Jump to flats

[JustinMD]

I'm trying to learn some basic free ride stuff to better my XC riding but I can't figure out/find anything about how to land a jump to level ground. All I can find is table top skills, and jumping to downhill. Everytime I attempt a jump I just roll the front wheel down it or hit way to hard and wreck on the landing. any tips?

[fausto]

you want to land rear wheel first, how much so, IME depends a bit on how fast you are going. if you are barely moving you want the front wheel much higher than the back, the faster you go the closer to level you want to be.

I got used to the idea by practicing wheelie drops, first off a tall-ish curb, then graduating to dropping off a bench then a picnic table. After that I worked on dropping with a little speed off a [low] retaining wall - find somewhere that if you case it, you don't crash at first. The idea behind dropping a foot and dropping 2 is pretty much the same, you just have less room for error when dropping more.

[CountZero]

There's a reason why you don't find much information about jumps and drops to flat landings:

They suck, and civilized trails have transition landings after jumps.

Have you ever seen a snowboard/ski terrain park with flat landings?

Anyway, jumping to flat is a bike trials skill, and there is information out there on trials sites.

Here's a good place to start:
http://www.trashzen.com/mountain-bike-drop-off.html

Their warning:
Well, jumping off high is one of these transitions that remains potentially health damaging, flesh and bones being first in the wrecked crew. Simply bear in mind that people die when jumping from too high. Gravity is painfully generous in that sense, and a bike in the way just adds to the cruelty of a bad reception, regardless of the protections you can wear. We would still advise to wear a helmet and some good knee/shin pads.

[nocro]

Here's a good place to start:
http://www.trashzen.com/mountain-bike-drop-off.html

Their warning:
Well, jumping off high is one of these transitions that remains potentially health damaging, flesh and bones being first in the wrecked crew. Simply bear in mind that people die when jumping from too high. Gravity is painfully generous in that sense, and a bike in the way just adds to the cruelty of a bad reception, regardless of the protections you can wear. We would still advise to wear a helmet and some good knee/shin pads.

I just read through the site and looks at lots of their clips. Highly recommended. I'm going to manual next time I ride.

[spasticcracka]

Just watch this. Seriously it's worth it!

Part 1
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2437704452516161786
Part 2
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7355875480350544849
Part 3
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6780172616248545699

[nocro]

Just watch this. Seriously it's worth it!

Part 1
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2437704452516161786
Part 2
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7355875480350544849
Part 3
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6780172616248545699


I could just search Utube for mtb, and spend more hours down the internet wormhole watching people do what I want to be doing.