Protocol: Scrubbing Technique – Flight Path Control
Goal: Use the scrubbing technique to actively reduce airtime at high speed, so you get back on the ground sooner and keep your traction.
This is an advanced skill for elite riders. Instead of popping off the lip, you deliberately lay the bike down sideways as you climb the face. That way you "soak up" the take-off energy with your suspension and the sideways slide, so the jump doesn't launch you into orbit. In racing, time spent in the air is time lost.
Glossary of Key Terms
1. Physics: The Energy Has to Go Somewhere
When you hit a jump at 40 km/h, kinetic energy wants to throw you straight up. With the scrubbing technique, you convert that vertical energy into:
By tilting the bike to the side.
By compressing your body and suspension.
Result: You stay low, you're faster, and you land at the start of the transition instead of going long onto the flat (overshooting).
2. Protocol: Anatomy of the Scrubbing Technique
A scrub is not a trick you do in the air. It's a move you make on the ground, at take-off.
| Phase | Action | Biomechanical goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Approach | Carry more speed than you need. Approach the jump diagonally (as if entering a corner). | Generate excess kinetic energy. |
| 2. Carve (Face) | Lay the bike over aggressively. Push your inside hand down. | Reduce the effective take-off height. |
| 3. Absorption | Pull the bike toward you ("The Suck"). Your legs and arms suck the bike up. | Prevent the pop. |
| 4. Levelling out | In the air, push the nose of the bike down and forward. | Prepare to land on the downslope. |
| 5. Recovery | Straighten the bike up before touching down. | Ride away safely. |
3. Table: Jump vs Whip vs Scrub
| Technique | Action at take-off | Trajectory | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Jump | Pop (push off with your legs) | High parabola | Safe clearance, height. |
| Whip | Light Carve + Rotation | Medium/High parabola | Style, fun, stabilisation. |
| Scrub | Aggressive Carve + Absorption | Low/Flat line | SPEED. Winning the race. |
4. Common Mistakes and Risks (Level 3 Dangers)
You launch high and only then lay the bike over. That's a Whip, not the scrubbing technique. Fix: Earlier! Lay the bike down while you're still at the bottom of the face.
Your pedal hits the top of the lip at take-off. Catapult. Fix: Watch your inside pedal. It has to be high or neutral.
Your rear wheel smacks the top of the landing. Fix: Speed! A scrub "eats" energy. If you don't have extra speed, don't scrub.
Drill: Progression for the Scrubbing Technique
- 1. Small Tabletop: Find a small flat-topped jump or a rounded bump in a meadow.
- 2. Squash: First learn to "soak up" the jump without leaning. Just pull the bike under you.
- 3. The Mini-Scrub: Approach the jump at a slight diagonal and try to "cut off" the top of the lip by leaning. Start with a 10° lean.
Scrub Checklist:
Pro Tips for Level 3
The scrubbing technique is impossible with a high saddle. It will hit your thigh and throw you off balance. A dropper post is a must.
Your inside elbow has to go down (almost below the grip) to push the bike into a "flat" position.
A scrub needs a jump face with good grip. If the face is muddy or covered in loose rocks, scrubbing is a gamble. Do a "Squash" instead.