How Long Does It Take to Learn to Jump a Mountain Bike?

A lot of new riders want to learn to jump and ask, "How long does it take?" The answer isn't the same for everyone. There are a lot of factors that come into play, such as your age, how long you've been riding, whether you rode BMX as a kid, if you've ever jumped anything before, and even how often you practice.

Let's look at the biggest factors that determine how long it takes to learn, the steps you can take to learn safely, the best type of jump to start on, and what you should realistically expect.

Previous Riding Experience

One of the biggest factors is your previous riding experience. If you rode bikes as a kid, even if it was just jumping off curbs or trying to jump over your friends, that's still experience. It may not have been perfect, but it's more experience than someone starting from zero.

If you rode motocross and spent time jumping, some of those skills can transfer to mountain biking. I even think a skating background can help because you'll already have some understanding of transitions and lip shapes.

Now, if you have no riding background at all, that's totally fine too. Don't worry—you can absolutely learn to jump without any previous experience.

Age

Another big factor is your age.

Learning to jump as a kid, teenager, or even in your twenties is very different from learning at 40 or 50. When you're younger, you usually heal faster and have less fear. I remember crashing as a kid, getting right back up, and riding for hours.

Now that I'm 40, even a small crash can leave me sore or injured. As I'm writing this, I've actually been off the bike for about a month because of a knee injury—not from jumping, but from looping out doing a wheelie.

I think a lot of people are getting into mountain biking later in life, so I recommend focusing on safe progression. Wear your helmet, knee pads, and shin pads. Most riders crash at some point while learning, and good protection not only helps prevent injuries but also boosts your confidence.

So, How Long Does It Take?

The honest answer is...it varies.

Don't expect to learn in a week or even a month. It can take years to become a really good jumper. Some people learn faster than others, and a lot depends on how much time and practice you put into it.

If you only hit one or two small jumps each ride, it's probably going to take a while. If you regularly go out and session the same jump, you'll improve much faster. I also think building your own jumps, if you have the space and permission, can help you better understand lip shape and transitions.

Some riders also choose to get coaching early on, which can speed up the learning process.

Knowing how to bunny hop isn't required for jumping, but it does help you understand many of the body movements involved. The techniques aren't exactly the same, but they're similar enough that bunny hopping is a skill worth learning first.

I also recommend learning with flat pedals. Clipless pedals can make jumping feel easier, but they can also encourage bad habits, like pulling up with your feet instead of using proper body movement to control the bike.

One thing you're going to want to know before you start your jumping journey is the different types of jumps you'll encounter on the trails or at the bike park. Check out my post on the 6 Types of Mountain Bike Jumps Every Rider Should Know.

Final Thoughts

If you want to learn to jump a mountain bike, just know that it takes time and patience—but it's also one of the most rewarding skills to learn.

I recommend finding a medium-sized tabletop with a mellow, predictable transition that's smooth and safe to practice on. Wear a helmet, knee pads, and shin pads to protect yourself from crashes and painful shin strikes. (Be sure to check out my article on MTB shinners, how to avoid them, and the best shin pads.)

Also remember that jumping is optional. A lot of new riders watch Red Bull Rampage and immediately want to hit huge jumps, and there's nothing wrong with that goal. But don't forget to focus on the fundamentals of riding first. Some riders never learn to jump at all, and that's perfectly okay. You can still become an excellent mountain biker, learn drops, improve your cornering, ride technical trails, and have a ton of fun while keeping both tires on the ground.

If you do want to learn to jump, I've put everything I've learned over years of riding into my ebook, The Complete Guide to Jumping Mountain Bikes, where I go into much more detail than I can in a single blog post.

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