This is how you learn to backflip using only the tools you have access to.
Whether it’s a snow mound, a mulch pile, or a lake, there’s always the chance you’re
gonna snap yourself in half.
Back in my day, we gave props for this kind of resourcefulness and courage.
Going full send was the only path to progression and glory.
Many have risked their lives to land the coveted backflip, one of the most committing maneuvers
you can pull on a bike.
To all who have tried, whether you succeeded or not, I salute you.
But these days, there are safer, more progressive ways to learn flips, including facilities
like these.
Welcome to the Highland Training Center, an indoor wooden park featuring a foam pit and
padded box known as a resi jump.
I’m here today with my buddy Phil, to accomplish one goal: roll away from a backflip.
Phil pulled his first backflip at 13 years old, at a facility very much like
this one.
The Highland Training Center is part of Highland Mountain Bike Park, in New Hampshire.
I visited Highland last year and found that most of the features there were above my paygrade.
The place is full of huge drops, doubles, slopestyle jumps, and tricky wooden features.
Today I’m getting vengeance on all the stuff I chickened out on last year.
Progression always feels good, but I didn’t drive all the way to highland just to send
some drops.
Back at the HTC, we warmed up in the foam pit.
Even last year, I attempted some backflips and got hang of the rotation.
But according to Phil, there’s more
to it.
Landing tires down on one particular ramp is fine and dandy, but adapting to multiple
scenarios is a different story.
Flipping into this foam pit is now muscle memory, but that won’t help me when I try
the real thing.
This resi box has a shorter approach, which is harder to get speed for.
In preparation, I’m trying flips at different approach speeds, heights, and distances.
Lest you think foam pits provide free progression, take it from me: they don’t.
In fact, foam pits are tiring to session, difficult to climb out of, and harder on your
bike than you would think.
They also provide a false sense of security.
This foam pit is a powerful tool, but I’m anxious to move on.
It’s time to attempt a flip on the resi box.
A resi box is like a real jump, except it gives a bit when you land on it.
The surface is also slippery so that you don’t get scraped up when tumbling across it.
The problem with this resi box, is that the approach isn’t that great for a full suspension
mountain bike.
Were I on a hardtail or bmx, I’d have an easier time pumping the roll-in.
On my mountain bike, I need to take a few cranks to get up enough speed.
Not a very impressive bail, but I did seem cognizant of the fact that I wouldn’t complete
the rotation.
Knowing that my instincts are intact, actually gives me more confidence to try again.
This time, I’ll try pulling the bike towards me to speed up the rotation.
And with that, I rolled away from my first backflip.
I really wanted to catch the landing perfectly, but needed more practice to get the distance.
This session ended when I started to push my luck.
I landed on the resi without consequence, but the bike slid directly into my funny bone.
Since then, I’ve lost a lot of sensation in my right hand.
I’ll be seeing a doctor next week to hopefully get it sorted out.
This winter I hope to find a good jump to practice on, so that flips can become something
I do casually.
Bike park season is nearing its end, so that should give me a chance to heal up and focus
on other kinds of mountain biking.
Thanks for sharing this special moment with me, and do check out the link below to pay
your respects to those who learned to flip with limited resources.
Also, subscribe to Skills with Phil to learn all the ins and outs of the backflip.
He’ll be posting a tutorial on his channel in the coming weeks.
Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll see you next time.