Dropping

There are essentially five ways to drop from a high vertical elevation. These five techniques fit into two categories of sideways drops and forward drops. Sideways drops include sideways hops and sideways back tire lunges. Forward drops include jumping, wheelies and back tire lunges. Given any particular drop, it's possible that any of these techniques will work. However, each technique has advantages and disadvantages and will no doubt end up being applied in different situations.

Of course each of these techniques require different skills. No doubt the easiest of these techniques is the sideways hop. Hopping sideways on a flat surface has been addressed in a previous article here (link). If you can confidently hop sideways with accuracy then you can probably handle a high sideways drop.

Sideways Drops
The great thing about a sideways hop drop is that it is a very controlled maneuver. With two tires on the ground and balance established, just about anyone can drop from a pretty great height since a sideways drop is simply hopping off an edge. Easy! Okay, not quite. There is one thing to keep in mind. You must not land on both wheels, or worse on the front wheel first. You MUST land on your back wheel. This focuses the force through your frame where it is strongest. Landing on both wheels will focus the force through the middle of your frame, creating a tendency to break your bike in half. Landing on the front wheel will snap your fork or handlebars, possibly both. How do you make sure you land on the back tire?

To view the entire article, click here. (Requires Membership)