Can middle age guys jump?

[eccc whippet]

just for the record...i have spoken to 2 middle aged fellas...with the same story...both where riding slowly over small jumps...both went over the handlebars...both taken to hospital  with neck/back injuries. 

 

so maybe going over small jumps slowly is the not the solution...but rather basic skills training for us older folk who think we can ride like pros because we rode bicycles 50 years ago. 

 

i will admit...i ride like i am still 20 (just battle up the hills with the weight and cant see the trail because my eye sight is shot) yet i am clueless when it comes to skills on a mtb. 

[MTBeer]

Big jumps - the reward is not worth the risk in my opinion.

[ChrisF]

just for the record...i have spoken to 2 middle aged fellas...with the same story...both where riding slowly over small jumps...both went over the handlebars...both taken to hospital  with neck/back injuries. 

 

so maybe going over small jumps slowly is the not the solution...but rather basic skills training for us older folk who think we can ride like pros because we rode bicycles 50 years ago. 

 

i will admit...i ride like i am still 20 (just battle up the hills with the weight and cant see the trail because my eye sight is shot) yet i am clueless when it comes to skills on a mtb. 

 

Would be interesting to know more about these two incidents ....

 

1) jump gone bad ?

 

2) lapse of concentration, caught off guard and was not ready to roll the jump ?

 

 

So easy to get relaxed and to enjoy the scenery ....  My closest shave was not on a downhill, but an erosion ditch on a level section, as my attention was elsewhere ....

 

I ALWAYS stop, have a sip of water, catch my breath and make sure I am "ready" before going down a single track .... (touch wood)

[gkp]

Gents, if you want to do a bit better in the jumping department, there are a couple of guys who run afternoon sessions on this - tell you how to manual, basics of jumping, landing, etc. It really is a great afternoon - you get to practice SO much that you feel better.....and jumping is really all about confidence on the bike.

 

It's a couple of hundred bucks, but if it can save you a major crash, money well spent. 

[Grebel]

Jumping is easy. Landing is the issue....

 

At my age (47) the whole worst case scenario flashed through my head right up to the point with me arriving at work on crutches or with no skin on my arm/face/leg and trying to explain to my colleagues that I fell off my bicycle....

 

That and the fact that I mostly ride on my own as none of my mates want to do that "stoopid sh!t" Generally I tend to err on the side of caution.

 

Mostly rather roll back to the trail center in one piece than hobble back all bent!

 

Cascades have a jumping progression area with 3 tables next to each other that progressively get bigger. Would be great to have that closer to home at Giba but far enough away from the picnic area so that the little guys stay off it.

[FrikkieMeyer87]

The reality is that jumping is not a clean-cut black and white concept where you either compete at DarkFest, or stick to riding jeeptrack. Tabletops are the best for learning in my opinion because if you end up landing short, you can still make it, but you can also klap it hard and land lekker on the other side. They also come in every possible size imaginable to it's easy to upskill to the big ones as you get more comfortable on the smaller ones.

 

That being said, skills clinics are kind of a must-do if you'd like to achieve as much as possible in the shortest possible time. And then of course you get 50 year olds, and you get 50 year olds. Those that do the Epic every year will most likely have no problem learning how to do big jumps, whereas the the ones who only ride 5km on Sunday mornings and spend the rest of the week asleep in the lazy boy in front of the TV, wearing a stained vest and boxers with a bag of Cheetos balancing on their belly, probably not.

[The Ghost]

Yeah having done myself a spinal and hip fracture in my younger years I'm a tentative jumper now at 41 yrs of age. I still enjoy a little air on the small XC jumps, but I still tend to get that front wheel coming down too darn soon, and thats exactly what resulted in my big crash.

 

I would like to get a bit better at it, but I suppose I'll have to make the time and get some coaching. Sigh.

[Delarey]

All the comments about the dropper post pushed me over the edge, so I placed my order. Hopefully this will help keep me out of hospital.

 

I totally agree the risk benefit does not make sense on the big jumps, but some airtime on the smaller jumps does add a lot of fun and exhilaration to my riding experience. I have such a range of jumps to choose from at G Spot and Mont Marie that I will not run out of range any time soon. My plan is to stick to the ones that I can currently do and really work on my form before I think about moving on to anything bigger. 

 

I also notice this morning on G Spot that fitness has a lot to do with it as well. Once you get to the bottom it is easier to hit that jump if you are not out of breath or have sore arms and legs.

[FrikkieMeyer87]

Yeah having done myself a spinal and hip fracture in my younger years I'm a tentative jumper now at 41 yrs of age. I still enjoy a little air on the small XC jumps, but I still tend to get that front wheel coming down too darn soon, and thats exactly what resulted in my big crash.

 

I would like to get a bit better at it, but I suppose I'll have to make the time and get some coaching. Sigh.

 

I think that's something that you'll find a lot of people who aren't trail-crazy experience. A dropper post will help a lot with getting your weight back unobstructed, that along with a short stem and wide bars made the difference for me. I'm no mega-jumper, but when I do jump those three things are what keep me balanced and in control. Thanks to Myles for the Rapide ControlPack recommendation

[Jewbacca]

You get 50, and then you get Julien Louw....

[Baracuda]

43 and very keen to learn to jump properly. If anyone can recommend a skills coach in CT, please shout.

 

After breaking a shoulder blade, cracking a cheek bone and hitting a few trees, these are lessons so far:

 

1. Watch lots of youtube clips, especially the older guys giving tuition. I was doing it completely incorrectly at first. Pulling up on the bars instead of pushing out and forwards etc. In hind sight it is perfectly obvious why I was going over the bars. I have found this guy's series really helpful:

 

 

2. Bike set up. My suspension, especially the rear was far too soft and then the rebound was nuts, sending one flying over the bars. My bike is now set up by a pro and is completely stable and predictable in the air.

 

3. Kit: We really do need a full face helmet and knee pads for this, plus elbow pads if possible. A dropper post helps enormously.

 

4. Just start small. I don't have any plans for massive 8 ft jumps, but just want to be able to ride that 1-2 foot jobbies in Tokai and Jonkershoek over the little gaps.

 

5. Lastly, I find watching these sort of clips works well in terms of gees / stoke:

 

 

Seriously, what I have pick up from Aaron is that sometimes you just got to get your weight low and back (dropping the seat) and then just let go of the breaks and fly. It generally works.

[banna]

Also try to ride with guys who are more skilled than you at technical riding. Amazing how much you pick up (and how much quicker you improve) by just watching what they're doing (riding better lines, entry speed to jumps etc).  

[Borriz]

I believe the problem with older blokes trying to jump is that we tend to think about it a lot more than a youngster, what if I fall, what if I break something on my bike, what if I break some bones....youngsters just see a jump and hit it.

youngster see a jump and they think "if I break something and dont have to go to school", if we break something we think "how will this affect my salary end of the month" :-)

[nigelhicks]

The OP also mentioned manualling at some point - 

 

Build this .... 

 

you can even use your old indoor trainer if you want ....

[Meezo]

nwoob here, what's the difference of a xc jump and a normal jump?

[Christie]

A dropper post will help a lot with getting your weight back unobstructed, that along with a short stem )

+1

Dropper saved me some medical expenses a few times now.