Why Your Rear Wheel Won’t Lift Off Jumps (And How to Fix It)

If you’re learning to jump and your front wheel lifts but your back tire stays glued to the dirt, you aren't alone. It’s one of the most frustrating plateaus in mountain biking. You hit a jump, the front end pops up, the rear wheel maybe clears an inch, and you end up in that awkward "nose-high" position that makes every landing feel like a gamble.

I dealt with this for a long time when I was starting out. Here is exactly why your back wheel is lagging and how to sync your timing.

The Three Main Culprits

1. The "Dead Sailor" (Stiffness) Jumping is an active movement, not a passive one. If you just "ride" off the lip and hope the jump does the work, you’ll likely go stiff in the air. This is the classic "Dead Sailor" mistake. You need to sink into the bike on the approach (the preload) and then actively extend your legs as you reach the top of the takeoff. If you don't give the bike that upward shove, the rear wheel has no reason to leave the ground.

2. Your Timing is "Early" This is the most common reason for the front-wheel-only lift. If you stand up or pull back before your rear wheel even hits the transition of the jump, you’ve already used up all your "pop." By the time the back wheel gets to the lip, your legs are already straight and you have no power left to give it. You have to wait until you feel the jump actually pushing back against your feet before you extend.

3. The Lack of "The Scoop" A lot of riders think jumping is just pulling up on the handlebars. While that gets the front end up, it actually tilts the bike away from the rear wheel. To get the back end up, you need to "scoop" the pedals. Think about pointing your toes down slightly and pulling the back of the bike up toward your butt using your legs.

Check Your Bike Setup

Before you go crazy practicing, check your Rear Rebound. If your rebound is set too slow (too much damping), your shock won't "return" fast enough to help you pop off the lip. It stays compressed, which makes the back of the bike feel heavy and "dead." Try opening up your rebound by two or three clicks to see if the bike feels more lively.

The "J-Hop" Drill

A great way to practice this is to think of the jump as a giant bunny hop, or "J-hop."

In a J-hop, you aren't just jumping vertically; you’re pulling the bars to your hips and then pushing the bike forward to level it out. On a jump, the transition does the "pulling" for you, but you still have to do the "leveling." Once the front is up, consciously push the bars forward and bend your knees to "suck" the rear wheel up underneath you.

How to Practice This Weekend

Find a small tabletop—something with a mellow landing where you don't have to worry about "casing" a gap. Focus on this sequence:

Preload: Compress your suspension smoothly as you enter the transition.

Wait: Stay patient until you feel the rear wheel start to climb the lip.

Explode: Stand up tall through your pedals.

Level Out: Push the bars forward and bend your knees to bring the back end up.

Land: Match your bike's angle to the landing and absorb the impact.

Repeat this 20 times. Don't worry about height or distance yet; just focus on making the bike feel "level" in the air. When you get the timing right, the rear wheel will follow the front naturally, and jumping will finally start to feel weightless.

Note: If you're on flat pedals, your timing has to be even more precise so you don't "blow off" the bike. Check out my full breakdown on How to lift the rear wheel with flat pedals without losing your grip.