How to Ride Off Drops on a Mountain Bike | Keeper of the Shred | The Pro's Closet

When the trail drops off, world-renowned MTB Coach, Lee McCormack is there to catch you. In this episode of Keeper of the Shred, Lee teaches us how to ride different drops on a mountain bike. Learning how to ride (and more importantly send) drops is an essential skill in mountain biking. And after watching Lee, it'll be second nature.
Table of Contents
0:00 Intro
1:02 Rolling Drop
2:54 Speed Drop
4:30 Pop a Drop
5:55 Recap
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[@charlesstevenson8751]

In the past I could not stand to watch Lee, he was always so outrageous and loud. I really enjoyed this, it was informative and easy to follow.

[@lee_likes_bikes]

That is fascinating feedback. Thank you.

[@eugenegutierrez5106]

Lee is by far the most knowledgeable when it comes to mountain biking tips. I bought the hook called mtb skills part 2. It saves me from broken bones , ride faster And safe out there. All my friends used to make fun of me because they think that lee’s techniques are irrelevant. In the long run my friends are the ones getting hurt on the trails.

[@theproscloset]

Right on!

[@camwells9726]

ive been riding for years and recently ive been clunky on drops , you know when you know you have picked up bad habits but your not quite sure what your doing wrong , and simply watching this video has made me realise ive started approaching drops too upright , thanks

[@onerider808]

Erie Singletrack is fun! Another great episode. thanks, Lee.

[@theproscloset]

Thanks for watching!

[@WilliamJRSCassidy]

but it is windy there - love how they captured that too!

[@davedodd491]

Please can we have more ! Amazing LLB content ❤️ thank you

[@MrFrescocotone]

Excellent cideo on drops, well done!!

[@JoelZieve]

Awesome LLB content!

[@lee_likes_bikes]

🙏

[@winnguyen443]

Your the best Lee !

[@theproscloset]

Right?!

[@eugenegutierrez5106]

Lees ride so smooth on this short video. 😅

[@theproscloset]

Right?!

[@potpotadventure]

thank for very informative tips and lesson god bless

[@haroldthomas1077]

You snagged a legend for these videos. Lee is the best!

[@theproscloset]

🙌

[@kan708]

Good stuff, right here.

[@theproscloset]

Glad you like it!

[@mikereynoldsguitar502]

love the humour together with the science

[@theproscloset]

Thanks!

[@rgcme33]

Lee's explanations sound even better at .5 speed. It's amazing.

[@lee_likes_bikes]

Ha ha! Maybe because I talk at 2x speed :)

[@lee_likes_bikes]

I just watched this and it hit me clearly: Nicole and I were out there in the 90-degree sun for over 12 hours that day. I was riding and yelling and emoting the whole time. This was the last bit of shooting. If you compare my voice and energy to the first three episodes of Keeper of the Shred, you'll see I'm still stoked and rocking ... but I'm getting tired.

[@rgcme33]

@@lee_likes_bikes You sound great in all the videos. I was watching in slo-mo to better analyze the riding, I left it playing that way and I liked it. Your dialogue shines at any speed.

[@lee_likes_bikes]

@@rgcme33 Thank you so much!! That is a great kindness.

[@Frank-gp6qr]

I thought I was the only guy ripping off the pointer finger tip... so ya can scroll thru trailforks... duh!!!

[@johnwilkins3995]

Great lesson Lee. I appreciate your work. I’m a bigger rider, 240 but getting slimmer slowly. I’m wondering with technique 3 what you’d advise bc I don’t have a ton of confidence in my ability to pop and get enough air. I’d love that technique for the tricky spots where I haven’t brought enough speed and other techniques may not work. Currently I do the push bike forward slight manual lift, inconsistent and heavy landings but keeps my face from hitting ground so far! 😂thanks

[@bearjewmtb4827]

Love the full face and tank top haha

[@lee_likes_bikes]

Nicole has to protect her money maker!!

[@ronnel1227]

so the pop is loading thru the wheels and slight pull back?

[@robert50173]

Love that you are doing this vid content. Thank you. I subbed. With #3 popping way ahead, isn't it kinda risky if you don't clear the lip?

[@lee_likes_bikes]

Thank you sir. Regarding your question: YES!!!!!!! You really want to clear the lip. Especially if you're going fast like I was. Advanced skill. AFTER the core movement patterns are burned into your nervous system -- AFTER that -- you allow your guidance system to do what it's been evolved to do. When a deer flees from a mountain lion, does it run into trees? NO! It has this guidance system that's evolved over millions of years. We have THE SAME SYSTEM!! But one could say it's even more evolved. We can't trust it until we've done the work. But, once you trust it ... GAME ON!!!!

[@robert50173]

@@lee_likes_bikes thank you. Your understanding of this stuff is remarkable.

[@lee_likes_bikes]

@@robert50173 🙏

[@mtblover]

​@lee_likes_bikes eish, I love your videos. Pity about the millions of years' evolution theory. 🤔😭😭😭

[@kevinw6282]

Late to the party....another nice overview of drops though, glad I found this one. Question: On popping, I assume one has to be pretty dang careful to clear it completely with the rear wheel. Clipping the edge with the rear due to a poorly timed or ineffective pop seems like immediate and unequivocal OTB, or am I missing something?

[@theproscloset]

That's definitely a risk if you time it wrong, the key is to practice the movement at lower speeds so you don't clip anything when you're going quick.

[@FirstNameLastName-ev3jk]

Which is why a lot of coaching schools don’t teach it.

[@ArisaemaDracontium]

Funny, I learned to wheelie-drop first…. Like 25 years ago. Working the last few years have learned to punch-roll drops. Style 2 and 3 are not in my playbook.

[@tjay_mac]

If you can, please share some of the bike specs: rear tire width (2.6”?), crank arm length and bike size? Thanks!

[@lee_likes_bikes]

I ride a medium 2019 Stumpjumper that’s been pushed to 160mm if front and rear travel. 2.6 Butcher front tire. 2.3 Eliminator rear tire. 170mm cranks. 30mm stem. SQlab FL-X bars with 16 degrees backsweep and 15mm rise, upside down. 175mm Fox Transfer dropper. Insanely good S-Works Mirror saddle. XTR/XT parts. I’m 5’8.5” and this bike has a perfect fit for me.

[@tjay_mac]

@@lee_likes_bikes, I meant to ask about the Juliana for my wife. I too ride a 2019 Stumpjumper Expert @160. Thanks though.

[@lee_likes_bikes]

@@tjay_mac Ah. I don't have those details. I can say that Nicole rides the absolute heck out of that bike.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

2:07, all I see if is she panics her bottom is getting properly tire wiped.

[@gentlecoder5167]

If you "just roll" there's a chance to damage the chainring, right?

[@lee_likes_bikes]

Sometimes. That depends on your speed, the shape of the precipice and your bike.

[@imjonathan6745]

better than damaging your body in an excruciating way

[@jwhoward182]

What happens if you’re going 88 mph?

[@lee_likes_bikes]

Huge send!!

[@TheButlerNZ]

Pop a drop... Roll on Noob dead sailors. Excellent video as always... but no noob should attempt a pop a drop as they will try too hard to lift the bike.. Hilarity ensues. (I wrenched my arm muscles several times before realising my folly...) Note I say Noob... A well seasoned dropper can do almost anything and get away with it... I watch even "good" riders lifting on drops and tipping left/right due to the instability. Disclaimer... After 40 years of riding bikes.. I really only started "riding downhill" in the last couple of years (Covid had it's uses but I would have preferred any other reason).. I am at best "Mediocre" (see my mediocre videos) so I'm not the best to take advice from... other than I am sort of a Noob... I'm learning as 50yo that doesn't want to have "hilarity happen" so i'm trying a lot of things with drops at the moment... and the one thing I have found... For a noob, a wheelie at anything but near crawl speed will give your friends a really good laugh... and trying to pop/bunny a drop will leave them rolling in the isles. (and you rolling down the track.... sans bike.

[@lee_likes_bikes]

i agree. first comes roll, then comes send. that covers most situations. and you want to be excellent at hopping before you try the pop-a-drop.

[@TheButlerNZ]

@@lee_likes_bikes I'm making a mediocre video on beginner drops... tried the same drop at a medium pace... finding a quick bump into the lip is the least effort even on a 1m flat to flat... No lift, no push... no issues... I'm planning to do some more trials on distance/position of the wheels landing with the different styles... Roll, Bump, Push, lift, wheelie, bunny. and I suspect the best distance, a bump push. Oddly I was about to do one drop on a nice 1m to 30deg run, when a call shot out "Rider Down" on the following tables... Without thinking I slow braked then realised I was still about to roll off a 1m at bare walking pace.... managed to bump push and land ok, so close to OTB... I think an old trailbike reflex kicked in... stay with the bike and it will make it... (unfortunately this isn't always the case on an MTB... things happen a little quicker... as I discovered a few years back into a corner, changing a lean while on the front wheel... fine on a MX bike... instant superman impression on an MTB... q8D

[@vitorpereira9394]

Very good, bur more images less talk ….. please

[@lfb3441]

Wow this must be the worst instruction video on drops.. ever!

[@brookmc5076]

the #1 thing is to have enough PSI in your fork