Manual "Simon" style B

In addition to Endless Biking suspension compression down and forward, Manual can be done by:
1. No suspension engagement
2. Moving hips back just before the front wheel hits the drop (timing is everything) AND creating pressure on the palms of the hands.

Advantage of this move: it is very predictable and one does not rely on suspension response.
There is also racer style execution where the rider extends feet in the air reducing the height of the drop
Here is the video:

Arrows on the picture below indicate: pressure on the palms of the hands, hips back creating such palm pressure. Notice that vertical arrow indicates that the rider moves quite back over the rear tire for a split second. No suspension preload is used (unlike in style A) in this version of the Manual:

Manual- Style A

DISCLAIMER: This move can be dangerous. Seek professional instruction. The tips are for the author of the blog to serve as recall tips only. Blogger site degraded video quality that was originally filmed with 12 megapixels...

There are many ways to teach the "manual". This video is how I learned to do it at Endless biking. Fluid Ride teaches it differently.

1. I practice on small obstacles first so I get a feel for it and don't get hurt if something goes wrong.
2. Technique: Just before the front wheel rolls over the drop I PUSH ON THE PEDALS DOWN AND FORWARD
3. It is easier to do with a bit of speed
4. WARNING: At higher speeds the push on the pedals may produce a very big violent jump, the faster I go the less of a push I exert and I always remember that the bike will be MUCH MORE RESPONSIVE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. 
5. Become quite small (attack position) before you do the "Manual"
6. Seat should be low!

Although the obstacle on the video is tiny, I watch the force applied to the pedals by the legs on the video just before the front wheel rolls over the "edge". Timing is everything! I push down and forward with the legs only.

1. Ready Position (I should be lower!):

2. I push down on the pedals:

3. I push then slightly forward on the pedals:

4. Front wheel attitude in the air:

5. Landing in preferably neutral low position (I should not be this far back):

Platform pedals should be "skinny"

It took me almost two years to understand what good platform pedals are. It is not about a brand and type, they will all brake eventually, guaranteed!
It is about how thin or "skinny" they are! It is amazing how you can reduce pedal strikes by sticking to this one feature only. One can appreciate it only after having used "fat" or "fatter" pedals for a while.
For a month or so I have been using these MEC pedals and they work great. Here is the picture of what I consider good "thickness" of a platform pedal (these are Mec Double A pedals as per link above). They also should have a concave shape.

Another pedal that I want to try in the future is Deity Decoy 2.5