Stop Going Over The Bars! | Beginner MTB Jumping Mistakes

We've all been there, your heart sinks as your weight shifts forward and you realise you're on a one-way trip over the bars! It's possibly one of the worst feelings in mountain biking, so Rich Payne felt it was necessary to show you how to prevent this from happening again. Whether it's drops, jumps, roots or rocks that have caused you to go OTB Rich has some helpful tips for it all.
⏱ Timestamps ⏱
0:00 - Welcome To Another GMBN How To!
0:29 - Where & Why You Might Go Over The Bars
1:22 - Body Position
3:13 - Technique
5:49 - Suspension Setup
8:41 - Tyre Choice & Pressure
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[@gmbn]

What is the worst OTB crash you've had? Let us know in the comments!

[@james2tallG]

It was a push scooter, a sketchy ramp, and 2 broken front teeth. I think I was 10 😂 shocked all the neighbor kids

[@madtownangler]

I broke my shoulder blade once and another time got hit by a truck and flung over my bars. I broke my pelvis in five places in that one. I have never gotten hurt on dirt only on pavement.

[@dumwee]

every otb I had is at sub 5 km/t. Either invisuable pot-hole or tiniest rock that makes the front wheel stuck!

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

I've been riding for 3 decades and I've learned that running on your feet is more effective than on your palms. You can't always prevent it but you can learn to manage it 😛

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

​@@dumwee pretty much the same, it always looks ridiculous. Friggin shame 😅

[@akairborne]

My most memorable OTB was in 2002 participating in an Eco Challenge. ~17 miles in I saw a puddle and foolishly charged through it. Front tire hit a rock about the size of my head and did a full superman breaking my left clavicle and taco'ing my front wheel. My teammate wrapped my upper arm to my chest with an inner tube and fashioned an adjustable sling for my wrist with a cravat. Rode another 26 miles before the organizer finally found us and made me drop. Still pissed. I ended up with 9 screws, 2 plates, and 1 great story!

[@mitachu]

You beast!!👍

[@jedisentinel1499]

Just went over the bars on an unfamiliar trail going too fast on a rather large dip. Front tire hit fine back bucked me over plus, my front brake works really well! 😂 no injuries but lesson learned with a lot of laughs!

[@dawn-moon]

It's always confusing, but regarding rear suspension setup.... you're not adding more "rebound", you're adding more "rebound damping" if you turn the red knob to the plus sign or towards the slow side. So it results in less rebound. You're welcome :)

[@pwn3d_d1rt]

My Marzocchi bomber actually says Slower --> which is nice lol

[@dawn-moon]

@@pwn3d_d1rt it's confusing, even on motorcycles.

[@brendan1]

I believe you mean "damping", not "dampening", which is making something wet :)

[@FirstNameLastName-ev3jk]

I can tell that you’re a knob twiddler.

[@dawn-moon]

@@brendan1 thx, corrected

[@FullKarenMusic]

No one should explode on a bike. Simply.....squat at the bottom of a jump, stay over the bottom bracket, standing up as you ascend the transition. Keeping your body vertical, allow the front of the bike to rise up bringing the handlebar closer to you till the back wheel leaves the ground. This will stop the suspension from absorbing the lip and kicking you forward. When in the air push the handlebar forward and point your toes down to grip the pedals as you pull them up under you leveling the bike. Use your arms and legs to level the bike to match the landing angle. Extend arms and legs slightly to touch down so you can absorb the impact with your knees and elbows.

[@Thatdawgy]

Exactly 👍

[@aurellmuzik]

Do you mean like do the bunny hop? Thanks. im still learning

[@FullKarenMusic]

@@aurellmuzik Yes, but the transition of the jump does most of the work. A bunny hop needs more "explosion" but a jump just requires standing up from a squat. The follow through is the same. The better you get at it the more you can exaggerate it to get higher into the air.

[@profoundwill43]

Was able to understand these instructions. Thank you. I don't ever do trails with jumps really, but if one comes up, I'd like to be comfortable with it.

[@campbellclark3458]

Hey Rich. Been watching since you started on GMBN and I gotta say this is the best video you've ever done. Great stuff my man

[@richardpayne5176]

Thanks man muchos gracias, always aiming to keep getting better 👊

[@biodegreaser4009]

Broke my collarbone on a downhill jump at Xmas had surgery and got it plated in January , also broke my thumb on opposite side too so had surgery for that as well 😢 been a rough year so far but am back on the bike now, but must admit have massively lost my confidence for drops and jumps 😢

[@Tr3zn3r]

Some jumps are just built bad. You will need to adjust your riding for jumps with quick and kicky transitions

[@mitachu]

Hit the biggest jump I've done (not big but I'm new to the game) the other week coming down through some woods and went otb epically. This video is great - I'll be trying that jump again!!

[@ninjazzrhythm400]

It takes experience to time everything right

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

The funniest one was when I was bombing down a newly opened trail, it poored all night before and my front wheel sank in a mudpit about one feet deep mascarading as a shallow puddle. I ate some, and then more... 😂

[@jakub16hc]

Seeing a pro Payne on Propain bike...

[@MattPierceUSA]

I’m still recovering from a dislocated/broken shoulder 5 weeks ago. Worst part is I have no idea what happened. Must’ve blacked out briefly when I hit. Probably one or more of the things he mentioned 😵‍💫. I’m hoping I didn’t lose all my confidence as I was enjoying learning.

[@PaPa_Sloth247]

Stand up to the jump, and it helps me

[@NibbyMaximus]

Brilliant 👏 more like this please 🙏

[@ArkUSAbikerchick]

Great video Rich!!!

[@richardpayne5176]

Cheers dude glad you liked it

[@stephenhill6003]

Over breaking when learning to use disc brakes.

[@anthonyalvarez2112]

Great piece! The only thing that could be added on otb and steep and gnarly is heel positioning down.

[@rbstretch100]

This problem put me in hospital with a broken shoulder, however having seen similar videos in addition to this one, I still am not cracking it. The problem comes as the ramp gets steeper and especially where there is a bit of a lip. The problem is definitely worse on a hardtail than a full susser. Suspect I will need some individual coaching.

[@Acceleronics]

I had an OTB at Mammoth Mountain bike park when I learned that you can't steer in the deep volcanic kitty litter that lines the trail. My bike stopped when it hit a boulder. I did a slo-mo OTB and landed on my back on the boulder. After checking that I could still move everything, I finished the ride down to the parking lot - about 20 minutes. I sat in my car for a few minutes, then decided that going back to the motel seemed like a better idea than doing another few laps. I had a VERY painful, horrible night. I drove to the local hospital emergency room in the morning. They gave me oxygen, X-rays, and a CT scan. Turns out I had a "partially collapsed lung and several broken ribs". They didn't say how many.

[@HeintjeMTB]

Jumps are easy, as long as you are confident. Only every time you step up to a slightly bigger jump, all the confidence is gone and you'll have a couple of sketchy jumps until the confidence is back....

[@rider65]

omfg

[@tychoMX]

Recommend highly avoiding endos. My worst one was on a fatbike in the winter - totally misjudged a double and didn't "absorb" it like in a pump track and instead landed on the second bump exactly on the rear wheel. I fully somersaulted while still holding to the bars - it didn't help I didn't have a dropper post at the time. According to my riding mate my legs went almost fully vertical about 3 m overhead. Even on the snow it was a pretty rough landing on my shoulder - promptly separated. Fully winded and with a lame arm, but fortunate to not have really broken anything or hit my head.

[@michealmatt2259]

?? anyone seen and use the Loam Ranger technique that he teaches in his 'Stand up to the jump' video? I am a newbie but this video and the loam ranger video are different approaches. Being new its a tad hard to decide which learning approach is safer..... hmmm

[@FullKarenMusic]

It's the same technique but Rich could have described it better. His "explode out of the bike" is Loamranger's "stand up to the jump". Stand up at the same speed as you ascend the transition. Simply.....squat at the bottom of a jump, stay over the bottom bracket, standing up as you ascend the transition. Keeping your body vertical, allow the front of the bike to rise up bringing the handlebar closer to you till the back wheel leaves the ground. This will stop the suspension from absorbing the lip and kicking you forward. When in the air push the handlebar forward and point your toes down to grip the pedals as you pull them up under you leveling the bike. Use your arms and legs to level the bike to match the landing angle. Extend arms and legs slightly to touch down so you can absorb the impact with your knees and elbows.

[@junka1975]

Fix your rear suspension issues, ride a hardtail! 😜👍 Seriously though, I learnt about rebound when I first started to do jumps and I had my rebound set way too fast and was getting bucked big time. Now most of the time I am on rigid bikes or hardtails, the dually still comes out for some fun though. 😎👍

[@freerider40]

We were all there at one point😂

[@Ag-gr9gi]

Is this video in response to Jim Munro at Redbull Hardline.😂😂

[@dyslo9216]

Ouch!! Ha😂

[@akairborne]

Oof. That ... Fall? Ejection? Cancelled flight? made me gasp out loud! I am stunned he only spent a couple days in the hospital and nothing broken.

[@madtownangler]

I have probably gone over my bars five times ever. I ride with my seat lower than my bars because I'm short and rode a lot of obstacles. I rode very little singletrack I mostly rode on dirt roads going up and down hills and took the chairlift up at ski resorts

[@roymealy6757]

This video comes a day late for me. I write this with a clavicle busted in two places.

[@peteypops]

What I found the worst feeling was to wake up on the ground having no idea why …. Realising that you did a jump of some sort, using your usual method, and it pushed you otb. I used to believe that pushing the bars and moving weight backward was the way to go…obviously not ok on every lip?

[@isiahsmith4927]

Worst crash I had was this month went OTB on a jump and fractured my wrist.

[@Velo1010]

Getting bucked off the bike happens when your rear suspension isn’t set up correctly. If you hit roots hauling a$$ down the trails but the suspension doesn’t react to them then it will kick you off the saddle. Using that as an example.

[@Bob_Shy_132]

I was going to say...Just practice doing wheelies.

[@davidgeiger8620]

No shock no problem,you know what I mean😔😁

[@flowstateofmind]

I suggest digging at your local trail instead of going to the gym if you have noodle arms. Or both :)

[@bertkreft9689]

in the case that someone remotely controlled your front brake - is it clearly not your fault - if you have to jump over the handlebars from time to time kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5nVmZ6tpLmgbcksi=IEGb25W_6s7nkXEt

[@user-so8sb4vk6b]

The last time I did an OTB ,I ended up hitting a tree and breaking a rib

[@MTBEAST007]

Yeah, or just stand up to the jump. Ie. Straighten your legs. KZbin that phrase.

[@vr4966]

Why fix it? This is the only way you will get better! Most of the roadies on the road need to go off-road to learn skill sets!

[@jbmhr]

Hey Rich, if you are going to wear your helmet strap that loose, it's probably not worth putting it on.

[@nicholasgizzi2986]

Anyone come here cause they never heard it called a press up??? 😂😂

[@mattweege7943]

The saddle is the OTB launch pad. Keep your fanny off it.

[@Lucasg363]

First

[@fugoogle9757]

but not last!

[@88davidw]

No matter how many time this is explained I just don't get it.

[@dororo22]

Trust me no one in the world would use this video - its too theoretical, you are not going to help in ANY WAY.

[@iMajron1]

The video helped me, so you are wrong.

[@rofferdal]

Great for me. I think you confuse theoretical with technical. It explains both what happens and how to get better.