Mastering the Pre-Jump on your Bike

The pre-jump is not just for downhillers. Oh no. It's a jump often encountered on a trail and, essentially, performed prior to the main take-off lip. It prevents both bike and rider going airborne and out of control at high speed, instead allowing you to maintain a constant speed, up or down, and over the other side.

The pre-jump is, as it sounds, beginning the jump before hitting the obvious take-off, to land on the backside of the slope, for example, on a downhill. It's basically a small bunnyhop maneuver to clear the lip of a jump with a controlled leap. A common technique applied incorporate into any riding situation, downhill or otherwise. It's key function is to keep driving the speed over a jump without overzealous mid-air antics.

Push the bike forward in the air, as if completing an up-and-over hop maneuver. Keep the weight fairly central over the bike once the initial weight thrust is accomplished, so that a smooth front-wheel landing can be achieved without pitching you over the handlebars.

Compress in the air, keeping a smooth line through the jump, let the bike drop onto the slope ready to put the power down on the pedals and continue the run, whether it be competitive, or simply a hairy day on the trails. How not to do it!
Ride straight at the lip of the jump or drop, launching yourself off for a wobbly rear wheel, or a very flat landing, depending on the severity of the slope the other side. Just ride right off it, slamming a flat landing down the other side, scrubbing out all your momentum, possibly wrecking bike and/or body.