legs which cause some more rebound. I agree it is not too dangerous to get more height but it is unnecessary and causes more load on the bike and body (but better this than crashing). But is probably better to teach the proper technique. And another aspect is that increased height causes also increased length (even your first demo lands far into the landing) - which may be dangerous if there is an immediate turn after the drop. But stomp technique would be a good introductory technique for easy stepdowns where you need to get more distance. W.r.t. Snowshoe - i checked the highlighs from last year and only Dakota was hopping - but as a pre-hop (and i feel this was a show for his home crowd) and Jacksom did the proper jump off the lip albeit with flat tyre - so for show too (maybe he had lower speed so he needed length). All others were squashing. And nobody was hopping on any other high drop there either.
Great video. We started mountain biking again in 2022, we did some light xc back in the naughts. Since spring of '22, we have been testing ourselves on progressively scarier things (relative). The advice that always helps me is this. The bike is under you, not, you are on top of the bike. If you are a skier, mountain biking should be second nature. Same principles. Would like to see your take on bigger jumps. Jumps where, over rotation is a problem.
Good vid. series!!! The drops are a part of mtb, esp. there being ALL sorts of drops. Over the past few years, some of my 'training' has involved doing some quick fast drops around town (like 5 to 7ft), as it is difficult to get to a trail, at times. So, i have been doing some urban steps, to FLAT. Just to stay active on the mtb. I'd say - this has helped a little, though, not a huge amount... Nothing beats a full-on trail on the mtb!!!
I think you make it sound super complicated. I found that method from rich drew is quite universal - especially in unknown terrain, of course once you know place you ride you can play and experiment. But on new trails I do what trs advice and so far so good.
His videos on it are really good. I'm trying specifically not to copycat and sometimes I don't explain it as clearly as I could, so I understand how it could confuse you! That's why I'm doing so many videos - to get better. Thanks for the raw feedback and adding what works for you. ^ this kind of convo=better world.
@@mountainbikeacademyfirst off sorry about my punctuation and grammar 😂reading my comment today I got confused 😂 second, I think and believe that what you say is in many ways very correct, however trying to convey quite complex topic over couple of minutes and through vid is very hard + skill level of every rider is different, everyone rides different trails, drops can be very different and everyone learns differently. so trying to accommodate for all those variables could be reason why it seems a bit over complicated. Just my personal opinion… and thanks for sharing your knowledge ! ✌️
Great little review of drops, very informative. I'd just like to add a small but critical nuance: the punch should be done with a small oscillation of the knees/body, not with the arms. If you punch with the arms means you are pushing the handlebar with your palms, it would be then very hard to bring it back when you need it, whereas if you do it with an oscillation of the knees your hands will keep a perfect grip around the handlebar when is pushed, keeping control and ready to bring it back at any given point. Just my two cents.
Personally i dont agree with this. I already commented on the other drop video - but there is a clear distinction between punch and manual technique. In manual you do it before front leaves the edge and you need to press with your legs to keep the wheel up (and you get back with COG behind BB and you need to move back during the flight). When lunging - you do it with front wheel falling off the edge - you dont want to use legs as it will move you back again. if you do hand push only - you dont need to pull back - you stay centered the whole time (as you push partially downwards and legs stay in the same position) - you just catch the falling handlebar when your arms get to the end of their range. No issue using palms for that.
Hey Dave, great vid. A lot of terminology I have not heard before. There is one big drop/gap jump here that scares the crap out of me. I think it is the pitch of the wooden ramp and then the tree that is to the left of the landing. Will definitely try your techniques on some others features before tackling that one. There is a race here on the 14th so I do not have much time LOL. Thx for the vid.
To sum it up, there are 3 ways to get over the drop: 1. Classic front lift 8:04 2. Manual infused front lift 6:46 3. Drop absorbtion 11:35 And there is infinite number of combinations of the above. Thats how I see it, one has to PRELOAD ALWAYS as you have made clear. And please, practice small drops...
The way I think of the preload and absorption methods are bunny hop and scrub (the rear). Any roll over the edge has the front falling first, hence the nose drop, unless you are wheelieing or manualling. And some forms of nose drop are beneficial to match landing but it has to be deliberate so you can account for speed. The faster you go the less time between wheels leaving the edge so less rotational velocity. A bit of unweighting the rear (scrub) and it is pretty smooth. I guess there's so many combinations as you said.
It's funny, feels like 95% of the crashes on Friday Fails is people hanging off the rear + going too slow (without pop) off of drops. 😆 Honestly I just think that the proper technique can at a glance look pretty much like that, probably for a beginner seing someone hit a drop. "Oh they just put their weight back abit" Then they faceplant so hard even their next generation has dental problems LOL
I've noticed some of the crashes happen because of the suspension being set up wrong. I'll see the rebound buck riders hard. Of course, skill is huge, but correct full suspension setup is a big deal.
@@josephke20 lol - yeah the old iPhone wasn’t that great. But I got about 40 takes. And I never expected to need them. But hey… I was like “huh didn’t I screw up a bunch of times and film it?” And thus became this video.
This is so ducking good! Do you have videos about jumps / typical park jumps with tech required for kickers of different steepness(mellow to steep)? Would love to hire an instructor like you to learn some jumps, but ill have to find someone in Norway where I live (:
![3 “Regret Reversing” MTB Manual Methods [Riders 40+ DON’T SKIP ] 4K](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rT-xBMNdcTk/mqdefault.jpg)
![3 “Regret Reversing” MTB Manual Methods [Riders 40+ DON’T SKIP ] 4K](/img/tr.png)
![3 Reasons ATTACK POSITION is a MYTH [and Drills to Do Instead]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/k_IO8YUFBFU/mqdefault.jpg)
Post your takeaways below!
also - sorry about the first few seconds of audio - that was weird and have no idea how that happened!
Great video. You have a niche. I'm still trying to adapt to the wedge feet position from you other video. Change is hard!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video library you're building. For advanced trails with drop after drop, i view it as an attack and float, first if you're attacking you aren't scared or going too slow, and that comes with knowing the trail and trusting your line, and you can't float if you're unfamiliar with terrain and absorbing hits without the rythm of speed. With a racing mindset this is natural because you want to do every move smoother and efficiently to gain momentum.
I agree- there’s also nuance with shorter orders vs taller too. I notice shorter riders tend to hinge more and their legs look a bit straighter. They tend to skip on the tops more.
I’m a taller rider and I skip less over the tops but I have more leg to use. So I try to.
And yes, your point would be considered advanced awareness! Good work
Love it, thanks! I try not being that unqualified coach online to insure the wrong advice is not given but see time and time again, “move back”… 😂
lol
Absolute best explanations and examples I've ever come across. Layman's language 💥💥💥
Glad you see somethin good!
Nice summary. I would add one important missing piece - unweighting is safe (if you have enough speed to clear the edge with the rear wheel) - but it adds unnecesary height to the drop - so the impact on the bike and body is bigger than necessary. Works fine on smaller drops but you dont want to do this on bigger ones (especially flatter landings).
Does it add height to the drop if you simply compress the shock? Maybe. I saw every world cup rider do this off the drop at the finish line at Snowshoe.
@mountainbikeacademy Yes, as the shock needs to rebound before the lip (otherwise the front wheel sinks). You also press with legs which cause some more rebound. I agree it is not too dangerous to get more height but it is unnecessary and causes more load on the bike and body (but better this than crashing). But is probably better to teach the proper technique.
And another aspect is that increased height causes also increased length (even your first demo lands far into the landing) - which may be dangerous if there is an immediate turn after the drop. But stomp technique would be a good introductory technique for easy stepdowns where you need to get more distance.
W.r.t. Snowshoe - i checked the highlighs from last year and only Dakota was hopping - but as a pre-hop (and i feel this was a show for his home crowd) and Jacksom did the proper jump off the lip albeit with flat tyre - so for show too (maybe he had lower speed so he needed length). All others were squashing. And nobody was hopping on any other high drop there either.
Great video. We started mountain biking again in 2022, we did some light xc back in the naughts. Since spring of '22, we have been testing ourselves on progressively scarier things (relative). The advice that always helps me is this. The bike is under you, not, you are on top of the bike. If you are a skier, mountain biking should be second nature. Same principles.
Would like to see your take on bigger jumps. Jumps where, over rotation is a problem.
Glad you're having fun! It's a blast ain't it?
Good vid. series!!!
The drops are a part of mtb, esp. there being ALL sorts of drops.
Over the past few years, some of my 'training' has involved doing some quick fast drops around town (like 5 to 7ft), as it is difficult to get to a trail, at times.
So, i have been doing some urban steps, to FLAT. Just to stay active on the mtb.
I'd say - this has helped a little, though, not a huge amount...
Nothing beats a full-on trail on the mtb!!!
Urban to flat brings back memories of college at 2am. What I did instead of partying lol.
@@mountainbikeacademy yeh, badly lit sk8parks! srsly, a good education.
I think you make it sound super complicated. I found that method from rich drew is quite universal - especially in unknown terrain, of course once you know place you ride you can play and experiment. But on new trails I do what trs advice and so far so good.
His videos on it are really good. I'm trying specifically not to copycat and sometimes I don't explain it as clearly as I could, so I understand how it could confuse you! That's why I'm doing so many videos - to get better.
Thanks for the raw feedback and adding what works for you. ^ this kind of convo=better world.
@@mountainbikeacademyfirst off sorry about my punctuation and grammar 😂reading my comment today I got confused 😂
second, I think and believe that what you say is in many ways very correct, however trying to convey quite complex topic over couple of minutes and through vid is very hard + skill level of every rider is different, everyone rides different trails, drops can be very different and everyone learns differently. so trying to accommodate for all those variables could be reason why it seems a bit over complicated.
Just my personal opinion… and thanks for sharing your knowledge ! ✌️
Great little review of drops, very informative.
I'd just like to add a small but critical nuance: the punch should be done with a small oscillation of the knees/body, not with the arms. If you punch with the arms means you are pushing the handlebar with your palms, it would be then very hard to bring it back when you need it, whereas if you do it with an oscillation of the knees your hands will keep a perfect grip around the handlebar when is pushed, keeping control and ready to bring it back at any given point. Just my two cents.
Precisely. Not covered here as I said this isn’t a how to but a when to if you’re already familiar with the technique.
Personally i dont agree with this. I already commented on the other drop video - but there is a clear distinction between punch and manual technique. In manual you do it before front leaves the edge and you need to press with your legs to keep the wheel up (and you get back with COG behind BB and you need to move back during the flight). When lunging - you do it with front wheel falling off the edge - you dont want to use legs as it will move you back again. if you do hand push only - you dont need to pull back - you stay centered the whole time (as you push partially downwards and legs stay in the same position) - you just catch the falling handlebar when your arms get to the end of their range. No issue using palms for that.
Hey Dave, great vid. A lot of terminology I have not heard before. There is one big drop/gap jump here that scares the crap out of me. I think it is the pitch of the wooden ramp and then the tree that is to the left of the landing. Will definitely try your techniques on some others features before tackling that one. There is a race here on the 14th so I do not have much time LOL. Thx for the vid.
Good luck and have fun!
Send me a DM on Facebook if you want to show me a picture (unless you stopped using your profile lmk and I’ll find your contact info)
To sum it up, there are 3 ways to get over the drop:
1. Classic front lift 8:04
2. Manual infused front lift 6:46
3. Drop absorbtion 11:35
And there is infinite number of combinations of the above.
Thats how I see it, one has to PRELOAD ALWAYS as you have made clear. And please, practice small drops...
The way I think of the preload and absorption methods are bunny hop and scrub (the rear). Any roll over the edge has the front falling first, hence the nose drop, unless you are wheelieing or manualling. And some forms of nose drop are beneficial to match landing but it has to be deliberate so you can account for speed. The faster you go the less time between wheels leaving the edge so less rotational velocity. A bit of unweighting the rear (scrub) and it is pretty smooth. I guess there's so many combinations as you said.
thanks!
It's funny, feels like 95% of the crashes on Friday Fails is people hanging off the rear + going too slow (without pop) off of drops. 😆
Honestly I just think that the proper technique can at a glance look pretty much like that, probably for a beginner seing someone hit a drop. "Oh they just put their weight back abit"
Then they faceplant so hard even their next generation has dental problems LOL
yuuuuup
I've noticed some of the crashes happen because of the suspension being set up wrong. I'll see the rebound buck riders hard. Of course, skill is huge, but correct full suspension setup is a big deal.
Question about the compression drop technique. Is it as effective with a hardtail or should I use more punching?
great video, good info, im not videographer but would a higher framerate give you better/clearer freeze frames? keep up the good work
Lots of these were shot on my iPhone.
@@mountainbikeacademy theres your problem 🤣🤣🤣🤣 jks
@@josephke20 lol - yeah the old iPhone wasn’t that great. But I got about 40 takes. And I never expected to need them. But hey… I was like “huh didn’t I screw up a bunch of times and film it?” And thus became this video.
Never thought about how there are different techniques for drops on different terrain.
glad this is helping you get some new perspective!
So, in the example at 8:20, is it just me or is he using front brake to load the front suspension (like a moto rider would while trail braking)?
Extremely unlikely, probably just doing what you would to to bounce on a trampoline
This is so ducking good! Do you have videos about jumps / typical park jumps with tech required for kickers of different steepness(mellow to steep)? Would love to hire an instructor like you to learn some jumps, but ill have to find someone in Norway where I live (:
I have a digital coaching community, should be open soon. Stay tuned to the channel!