# How to dirt jump?



## IonicRipper (Oct 26, 2006)

Ok since now i've only did street riding and i wanna start doing dirt jumps. I need a theoretical tutorial on how to do dirt jumps correctly. I know theres a technique and i dont wanna start until i know it... dont wanna end up landing on my head .


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## xray (May 5, 2005)

I hate to be blunt... (and almost an ass about it)

...but go out and ride some. Practice.


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## IonicRipper (Oct 26, 2006)

That doesnt help me alot... I have absolutly no experiance what so ever in dirt jumping.


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

Roll up to jump at a speed in which you feel confident will make you clear it(Remember, it's a lot better to overshoot a jump than to case it, casing hurts you and your bike, and unless you like pain, that's a bad thing). Jump. Rinse, repeat.

If you know how to bunny hop, you also know how to boost off a lip. Make sure you pull evenly though, and do not throw your weight back too much, landing on your ass is definitely not fun either.

Keep weight as centered over the bike as possible when in the air to ensure a safe landing. Depending on tranny, you can land both wheels at once or slightly rear wheel first, never front wheel first(your shoulders would hate you if you did that).


Start small and stay small until you could do it with a blindfold, with your hands handcuffed, with a pit of snakes in between the landing and the lip. What I mean is, don't rush it, everyone progresses at a different pace, never try something you're not quite confortable to hit.

Once you get all of this down. Throw some style in there.


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## xray (May 5, 2005)

Snaky's advice is good (certainly a better post than my first one), but I still think you should just go ride. I can see getting a few pointers, but then its YOU. You cant learn to ride a bike from a book.

You will fall, **** will happen... thats what you learn from.


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## IonicRipper (Oct 26, 2006)

Thanks snaky69, thats good advice. Im use to jump and land on flat land, i never took a landing.

I know i cant learn to ride by reading, but at least now i've got somewhere to start from.


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## dirtyharry (Jun 27, 2006)

watch some videos, see how it's done, go out until you hurt yourself too much to jump.


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## B100 (Dec 14, 2005)

I tell everyone who wants to jump that they should be able to do two things reasonably well before they hit a DJ: 1) bunnyhop at least 12" high on platform pedals, only tweaking sideways when they want to, and 2) manual for at least 5-6 ft without looping out.

Bunnyhop off curbs, and the driveway to curb curved tranition, speedbumps, and up curbs (of course). Then bunnyhop some more.

Then watch some guys DJ in person and give er hell.


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## aggiebiker (Apr 18, 2006)

spot your landing, dont be too scared to fall (because you will fall), and huck it mad styley


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## xray (May 5, 2005)

B100 said:


> I tell everyone who wants to jump that they should be able to do two things reasonably well before they hit a DJ: 1) bunnyhop at least 12" high on platform pedals, only tweaking sideways when they want to, and 2) manual for at least 5-6 ft without looping out.
> 
> Bunnyhop off curbs, and the driveway to curb curved tranition, speedbumps, and up curbs (of course). Then bunnyhop some more.
> 
> Then watch some guys DJ in person and give er hell.


I still can't manual worth **** (literally cant do 6ft most of the time) but can DJ as good as most.

I'll agree with your point though, if someone can do that they should be fine on the DJ's.

Just start small and work from there. I started when I could bunnyhop like 4", and I've never ridden anything I havnt helped shovel.

PS ive been drinking so im sorry if the spelling is horrid... i live in a residnce and go to college wtf do you expect


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## Cru Jones (Aug 10, 2006)

Ever thought about racing BMX? IMO, that's the best way to learn. You can always tell the riders that have a BMX background... they are usually smooth as butter on the dirt jumps.


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## dirtyharry (Jun 27, 2006)

I can't manual well either, but I hit DJ's (actually I pulled a nice one today, but since I'm really bad at grabbing my brake, I fell on my ass). I started Djing when I could barely hop over a 4 inch log, but now I can get over something a foot high.


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## J-dogg (Aug 7, 2006)

i cannot bunnyhop but i can outboosta ton of ppl and dirtyharry can vouch. and tech stuff. but i like going big and not falling


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## cholo (Nov 25, 2006)

Wanna learn to dirt jump?

START RACING BMX.

I'm sure many think it's lame, but most of the best jumpers out there raced BMX at some point. Most BMX tracks have rhythm sections with no gaps, like table tops and step-ups in a series. The advantage of this is you'll learn how to pump though a rhythm, utilize the backside of jumps to keep your speed up and flow through without the consequence of not making the gaps. Plus you get to mix it up with some other riders in the process. BMX tracks, for the most part, have milder jumps than the local jumpa trails; if you case a table top, you're less likely to jack yourself up.

In a nutshell, I guess the trick to rhythm-type dirt jumps is to utilize the backsides. It's all about the backsides...If you sorta decompress yourself into the backsides of the jump, you'll kinda get a free boost of speed and this will carry you into the next hit and then it starts all over again. Pumping the backside is the key to boosting...

Huh...huh, huh, huh...he said pump backside...


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## TXhucker (Jul 7, 2006)

Go with someone who can jump. Watch them. Ask them for advice. Follow them right up to the lip of the jump so can feel the correct speed. Most DJ's are slower than you think. Lots of people think you need a lot of speed to clear a 10 foot gap. Not necessarily. 

The first couple times, don't worry about the backside. Just get yourself over the gap without nosing over into an endo. Be prepared to land on the flat, preferably rear wheel first. Once you've got that, slow down a little and land on the backside. Try to land with both wheels at the same time. Contrary to another post, it is Ok to land front wheel first, IF you're landing high on the backside. I do it all the time. 

As you get better, learn to suck the bike up to you as you float in the air. Similar to bunny hopping. Learn to move the bike around under you as you float. This is key as all DJ's are not the same and you have to learn to adjust in mid-flight. Some jumps you really have to boost or bunny hop off the lip. Yet others you can just ride off with no boost at all. Braking the rear wheel in the air will help to push the front of the bike down. The hardest part for me to learn was to push the nose down. I was too scared of this at first and always landed rear wheel first. This led to many loop outs. 

The key is to STAY RELAXED. If you're tense and nervous, you're more apt to crash. Of course the first few times you are going to be tense and nervous. It's just part of the game. Your confidence will build as you improve. Turning the bars slightly while air-borne will help your body to relax. 

Try to land on the backside and use your arms and legs to absorb the landing. As soon as you start up the lip, look for and spot your landing. Don't necessarily stare at it and focus on it. Just look at it so you know where it is. If you're going through a line of DJ's, you are already looking at and planning your next jump while landing the current one. 

Start small, wear safety gear/pads/gloves, work your way up, be patient, and WEAR A FREAKIN HELMET.

OH and if you're DJing, don't be a jerk. Pick up a shovel or broom and help out maintaining the jumps. Jumps don't fix themselves. Many times you HAVE to work on teh jumps before you can ride them. Ask your peeps for advice on how to repair jumps. I've seen folks with good intentions do more damage than good.


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## mrpercussive (Apr 4, 2006)

TXhucker said:


> Go with someone who can jump. Watch them. Ask them for advice. Follow them right up to the lip of the jump so can feel the correct speed. Most DJ's are slower than you think. Lots of people think you need a lot of speed to clear a 10 foot gap. Not necessarily.


i strongly agree with this... was at my first day dirt jumping the other day. At the end of the day with the help of 3 very helpful DJumpers, i was jumping a 7foot gap despite having 2 crashes. One cause i took the jump way too fast and landed front first. Thankgod for the helmet and camelback which protected my back as i dragged down the rest of the trail. The other was me being to tense and bailed at the last minute. Learned the hard way that you gotta be relaxed and commit to what you're doing before you do it... It was a good day though and i learned how to DJ... XD


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## jimage (Dec 22, 2006)

the best way to learn how to jump is to have a go everyones got there own style and if you take other peoples techneek you dont have your own style your just copieing them and dont be afrade to crash we all do it when were learning


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## Swell Guy (Jan 20, 2005)

*Clipped-in bad idea?*

Thanks for all the suggestions. Noob jumper here (2 months or so), primarily ride all mountain with some DJ'ing thrown in there. I'm now clearing 2-4' gaps on a slope on my VP Free, not boosting them too high, not crashing too much, mostly on off-center landings going into the weeds. Can land back wheel first or flat, my VP's 7" of travel keeps landings smoooooth.

Here's the question - I'm jumping it clipped in. Is this a bad idea? I don't know how to bunny hop, so I guess it's a bit of a crutch. Should I start doing it unclipped? Should I learn how to bunny hop first? I do have platform pedals (with spd clips).

Also, any suggestions on proper ways to crash? Mostly I just try to unclip and run it out or dab. Haven't had anything major except going sideways into the weeds. I'm pretty stoked about jumping, but pretty paranoid about crashing.

Thanks in advance.

How did I learn to jump? Followed a bunch of kids down the trail one day. They must've been no older that 17. I saw they clearing all the stunts I rode around. I said to myself, "If they can do that, I ****ing can." After that, I just started going for it. I'm 45.


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

Clipped in and DJ is a big No-no! You want to be able to bail out at any given time, and the less time it takes the better. You might look into a hardtail, those jump an awful lot better, but the vp-free musn't be too bad.

When I'm in the air and I just know I'm about to crash like a load of bricks, I throw the bike as far away from me as I can and I tuck and roll. I'd rather have a broken bike than broken bones, a wallet heals a lot faster.


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## mrpercussive (Apr 4, 2006)

snaky69 said:


> Clipped in and DJ is a big No-no! You want to be able to bail out at any given time, and the less time it takes the better. You might look into a hardtail, those jump an awful lot better, but the vp-free musn't be too bad.
> 
> When I'm in the air and I just know I'm about to crash like a load of bricks, I throw the bike as far away from me as I can and I tuck and roll. I'd rather have a broken bike than broken bones, a wallet heals a lot faster.


i dont know dude... i cant ride without clipless... my feet are always in the air when i ride platforms. Plus, you can manipulate the rear end more with clipless anyways and after riding clipless for sometime, clipping it just second nature... you will clipout everytime you bail whether you notice or not...

Also, majority of DJers in my area ride clipless...


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## EVIL E (Feb 28, 2005)

cholo said:


> Wanna learn to dirt jump?
> 
> START RACING BMX.
> 
> ...


a good handful of the top mtb riders in all categories used to race bmx even bearclaw and look at that guy...you can instantly tell guys who raced they are SMOOTH and good at working the bike in the air


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

mrpercussive said:


> i dont know dude... i cant ride without clipless... my feet are always in the air when i ride platforms. Plus, you can manipulate the rear end more with clipless anyways and after riding clipless for sometime, clipping it just second nature... you will clipout everytime you bail whether you notice or not...
> 
> Also, majority of DJers in my area ride clipless...


Look at all the pros, none ride clipless, and they still can handle the bike fine. I run flats and have no problems throwing the bike around. Clipless is nothing more than a crutch IMO when it comes to dirt jumping. I see their use for full-on DH racing and xc/am riding.


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## mrpercussive (Apr 4, 2006)

snaky69 said:


> Look at all the pros, none ride clipless, and they still can handle the bike fine. I run flats and have no problems throwing the bike around. Clipless is nothing more than a crutch IMO when it comes to dirt jumping. I see their use for full-on DH racing and xc/am riding.


i get you... i'm just saying that i cant run platforms... and there's nothing wrong with DJing with clipless... just because pros run platforms doesnt mean i have too...


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

mrpercussive said:


> i get you... i'm just saying that i cant run platforms... and there's nothing wrong with DJing with clipless... just because pros run platforms doesnt mean i have too...


Oh I know. I just don't like using crutches. I don't like using the rear brake to manual, and I don't like the feel or being clipped in at all, let alone djing that way.

If your feet are moving around on platforms though, either your pedals or your shoes suck. Heck I use some crappy wellgo flats and with my DVS shoes, I can't move around for the life of me unless I unweigh my foot first.

It's all about preference.


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## mrpercussive (Apr 4, 2006)

snaky69 said:


> Oh I know. I just don't like using crutches. I don't like using the rear brake to manual, and I don't like the feel or being clipped in at all, let alone djing that way.
> 
> If your feet are moving around on platforms though, either your pedals or your shoes suck. Heck I use some crappy wellgo flats and with my DVS shoes, I can't move around for the life of me unless I unweigh my foot first.
> 
> It's all about preference.


yeah it's all preference... i have a habit of sliding my shoes onto the pedals cause i ride clipless and i cant do that with platforms... cause they dont slide with the pins... you have to place them ON to the platforms. So it's really hard to get a good position... also, when i'm in the air or bunny hopping, i forget about the platforms at time and pull my feet off from the pedals... Me noob... XD

Still, clipless is easy for me... even when i ride platforms... i realise i tend to kick my heels out... lol


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## PLURPIMPIN (Nov 3, 2005)

i felt that way back when i rode xc. but if you just ride on flats for a week or 2 not using clipless at all you'll realize flats are the only way to go for jumping. you just have to take the time to get used to them. my bike handling skills never increased quicker than when i went from clips to flats and learned how to do a real bunnyhop.


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## E30Evolution (Sep 18, 2004)

Just practice jay hops then find a smaller jump and hit it. Make sure to pull up the front end when and you'll be fine if you're on small jumps. Just go out and ride and practice. You could sit and here and read about how people tell you to hit jumps for hours on end then go out and totally eat it on your first jump. You just need to start small and work your way up. As long as you don't get in over your head you'll be fine.


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## free rider (Nov 14, 2005)

E30Evolution said:


> Just practice jay hops then find a smaller jump and hit it. Make sure to pull up the front end when and you'll be fine if you're on small jumps. Just go out and ride and practice. You could sit and here and read about how people tell you to hit jumps for hours on end then go out and totally eat it on your first jump. You just need to start small and work your way up. As long as you don't get in over your head you'll be fine.


not to start another jay/bunny hop argument..........


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## E30Evolution (Sep 18, 2004)

free rider said:


> not to start another jay/bunny hop argument..........


Who the hell cares? Jay/bunny hop I don't care what you call it. Practice pulling up your front tire then lifting up you rear. You know what I'm talking about.


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## Swell Guy (Jan 20, 2005)

snaky69 said:


> Clipped in and DJ is a big No-no! You want to be able to bail out at any given time, and the less time it takes the better. You might look into a hardtail, those jump an awful lot better, but the vp-free musn't be too bad.
> 
> When I'm in the air and I just know I'm about to crash like a load of bricks, I throw the bike as far away from me as I can and I tuck and roll. I'd rather have a broken bike than broken bones, a wallet heals a lot faster.


I hear you on clipped in, that's why I asked the question. Getting away from your bike though? Unless it's totally tweaked to the side and you can't recover before landing, not sure why you would do this. If I'm coming down from 6' in the air at a high rate of speed, I want the suspension (in my case) of my bike cushioning my fall. Hit the ground from 6' up at the speeds I travel seems like a recipe for breaking something (and I'm not talking about my bike!).

Hey, circumstance might have solved the issue today. I pulled one of my cleats completely off the shoe today while bailing from a log-roll. Doh! Maybe I'll stop using my crutch now. Still like the feel of "clipped in" when I'm bombing down the mountain, though.


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## frisky_zissou (Jun 4, 2006)

what is a jay hop? i can bunny hop fine should i learn to jay hop?


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

tom2304 said:


> what is a jay hop? i can bunny hop fine should i learn to jay hop?


It's the same thing as people calling a drop a huck. They're the same thing.


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## Frankenschwinn (Jan 20, 2004)

Try this

http://www.rebel-media.tv/downloads.html


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## 9.8m/s/s (Sep 26, 2005)

snaky69 said:


> It's the same thing as people calling a drop a huck. They're the same thing.


Nope. A bunny hop involves lifting both wheels off the ground at the same time, a j-hop starts with a manual before the rear wheel is lifted. Bunny hops will get you hurt, j-hops will get you to the next level.


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## rolling racer (Oct 2, 2006)

hey a good way to learn is just to watch other people do it. It is better if you know some people that can do it really well but if u dont watch movies. theres a good mtb site called www.mtbmovies.com . Give it a shot. also u need to be not scared to try new things. If u dont try new things u will never progress


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