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So I have only been riding MTB for about 6 months, but have struggled with drop offs. I am on a hardtail with 140 forks, and can go alright over smallish jumps etc, but drops are my nemesis. I have slipped off the pedals numerous times on landing. Mentally I struggle with worrrying about slipping off pedals more than anything else. I come from a road bike racing background and have also raced cyclocross, so have always been clipped in. I think I am so used to this that it plays on my mind that my feet can move. I spoke to a instructor and he said to sick with flats for now as it will teach me better technique, and I can see his point.
I have looked at vids explaining drops, but must be missing something as the landings are always sketchy footwise. Should I be absorbing more? Am I too tense? I think on a full suss I would not worry as there is give, but on the HT, I am struggling.
Any advice to help me understand the technique??
My shoes and pedals are all good by the way, no issues with grip.
Try dropping your heels more?
Pedals, shoe grip and suspension have little to do with it. It's all about technique. I learnt to drop on a BMX with well slippy pedals. learn to drop off a 6 or 8" curb first, relax and land comfortably both wheels at the same time, bend you legs on landing to make it nice and smooth. Stay nice and loose. The technique is then the same for any size drop.
+1 for what wilko said, practice going off kerbs. Get your dominant foot forward and stay loose.
Is your saddle too high? If the bike can't move around underneath you, it'll move you instead, bucking you up and off the pedals.
Is your body positioned far enough back, too? Most of your weight should be going down through your feet into the pedals rather than through your hands. Let your legs absorb the landing
What position are you in on landing? Making contact with the ground both wheels at the same time?
wilko1999 It's all about technique.
Agreed^^^
wilko1999 learn to drop off a 6 or 8"
I'd start with a normal 3" kerb tbh! if you can't land two wheels together from a wide range of approach speeds (including practically stationary!) on a normal kerb, then why would you go any bigger!
As an experienced road rider, chances are you have a huge number of "bad habits" (in terms of mountain bike technique) that are now hardwired into you from years of riding road bikes.
Unsurprisingly, i'd recommend some specific MTB tuition, starting with the basics, which might not actually be that obvious after years of road riding. Road riding is really about "sitting on the bike" to a large degree, but mountain biking is about making the bike transparent to the terrain and managing YOUR mass, not the bike (as long as [b]you[/b] are going where you want too, the bike will skittle along under you surprisingly well, but that feeling of the bike moving under you is pretty odd and can be unsettling (especially to ex-roadies who often only felt it seconds before a big crash)
Why don't you buy a set of SPDs and clip in?
All good advice there fellas, cheers. I am not too bad at drops with a downward slope landing, more the ones where I land from a drop to the flat for instance, where the landing needs to be absorbed more (which causes me to usually come off the pedals and drop my nuts down onto the seat or back wheel). Seat is usually well out of the way as I run a dropper.
Why torture yourself? Stick some spds on like a normal person. 😉
rancid
All good advice there fellas, cheers. I am not too bad at drops with a downward slope landing, more the ones where I land from a drop to the flat for instance, where the landing needs to be absorbed more
How big are we talking about here?
Just about anyone should be able to drop from ~2 foot (ie top of wheel height) to flat, without too any "bouncing" on the pedals, even on a hardtail, with correct technique.
I am not too bad at drops with a downward slope landing, more the ones where I land from a drop to the flat for instance
Drops to flat are shockers! Go for ones with nice transitions every time 🙂
Really exaggerate the landing - bending elbows & knees to absorb the shock while practicing, then experience will tell you how much to have to do it when. The 1st time I went off a kerb on a BMX was a real eye-opener!
Are you lifting/bouncing your feet off or are they slipping? I know you said your pedals/shoes were fine, but I thought I had good grip with an old pair of vans and v8's until I got 510s and Vaults! Whole different world of grip!
Bouncing off, not slipping. I have superstar nano and teva links, so grip is good
Sounds like you're tensing up and going a bit rigid on the landings.
Everything above, yeah - absorbing with legs and practising on kertbs especially.
THis vid made some sense to me, especially extending the bike down to lessen the drop.
http://declinemagazine.com/visuals/fluidride/fluidride_vol1.htm