Jumping a tabletop.... please help make it clearer!
Discussion
Hello all
Been riding about a year now on local xc trails and been to a few trail centres. Off to Glentress in 5 weeks for the 2nd time (first time just did blue route) and want to get to grips with tabletops / general jumping to make the most of the freeride park and spooky wood!
Luckily I live about 2mins ride from an old quarry area used by dirt jumpers and there are some small tables and lips already built. Yesterday I spend about half an hour on the same natural lip (upwards dirt/gravel ramp onto a 4-metre long flat landing....imagine a natural tabletop with a very long flat section to land on) where after a few attempts suprisingly managed to get the rear wheel about 3 inches into the air. Soon got tired though after having already been on a ride and felt myself starting to wander in the air / feeling uneven.
Went back this evening with a fresh mind and tried again. I've read online so many different methods of jumping that I'm finding it difficult to visualise it properly.
Is this roughly correct for landing on the flat of a tabletop- or do you have different techniques?: Pedals level on approach, on riding up the lip push down with legs/arms and crouch to pump the bike into the takeoff.... then do you pull up on the bars (as you would if unweighting the front wheel over an obstacle) or lean back / throw body forwards or upwards / stay neutral as you leave the lip? Then what in the air... push forward, or down, or just stay neutral? So many variables to think about in such little time!
This evening I was compressing into the takeoff, and trying to bring the pedals up with my feet, but pretty unsucessful. By the time I'd taken off and landed I didnt have much time to even think. I found that my front wheel was getting about 20cm of height, with my rear wheel about 15cm high before levelling out and landing(usually both wheels at same time or slightly rear wheel first). Couldn't seem to get the rear wheel any higher. Hoping it will come with practice however any tips at all would be most welcome!
Many thanks and apologies for the waffle!
Louisa
Been riding about a year now on local xc trails and been to a few trail centres. Off to Glentress in 5 weeks for the 2nd time (first time just did blue route) and want to get to grips with tabletops / general jumping to make the most of the freeride park and spooky wood!
Luckily I live about 2mins ride from an old quarry area used by dirt jumpers and there are some small tables and lips already built. Yesterday I spend about half an hour on the same natural lip (upwards dirt/gravel ramp onto a 4-metre long flat landing....imagine a natural tabletop with a very long flat section to land on) where after a few attempts suprisingly managed to get the rear wheel about 3 inches into the air. Soon got tired though after having already been on a ride and felt myself starting to wander in the air / feeling uneven.
Went back this evening with a fresh mind and tried again. I've read online so many different methods of jumping that I'm finding it difficult to visualise it properly.
Is this roughly correct for landing on the flat of a tabletop- or do you have different techniques?: Pedals level on approach, on riding up the lip push down with legs/arms and crouch to pump the bike into the takeoff.... then do you pull up on the bars (as you would if unweighting the front wheel over an obstacle) or lean back / throw body forwards or upwards / stay neutral as you leave the lip? Then what in the air... push forward, or down, or just stay neutral? So many variables to think about in such little time!
This evening I was compressing into the takeoff, and trying to bring the pedals up with my feet, but pretty unsucessful. By the time I'd taken off and landed I didnt have much time to even think. I found that my front wheel was getting about 20cm of height, with my rear wheel about 15cm high before levelling out and landing(usually both wheels at same time or slightly rear wheel first). Couldn't seem to get the rear wheel any higher. Hoping it will come with practice however any tips at all would be most welcome!
Many thanks and apologies for the waffle!
Louisa
TBH it's basically impossible to explain in writing - it's just down to practise. You should be leaving the lip and landing on the downslope as part of a natural curve.
The best way to learn is to start small - hopping off roots on downhill sections, then working your way up to tabletops then doubles/step ups/stepdowns.
The best way to learn is to start small - hopping off roots on downhill sections, then working your way up to tabletops then doubles/step ups/stepdowns.
Don't try and "rotate" in the air, that way a hard alnding lies.
Sounds like you're getting there. You want a rear wheel first landing, letting the rear wheel make contact gently before you load it with your weight, then bring the front to gorund gradually too. No sacks of spuds.
Jsut build up gently with jumps you know. I surprised the hell out of myself in Brechfa forest after a 10 year layoff from mountainbiking. Jumped on my new bike, threw myself down the red runs, and was doing table tops and bridging double jumps like I had no fear! Crazy.
Sounds like you're getting there. You want a rear wheel first landing, letting the rear wheel make contact gently before you load it with your weight, then bring the front to gorund gradually too. No sacks of spuds.
Jsut build up gently with jumps you know. I surprised the hell out of myself in Brechfa forest after a 10 year layoff from mountainbiking. Jumped on my new bike, threw myself down the red runs, and was doing table tops and bridging double jumps like I had no fear! Crazy.
Have you seen the Mountain Biking Skills magbook that is in the shops at the moment? There's a double page picture sequence in there that shows it pretty clearly.
One quite helpful thing it says is if you think of a tabletop as bump with the top cut off, your bike wants to follow the path it would follow if you were just riding over the bump that would have been there.
One quite helpful thing it says is if you think of a tabletop as bump with the top cut off, your bike wants to follow the path it would follow if you were just riding over the bump that would have been there.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff