Emma Maaranen takes the 5-foot drop at Mt. Bachelor Bike Park during Gravicross.

Many mountain bikers love getting their wheels off the ground, and there are now some new features for getting that sweet air. With funding from the Bend Sustainability Fund, a Visit Bend project, Central Oregon Trail Alliance has upgraded the Wanoga Infield skills area to include a progressive drop line.

With a perfectly designed takeoff and landing zone for drops ranging from 6 inches to 3 feet, riders now have a great place to learn and advance their drop-riding skills. The complex is perfect for groups and families of varied rider levels to hang out and ride bikes together.

A drop feature for mountain bikes is where the ground has a sudden steep angle or falls away like a big down step. Riders go off the edge so both wheels are in the air at the same time, then land. When riders want to learn to ride drops, they start with a small drop the size of a curb. As they build their skills and confidence, they can ride bigger drops. In Central Oregon, large drops up to 7 feet can be found at Mt. Bachelor Bike Park. Freeriders are known to ride drops in excess of 50 feet at events like Red Bull Rampage.

Riding drops is fun and once a rider has developed safe techniques, they will want to find more to ride. There are natural drops throughout the trails locally, typically where a big rock is on the trail with a steep backside or a large root crosses the tread and the trail drops away. There are several natural drops on Funner Trail. Riders take a little detour off the main route onto an alternate line to hit the drop. When riders are finding and riding drops for the first time it is important to walk the drop to sight the takeoff and landing plus identify any obstacles on the trail. After scouting, riders ride the drop at a controlled speed and then can ride it faster with repeat rides.

It’s best to ride any technical trail feature with a buddy. Natural drops are sprinkled throughout local trails. Some easy to find ones are on ELV where it parallels Rockstacker and at the junction of Voodoo and Ben’s.

More drop destinations

Another excellent place to practice riding drops is at Madras East Hills. The National Forest does not allow wood features to be built on mountain bike trails, but these trails are on city land, so riders can practice drops made with wood takeoffs. From The Ravine Trail, there are three progressive wood ramp drops. The small one has a rollable backside making it perfect for novice riders stretching their skill set. The largest drop is 3 feet. There are two 18-inch drops in a row made with pavers on the Westside Drops trail which are fun to session.

When riders are ready to take their drop riding to the next level, Mt. Bachelor Bike Park is the destination. There are drops on several of the downhill trails, all signed so riders won’t accidentally ride off a drop. At the base of the mountain in the skills area there are two areas with progressive wood drops. The beginner area ranges from 6 to 18 inches, and the advanced area ranges from 3 to 7 feet. A lot can be learned by watching advanced riders work these drops.

The updated Wanoga Infield skills area has been open for just two weeks and is a hit. In addition to the drop line, some of the roller lines were improved and the start mound was made bigger.

COTA’s vision for this area is to update all the roller lines from a novice to advanced line making it a great place for riders to gather, session and progress their skills. You can donate to help make this happen on COTA’s website, cotamtb.com.

Tricks and tips for mountain biking through Central Oregon’s hot summer days

Expert downhill trail at Mt. Bachelor Bike Park set to host region’s top riders