Hoots Jay on Dirt Jumping
by Hoots Jay
Welcome to another round of Yo Hoots Jay...The Column. PROPS to my friend Pip - from Banshee bikes. For all of you who have read the first ever Yo Hoots Jay on manualling, it seems that Pip can explain why a bike wants to turn a particular way when manualling...Check it...
'The earth rotates from east to west and this has a gravitational component. The front wheel is a gyroscope and is affected by gravity. When the front wheel spins forward in the northern hemisphere, it will want to turn to the right. in Australia, i.e.: southern hemisphere, it wants to turn left and therefore so would your bike. you can try this. take a wheel and get it spinning forward. balance the axle on one finger and notice the direction it wants to turn. (if you're going to Australia to test this theory, bring me along). once the front wheel is off the ground, the rear wheel is free to pivot to the right on its contact patch. I suggest that at the equator riding either east or west, there would be no natural pull. Have fun dude'
Sweeeeet 411 Pip! Thanks!
Ok, now for my next trick, remember when I said this article would be on skinnies? I lied! Yup, busted! It seems now that Whistler is open, Myrtle Park is kicken and DIRT Jumps are an accepted norm for trails almost everywhere, there has been a plethora of questions.
Hey Hoots Jay,
Hey man, I wanna learn how to DJ, but the Trannies make me nervous. Im not sure
how to get started in Dj'ing. Would it be better to do Table tops where I don't
have to worry about casing the Tranny.....Any info on how to start out or where
to start out would be awesome.
Thanks Bro
Dave
There are very few things related to cycling that get the heart pumping like jumping., In fact this infectious disease of the cycling industry is responsible for countless technical developments, camaraderie shared with a shovel and unbelievable eye candy (sick tricks) we see everyday in magazines. What is the fascination with jumping? F-U-N.
Give a HOOT about your head and wear a lid, heck and wear armour. I have heard that it will reduce you're overall discomfort if your 'super cool force field' should become breached from a bad jump (ah hum..World Cup..ick). Take it from experience stretching and eating also allow longer jumping sessions and give you the flex and strength to try moving about in the air.
click on pictures to enlarge
Body position is vital - relax, arms slightly bent, pedals at 3 and 9 and be sure that your shoulders aren't too far forward or back. If you were to ghost ride you're bike over the jump at different speeds, you would see how the LIP of the jump will send the bike to the other side... IMPORTANT... Think of yourself as the monkey who gets pushed around on a bike that everyone laughs at in the circus. The monkey is having fun being a monkey, but on a bike, what are monkeys known for? Their ability to balance (sometimes precariously). So having said this imagine how the monkey must sit, centred, arms semi-traight not locked and bent legs (monkeys can't straighten their legs but neither should you!) WOW, can't believe I just wrote so much about monkeys. Anyway, when a bike jumps a jump, YOU are on the SAME trajectory as your machine - you do not have a choice. Forward motion wins every time.
...TRUST THE LIP...TRUST THE LIP... There are three main ways you can challenge a jump, push through, TRUST THE LIP or pull back and max out for air. Pushing through a jump (racer style) will reduce your overall height but will give you a better feeling of control until you start to trust the lip. As you approach the lip start to push the handlears through the lip and lightly force your legs through to follow. I like to use this for jumps that are going to set me up for a kicker and I need to be in control. TRUST THE LIP, this is the best way to jump - period. In fact I am going to write a book called TRUST THE LIP! By keeping a neutral body position the lip will put you where you need to be, no muss, no fuss. With MAX air, the pull is when you want to boost really high. It is essentially a big fat bunny hop right at the very lip of the jump then you try to regain your body position to trick, but first you must know how to TRUST THE LIP before you become good. Personally, I don't have the mad skills it takes to bunny high plus throw down a trick. I am sure there are expert jumpers out there who can but I prefer trust the lip so that I have the proper body position to try a trick safely.
click on pictures to enlarge
Transitions are something that most people understand half of. We all think of a tranny as something that we will land on, but more important is the take off tranny. If you learn to pump this transition well you can reduce your approach speed and maximize your body position faster. Work this theory - it is proven. Next time you watch a _ pipe comp (either skate or bmx) watch how they pump up and down both trannies equally.
Let's distinguish between launches and jumps. Let's call launches the wedge style used by the likes of 'Evel Knievel' and jumps, for argument's sake,, a steep take-off wall with a transition up to it like a classic DIRT Jump. Each of these has their own personality, yet becoming proficient at one will help your abilities on the other. You can kick the wedge's butt by staying just a bit light on the front and working that body position. Because there is no real recognizable front tranny you must compensate with speed, (an appropriate velocity for you). If you decide to jump this to flat you need 2 to 3 times the speed, otherwise try to land on tranny. If your front wheel comes up too high tap your rear brake and the front will come down (You can tap a few times). DIRT jumping takes flow or rhythm, really work the pump front and back, be patient (the rear brake trick applies here too).
Last but not least the miscellaneous. Be courteous to fellow jumpers, if you're not comfortable trying a new jump, ask someone to "tow" you in so you can see how fast you need to go. Jump tables. not gaps - tables are safe! Tables are a lot of work but everyone can enjoy them safely!
Go forth padowan learner, may the FORCE be with you! I promise Skinnies for the next article and I even had a chance to run some ideas past Dangerous Dan over coffee. Keep those letters coming!
