"…Let's Ride"

Dirt jump mountain biking has been, until recently, a relatively unheard of sport. A cross between mountain biking and freestyle BMX riding has created this adrenaline jolting extreme sport. Designed around the concept of using shaped mounds of dirt to propel yourself into the air, this sport is enjoyed by a variety of “rides”, such as 20in. BMX bikes, motocross, cruisers, and mountain bikes, but the definite favorite seems to be the mountain bike.

Originally dirt jump riding was considered to be just  a sport for enjoyment. Mostly all the bikes used for dirt jumping were made by less-known, smaller companies and they considered themselves to be a part of the underground, which gave a sense of exclusiveness. However, over the last few years it has turned into its own professional sport with legitmate, cash-prize, competitions. When riding at a competition level, a rider has to ride at a freestyle expert level and will be judged on execution, difficulty, and creativity while flying through the air doing tricks and certain moves.

Some seem to think so but dirt jump riding is not even close to the same as mountain bike racing or even downhill racing. While some aspects are similar, dirt jump riding focuses on height, length, and duration of jump and also the quality and smoothness of the trick, who finishes the race quickest is not a huge factor. It is alot more dangerous than racing and takes years of practice and determination to reach an expert level.

Dirt jump bikes, by design, are very similar to mountain bikes however, not every mountain bike is equipt or suited for dirt jump riding. They are designed for huge luanches and landings so their frames are built stronger and sturdier which makes them a little heavier. The upper tube of the frame slopes toward the seat for easier movement during tricks. They are typically smaller than other styles and usually only have a rear brake. They also typically ride with rims at 24in to 26in and very rigid forks with short travel, for those hard landings. Remember…throttling launches and hard impact landings, your bike has to be able to handle it. Don’t even think about dirt jump riding with a stock XC mountain bike, it’s a sure fire way to end up with a broken arm or leg due to equipment failure.

FINAL THOUGHT:

It is extremely important to make sure your bike is up to the task of dirt jumping. Keeping your bike properly tuned is also vastly important as there are accidents that take lives in this sport every year due to improperly tuned equipment. As always…wear your protective gear responsibly because it’s up to you to prevent yourself from getting seriously hurt.