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Need to check if anyone else has some experience in something that I seemed to of started doing by accident.

Somehow I've started manualing drops and steep hips. Whilst this gives me some good speed on the outside I was wondering if anyone else does it or if it's something that should be changed or improved upon.

I was at Danbury today and on a couple of the bomb holes I was squashing the hip bits and then going for the drop to flat, but ended up manualing on a few occasions down the face.

Does anyone know if it's quicker to go to flat or try with this way, and try pumping the manual?

Going to flat feels a bit clunky on my HT and manualing feels like it looks like an imminent smash.

I'd comment if I had the slightest understanding of what you're describing

Lol - by hip do you mean the face of the jump?

I mean this bit

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/ \. <----

I'm watching this with interest..just come back from Danbury and I errr..go down the slopey bits and up the otherside..ha

Andy

Andy- Was you on a cannondale or silver specialised (I think)?

Not sure I understand what you mean either and I'm no pro but these are my thoughts - a hip jump is a jump with the landing angle 90 degrees or so from the take off so if you mean the landing of the hip when you say "face of the hip" I would not aim manual it - aim to get both wheels down together. Or front slightly first to drag the back into line if you not quite at the right angle. And it's never quicker to go to flat - steeper landings are quicker and safer.

Likewise if you're rolling drops not sure why manualing would get you a better pump at the bottom as when you get to bottom (flat bit) the front wheel would slam down and slow you down and force you energy/speed into the forks travel and force you weigh forward potentially send over the bars. The aim would almost be the opposite – aim to get you weight forward when on the down slope - push the front wheel through the transition at the bottom of the face to the run out and shift you weight back so if anything you might get a little manual on the run out if you pump too hard (no prize for best inuendo comment).

Not that I can do it very well but the idea of 'pumping' manuals would be of use over a quick series of rollers to close together to pump the whole bike through, eg on a bmx or pump track, to stop the front wheel hitting the up parts and slowing you down. Not sure how this would be useful on drops or hip jumps?

It sounds to me as if you might be going too fast over the drop and getting air over the downslope and landing to flat, to keep the same speed aim to bunny hop the lip to the downward face know as pre-jumping, (hard and scary on more vertical drops) you can then keep your speed ride the down slope and pump the transition at the bottom.

I get it I think.... I think your question is "Is it faster if a keep the bike on the ground as much as possible when hitting a jump"? A short answer is yes and you see racers (especially 4x) all the time absorbing the upward energy of the face of the jump and then focring the wheels to the ground as often as possible, in my opinion whether its the front wheel, both or a manual depends on how good you are!!! In my humble opnion manuals are sweet but I agree with you if you are really flying you need your technique bang on.

If it is a single jump as in your great diagram (rather than a double or table top) another good option I use at high speed is to manaul as you approach the take off and push the nose down the landing face (as that really absorbs all the upward energy) and then pump the down face for more free speed!

One note of caution is if you are manualling accidentally on the way down then that would suggest you are too far back on the back and being a bit over defensive of the feature - that is the way misshap! You will be a lot quicker on your bike staying in an agressive pose in full control when you land whether airborne for a while or a short bump. I used to do this technique because I was scared of getting airborne, now I can jump properly (thanks Tony) often a decent bit of airtime is the quickest and flowyest way to move along the trial a lot of landings on a well built trail are a good distance away as they assume people can jump a bike!

I love how creative we can all be finding different ways to fall off!

Nigel

Black Big Hit spesh.

Thanks to all for the full replies. Truly.

By reading them all and a tiny bit of visualisation I think that currently I either need to slow down on the down bit or try my hand an doing a bunny hop into the down bit, then pump it.

I reckon I'm also too far back and flowing with this specific feature. Probably in my comfort zone of being able to go to flat.

I've never been Danbury (offers on a postcard p[lease) but generally I would pre jump into the downslope and pump the rest. There's a jump in Epping you need to pre jump and pump otherwise you'll never make.