a:A History of Mountain Biking - Pt. 3

Jumping and dropoffs (article 3of4)


By Alex Strzetelski
Finding “air” is the thing that most extreme riders are interested in as they approach a more advanced version of mountain biking. In these forms the rider is spending most of their time in the air rather than on the ground. The process of getting to the air only involves gaining enough speed so that “big air” can be found. In the case of dropoffs, this is not too much of a concern given the nature of what a drop off is. But, nonetheless a certain amount of speed is needed to navigate this type of terrain regardless of what may lie on the other side.

Dirt jumping has been in existence since bikes were invented. There really is nothing like flying through the air. Adding some tricks along the way is a relatively new concept as BMX riders experimented decades ago.

In the first few years of the 21st century, however, dirt jumping has evolved from the BMX category into one of its own. Sponsorships are common as well as television programs highlighting the extreme tricks that can be accomplished in rapid succession.

Where the BMX crowd had a bit of a rocky time, with its beginnings, the mountain biking community, in general, has not. The desire of the mountain biking community to integrate itself within local communities has gone a long way to advancing a solid perception of mountain bikers as being responsible neighbors. There will always be a few bad apples in the bunch, on both sides of whatever the issue happens to be, but generally communities’ and mountain bikers work well together.

One aspect that has helped dirt jumping mountain bikers is their outreach to define where they would like to ride and jump. They build jumps within that space and keep it maintained. In some cases there may be clandestine jumping areas but these are, generally, in places people tend not to frequent. For the most part, areas where dirt jumping takes place are located in or near:

Quarries
Less traveled mountainous areas
Sanctioned community locations
Unsanctioned urban locations

There are, however, a few issues on both sides to consider. The first comes from the dirt jumpers’ perspective. If they are to maintain their space for a “dirt jumping park” for bikes how do they secure it for a bike park. If motorcycles were to enter the park it would be demolished in little time. Sanctioned areas can deal with this problem a little more easily than other less monitored areas but the issue remains. The urban jumping community raises other concerns. These concerns are generally raised by merchants and administrators as mountain bike jumpers look for any drop off or jumping opportunity around the urban community the can find.

The end result of this type of jumping is that community assets become damaged or marred and emergency rooms become busier than they already are as riders attempt increasingly difficult jumps and injure themselves.

As the jumping and drop off aspects of mountain biking are explored further by extreme enthusiasts the equipment that they use needs to keep pace. A mountain bike that is designed for cross country or basic touring is not going to last very long in a jumping or drop off application. Some of the modifications that manufacturers are now offering include:

Differing frames
Modified forks
“beefed up” safety gear

Frames

The frame of the jumping or drop off mountain bike takes the brunt of the force from stunts. In many instances the frames will actually break from the forces generated. Because of this manufacturers have begun to offer frames that are specifically designed for jumping or drop offs. Generally, these frames are on the order of an urban bike frame. They have a stiffer back end and considerations are made for the drop outs. Since there will likely be a compression, of the human body let alone the bike frame, when a trick is performed manufacturers incorporated a smaller frame size specifically for jumping. If the mountain bike frame is the correct size for the rider, a jumping frame will probably be about 2 inches shorter.

The hub of the bike is the element most susceptible to cracking or breaking as a result of a jump or a drop off. In a drop off, the rider wants to get their front wheel on the ground as quickly as possible. This is followed by sending torque through the frame, much in the same way it does with a jump landing. As the hub receives this energy it cracks or breaks. Manufacturers have address this issue by producing a replaceable hub or beefing up the hub area. At the moment there is little likelihood that a long term fix is in the making but these modifications are a good start.

Jumping forks

Jumping forks are another area that need to be beefed up. Manufacturers are making these items with a bit more travel to accept the landing. In many instances, manufacturers are making forks that are specifically designed for jumping.

Jumping and dropping safety

As riders continue to push the limits of their drop off and jumping skills there tends to be an increase in injuries. A majority of riders recognize that safety gear is the only a sane decision. Unfortunately, many would be jumpers try to make tricks happen that are far above their capabilities. If this group cannot be convinced that proper safety gear is needed others may step in and make it safe so for them.
In equipment circles, of the jumping and drop off world, the helmet is the key element. A standard helmet really does not meet the real need according to this group. The forces encountered from a 15 foot fall onto a hard wooden or dirt surface simply cracks most helmets. These riders recommend a regular full face motorcycle helmet as the way to go for total head protection.

The other safety elements go without saying but, just in case, the rider might consider: elbow and shin pads, body armor if there are fly rocks about and a solid set of shoes. This last one might be paid a little closer attention to as many riders prefer style in this area rather than practicality. Stray rocks and sticks can put a rider out of commission just as quickly as a head injury, so this not so obvious area of protection should be checked out.
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