Critique my (poor) jumping skills

Wrong clothes, far too serious.
Jeans and T-shirt all make you a jumping god I reckon

Have you checked out this video?

"GO FAST & PULL UP"

ianaj

Watch:
https://www.redbull.com/int-en/films/go-fast-pull-up
&

and you'll be invincible 🦘

Based on that video I think I’m doing a ‘forward pop’ - 13.03 mins into the video. Need to get a bit more backwards body weight shift as I go up the ramp I reckon.

Honestly you need to relax and not try so hard, not think about. 41, 17st here,first day at the pump track had wooden arms and legs. Just chill let it happen and it will look like you’re not trying.

Yeah but overthinking is what I do 🤣

I'm crap at jumps, don't have a bmx, but have bunny hopped a bit so my take is you look very straight/tall in the air, maybe that is what is pushing the rear down ?

Agree, relax, get used to moving the bike beneath you a little, angle the bars slightly as you go over the jump to free things up a bit.

I'm saying that...it was a lot easier jumping a brakeless Azonic DS1 20 years ago than it would be now!

Anything that results in remaining upright is a plus.

Maybe on mtb it feels like everything is happening slower due to a longer wheelbase / plush suspension etc. On the weekend I felt like I was jumping alright - but perhaps I was using speed to clear stuff 🤷‍♂️

You do look very forced and stiff in the air, definitely need to relax.

If you watch in slowmo, you can see that you're really putting a lot of effort into extending your body (almost like a ski jumper) but you never allow the bike to come up towards you. You could clear that jump whilst going more slowly if you can learn to pick the bike up a bit. You can then jump the same jump at different speeds rather than relying on a set speed.

You don’t look like you’re jumping, you stand upright and pull the front up but there doesn’t appear to be any pumping or spring from the bike - sort of dead sailoring it if I can say so without being rude.

How high can you bunny hop the cruiser? Maybe try a load of bunny hops to see how you get on and then transfer that to the jumps, a rigid bmx is way different to even a hardtail mtb so you need to relearn the basics to get anywhere.

i think you're pumping the bike at the wrong timing. The push should almost be invisible, and in the compression (right at the bottom) of the jump. It looks like you're standing up on the upslope, which is too late.

You definitely look a bit wooden.
A few months ago I videoed my son following a mate over a set of jumps culminating in a big tabletop.
His mate is an incredible jumper for a ten year old. When we watched in slow mo you could see the explosive spring when he took off. Front wheel ends up above his head, rear below his feet, and his head up and looking beyond the landing.

My son didn't particularly improve though ... it's one thing knowing what to do, another actually doing it.

Dead sailoring had crossed my mind too!

I can bunny hop the cruiser but never really thought about how high / not done it much - only going up curbs and stuff.

I’ll have a little session practising manuals and bunny hops next time I’m down at the pump track then have another go at said jumps.

On the full suss I’m probably pre-loading the suspension and using some of that pop I expect.

I’m defo more comfy jumping the full suss than my hardtail or my bmx.

Good timing but too stiff when you jump .

Relax. Concentrate on the back wheel as you take off. Then focus on the front wheel as you land.

Cathro’s how to jump video on YouTube is very good.

I'm not sure I can help you Joe but I too have a question. Having been to see Jedi a couple of times (that wouldn't be a bad idea Joe), I have learnt that the harder I push/pump the higher I will go, occasionally suprisingley high if I get my timing right...

My question is, if the right technique is all about the push, why do so many pro's refer to 'pulling for it' when they are jumping a long way.

Yeah, you're hoiking your body bolt upright off the lip and leaving the bike behind you.
Your legs should be bending and bringing the bike up into your body.

I would start back doing bunny hops (not the SPD/clipped in kind!) and get the feel of springing and bringing the bike front wheel first up into your body, levelling it out and then back down.

Not saying you do that on all jumps but the movement is similar and it can help you pop off smaller jumps.

Firstly, get some basic video editing software so we can have one 10 second clip to watch.

Secondly, you're riding a BMX but you're dressed like a cyclist. Does your sister have any jeans you can borrow? Also, you need a beanie hat which flies out of shot every time you land. You have to get the basics right.

But seriously, I noticed this...

If you watch in slowmo, you can see that you’re really putting a lot of effort into extending your body (almost like a ski jumper) but you never allow the bike to come up towards you.

Big explosion upwards with your body and your bike doesn't follow you. I'd build a basic bunnyhop-o-meter and get your hopping technique sorted. I'm not saying you bunnyhop over a jump but you need to learn how to lift the bike with your feet which in practice is more like lifting your body out of the way to allow the bike to pop off the lip.

I do periodically have some coaching - done a bit on jumping a few years back which improved me from where I was but could do with having another lot.

I think ideally somewhere like Windhill where there are a lot of different jumps (and drops - I need to improve / build confidence on those too) that can be easily sessioned. Last lot of coaching was at FOD and it wasn’t just jumping - it was a mixture of stuff.

I don’t get a lot of free time to drive miles for coaching so it needs to be within an hour of Bristol really. Last few times I went to FOD (maybe 2018 and 2021) and it massively improved my bike position / cornering / off piste tech skills.

i feel you might be jumping by pulling the bike up, resulting in a very tall stiff body (dead sailor).

Less (no) pulling on the bike, more speed and pop (pushing the rear wheel off the lip and then tucking it up under you)
then put it back down on the landing.

[caveat] i cant jump very well [/caveat]

I do have some basic video editing software (free version of light works) - but I was just sorting out those clips on my phone and I’m not the best at doing things quick in lightworks. Didn’t have time to fire up the desktop and get it all loaded up and edited last night.

I mostly ride flats (although have some spds on the hardtail at the moment) so have a bunny hop technique that pushes the front up manual style first and then lifts the back - I’m clearly not applying that to jumping on the bmx though!

Just remembered I had a screen grab from 2018 coaching - I had the manual up the ramp technique going quite well by the end of that session - but the back wasn’t following then either. In that grab below it look like I should be on my way to the moon but actually case the back wheel just before the downslope of the landing.

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If you want coaching to be a better jumper go and see Jedi.

It's not so much what he tells you it's the way he gets into your head and instils confidence.

His setup is about as good as you can get for learning how to jump too.

He got Mrsstu jumping and she wasn't even aware that she was clearing stuff until he showed her the videos.
The difference between Jedi's coaching and a certain person that coached her at the FoD was night and day.

good effort for practicing!

how do you do that without bending your legs? i`m amazed. chill more.

look like you are using raw speed and little 'pop'.

learn to bunnyhop properly. it help your pop, bending your legs and enable you to relax more.

i also find that its actually easier not to jump straight but to move th bike a bit/not jump perfectly straight. means you are more relaxed. i appreciate this is scarier for learning.

I've only watched video 1 & 2 but when watching them at 0.5 speed you can see that you're unweighting (popping up) whilst your front wheel is only half way up the takeoff, for maximum height / to get the most from the lip you should be doing this when your front wheel is cresting the takeoff.

Im on this same journey. Couple of videos that helped me

The explanation in this video is good (pump track technique is similar to jumping + getting 'front end friendly')

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKoNJlqeak0

Not all the videos say the same thing - same with coaches actually. I guess it’s trying a few of the things out and seeing what works.

I had a group jump session with Griff at BPW many years ago and he was saying pre-load the suspension as you come up to the ramp and then stand up tall as you are popping off the lip.

Katy at FOD was saying more of a manual type technique up the ramp so you are pushing away (not pulling up) with straight arms as you leave the ramp - which is kind of working for me. I think I need to take that a step further and push a bit harder with my legs as well and practice the timing.

Looking at the Cathro guide it looks like I’m sort of standing up but popping forward (leaving the bike behind a bit) rather than up and back.

Looking at another of those videos the guy says it’s basically just about standing tall as you going up / leaving the ramp.

So putting those all together I think I just need a bit more pop and slightly adjust my body position as I leave the ramp and try to be a bit looser once in the air.

And buy some skater jeans and ripped t shirt / beanie hat 🤣. I do actually have a piss pot lid but it’s not as comfy as my mtb one and having had multiple knee injuries I don’t consider knee pads optional anymore.

I don't think you need to be putting more effort in (pushing or pulling harder etc), it looks more of a technique and body positioning issue.

Jumping should feel natural and fluid, it shouldn't be hard work at all.

I had a group jump session with Griff at BPW many years ago and he was saying pre-load the suspension as you come up to the ramp and then stand up tall as you are popping off the lip.

Katy at FOD was saying more of a manual type technique up the ramp so you are pushing away (not pulling up) with straight arms as you leave the ramp – which is kind of working for me. I think I need to take that a step further and push a bit harder with my legs as well and practice the timing.

Looking at the Cathro guide it looks like I’m sort of standing up but popping forward (leaving the bike behind a bit) rather than up and back.

To me these are all the same just different ways of saying it. You do need to straighten arms, pre load, push into the face of the lip. Once past the lip you stand up and push forward

The Bigger the jump the less work you have put into the bike, the shape of the ramp does more of the lifting.

Small pump tracks need more effort, good pumping technique , but that is the fun of pump track

To me it looks like you are trying hard to clear the jump. It's tough because the pump track looks super mellow so getting pop is hard. More speed or a jump with more pop will make it easier

I am rubbish at jumps, but Op, you really look like you are shitting yourself lol

Easy to say, try and relax

Yeah that jump hasn’t got much kick at all. Technically it’s going the wrong way round the track (which doesn’t join in a full loop)because it’s got a 180 degree corner and a table top in front of it.

My speed round the pump track is getting a lot better than it used to be - I can go either way round with just 2 pedal strokes to start and then just pumping the speed out of it.

First thing to say is that you’re not doing too badly.

However it looks like you’re popping up rather than pushing into the transition of the jump. The sound also seems to confirm this.

The trick is to be pushing the bike down into the transition so that the tyres make a whirring/whooshing sound as they go up it, and to time your push so that you’re unweighting just at the moment that the front tyre goes off the lip, so that you can then let the bike come up beneath you as you bend your arms and then legs.

Try and think that instead of trying to jump up, you’re trying to push the ground away from you.

This should help you be more relaxed in the air and get the bike moving beneath you to make the landing smoother.

That’s an interesting thought - I think with suspension I probably do that but I’m finding it hard to pull that across to a very rigid bmx with no give in it.

I’m off out tonight on the full suss but I can’t think of any decent jumps to have a comparison on - the only double has a wall in the middle of it to clear and it’s way past my pay grade to try that. Unless the trail fairies have improved some of the table ish things there.

Most advice is jibberish, you learn by repetition, have fun and its usually a good idea to stop when you start thinking about it too much.
You are doing fine.
All you may need is to slightly push the bars away and bend your legs a little once you are up.
Jumping bouncers and rigids are completely different not much translates.

I stopped last night as I was getting tired and could see myself crashing and burning…was enjoying myself trying though.

If the weather isn’t too bad I’m going to either stockwood or hillfields pump tracks on the weekend - both have a nice bowl (no real jumping with my skill level) and then a run that goes slightly downhill with rollers or big jumps. See if I can take my brave pills and have a go

https://www.moredirt.com/trail/United-Kingdom_South-West/Stockwood-Bike-Park/1260

https://www.moredirt.com/trail/United-Kingdom_South-West/Hillfields-Pump-Track/1334

Hillfields has gained an extra new skatepark bowl type thing since the photo on the above website. Not ridden it yet but it’s an ace facility in a slightly ropey area

Pulling up is fine especially on full rigid/BMX where you don't have the pop of pre loaded suspension but you need to push the bike away from you/suck the back end up with your feet curled round the pedals otherwise you'll dead sailor / nose dive on bigger jumps.

Not all the videos say the same thing – same with coaches actually. I guess it’s trying a few of the things out and seeing what works.

I think this is an important point: a good coach will help you correct whatever you're doing wrong, which will be different for different people. What they tell one person might even be counter productive for someone else, so reiterating what one was told in a coaching session might not be helpful.

Jedi always sad it was a push and not a pull up. He taught my wife to jump (and me) and she’s still flying. Thanks Tony, every time we ride she likes to remind me she jumps better 😉

UkBikeSkills jumps and stops course is really good, but Herts is a fair way to go (trust me I used to commute there weekly). Tony really knows his stuff.

I’m also a poor(er) jumper but I do have a good eye for how to ride even if I don’t seem to be able to apply it myself to getting significant air…

It looks to me like the preload-push-pop is pretty decent (which is why you’re going quite far off a small upslope at low speed) but the visual oddness is that once you’ve popped you’re staying in full extension rather than relaxing and letting the upward momentum of the bike carry it into you, before then extending again for the landing.

Jedi is v good at coaching jumping, he sees/teaches these skills better than anyone I’ve seen in videos.

The “pull-up” thing is the opposite side of the push - both in terms of it happening after the preload push, and also it happening as the opposite end of the lever that pushed the back wheel down to send you higher. Telling someone to pull up is fine if they’re already preloading properly and bracing/pushing with their feet - if they’re not then they’ll just collapse and go nowhere.

Do not push away!!

Happier with my dropping skills tonight - although my forks actually flex visibly on the video

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I saw you leaving Bourton last night Joe. have you got all the jumps at them bottom done yet? Some of the kids have been doing some building down there.

As for your jumping, words fail me 😉 Looks like you're trying to leave the bike behind! I'll give you a shout next time we go down to stockwood or little stoke if you want some company.

Other Joe will give you some tips...

@ianpv - that would be great on the pump track front. Jumping never my forte!

Thinking about popping to stockwood Saturday morning if the rain doesn’t turn up as forecast.

On BC jumps nope - done the one step down and then that first little double at the top of that section. Bottled the rest - was having a look at one of the new ones but it didn’t help my cause another guy was doing run ups to it but bottling it as well. If it was a table I wouldn’t even have hesitated and probably cleared it 🫣

BC was fun last night - my shifter broke as I went to shift into an easier gear as I was turning into Bourton Combe road. Had to bodge it with limit screws so I could lock it in 6th gear (where the shifter had broken was in 10th or 11th) and ride it as a single speed. Was a bit hard going on the hills

I managed to get out on Monday to Rowberrow which is riding pretty well. Not sure I've got another free weekend between now and september though - cornwall this weekend, Manchester indoor AND Glasgow next weekend to get some practice in for upcoming nationals and the world champs... getting a bit ridiculous but Joe absolutely flying at the moment and loving it so I can't really stop! I'm just getting fat 🙂

@ianpv - I rode Rowberrow recently - was riding fantastically well. Quite like riding that for some sessioning of trails. Pb it almost every time I go at the moment.

I can do pump track or mtb mid week most weeks - although toying with some chaingang road rides with a local cycling club at some point. Not sure I’ll keep up but give it a go - ftp is probably just north of 260ftp at the moment and weigh 76kgs give or take.

Joe sounds like he’s flying - fair shout! I very much doubt your idea of fat is similar to mine….

A couple of thoughts that may or may not help.
1. Are you holding your breath as you take off? Almost as if you're bracing for impact?
If so, try whistling or singing to yourself. Should things ever go wrong, it's better to crash with empty lungs than full ones. You can't knock the wind out of empty lungs.
2. You look as if you're extending the body and standing tall very early almost as if you don't think you've got enough time before the landing. Allow the bike to come up in to you on take off. With more bend in all 4 limbs, you can learn to fine tune your position in the air. Then, with a bit more softness in the limbs, you'll be better placed to absorb the landing.

There will be a lot of different suggestions on here. They might be saying the same thing but in different ways. The key is to find an explanation that clicks with you.

haha - well, we're at Bristol BMX most Wednesdays training or racing. You should come to a non-race night, I'll bring a bike if you do! A chaingang will bring your fitness on no end if you can find one at the right level, but it's all under/overs rather than steady state so although you need a decent level it's more about recovery from over threshold efforts than FTP really. I wouldn't recommend the nova scotia tuesday one - I used to do 280W Normalised at 70kg for 100 minutes on that, absolutely brutal. I doubt it's got any easier! There was a less horrendous one that used to go from the Ashton ct gatehouse on tuesday night at 6ish - not sure if it's still running. Or the BW cycles saturday morning rides were good - not really a chaingang, more hill repeats, with regrouping at the top, but with a bit of group riding. Good introduction if you're not used to it, and pretty family friendly with a 7am start - done and dusted by 9. Not sure if that is still going but expect so!

Am I going to show myself up horribly at a bmx meet (even if not raining)?

Was looking at the 2 clubs this side of Bristol - 1 meet at Mangotsfield station and the other at keynsham / saltford. Need to get myself along to meet some folk and see how it is. I refuse to wear branded style Lycra kit with logos all over - happy just in subtle black bibs / cycle top. The caad 12 has now gone and picked up a Dolan carbon gravel frame but built it up for road with my existing kit. Although it now has Ultegra cranks / Hope brakes / power meter pedals etc.

Saw this video which shows how important the bunnyhop technqiue is for jumping

My oldest son was doing this as part of his coaching session on Sunday. He's riding with kids a few year's older who are throwing all kinds of shapes and he's doing ok, but has a tendency to crouch on take off (chin to the bar) and squash the jump. Unfortunately one of the riders dislocated an elbow and the session was cut short. He reckoned the bunnyhop technique was really helpful - i haven't had the chance to check his progress yet.

Having been in the same boat OP, just find what helps you relax in the air. I used to quietly sing really cheesy pop tunes which worked for me and confused the young-uns. The fast lads at the bmx club did a sort of double pump thing in the air when racing, so some sort of sucking the bike up with your feet is a good thing.

Are you having fun? If so you are winning 🙂