Dirt Jumping- Need Help

[Chubz]

Ok, so I'm older (40) but I cant shake the young man's hobbies. I got back into mountain biking this summer after 10 years off and picked up a Downhill Rig and enjoyed the lift assisted days at my local mountain. Even raced and got 5th in the 40+ cat. some runs at the mtn are dedicated to jumping but some really big stuff, table tops, hips, those ones that look like quarterpipes but kids still clear the gaps.

With that, I also got the dirt jump bug and picked up 26" DJ bike a couple weeks ago. I found the local DJ course yesterday, so I gave it a whirl. I started off on a tabletop about 2.5' high, 12 feet long. I proceeded to practice this for about 20 runs until I was clearing it smoothly, while relaxed in the air. the peak of the take of was slightly rounded

I then picked one of the gap jumps, that was about 3' in height X 9' gap, with a more abrupt vertical take off. I figured this would alter the effect of the takeoff and being in the air, but there were no other small table tops with a more abrupt takeoff to practice.

So I just went for it, I cleared the gap, but felt awkward in the air and one foot off and rode away. i dropped in again, hit the lip, it kicked weird and I free fell about 8' to the bottom of the landing ramp and rattling my bucket pretty hard. Brushed off and back to the table top.

For anyone that does do DJing, besides practice, is there a certain body position to be in to flow up and off the more abrupt take off lip and not get kicked? I would assume it is also a rhythm thing. Lastly, most of the jumpers I have seen there in the past are on 20", would the wheel circumference and transition affect the take as well?

Thanks

Greg

[Gecko]

I DJ'd on a 24" and I did find some jumps to be tight but not to the point that they were undoable just that I had to work the jump more. Gaps are a mind thing....not that they are harder to do than tables just that the perceived (and real) cost for a mistake is harsher. To start, work on making the jumps, I went at gaps with a race oriented pre-jumping tactic staying low and clearing the gap rather than trying to get air. Don't let the jump dictate your air you need to control it or you will be chucked.

[inkaholic]

Like Gecko, I ride a 24" but would love to get a modern 26" dj bike.

http://www.leelikesbikes.com/ has a lot of great info and so does his book written with World Champ Brian Lopes.

One thing that may be making the take off weird is too low of tire pressure(especially front). When you squish into the face of a jump the g-forces will deform the tire. If the pressure is too low then it will deform unevenly causing you to take off in strange directions.

Getting used to the gaps the kids are building these days is really a mental thing. We, as older riders, look at the geometry and it doesn't quite compute, but the younguns are doing it anyway.

Night mtb ride for me tonight. Good luck Chubz

Ink

[Chubz]

Thanks

all good stuff. I did think about the tire squish thing towards the later part of the session, but the pump was a mile away in the car.

I do have the lopez book and its great read.

I found the dirt jumper site and was trying to observe the body postion when riders are at the top of the lip and suprisingly, legs are extended, rider standing up vertically, handlebar bar near stomach/chest.

I know the gaps are mental and I did go thru the visualizing, it was just the change in take off point was bucking me oddly. I will work on it and get timing down. My dad has some space at his place he said he would let me set up a mini pump track for the kids and I will thrown i some smaller abrupt table tops. to get that timing down.

[inkaholic]

Chubz,

I had small dj's in the yard but KarverKai wanted me to round them off so that he could ride them. Now they are closer to pump track style. Still fun to mess around with but no air. I want to learn more dj but didn't get to any spots till a couple weeks ago. We ride skateparks more often and hit the BMX track once in a while. Have fun!

Keep the rubber side down

Ink

[Gecko]

on the tire pressure thing....the jumps if well made are as hard as concrete so make sure your tires are at street pressure....you will find landings a lot easier than soft tire.