[Closed] Fear of jumps and drop offs!

think its called natural survival instinct, to be afraid of jumps and drops, and the niggle of responsibility for providing for your family in the event that you mash yourself up never helps either. so no you're not alone.

but if your idea of a drop is about a foot high then yes you are by yourself and you most definitely need to MTFU. 😀

Jumps don't bother me, I enjoy them, I'll throw silly shapes, sensible sized doubles for a middle aged idiot - drops through scare me to death, I stress at the thought of them. It's a proper pain in the arse, there aren't many red or black trails at BPW without a decent sized drop on them so I'm sort of stuck with the blues.

I'm taking a course in the New Year.

I'm a similar age and it's the one thing I'm not confident about. Had a wee session the other day but it didn't help. I knew I needed to go a bit faster and have a bit more confidence but it wasn't happening. I can ride steep stuff quite happily, it's just when my wheels leave the ground I get in a bit of a flap.

Funny, I found drops easy from starting off, jumps more difficult.

P-Jay, are you Cardiff based? I learnt drops around Castell Coch. Much easier and less intimidating than BPW with drops varying from ankle to chest high!

I get a huge rush from jumps and drops, love it, but they are not the be all and end all of mtb like perhaps pinkbike would have you believe ...! If you want to do them start small again and build up , if not dont sweat it . Better to keep riding and enjoy it than worrying. Hope the coaching day goes well!

If you dodge the jumps and drops in this coaching session will you regret your decision? Seems to me the ideal time to face your fears with the reassurance of professional guidance. But it's only riding bikes for fun so do what makes you happy 🙂

@danradyr1

Certainly am, it's a bit silly really, my problems are all between my ears. I've ridden the Castle for years, I have two methods for riding drops - for drops I could roll, I ride perfectly (by my standards) drops I can't roll I panic and either panic brake, ride around or sometimes really stupidly try to roll - I royally screwed up one on Hot Stepper the other week and dodged a crash by pure luck.

The only time I could ride drops comfortably (ish) was after a skills course in 2011, but back then drops were incredibly rare on official trails in South Wales and the ones they had were tiny so i got rusty and lost it, since then we've got the bike Park, more features on the official stuff and I've found a love for the unofficial stuff. It's annoying after 10+ years I'm a solid rider, but this fear of drops makes me feel like a total mood having to walk around drops.

Sorry for the thread hijack but PJay we should meet up at Castell Coch in the New Year for a mini lesson in small/medium drops. I learnt by just following some stranger around that area. It worked for me it might work for you!

drops no problems, if you can go off a kerb then you can go off a drop of most heights. That said my biggests has oly been about 7 foot or so

Jumps just cant seem to work em out. I can barely clear a small table, and a double scares me senseless

drops no problems, if you can go off a kerb then you can go off a drop of most heights

It's the landing that's the problem for anything bigger than a kerb!

drops no problems, if you can go off a kerb then you can go off a drop of most heights.

^^^ not so sure about that, I can do properly executed drops off kerbs and features up to maybe a foot. Bigger than that and my brain says no. It's not a technique thing it's a mental thing, for me at least....

phil40 - Member 
My question is has anyone else had a moment where they just decided that jumps etc were for other people?

Weekly 😀

I go through cycles of gaining confidence and popping off the odd jump or drop here and there, nothing massive. Then the next week for some reason I'm just chickening out of everything.

Conditions make a difference. At the moment things are sloppy and my fear is on landing I'm just going to slide into the nearest tree.

Sometimes I chicken out on drops that I could just roll and not injure myself, just because it has a harsh looking edge, and yet next week I don't see what the fuss was about.

If I head to a bike park / DH place and stick on pads and a full face I can manage to pop off drops bigger than I'd normally try elsewhere.

For me it's gaps/doubles that are the main stumbling block. If it's barely a few inches high then I'll do it and if not too long might clear it. Higher but same length and I'm a whimp about it.

Do find round the hub Peaslake Pitch/Winterfold parts of Surrey Hills, it's getting a bit overly gnarly these days for me. Almost every trail *has* to have a gap on it now and it rules out the fun for me. I can go around it all but I'm missing out. Problem is I don't know if I want to MTFU and get into that stuff or just tone it down and deal with jumps not being for me.

Likewise, 43 (and never did any of this stuff as a kid)

I've found a few ways to conquer the fear.

1. Drop your saddle a couple of inches
2. Go back to flats
3. Take a completely indestructible 8 year old with you. He spent large parts of our last ride sulking because I wouldn't let him ride a treacherous drop in. He has bmx racing skillz and balls the size of Albania.

Deadkenny's post resonates with me. Biggest issue I have is that I like to assess a drop, maybe slowly roll over it then decide it was ok and I could've done it quicker and with more style but it's a bit late by then. I suppose I could session it but that's not really how I ride but maybe I should so I can do it well first time in the future. Something to ponder.

As for jumps I think I may be too old to start now. I did have a session with a coach. He said he'd never failed to teach anyone to do a tabletop. After about 30 goes of trying, failing, walking back up the hill we decided to call it a day. An official fail for me.

drops no problems, if you can go off a kerb then you can go off a drop of most heights. That said my biggests has oly been about 7 foot or so

Yeah only 7ft 😕 I imagine there is some point after doing drops with size increases measured in inches, where confidence gains eventually allow the increase to suddenly turn to feet. I got there earlier this year for a short time, did a drop on the hardtail, flat to flat, on concrete, about 4', made an awful clunking noise but everything survived. But since fitting rigid forks and conditions have turned damp, I've started thinking twice about doing 2ft drops.

Drops on rough terrain are also a lot less predictable so frequently think twice about lesser drops there too.

Phil, try taking your new fatbike around some technical stuff - far easier to roll-around on fat rubber and control your speed and with much more grip, bigger margins of error. Slowly build-up your confidence.

For drop offs, I try and visualise how far I can fall on my feet without injury, works for me.

I am sure the coach will be over the moon when I rock up in my fatbike

I've always been a strictly wheels-on-the-ground kind of rider, but have just recently worked up to some small drops, maybe 2-3ft absolute max. I very rarely ride trail centres or anything man-made (once a year, perhaps) so I'm used to lower speeds and more caution than might be ideal. It's a good excuse, anyway! The age thing hasn't bothered me so much - I'm the wrong side of 50, but the improvement in bikes has outpaced any drop in my confidence over the last 10 years.

The tip which has really made a difference recently is one I got from my wife having (horse) jumping lessons: by the time you take off you should NOT be looking at the landing... your focus should be five seconds further down the trail / round the arena. Certainly stopped me from panic braking at (or just after) the last possible moment.

Any kind of jump will have me mincing with the best of them though. Can't see that changing!

For some reason the last half of my post didn't happen!

It finished with:

Damn good idea Dover, I will try it next time I am out riding! It also gets me out on the fatbije which is fun! Are you going to be riding past my place after you are done with the rov 300? We could do a fatbike bimble

Phil40 - sounds like you were doing OK before the tyre incident. This is sort of stating the obvious, but tyres don't just come off like that - something is very wrong with either your tyre, rim or both. Don't let that put you off.

I'm 41, and since about 30 I've increasingly had problems with things like aircraft turbulence or roller-coasters with my son. I'm better at rough MTB descents than I've ever been (25 years mtb) but regularly chicken out on jumps due to the 'in the air' feeling and fear of not knowing what lies ahead.

As already said, there is way too much 'radical air' type publicity out there, and huge jump ability isn't all that important. Some skills are definitely worth learning - anything that reduces the amount you hesitate before tackling a really steep section or drop is extremely useful, whether it's to do with you or the bike. Regular riding is very important as a few weeks off can put you back to your un-confident self.

I turned my nose up at skills courses years ago, but really think I need to give in now and be shown how it's done 😉

Regarding the skills day, i wouldn't try to pre-empt things, just go with the flow on the day. Start slow / small, and work up as you go through the day, remembering as you get tired to scale things back again. A good coach will help you do this without you realising 😀

Drops, are all about vectors. And generally, there are two:

1) Your forwards speed

and

2) Gravity

It is the ratio of these two, combined with the steepness of the landing that make a "drop" a variable challenge.

The OP mentions BPW, and here, because the trails are well designed and looked after, mostly, the drops flow with the speed of the trail. ie, when you hit the at the natural speed of the trail, you tend to fly far enough to land on a suitable downslope. Often at BPW, i'd say the drops are well enough designed that you don't even feel you've landed! However, panic, tense or grab a load of brake going over those dame drops and you're forwards speed evapourates and you land with a bangm right at the foot of the drop. if you're technicques good, you'll at least land wheels level and ride it out, but with poor technique you'll be in for a rougher ride. This often means that beginners "feel" drops more, and hence they feel "bigger"

At BPW, i'd suggest three things to do:

1) Get off and look at the features. You've got all day, so you may as well take the opportunity to really size them up.

2) Watch others through the features. If you're not sure on the speed and line of a drop, watch others take that feature. Note: don't copy the people who mess them up!! 😉

3) Start small, and practice! Aim to be able to land wheels level off any sized drop and any speed, from 0.1mph to 30mph, from 1" to 10feet! When you are confident in your technique and have established your boundaries you can then start to push those boundaries out wider, a bit at a time

If you're landing all crossed up and "Hard" from a drop (enough to roll a tyre off the rim), chances are you are pulling up not pumping, and are probably tense/stiff, rather than relaxed. here, good coaching, and practice make the difference.

It's not a technique thing it's a mental thing,

Thats what I was implying. If you have confidence the difference between a 1 foot drop and something much bigger isn't that hard.

Yeah only 7ft I imagine there is some point after doing drops with size increases measured in inches, where confidence gains eventually allow the increase to suddenly turn to feet

Actually, what are we measuring as a drop. From lip to bottom of 'drop' or to where you land. Ie the 2nd drop at the GT freeride park thingy is only 2 foot, but hit it with speed and you drop a good 6 or 7 feet. Likewise the Last drop at caddon bank is about 4 foot, but from watching a video of myself go off it I land about 4/5 foot further down the hill. Don't think I've ever gone off a 7 foot drop from lip to top of landing zone, but mainly because I haven't comoe across many with a nice flat run in and run out!

My mate whos much better rider than me manages to go off drops much slower than me, he manuals off them under control and thus falls much less distance. I'm an oaf so just hit it as fast as I can, thus negating any need for skill.

Also, I'm relying on a trail bike or downhill rig to iron me out on landing. I'm not sure the full on 'evil keneivel' apprioach would work on a hard tail!

Me in action...as you can see there isn't much technique on display here...but I land pretty much right at the bottom of the pic

[img] [/img]

What do you want (are able) to do? Ultimately, you are the master of your own destiny. All that a skills coach will be able to do, is either teach you new skills, or adapt your phycological perception. Before all of this, decide what you want to achieve, articulate this clearly an agree what it, or not possible...

Out today with some "youngsters"

Watching these guys....Its all about skill,commitment and BALLS!

I have biked all my life but can't jump for shi~... but comfortable with drop off's and technical

You mentioned bikepacking for this years goals.

Two very different things.

Drops, are all about vectors. And generally, there are two:

1) Your forwards speed

and

2) Gravity

The third being the attitude of the bike. Nosing slowly off a non-rollable drop will have different outcome to manualing off at the same speed. Gravity being constant.

On a recent coaching session* the technique I was taught was that also employed by tpbikers mate. Manualing rather than relying on forward speed. Yes you can employ speed too, but a good solid manual technique will better arm you to ride the any drops at any speed, within reason. Well that's what I was taught, and it makes sense, so I'm practicing my manualing technique.

* I'm no expert at drops, hence the coaching session.

Not a drop expert, usually I avoid anything more than 18" but I always thought you did a small Bunny hop off the end?

I know what the OP is feeling. I'm in the same boat. I've done all the right things in preparation - started small, worked my way up, done a skills course, know exactly what I need to do, but when you're on your own sighting a jump or drop it is different. The run in is often not ideal and when you see a jump or drop out on a natural ride where there isn't a nice man-made groomed jump it somehow looks more intimidating. I was sighting just one such drop up yesterday. Only a few foot drop, which I can easily do on a sanitised man-made run, but with an awkward run in and the run out was a bit tricky. For me it's all in the mind. My riding buddy is in the same place as me too and we'll talk ourselves out of it. I think we need to start riding with more capable riders.

Last year we targeted a particular gap jump near us and managed to do it. We ended last year on a high thinking we might have 'unlocked another level' but since we've not progressed on jumps and drops unfortunately.

There are a couple of times i've surprised myself though which I should draw confidence from where i've been on a new to me run and I suddenly come up to an unexpected jump or drop. In those few occasions i'm glad i've instinctively done the right thing and negotiated those features with no issues and even with a bit of style. It's only when I think about it I seem to have a problem!

Point your heals at the ground, this tends to get your body into an ideal 'enjoy the drop position'

Honestly, all the technique tips here will not help, they'll only cause more confusion. Jedi teaches you to push about a pace before the drop, simple as that, and that's as much as you should be thinking about. And obviously look where you're going, nice and far ahead, not down at the drop.

Practice that push off lots of small drops at different speeds and you'll find that the angle of the push changes without even thinking about it. Off slow drops to flat it'll become more like a manual but a dynamic one, nothing like going into a held manual (which is why teaching manuals for drops is a bad idea). The more ideal the angles of take-off and landing, or the faster you're going, the more subtle the push becomes. Practice lots and lots.

Some years ago I almost broke my neck doing absolutely everything wrong off a not insubstantial drop. I visited Jedi about a year later to try to sort my head out. I thought I'd be in a good place for dealing with bigger drops and gaps but actually we found that although I was riding well once my perception of the feature became too intimidating I wasn't comfortable even trying it - so we left the bigger things and focused on other stuff - and I had a great session.

After that I decided to find drops everywhere I could and ride them as often as I could, to really solidify my technique and after a couple of years of doing that I've become much more comfortable with them. I still sometimes struggle with blind drops with flatter lips and angled landings (despite them being smoother than big hucks to flat) but I'm making progress - there's a local blind one that's a minimum of 5' vertical from lip to where the rear wheel touches down that is just fine now. There's a couple of qualifiers at BPW that bother me even though I can ride the rest of the trail but I know I'm much better at hitting big features mid-run than from a standing start, and I've yet to have a proper run down 50 shades.

So keep it simple, focus on the fundamental movement - and that is key, it's about moving at the right time, not holding a position, and practice every chance you get.

The other thing that has helped me is mindfulness - using the Headspace app doing guided meditation. If you want to flow, if you want to do, the worst thing is to think. Learning to let the thoughts go, focus on being at one with your body and letting your body do what it knows to do. The more techniques you're trying to think about, the harder it is to stop thinking. Self-talk is not the answer, no-talk is.

Breathe. Look. Push. Land. Keep it simple.

Where does the push come from? Bars or through dropped heels, a la manualing technique? I appreciate that for drops with a bit of speed/flow you're not exactly popping a wheel lifting manual off the lip but in my mind (which may be wrong) the push movement is like the heel drop/push used to initiate a manual, more so with drops to flat.

And while on the subject of BPW qualifiers there is one (Coal not Dole or Pork Belly, I forget which) that is a two drops in quick succession (or one big jump). Haven't attempted this as in my mind I don't have the time to 'set up' for the second drop. Not sure best way to deal with. Other than solidifying drop technique on drops, and getting to that don't need to think about it stage.

Dropped heel on the leading foot definitely, but I've had a couple of drops on the fatbike where I've ended up jarring the ankle of my trailing foot. I'm tending to think that the solution to this is not to drop the heel of the trailing foot. More front heel down rear toe down. But maybe I've got that all wrong.

If you're thinking about whether you should be dropping your heels or not then either you're not ready to do drops or you're getting distracted. Trust your feet to do the right thing - and if you can't get trust your feet then practice other stuff until you do.

Regarding the push, it's kind of neutral, it's just what feels right when someone tells you to push the bike when you're in the riding position. That's where the practice comes in - for poppy drops its almost 100% feet, for flattening fast drops with an angle change it's more hands. But if you can ride a MTB competently through rough terrain then you'll intuitively know how to push from how you pump and weight the bike. Through progressive practice you'll instil the right movement patterns so that your thinking brain doesn't try to interfere.

I think the two smaller drops is Coal Not Dole - they're a good example of why manualling off a drop is a bad idea, as when you land from the first your weight will be all wrong and unstable, making the second much harder. Ride them with just a push and you won't need to prepare for the secon because you'll have landed the first ready for the next.

I found it felt natural to drop both heels when pushing the bike off a drop, but not so natural when I landed and jarred the ankle of my trailing foot 🙂 Bizarrely it only happens on my fatbike and never happened on the Solaris (hardtail)?

It's a movement, not a position. Let your feet land like a person would when jumping - not on their heels!

Drops, just to be clear of my opinion fwiw, not a lot but you never know! When I approach a drop, dropping my heels gets my body into a nice position, as I approach and go over the drop, I move into and through a manual position, then land as CGG says as if I am landing on myfeet. Jumps, dropping my heels as I approach gives me a far greater sense of safety and therefore fun and confidence i.e. landing bw slightly before front. Its just how I deal when approaching an "oh ****ing hell look at the size of that" moment!

Not a drop expert, usually I avoid anything more than 18" but I always thought you did a small Bunny hop off the end?

no expert either, but i'm pretty sure that's a bad idea.. and have a story and reinforced advice to back that up..

was out on a ride, and had a convo about jumps/drops with a mate who was itching to try some on his new bike. so we rode over to a trail with two drops. one i'd done lots of times, the other i'd never done either but, i was keen too, as two other mates i'd taken down a couple weeks prior (and advised not to take it on!) did it first go.

we had the "just drop, don't hop" talk.. so we cross to the trail, drop into the wood.. do the first one.. which is about narrow, knee high, lands mostly flat on earth, you have to turn left after landing a touch to avoid a tree. around a corner to the next one.

this next ones higher, with flat approach and a wider flat landing, so you can't see the landing til the last moment. (i've also never liked the look of the approach as water/mud tends to pool)..the bottom is flat, compacted earth with stone in. (at this time of year i can imagine its slippery as hell on the approach, and the landing is slidey.. not a chance.(

I do it.. and wait for him to catch up. he nose dives.. and takes most of it to a shoulder.. he talks me into going and do it again.. landing felt harsh, i dont like it.. but hey ho...

he says.. "i know i shouldn't have, but i hopped..".. i was riding with one of the most experienced guys i know recently and mentioned the incident and he straight away said.. "he went OTB right?".. so he knew what'd happen...

my approach so far, loosen up for going off the edge, stay level, absorb the impact, and don't anchor on the brakes after landing til you're rolling normally.

aside from these two drops, and the odd ones elsewhere i havent found any small jumps to learn on, the odd 'bump' gets me lofted a little.. which is a more bunny hop style thing. the bigger jumps i see are too daunting right now..

Little drops ok. A foot, but that is it. Jumps I always go wobbly on.

Thar death drop at thrunton woods always amazed me, never had the balls to try it

And while on the subject of BPW qualifiers there is one (Coal not Dole or Pork Belly, I forget which) that is a two drops in quick succession (or one big jump). Haven't attempted this as in my mind I don't have the time to 'set up' for the second drop. Not sure best way to deal with.

It's all on that video I just posted, or that's how I do it anyway, just perform the L shape that initiates a manual.

That Dirt School video contradicts itself. Look at the hip position when he shows you how not to do a manual. Then look at the hips position with the correct manual. Then watch him ride the drop with the "correct manual technique" - the body position, especially the hips, is far more similar to the incorrect manual that he showed and nothing like as rearwards as the "correct manual technique".

This is the problem with too many coaches - they tell you what they think they're doing but what they're actually doing is different. I've seen a similar video where Neil Donoghue contradicts himself in just the same way!

They're all just doing a preloading push, a movement which varies in power, arm/leg balance and direction depending on the shape and size of the drop and the speed of the rider. None of them are going into or holding a proper manual.

Thanks for the pointers CGG and others. All interesting reading.

Lots of ways to approach but one would be to pre-hop the first drop so you take off well before it and land just after it giving more time to setup for the second.

I can see how that would work to effectively bring back the first drop, my concern would be the timing of the hop being an extra thing to think about, and get wrong.

I can do simple drops up to about 2' ok. If the drop is any bigger or the run in/out is any way complicated I think I start to overthink the whole thing instead of just riding it. Certainly ride better when I just come in hot on a trail and ride the drop rather than stopping to check it out (though I could come unstuck there one day). I suppose I'm analysing my technique to be sure I've got it right before taking on more tricky or bigger drops where the consequences of getting it wrong are bigger. I guess I just need to work up gradually from where I am applying what works on the 2' drops, without overthinking it.

When you say a push,do you mean, you push down into the ground ie preloading the fork before the edge? or pushing out in front?

Jumps and drop offs are an essential skill sometimes to save a dismount on a trail. There's nothing shitter than having to dismount off the bike and carry it over an obstacle due to lack of skill.

I still can't do drop offs consistently. This week I saw a drop that I thought I could just roll down slowly front wheel first instead of hitting it at speed and getting both wheels to land at the same time (something which I can't pull off consistently on the trail, sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don't). Anyway I went flying over the bars and the bike hurt me really bad (the fall didn't hurt, the bike bashing me in the wrong place did)

It's hard to ride when you don't have these 2 skills up to standard, I know because I'm in that situation, but don't intend to keep it this way forever.

I really frustrate myself in this respect.

Round the Peaslake way the trails change quite frequently and if I'm on a trail and a tabletop has been turned into a double, or if someone has dug out a drop, I can hit it and clear with no issues.

If I'm aware of a jump or a drop I psychologically talk myself out of it in the run up to it.

I can hit things of a similar size with no issue on one trail, and then baulk at another. All in my head.

I think next year I'm going to do a drops and jumps course as in the Surrey Hills it's becoming a necessity!

Go and see Jedi Tony Doyle

http://littlegirlbunny.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/a-day-with-legendary-tony-doyle.html

I retired from jumping after one big crash (at 49 yo) happy with small pops, drops or tables etc. Turning up for work with a cut face and struggling to walk isn't appreciated. Most of the jumping around Surrey Hills is in trees so an offline landing can get pretty serious.

@ant77 Tony at UK Bike Skills and/or Nirvana Freeride practice

Don't ask for advice on a forum - apart from who to go and see or you'll get 100+ views on what to do. See a good experienced/qualified coach who can do what he/she preaches.

For drops I merely push the bike out in front of me and don't try and over complicate things. My reasoning is it keeps me and the bike very stable. If I'm approaching faster its quite a small push more with the arms, if its slow, a more exaggerated push via the feet to get my weight a little further backwards. A bigger downslope landing, and push the bars down to meet the landing angle. I don't go big or fast, but have enough confidence in the my technique to go off slowly while others are flying 10ft through the air.

Started going off the pavement varying the speed and found landing two wheels at the same time off just a few inches is more difficult than you think. Then moved up to the Manhole Cover Drop Of Death on top of the Licky Hills which is only 2ft or so with a slight downhill but nice landing. These days find plenty of small stuff around Swinley usually with steeper sketchy approaches and landings. There is a small drop at the end of one of the Enduro stages, again not much more than 2ft but effectively more with the down slope landing. Loads of options to take it either fast after a drop off before it, or slow with a tight corner approach.

It is Jedi who I am off to see on Thursday! Looking at his blog post he worked on someones xc skills today, I may well ask that we focus in that direction!

cheers all!

I was reasured watching the latest #lastorders that even the Pros get scared on drops.

I've not yet wanted to stop jumping, but my abilities are "very mediocre" and "developing" at best.

But I'm almost 10 years younger than you, and my first thought after breaking my wrist on a drop last year was that I will one day return and ride it.

For drops I merely push the bike out in front of me and don't try and over complicate things.

Jedi drops coaching will focus on [u]not[/u] pushing the bike out and away from you and therefore weighting over the back wheel and unweighting the front wheel. Unweighting the front too much results in you losing any actual control you have over the bike as you steer through the front (which is demoed during the session, and very clear to see when you are stood side on).

I was reasured watching the latest #lastorders that even the Pros get scared on drops.

@phil I asked to focus on trail riding, we did a bit of drop/jumps but I didn't do the table which is generally on his course. I started doing more jumping after his course. Working on berms and general cornering was my focus (still rubbish at flat corners but I understand what I should be doing)

I always thought you did a small Bunny hop off the end?

That would be a hop off and its a common technique employed by riders who don't know how to do a drop off. Through ignorance they refer to it as a drop off and the reason you need to be careful who you take advice from.

With a proper drop off your tyres never get higher than the lip your dropping off.

My advise would be to talk to your coach. A good coach should listen and understand how you feel. Its your coaching session and so how about you tell him how you are feeling and perhaps try a drop or two (even if only a kerb) and just see how you comfy you are. I would also recommend you also have another session with different coach because they often have different ways of communicating the principals and different terrain to try that you might click with you and help you progress without getting 'the fear'. I think jumps and drops can be a bit like keeping up with the Jones's so relax and remember why you ride.

That double drop at the start of coal not dole is featured in this GMBN drop off tutorial. Worth a watch, not sure I fancy trying that nose down technique though

That's the one. Cheers. Will try to remember to report back after my next trip.

It drives me nuts seeing all these coaching videos that say "being able to manual is essential" for riding drops. It's like saying you have to be able keep a car spinning a perfect donut until you've toasted a pair of tyres or you'll be unable to drive a fast rwd car down a bendy road car without crashing.

When they say manual really they should say unweight the front for a very short amount of time, you don't have to be able to manual for a mile and a half to make a drop safely.

I'd love to stick a load of strain gauges on their bikes and prove that even when they look a bit like they're manualling they're actually doing something very different, as shown by the forces applied to the bike.

You only need to manual of a drop if you're 're carryover Ng enough speed off or. Depends on the run in. If you can carry speed you just need to ride off it and mange your weight distributuion. If you hit it slowly you need to manual.

This a good video I found the other day about how to drop offs, he makes that very point about it being different to a manual.

His jumping video is also really good, he breaks it down and explains it in a simple way.

I can't wheelie, I can't manual, I don't do jumps (at least not willingly!) And I guess I've done some drop offs.
End of the day, I do what I like and like what I do. As long as I get a ride in, I couldn't care less what it involves! I'm just happy I got a free pass from Wifey to go let off some steam! 😉 Stop the worrying, ride, and sweat all your stress out 😀

Call it a manual if you will, the theory is that if you approach a drop off you unweight the front end enough so that you ride off the lip and land it then that is a manual of sorts. OK you've not had to hold the front end up on a balancing point for an extended period of time - but that is really just show boating. The point is you unweight the front end for a split second so your speed means your rear wheel rolls off the lip of the drop. So if you've carried off a 'drop' by the definition of a step you can't just simply roll over, the you've either hit it fast or manualed off it. Either way the only measure of success is if you manage to ride over the feature without coming a cropper!

cyclelife - Member
Don't ask for advice on a forum - apart from who to go and see or you'll get 100+ views on what to do. See a good experienced/qualified coach who can do what he/she preaches.

Theory is one thing, practice makes perfect, the mental side is the harder one though, I still have certain drops that are probably smaller and easier than loads of others I do that don't fit right in my head.

new page thingy?

Nope, couldn't link my picture.

[quote=afanmark]This a good video I found the other day about how to drop offs, he makes that very point about it being different to a manual.

His jumping video is also really good, he breaks it down and explains it in a simple way.
That's one of the most clearly-explained and concise instructional videos on drop-offs I've seen - spot on IMO.

It's definitely a mental thing once you can do / know the basics.

I'm OK on some biggish tables / step downs but as soon as it becomes a gap, I struggle even if its smaller than another feature! I am going to work on it by building a little jump line in the garden after Christmas!

I'm less fussed by drops.

Come and visit me on your Stanton at Preston fella and I'll sort you out with some nice drops and gaps to play on 🙂
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Jedi drops coaching will focus on not pushing the bike out and away from you and therefore weighting over the back wheel and unweighting the front wheel. Unweighting the front too much results in you losing any actual control you have over the bike as you steer through the front (which is demoed during the session, and very clear to see when you are stood side on).

If you're going off a drop and don't want the front wheel to fall away doesn't it need to be fully unweighted ?

Interested in how it's coached if this isn't meant to happen.

I'm getting of decent sized drops but am juggling between pushing the bike out and using the L shape.

@Stevet1 that Preston, Lancs? If so private trails or open to the public.. ? Looks interesting.

Seem to remember that Jedi coached popping (weighting/ unweighting) off drops, jumps. Less speed required more pop. Don't know if that relates to jumps more than drops though. At the time it felt very natural. I sort of mentally visualise a ski jumper.

@Stevet1 that Preston, Lancs?

If so private trails or open to the public.. ?

Looks interesting.