Physics

Building a Better Kicker: The Physics Behind the Jump Simulator

Anyone who has ever flown through the air on two wheels can appreciate this: a rider staring at a jump and its gap, trying to picture the arc. How fast do I need to go? Will I clear it? Will the landing feel smooth or like a punch to the spine? The mental math is unreliable, the necessary intuition only gained with loads of experience, and the consequences of getting it wrong range from cuts and bruises to an ER visit and a stint on injured reserve.