Jumping..one leg slightly off peg..why?

[gsxr_srad_1000]

Hello everyone, I am starting to streamline my riding and jumping style and noticed A/B riders doing something during jumps that caught my attention. i noticed that upon leaving the jump, in somewhat mid-air, the riders would take their left or right foot off the peg slightly and put it back on before the landing. Does anyone know what the significance of this is, if any? The riders were not "whipping" or anything, it seemed like they were adjusting their boddies but at the same time I didn't notice any real adjuments while they were in the air. I am comfortable jumping table tops, doubles, tripples, taking both feet off the pegs in the air and using braking and acceleration to control bike in the air, but I never felt the need to take a foot off slightly for anything. If anytying I guess I am just curious.

-Paul

 

[BigRedAF]

Have you ever bunny hopped a bicycle? Same thing if done correctly.

The purpose of raising a foot as you leave the jump face is too unload the suspension to get more height to clear a jump when you didn't hit it fast enough to clear it with normal technique.

Sometimes on a double at a track out here I'll left my right heel up to the side plate after launching a double coming out of a corner with a very short run at the jump face. This just further assists the seat hop and gets the front end down for the landing.

A lot of guys in general just lift a foot because they think it's cool, they're not really accomplishing anything.

An other technique, one that I use for long tables with a shallow ramp is to hit the face stiff legged to compress the suspension fully allowing the rebound to get me high for the distance. Be careful if you try this on a short table with any speed or you will over jump and land flat and hard.

 

[Isobareng]

I like to lift my right foot so I can stab the rear break if I need to which is hard if the front of the bike is really high and my foot is still on the peg.

D

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

it cools the foot peg off! What Red said, more height. I would bet most racers do not even realize they are doing it. Just momentum and flow.

 

[oldguy]

And here I just thought they were readjusting the "boys" for the landing :yikes: ;)

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

And here I just thought they were readjusting the "boys" for the landing :yikes: ;)

Gravity and momentum takes care of that!

 

[BigRedAF]

By the way, the right side panel works best for a heal lift since the silencer causes it to bulge out making it a better place to get grip...

 

[JD_MXRacer]

haha when i started jumping i did this on accident. one or sometimes both of my feet would just float off the pegs. i would land and my butt and feet would slam back down. it wasnt the best feeling.

 

[BigRedAF]

Landing on your butt is a good way to break your back, keep your feet on the pegs when landing.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

If I was around, your seat would be off the bike! NO SEAT FOR YOU! Next, use your legs and arms like shock absorbers.

 

[oldguy]

haha when i started jumping i did this on accident. one or sometimes both of my feet would just float off the pegs. i would land and my butt and feet would slam back down. it wasnt the best feeling.

Now that IS re-adjusting the boys :yikes:

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Back in the day, that would have put them 2 dents in the tank. You learned a lot quicker with a metal tank, stop your privates from bouncing off them, preferably!

 

[gsxr_srad_1000]

Fellas, Thanks for the all the replies and knowledge on this subject matter. I did alot of BMX riding back in the day (Diamond Backs Rock!!) and when I bunny hopped I never took my foot off so maybe that is why it's hard for me to grasp this concept. I guess I am not giving the suspension enough credit since taking your foot off at the face will unload some compression. On the other hand, I can visually see why taking the right foot off will make it easier to tap that rear brake if need be. Thanks for all the replies, I have a clearer understanding of why this is necessary.

-Paul

 

[maxrevs666]

Sometimes I think a person is better off starting as a virgin to riding 2 wheeled machines. I used to ride mountain bikes and still have to fight the urge to pull up sharply on the bars to get the front wheel over obstacles when the only tool I need is the throttle, D'oh.

 

[BigRedAF]

McGrath was and still is a great BMX rider, skills and bike control transfer to this sport. He plays around on Pit Bike style CRF50 types and uses a great deal of BMX skills on those little suckers.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

I don't know about going from BMX to MX, but I tried the other way and failed miserably! I gave up on the suspensionless, motorless things before they hurt me (any worse).

 

[d_alexand]

Bmx

McGrath was and still is a great BMX rider, skills and bike control transfer to this sport. He plays around on Pit Bike style CRF50 types and uses a great deal of BMX skills on those little suckers.

+1 for BMX.
Most mx schools recommend that the parents get the younger kids into bmx racing if possible when they aren't riding/racing dirtbikes, and I've also seen a local "up and coming" MXer using BMX racing for conditioning.

 

[JD_MXRacer]

i also rode bmx. i only raced competitively for a season