Today’s two-minute video tip (closer to three minutes actually) is on one of my favorite skills! The bump jump is an almost zero energy replacement for the bunny hop, as long as there is a bump available. I first learned this following World Champion Myles Rockwell in practice at the Mount Snow NORBA National in 1996. It has become a staple in my riding ever since.
First, watch the video and then read my more detailed tutorial below.
Another thing I learned from a great racer and teammate, Ryan Sutton was not to take the smooth line fast but to take the fast line smooth. This should be every mountain bikers motto as it pays off big! What this means is often the fastest line may be rougher but if you can do it smoothly it will be faster and more efficient. An example is going around the “root ball” of a tree. Often, a tree’s roots are spread out in a half circle six feet or more away from the tree. So if the trail goes right next to the tree you have to make a six foot detour to go around the roots. What if you floated over those roots in a straight line instead? That would be more efficient, faster and most of all more fun!
Roots aren’t the only thing that can be bump jumped, I’ve used on three-foot diameter logs on the old Purgatory Downhill track in Durango, over a series of roots and rocks in Angel Fire, NM, over tall roots in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia (the wetter the climate the more the roots are above ground) and I use it probably 5-10 times a day on the rough trails of Moab.
Here is a deeper breakdown of the bump jump.
- Start with enough speed to clear the obstacle.
- Approach the bump coasting, standing in a centered neutral position (weight pressing into the pedals, hinged at the hips, chest down in a “half pushup” position) while looking ahead (looking to your landing, not looking at your bump).
- Gently load your front suspension by pushing down with your hands (straightening your arms a few inches)
- Time it so you finish the “loading” just before impact with the bump (a root, rock, stump, anything 1-3 inches high that won’t move, the more square the better.
- Let the impact bounce your wheel into the air and push your hands back up the amount you pushed down or more if you need more height
- As hands are being pushed up, start to load your rear suspension by extending your legs a bit. This is a crucial step as you need to bounce the rear wheel over the bump also. Many riders when learning this instinctively do a “cheater bunny hop” as the front wheel is popping up. DON’T do that. If you yank the rear wheel up you are A. wasting energy but more importantly B. You are starting to fly when your rear wheel is a bike length from the first bump, you have greatly shortened the distance of your bump jump. Be patient and let that wheel hit the bump.
- As the rear tire hits the bump, relax your legs and let the bump push your knees towards your chest. This will level out your flight. Also, keep your goal in mind, if it is distance, practice getting as little height as possible and practically skimming over the tops of the obstacles. If your goal is height pop a little harder by compressing a little deeper (this is a really subtle move though, compress too hard and you will just slow yourself down, getting the right compression takes a few attempts!)
- Relax and fly! As you get better at bump jumping you can focus on getting “backside” when you are landing. Instead of plopping down hard out of the sky if you can set your rear tire down on the back edge of a root, log or rock you can use that like a landing ramp and get a little acceleration and a smoother landing. (Again, with practice, coming up short can end badly!)
With a little practice, this will become one of your favorite skills. If you are more comfortable clipped in learn it that way but, once you are confident with the bump jump practice with flat pedals, they will give you a much better feel for the timing.
This should feel easy and like you are letting it happen. There is no pulling, yanking or much effort at all. It is all about the timing.
I hope you learned a lot from this tutorial, let me know about your bump jumps in the comments. If you know anyone who would benefit from this tutorial feel free to share it. Tune in next week for my next two-minute tip on the most important part of body position. It will get you riding stronger with more comfort!
I relaxed, saw the line I wanted to take, found my balance and went through the section very controlled – it was great!
Thanks Gene! I’ve been following your tips/advice for several years now via email alerts. I am excited still every time I see a new post. Enjoying the Videos, your the man!
Hi Chris, you are welcome. Feels great to hear you say you are excited about my articles!
Hi Gene, how would this translate to a hardtail (if it can) with regard to not having any rear suspension to load ?
Hi Peter, great question! I have done it on hardtail with plus size tires and a hardtail fat bike, with big tires and low pressure it is actually easier than on a full-suspension. I have not tried to do a bump jump on a hardtail with normal tires (will try if I can borrow a hardtail, I’m out of the country and only have a full suspension bike with me) but, if it is like most other skills that involve “loading the rear suspension” it will be a little harder but doable. You can still load the rear chainstay (especially on a chromoly frame or titanium frame) and the rear tire and get some “pop”. I would suspect the timing is more important as suspension can make up for less than perfect timing as it is more forgiving.
Please let us know how it goes