Pedal Preloading....

[forteh]

Got a question about pedal preloading if some of you can help me

Obviously preloading the pedals/chain against the brake makes a huge difference when gapping, however does it make as much difference when going upwards, sidehopping for example?

I really struggle to get height hopping up stuff side hops and particularly up to rear but I know I dont really preload the chain anywhere near as much as I could. I struggle to get anywhere near 24" static up to rear and my sidehops suck at about 36" :$ Should I be putting more pedal stroke in when going upwards or should I be concentrating on pulling the power from somewhere else, if so where?

Considering Ive been riding trials for eleven years or so I really do suck

[irish108]

Nice to read a technique question rather than people ranting and raving about how shite their bikes are.

In my opinion the best and most natural looking jumpers use more hip extension than pedal kick, in which case pedal preload doesn't contribute that much, it's almost the same as if they were doing a jump off the bike. That being said many top riders find that focusing more on the pedal kick helps them. IMO if you think too much about preloading tension against the pedals you're going to screw up the mechanics of your jump, you're better to concentrate on jumping and letting the bike follow you naturally, and I'd say this applies to jumps in every direction. Finely tuned jumps are powered mainly by the hips and hamstrings more than the quads (which are more active when doing pedal kicks), these muscles are activated by sitting back and down explosively on the preload, the faster you preload downwards the more of a stretch reflex you gain for the jump (watch gilles coustellier or damon watson sidehopping for excellent examples of stretch reflex). If you focus too much on the pedal kick I find you can end up "muscling" the jump rather than springing.

Hope this helps.

[Matt Vandart]

I find it really hard to put a good kick into a side hop (off one wheel), I am much better at just booning it up but that means I have a very defintate height limit to my sidles.

Doesnt massively bother me cos I am too old to get amazing at trials anyway.

[forteh]

Nice to read a technique question rather than people ranting and raving about how shite their bikes are.

In my opinion the best and most natural looking jumpers use more hip extension than pedal kick, in which case pedal preload doesn't contribute that much, it's almost the same as if they were doing a jump off the bike. That being said many top riders find that focusing more on the pedal kick helps them. IMO if you think too much about preloading tension against the pedals you're going to screw up the mechanics of your jump, you're better to concentrate on jumping and letting the bike follow you naturally, and I'd say this applies to jumps in every direction. Finely tuned jumps are powered mainly by the hips and hamstrings more than the quads (which are more active when doing pedal kicks), these muscles are activated by sitting back and down explosively on the preload, the faster you preload downwards the more of a stretch reflex you gain for the jump (watch gilles coustellier or damon watson sidehopping for excellent examples of stretch reflex). If you focus too much on the pedal kick I find you can end up "muscling" the jump rather than springing.

Hope this helps.

Thats awesome advice thanks, at the moment I dont really put much effort in with my hips and Im never confident that Im going to clear the height so naturally bail and put a foot down, 90% of the time in reality Ive cleared it by a good couple of inches but I just lack the confidence that I have done so. Went out briefly tonight (only briefly because I pinched my front tube dammit!) and concentrated more on throwing my hips up rather than the pedal preload and I pissed up a side hop that Ive had the aforementioned confidence issues on (about 37" taking off from facing down a slope), felt like I put no real effort into it but I do know that I made a consious attempt to explode up as fast as possible

I find it really hard to put a good kick into a side hop (off one wheel), I am much better at just booning it up but that means I have a very defintate height limit to my sidles.

Doesnt massively bother me cos I am too old to get amazing at trials anyway.

Pure booning (with brakes locked off the back wheel) I can only clear about a foot vertical height, I tried putting a bigger pedal kick in tonight and just spooned it. Im in the same position as you although you have 3-4 years on me, Im just pleased Im still progressing!