Mountain Biking - Bunnyhopping... it finally clicked.

Its strange, for about 3 years now off and on I've tried to learn to bunnyhop on platform pedals. I originally learned on clipless which gave me poor technique. I kind of gave up, but worked on doing nose wheelies and picking up the rear end of the bike, and then about a month ago I just casually tried a bunnyhop again and got it the first try. I know there's been some people posting about their frustration with bunnyhopping so I guess I would recommend learn how to modulate the front brake and bring the rear of the bike up with your feet... once I figured that out bunnyhopping was completely natural it seems.

WOW, that took you a REALLY long time! :rolleyes:

WOW, that took you a REALLY long time! :rolleyes:

Ol 222, you are an asshat.

Are you still "japslapping" curbs?

Ol 222, you are an asshat.

Are you still "japslapping" curbs?
...IT TOOK HIM 3 YEARS! The longest I'd heard of before that was 3 months!

Japslapping is just a really weird way of saying pedal up or surge. It's actually more difficult to learn than bunnyhopping, but when you have it it's actually easier to do then bunnyhoping, especially if you have very little speed.

But you'd know that right? You know everything.

good job on that seely, it gives the rest of us some hope :)

I guess I should say that when I say I was trying for 3 years, it more like I would occasionally try and still not be able to do it. I never alotted much time to actually practicing or trying. However, now that I can bunnyhop, I'm having a blast with it and trying to convince myself I need a trials bike...

I guess I should say that when I say I was trying for 3 years, it more like I would occasionally try and still not be able to do it. I never alotted much time to actually practicing or trying. However, now that I can bunnyhop, I'm having a blast with it and trying to convince myself I need a trials bike...
Congrats...but don't think bunnyhopping really well will make you good at trials...there's a lot to learn, but it's insanely fun.

Although, you can pick up some REALLY cheap trials bikes on ebay. They don't have the best components, but they're okay to learn on.

Here's (http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=012&item=220009637692&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1) one if you're interested. That's EXTREMELY cheap for a trials bike, considering that a cheap trials bike is usually 1k-1.5 k.

...IT TOOK HIM 3 YEARS! The longest I'd heard of before that was 3 months!

Japslapping is just a really weird way of saying pedal up or surge. It's actually more difficult to learn than bunnyhopping, but when you have it it's actually easier to do then bunnyhoping, especially if you have very little speed.

But you'd know that right? You know everything.

So?

I could be wrong, but im pretty sure that ALL trials riders started out learning to bunnyhop at some point.

I could be wrong, but im pretty sure that ALL trials riders started out learning to bunnyhop at some point.
Yeah, but it's definately not the most important.

Congrates man! And don't worry about it it took me 2-3 years to properly learn also:D

1 month for me, I learned by just lifting my front tire as verticle as possible, and the back tire just seemed to follow. Now I can go pretty high on my bmx :D

Congrats on finally getting it though, it can be difficult at first, but after awhile, you can get them timed perfectly.

It is worth noting he did not practice for 3 years and then got it... it seems like he didn't practice much if at all and only a few times in those 3 years until he just practiced a bit and got it...

If we go by that... it took me about 10 years to get the bunnyhop :p

Not everyone works on bunnyhops. I can do a very basic bunnyhop, enough that I can unweight the back if I need to get up and over stuff. I could care less about doing a real bunny hop...

Congrats seely...I am still waiting for it to "click" and become natural, at this point its like doing wind sprints for football...its a "have to" instead of a "want to"...

Congrats seely...I am still waiting for it to "click" and become natural, at this point its like doing wind sprints for football...its a "have to" instead of a "want to"...

Yeah thats the way I felt about it and why I never really worked on it all that much, but I do like the extra control that you seem to get with it on jumps and drops.

Yeah thats the way I felt about it and why I never really worked on it all that much, but I do like the extra control that you seem to get with it on jumps and drops.

Oddly, I can jump off of jumps...just can't bunny hop stuff haha...

sounds like seely could use an ally to take some of the heat coming from the trials riders. [clears throat] i've been really riding since i was 11 (21 now) and have NEVER popped a wheelie. not once. ever. nor can i bunnyhop...although i can fake it riding clipless

so even though i lose major style points across the board, it's all good bc while you're waving your wheels in the air, i'm going faster than you:D

+1 with mael & seely's comments. not working on it hard enough, and jumping off a jump is heaps easier than bunnyhopping so far. one day...

...it won't click if you don't try at it...

For me, it's really become instinctive, but it takes a few months of time to get it that way. It took me 3 days to learn to bunnyhop...but I decided I wanted to learn it, I had been biking for a long time before then and I didn't even know about the bunnyhop.

Best way to make yourself more fluid with it is to just take out a hardtail(if you have one, it doesn't have to be anything special) and practice doing them for a weekend.

It took me a long time to get the timing right. Probably 4+ months until it got fluid.

I am to busy riding to play around that much for a bunny hop. I know "how" to learn, but I would rather practice railing a dh course than hopping around.

Well, I can get over most trail obstacles if they arent too big, but I can't really bunny hop. Check this out:

http://members.tripod.com/%7Etrashzen/anbun1.html

Bunnyhopping is like impossible for me, maybe its my frame geometry or lack of good braking. I can wheelie uphill, and use my pedals to pull my front end up, but thats about it. I suck.

until i can find some time that doesn't conflict with my urge to just ride the trail, i'm resigned to that fate :o

.. It took me 3 days to learn to bunnyhop..



Wow Jason. You da man.

I always thought it was something ppl learned as a kid on thier bmx. To hear people touting it as a "skill" seems funny to me. Its way too generic to deserve any real recognition.

Not a slam against those that are happy they learned, its a useful trick....more of a slam against people who go around bragging about it.

In Manitoba theres not really any sweet DH at all, and Im nota big fan of XC so I mainly ride DJ/Urban stuff. I was able to just "hop" for the longest time ever and then I saw some guys down at the waterfront (sweet stairs and ledges everywhere) doing massive b-hops and I just had to learn them. It took me about a week of straight practise and falling and hurting my tailbone before I got it. And that was like 2 months ago. Now i can Bunnyhop almost 2.5 feet high and im still working on getting it consistent.

I could see where knowing how to bunnyhop would be pointless for some people who mainly ride DH and trails and stuff but its actually a really usefull skill for trials and urban stuff.

I used to really suck at bunnyhopping, until I got my STP. Now, I ride alot of urban stuff, and work on skills everyday. Funny though, I can bunnyhop a good 2 feet with platforms, but can hardly bunny hop at all on my XC bike with clipless pedals.

I had the best time tonight. Showing off for youngsters. We kept piling moving boxes ontop of eachother gradually and I'd continue to keep bunnyhoping over them...

I really surprized myself. The STP is a great bunnyhopper. I stopped piling the boxes at 3 feet, I was just too tired, and I had a lot of painful muscle spasms from being out of shape.


Not a slam against those that are happy they learned, its a useful trick....more of a slam against people who go around bragging about it.
That's not really cool dude. Anyone can learn to bunnyhop, but it's hard once to get up to what some of these 'braggers' can do. It's friggen fun too!

Modesty and downplaying one's ego is a useful skill. Let me quote a wise moderator " Louder they are the faker they are."

Pheard, what bike are you trying to B-hop on? I find that the Trek XC hardtails have terrible geometry to bunnyhop with, if that's the bike you're using. Not a bash on your bike, just my opinion from my own use(My brother owned a Trek 4100:p).

Bunny hopping actually comes in handy in DH racing believe it or not! Pre jumping jumps can very easily be quicker than jumping then landing. A good example was at a race, a jump into off camber ground very closely by a turn away from the camber. If you bunny hopped over the jump you would land earlier making your ability to turn better. Also if their are rocks or logs accross the track, the ability to pre hop them can lead to faster smoother riding.

Modesty and downplaying one's ego is a useful skill. Let me quote a wise moderator " Louder they are the faker they are."

True,we were at a mtnbike festival this last weekend and a kid kept talking smack to our bike club kids. I told them there are people that talk and those that don't have to. All of our riders waxed this kid. Oh it was fun watching girlscout bunnyhopping a 12" pink bike. He was able to do 180s on it by the end of the weekend.

I agree with above post. I definetly remember bunny hopping speed bumbs when i was like 10. Never really thought of it as an aquired skill. But then i watched the video posted by JagdNeun, thats pretty sweet, guna have to go work on my bunny hops lol

took me about 2 weeks straight everyday on my BMX when i was younger now im hoping close to 3 feet up

I'm 33 and quit riding bikes when I was 16. I picked up my first mountain bike a year ago and was able to bunnyhop with no problem after not being on a bike for 17 years. I"m not bragging but I'm just confused on what's so hard about it?? Saying you just learned how to ride a wheelie while shifting thru all gears is something to be happy about but a bunnyhop???

I'm 33 and quit riding bikes when I was 16. I picked up my first mountain bike a year ago and was able to bunnyhop with no problem after not being on a bike for 17 years. I"m not bragging but I'm just confused on what's so hard about it?? Saying you just learned how to ride a wheelie while shifting thru all gears is something to be happy about but a bunnyhop???

The movement of lifting the front unweighting and raising the back is not something that comes naturally. I was able to olly a skateboard fairly quickly but found the bunny hop difficult...

not a regular hop, lifting both wheels at once, I was able to do in a few minutes... but thats a pretty useless maneuver.

I was comfortable doing bunny hops when I rode 20"ers, but I think the thing that is challenging me right now is the front shock. My technique required pushing off using both the front and back wheels, but since that shock soaks up the power I'm pushing through the front, I'm having to relearn...

Funny that a bunny hop is causing such a stir. :D Bunny hop... That's a funny name.... We need to come up with a more aggressive name for it.

I'm... I'm a booger eatin' moron... :rolleyes:

I am sorry for the newbie question but what is a japslapping ??

I don't know for you all but it took me something like 1 day to learn bunnyhopping ..

Mael, a bunnyhop is both wheels in unison.

You sound like you're referring to what we used to call a "kangaroo hop" back home (no idea whats its real name is)...front first, followed by rear.

The movement of lifting the front unweighting and raising the back is not something that comes naturally. I was able to olly a skateboard fairly quickly but found the bunny hop difficult...

not a regular hop, lifting both wheels at once, I was able to do in a few minutes... but thats a pretty useless maneuver.
Yea, when I was younger I could ollie 3-4 feet high. I could kick flip etc. Tricks on skateboards were so much easier =/

Mael, a bunnyhop is both wheels in unison.

You sound like you're referring to what we used to call a "kangaroo hop" back home (no idea whats its real name is)...front first, followed by rear.

ummm...I don't feel like really getting into it as it goes into a whole other argument but I think most would agree a level lift is not a bunny hop. A bunny hop looks like a bunny hopping...not like the herky jerky level lift. Also I think PNJ (good ole poster from WAYYYY back) referenced a most ancient bmx magazine (late 70's I think) to explain that a bunny hop has always been the front and then rear but has recently, thanks to the wonders of clipless, been reduced to the most 'useful' level lift.

When I say bunny hop I will always been the front and then rear lift...

I am sorry for the newbie question but what is a japslapping ??

I don't know for you all but it took me something like 1 day to learn bunnyhopping ..

Bouncing around on your rear tire while exerting a forward force...

Yea, when I was younger I could ollie 3-4 feet high. I could kick flip etc. Tricks on skateboards were so much easier =/

I figured out how to ollie quickly...never got any height...I learned quickly the only place I seemed to be able to get any very was on a basketball court...stick some device under me and I resemble a large man having an epileptic seizure while trying to lift whatever it is I was riding in the air. Skis, snowboard, bikes or skateboards...haha..

A level lift has always been a bunnyhop where im from, and it seems others think so too. Explains the confusion between those that find it easy to do, and others that find it more difficult...we're all doing different things under the same name.

That said, a kangaroo hop (bunnyhop whatever) isn't all that difficult either.

well, it just doesn't make sense. The level lift looks nothing like a bunny hopping. Might also explain why people can't figure out why the name "bunnyhop" exists. It exists because when the jump is done right it looks like a bunny hopping...well a little bit.

Looks like a kangaroo to me. :)

But then again, we didn't have bunnys where i lived....but we had a few roos here and there.

In Cleveland :D...:O

Touche'

Maybe hopper or some other aussie will be along to corroberate my story....or prove once and for all that me and my mates lived in a bubble in south western sydney.

Its strange, for about 3 years now off and on I've tried to learn to bunnyhop on platform pedals. I originally learned on clipless which gave me poor technique. I kind of gave up, but worked on doing nose wheelies and picking up the rear end of the bike, and then about a month ago I just casually tried a bunnyhop again and got it the first try. I know there's been some people posting about their frustration with bunnyhopping so I guess I would recommend learn how to modulate the front brake and bring the rear of the bike up with your feet... once I figured that out bunnyhopping was completely natural it seems.

yeah thats pretty long but at least u got it!

Good thing I learned when I was like 9 :p

[QUOTE=tryplecrown]Funny that a bunny hop is causing such a stir. :D Bunny hop... That's a funny name.... We need to come up with a more aggressive name for it.



ollie