With National Hare Scrambles Champ Jason Raines
There are many motocross and even supercross riding techniques that pay off huge for an off-road guy. A seat-bounce jump is a big one. A "seat-bounce" is a technique for maximizing your air time by loading the suspension of your bike into the face of a jump. Jason Raines explains when, how and why it is done.
 "When you're racing in the...  "When you're racing in the woods it's important to look as far ahead as possible, and when you have the chance, jump obstacles-in this case, a bunch of exposed roots-rather than ride over them. It saves time, energy and potential falls. There is a short run at this jump on the trail, and as I approach the jump I'm looking ahead to pick the line I want to hit." |  "I've committed to a line...  "I've committed to a line choice, and I've transitioned my body position from standing to sitting in preparation for compressing the suspension. I'm sitting more toward the rear of the seat to get the rear suspension more compressed than the front. I've started accelerating smoothly." |  "The next step is to really...  "The next step is to really emphasize the weight on the rear of the bike to fully compress the rear suspension and maximize acceleration. I'm positioned perfectly in the rut, and with this much load on the tire I can accelerate hard without fear of the rear end spinning." |
 "As the rear wheel just starts...  "As the rear wheel just starts to leave the ground I unweight the rear of the bike to gain the lift needed to clear the obstacle in the trail. I have just started my transition from sitting back to standing." |  "I have fully made the transition...  "I have fully made the transition from sitting to standing and am in the air. I'm also analyzing the landing to make sure I've cleared the hazard. My body position is in the middle of the bike to be able to make any needed adjustments to its attitude. I've jumped front wheel high in case I don't clear the roots. I don't want to land with my front wheel loaded in roots; I want to land on the gas and accelerate toward the next section." | |
Note: "If you try this technique, it is best to practice in an area with minimal consequences and understand it's important to accelerate all the way up the face of the jump. If you back off at the last second, it is sure to throw you in an endo. And that will lead to bad things!"