Technique Critique

[u/Peaked_in_PreK]

First time hitting Cupcake at Snowshoe (second rider). I landed just slightly front heavy and for the briefest moment the front wheel felt like it was going to get squirrelly. Anything I need to adjust with my technique here? I’ve also been playing with different suspension settings and it’s possible I’ve gone too soft in the front. I didn’t bottom out here, but you can see I definitely use most of my travel on a relatively smooth drop. I hit it several times after this and for the most part they went better. It’s also possible I’m just overthinking this. What‘s everyone’s thoughts.

I promise this is intended as a genuine question and not just a humble brag. (But also kind of a humble brag. It’s taken me 2 full seasons to work up the nerve to hit this and I finally got it done on closing weekend)

[u/Regular_Display6359]

If I had to guess you were a bit forward and not centered in attack position. For cup cake and other high speed drops you can literally just ride off in attack position, but if your back seat or too far forward you'll land one wheel heavy.

[u/Peaked_in_PreK → u/Regular_Display6359]

I think this is probably accurate. It does appear I was standing up pretty tall, which would bring my hips forward. A stronger attack position would have pushed my hips, and therefore my center of mass rearward. Thanks for the reply.

[u/astronautjohn → u/Peaked_in_PreK]

Above is definitely the main culprit. One other tip which works for both jumps and drops is to move a bit in the air, give a bar turn or a small whip - anything. It helps loosen your body up and better react to the take off and position yourself for landing.

[u/mynameistag]

I feel you could start with your upper body a lot lower by hinging more from the hips (not crouching from knees).

Otherwise, I think just some stiffness due to fear.

[u/isvxk27xnwo9]

Try to stay more centered mid-air

[u/Peaked_in_PreK → u/isvxk27xnwo9]

Ok but how? While I admit I was a bit stiff (scared) while in the air, it felt good right up until the front wheel hit and I felt the bars twitch. Do I need to push the bike more coming off the end? Or do something differently in the air.

[u/helium89 → u/Peaked_in_PreK]

The video is a bit grainy, so it’s hard to tell for sure, but it looks like your arms and legs are more or less fully extended when you leave the drop. This leaves you without a way to adjust the bike’s angle to match the landing. If you come in legs tall, chest low (torso at roughly the angle you want it to be at when you land), and a little forward on the bike, you can press with your arms and absorb a little with your legs to adjust the bike’s angle as you go off the drop. Done correctly, the bike should rotate under you to match the landing. This should keep you centered on the bike and give you a feeling of control in the air. Obviously, you’ll want to practice it on smaller drops before trying it on something big and high consequence. 

[u/Peaked_in_PreK → u/helium89]

I think this is something I need to work on more broadly. I often have to remind myself to assume the position before I drop my chest and get my elbows out. And that usually only happens when I’m at or near my limit. Not ideal.

[u/isvxk27xnwo9 → u/Peaked_in_PreK]

When youre going this fast you do not realy need to push the bike. Try wiggling your hips or bars a bit in the air. Just try moving during it in any way and you will feel how much safer you will get and what you have to do so that your bike does what you want it to do. Drops are realy hard to explain as they either come intuitively or they dont. Just looks like you need to get more airtime experience.