Getting front of bike off the ground -- tips?

Hi all... today I finally put clipless on my old steel GT mountain bike. DH put a rail and a log in the yard for me to practice jumping over, and I did fine jumping the little rail (I basically rode up and over) but I could not get the front of the bike UP to get over the log.
I know how to do a bunny hop, but this is different. It's like popping a wheelie, I guess, so I tried to do that out in the road... of course, I could barely get the bike up a couple of inches.
DH says this is a skill that will help me out there on the trails so... I am asking you girls for advice/tips on GETTING THAT FRONT TIRE UP AND OVER THE LOG! ;)

+1! I'm so remedial when it comes to jumping over things..

erm - not being the expert at all, I don't know if this works for no-suspension bikes but we just learned this yesterday:

when you come to the obstacle, bend down (at your hips, hope I'm getting across how I mean it) with your torso over the handlebar and yank up, until your arms are straight, and the bike will follow as your "arms get too short". - don't bend your elbows.

I was taught another way - I figure you try anything and see what works for you!:)

The way I was taught starts pretty much the same. Bending forward in a nice "attack position" with elbows nice and bent at about right angles and shoulders low, you push DOWN on the handlebars and then pop them up with your elbows bent. You sort of use the arms like springs. And use the bounce to help you lift up. (Tip for the uncoordinated like me - try this without the log first!)

Even if you don't have front suspension, if you are running fattish tyres at a lowish pressure, you will get some bounce out of them. This will pop the front of the bike up.

When you do pop it up, don't try to pop it OVER! You want your front wheel to land on top (or just behind the top) of what you are going over. This way you can use the momentum of rolling down the other side to pull your back wheel over too. If you try to pop your front wheel all the way over it to the ground on the other side, you have very little time to unweight your back wheel before it hits the object and you are likely to stop dead with a wheel on each side! It'll take a bit of experimenting (and probably falling over like a gumby if I am anything to go by) to get the timing right!

Happy experimenting!:D

OK, I am brand new to this forum... WHAT is a DH? It comes up everywhere....

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Originally Posted by foldHer

OK, I am brand new to this forum... WHAT is a DH? It comes up everywhere....

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In my mind it is "Dear Husband". I guess to some it might be "Darn Husband" :p

The way I've learned it, it's more of a whole body movement than an arm thing. If you push with your feet some and move your body back with a hip snap, that completes the motion. The compress and pull up with your arms thing never worked for me.

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Originally Posted by Irulan

The way I've learned it, it's more of a whole body movement than an arm thing. If you push with your feet some and move your body back with a hip snap, that completes the motion. The compress and pull up with your arms thing never worked for me.

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I have been working on this way, the true wheelie, which people say is more about the power stroke than hopping the front wheel (loading/unloading, whatever). I don't know... I haven't gotten it yet. I know I need it, not just for log jumping but for wheelie drops off of steps. It is frustrating, though.

DH says, "didn't you ever do wheelies when you were a kid?" Ahhh, no! First of all, my bike had a banana seat and streamers on the handlebars. Second, I don't have any big brothers. Third, I don't know what I was doing when I was twelve (maybe rollerskating?) but it wasn't impressing the girls with my BMX moves. ;)

Keep trying, trying!

I'm with Irulan on this one - I NEVER use my arms to get the front end of my bike off the ground. Inistead, it's a power stroke with my legs.

Practice this. Go out on the lawn, and from a virtual standstill (but clipped in with both feet), give a hard push with your dominant leg (for me, I always use my right leg, starting at 12:00 and pushing hard). You can try this both sitting, and standing, but I recommend fully seated first.

Next, try to do this and complete a pedal rotation (keep those fingers over the brake lever! If you feel yourself going over backwards, a tap of the REAR brake will put the wheel back down). I can go for about three full pedal rotations doing this.

Once you have that all put together, then try going over the log. For this, you will do the same motion, and can try it standing so that you can follow through with the rear tire.

Again, practice, practice, practice! This is a great skill to learn.

SheFly

p.s.
Indigoiis - you intending to do any racing in the Northeast? If you come to one of the MTB races, I can show you this and have you doing it in 15 minutes...

SheFly, what you've said make a lot of sense to me, except for one part: how does tapping the front brake help you put the front wheel down? I'm trying to visualize.... Thanks!

I need to go practice this, if it stops raining anytime soon :(

Waaah - I never ever will be a MTBer :(:(:(

Just reading this stuff - logs, and clipped in, and all, makes my knees go all wobbly just sitting in my office chair. (I do have clipless on my MTB...)

After saturday's MTB clinic, I had nightmares, almost. Flashes of vision about not even being able to handle my road bike anymore. I was seriously turning back and forth in my bed unable to sleep and thinking I'll retract from all my tris this year.

Waaaahhhh...

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Originally Posted by alpinerabbit

Waaah - I never ever will be a MTBer :(:(:(

Just reading this stuff - logs, and clipped in, and all, makes my knees go all wobbly just sitting in my office chair. (I do have clipless on my MTB...)

After saturday's MTB clinic, I had nightmares, almost. Flashes of vision about not even being able to handle my road bike anymore. I was seriously turning back and forth in my bed unable to sleep and thinking I'll retract from all my tris this year.

Waaaahhhh...

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I'm like you, i prefer the road any time.

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Originally Posted by Becky

SheFly, what you've said make a lot of sense to me, except for one part: how does tapping the front brake help you put the front wheel down? I'm trying to visualize.... Thanks!

I need to go practice this, if it stops raining anytime soon :(

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Sorry - tapping the REAR brake will lower the front wheel... DOH!

SheFly

Shefly - Races? Me? Ha!
Maybe I'll come watch, though.
And I'll bring my bike so you can show me how to do that trick.

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Originally Posted by SheFly

Sorry - tapping the REAR brake will lower the front wheel... DOH!

SheFly

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Oh ok! That makes more sense to me- thanks!