Send it with style

bar TWEAK

When you’re trail riding, you can often use speed to clear jumps, but if you want to add some tricks, you need to be able to pop off them, This will maximise your airtime over even the smallest jumps, allowing you to style it up.

Start by practising bunnyhops. Get used to the feeling of pulling up with the front and having your back wheel follow the same path. Next, find a small jump to learn on. Don’t let the bike do all the work, as you would when riding the trail, but pop in a fluid motion. Make sure the front wheel is a bit higher than the back, and try to be as relaxed as possible, while using the ‘gorilla’ stance – elbows out, knees bent.

A bar tweak is the easiest trick to learn. You should only use your arms, and keep the rest of your body relaxed. To add a tweak, push one arm away and pull the other towards you, turning the bar in whichever direction you prefer. Then lean away from the tweak. So, if you’re turning to the left, lean to the right. This will ensure that your centre of gravity remains constant. Make sure you have enough time to straighten up before you land. Keep your eyes ahead of the downslope and try to land with both wheels together.