Road Cycling - Bunny Hopping

On my ride this morning I took a short cut behind the shopping center. After picking up some speed on this down hill section of the parking lot I cut in behind the grocery store/loading dock area.
There are a series of speed bumps that are about 6-7" high and about 12" wide that I like to bunny hop.
The approach, set up and hop. When done correctly there is little break in the action and you just keep rolling.
It's a great skill to practice, might get you out of a crash sometime. Pot holes, branches, etc.

Forgive me, I've heard the term before but dont think I know what a "bunny hop" is! How and why do you do it? Maybe I do it but just don't know the term given to it? Or maybe I've been ridding alone too long!

Forgive me, I've heard the term before but dont think I know what a "bunny hop" is! How and why do you do it? Maybe I do it but just don't know the term given to it? Or maybe I've been ridding alone too long!

Bunny hopping is jumping on your bike so that both tires leave the ground and land at the same time. It will take some practice to get it right, but it basically involves jumping and pulling up on the handlebar simultaniously. Hard to explain, but it'd be best to practice on an old beater if you'd never tried it.

I do that on some deeper cuts in the road. It's so easy with clipless pedals.

Bunny hopping is jumping on your bike so that both tires leave the ground and land at the same time. It will take some practice to get it right, but it basically involves jumping and pulling up on the handlebar simultaniously. Hard to explain, but it'd be best to practice on an old beater if you'd never tried it.
Ok, I know what you mean now, to get both wheels off the ground for a second to get past something like a hole, etc. Thanks!

It is a great skill to have. It can save pinch flats on big holes and can keep you from going down when you get run off the road with a big curb...

I've been bunny hopping since I was a kid. It's a great skill I think all riders should take the time to learn. Lots of times on the BMX or MTB I have BH'd over pot holes or curbs to keep my flow going. I haven't tried it on the road bike yet, I was worried about those skinny little wheels/tires, lol.

Mike

It's a skill that every road rider should have. Essential for avoiding obstacles that you don't see until the last minute. Make sure your front quick release is tight though.

I've seen a guy bunnyhop and lose the front wheel. It wasn't pretty.

Also good for crossing railway tracks, but you have to be going fast to make the distance.

Also good for crossing railway tracks, but you have to be going fast to make the distance.

And hopefully not the train too....

how exactly do you guys bunny hop?

apply pressure onto the pedal and pull the handlebar?

thanks

And hopefully not the train too....


For that, you need to be going MUCH faster! ;)

saltedeggman, that would be a wheely :). Just kidding bro.

It's hard for me to explain, but I pretty much just "hop" real hard and pull the bars with me.

i tried doing it on my specialized mtb with front shocks and i can hardly lift the rear wheel up

guess i will try harder

how exactly do you guys bunny hop?

apply pressure onto the pedal and pull the handlebar?

thanks

im still working on mine (i used to be pretty good at it as a kid with toe clips but i just stopped doing it and im learning all over again)....but basically you jump with your feet to pull up the back end of the bike while pulling up on the handlebars to bring up the front part of the bike. as somebody has already said, its easier with clipless pedals. with toe clips you really have to make sure that your straps are tight and that you pull up with a flat foot...otherwise your crotch and the top bar are gonna meet (unless you have a compact frame:D)

Squat down, spring up, pull the bike up using your legs and arms. Practice and you can get some good height which means when you're rollin you can get some good distance too.
Great for the last minute stuff, cracks, bridge expansion joints, or if you just don't like slowin down and hitting those speed bumps at an angle.
Road bikes can handle it. Just try and put it down on both wheels at the same time and let it down easy, if you know what I mean.

A side note: Some of those BMX'rs can pull their bikes up and jump park benches and they don't have clipless pedals.

A side note: Some of those BMX'rs can pull their bikes up and jump park benches and they don't have clipless pedals.

but dont they pull up the front end and then flip up the back end? ive only ever seen them do it slowly. maybe when they go faster they bunny hop

Also good for crossing railway tracks, but you have to be going fast to make the distance.

Only if you are sure that you can clear the last rail.

is it a safe idea to do this on a road bike? won't it hurt the bike?

for all those learning....I haven't bunny hopped before tonight. After the ride I went out the the parking garage and tried it out. The easiest way to learn involved less pulling up no the handle bars and more picking the bike up with your feet. <this is on a road bike> as if you were jumping from a stand still and trying to suck your knees into your chest. I found that pushing down on the bike first helps

I find that pulling up kinda like you're on a rowing machine on the front and then pushing back and pulling up with your feet to get the back up will yield the best results.....

the trick is to get the front wheel higher than the obstacle then bring the back wheel up to meet the front.....and a tip on getting higher, the further back you can get your body when pulling up the front the more lift you seem to get on the rear....

after years of bmxing....and 3 years of only riding a bike maybe 10 times I can still bunnyhop well over 2 and a half feet.....getting back into it though, and loving every second

I regularly bunny hop over a 3" wide crack in the asphalt on one of my usual routes. When done correctly (good speed, timing etc.), I can clear it with both tires.

But a word of advice: practice. Be careful not to hop too late or too early... otherwise you might actually make matters worse (by pushing up too late when the bike hits the crack/bump, or coming down to soon and landing on the thing you're trying to avoid in the first place).

I find that pulling up kinda like you're on a rowing machine on the front and then pushing back and pulling up with your feet to get the back up will yield the best results.....

the trick is to get the front wheel higher than the obstacle then bring the back wheel up to meet the front.....and a tip on getting higher, the further back you can get your body when pulling up the front the more lift you seem to get on the rear....

Good advice:
On my mountain bike, bunny hopping logs I have done the front/back launch and front/back landing. When seen from the side it looks like those horses jumping during the dreshage(??/sp) events.
I've never done it on my road bike. I've always tried to come down on both tires at the same time, and right at the point of touch down I'll lighten up the bike as much as I can.
Timing is the key...wait to the last second.