Well performed, landing to front wheel is smoother than the typical pedal hop, offering more control and fluidity upon landing.
It does not require as much pedal power as trying to land directly on the rear wheel.
The weight transfer sequence is a bit like in the roll-up climbing technique, without the pedalling approach.
Step-by-step
No way back for Andrei Burton.
From a standing position, balance over the rear wheel at about a foot from the edge of the gap. Lower the front wheel to the horizontal or even below the obstacle's edge, and crouch back behind the handlebars to get extra torque. The rear tyre compresses onto the edge, release the rear brake and pull yourself on the bars to spring into extension, thrusting your hips and shoulders forward as you move up on your front pedal.Kenny Belaey leans forward to aim the front wheel.
Crossing a gap to front wheel
1° Lower the front wheel below the obstacle's edge and crouch behind the bars to get extra torque, compressing the rear tyre.
2° Release the rear brake and pull yourself on the bars to boost your extension, thrusting your hips and shoulders forward.
3° The full extension brings your shoulders over the handlebars, with your abdomen right over the stem. You should be fully stretched, leaning forward.
4° After take-off, aim the front wheel at the other side of the gap, straighten your arms and push on the bars to force the front wheel down on your target.
5° As the front tyre touches down, lock the front brake to nail the front tyre. Flex both arms and legs, bringing your hips close to the stem to lean over the front wheel, away from the gap.
6° Following on your momentum, release the front wheel and stretch your arms again to push the full bike over the obstacle into a clean wheel-swap.
Tilting the bike down
Nicolas Vuillermot touching down.
Hannes Herrmann pushes the bike in front of himself.
At the beginning, it feels a bit odd to force the front wheel down just after a jump impulse. Practise on a flat surface first, with two lines as a virtual gap, then you may climb up on a very small kerb as your visual target. Focus on your forward thrust while actively aiming the front wheel at a landing spot. Release the front brake progressively as you land to let the bike roll on the front wheel while maintaining the rear wheel up.
Turning on your front foot side
It is usually easier to land on the front wheel if you take-off at a slight angle, about 20 degrees from the straight line, turning on your front foot side as you pull the bike forward.
With your front foot facing the gap, it will be easier to tilt the bike vertically on the side you kick, because your body weight is mainly distributed over your strong foot and it will
be easier to turn the bike around that foot, along the axis of your leg. These little subtleties will allow you to deliver the kick at full power while allowing the bike movement to
compensate naturally for the asymmetric load.
Landing on a narrow spot
Benito Ros about to secure the front wheel.
Rick Koekoek performs a wheel-swap.
If you have to land on a small area with no room for both wheels to rest, your only option is to keep your momentum and transfer all your weight over the front hub before a perfect wheel-swap. Upon landing, you should flex both your arms and legs to bring your centre of gravity well over the front wheel, then release the front brake in one go with a firm scooping motion upwards to tilt the bike up directly to rear wheel.