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Kickers are loads of fun and a great way to build up confidence on tabletops, doubles and dirt jumps. In essence a kicker is a ramp (either wood or earth) that raises up into the air. You can generally land to flat or an incline depending on the terrain.

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Step 1

Normal stuff like seat down, helmet, gloves and knee/shin pads and again recommend if you are learning or pushing to bigger and bigger kickers then ride flats.

Step 2

Check your landing out first. Will you land to the flat or on an incline. Basically if you land to a flat you need to land both wheels or back wheel first, or if you will be landing to an incline then you will need to position your front wheel in line with the transition going down (as in drops)

Step 3

Get a fair bit of speed up as you approach the kicker. Be off the saddle and moving into the bike. A sort of pumping the pedals motion, to keep you smooth and with a nice momentum going forward. As you approach the kicker base get your body crouched. Generally you will be reasonably central to the bike (or a little bit back on a flat landing).

Step 4

As you start to go up the ramp then push out against the pedals and out against your handlebars. You are lifting. As you leave the lip pull up your handlebars and then brign in your legs and this will a) give extra height and b) is essential for flat landings. On a flat landing as you start to descend you legs will straighten to brace the impact and you will keep your handlebars lifted slightly to ensure you land both wheels together or back wheel slightly first. On an incline landing as well as straightening legs to brace fo rimpact you would bring your arms and handlebars down to line your body position up with the incline and so ride out in the transition.

Step 5

Practice on flat and incline landings on short kickers and work up to bigger and more fun things. Feel how your body needs to react slightly differently on each type. soon you will be working up to sweet heights and fancy moves whilst airborne like in this vid here

Mostly enjoy.

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