Mountain Biking - How do you bunny hop?

Any tips on bunny hopping. Seriously, I have a 28 inch vertical jump but I can't even get an inch off the ground on my bike. And yes I know they're two different things, it's just frustrating :)

Im going to warn you ahead of time. Use the search function before you get malled by the other members.

oh true my bad

well I use clipless so I can "cheat" as far as bunny hopping goes. All I do is pull up on the handlebars and then pull up with my legs and my bike comes off the ground.

From what I read from other members with platforms you pull up on the handlebars and then push off really hard with your legs and your bike should pop up. Thats what i understand anyway, might not be correct.

oh and BTW, when I started out doing bunnyhops I practiced by putting a cup in the grass(I practiced at a local park) and then would ride back and forth, hopping over the cup. As you get better you can use bigger stuff like shoeboxes, stacks of bricks whatever.

do the search, you'll find a reference to the infamous site with the step-by-step video of these guys b-hopping on bmxs, learn on flats if possible - i cheat with toeclips myself but would prefer not to rely on them.

And my thread. :D

http://www.biketrials.com/how-to/index.shtml#bunnyhop

This page has a lot of good information on how to do things the "correct" way...ie no toeclips or clipless pedals! :D

with a 28" natural vert (in my bbal days I was around 32") once you get proper technique down you bunny hop should be huge....

I still can't do a technically perfect bunny hop...so I still can't jump much higher than 10 to 12"

I can only j-hop like 6'' on my Bullit, if that.....on a BMX its easy to hop 2' +. Worst feeling ever........pulling the front up too high on a J-hop, taking youre feet of the pedals, getting your nuts caught, then smashing them on the ground.....and managing to only hop about 6'' while your nuts are being suspended :D

Thanks for the memories...I hjate that feeling. But now I have to learn how to bunny hop on a ht again. Got so used to a little cush...

Wear shin guards for the love of god, my shin is still pockmarked from a particularly nasty crash into my plastic wellgo's. Thank god there are no steel pins on it :D

Whats the best kind of pedal for bunny hoping

Oh and if its needed information, i dont intend to hop super high or any. Just enough to get over a log or something in the trail.

easiest is clipless or cages.

To learn how to do it properly use any platform pedal.

platform pedal, thast what i have. ALright thanks, if i want to jump like more then a foot do i need another kind? Im a fan of platform pedals, i have to ride this thing to school and back every day so all these things that need cleats and all are out of hte question

No....highest bunnyhops are by far held by flat riders...clipless for bunnyhops take away from technique...not help the height.

well imn ot into having perfect technique, if it can get me above the ground im set, if it wasnt for school ide get different pedals.

flats are best for learning any kind of bike handling skill. any problems, just hop off the bike so it doesnt land on top of you. imo clips only really help you cheat only in the sense that you dont have to concentrate on jumping up while pointing your toes down (for grip) and maybe also for added strength in pulling up your rear wheel.

Mael's trying to say that ultimately technique is what gives you height. you can still have proper technique with clips, just that the tendency to "cheat" means you're less likely to learn proper technique.

to bunny hop you put as much force into the pedals as u can and then when you pull up the front you should beable to lift the back with a bit of leaverage

to bunny hop you put as much force into the pedals as u can and then when you pull up the front you should beable to lift the back with a bit of leaverage
actually, if you want to bunny hop properly, doing that won't do you much good. what you want to do is "preload" your legs (i.e., get up off your seat, and bend at the knees as if you're going to jump). then you want to pull back on the handlebars to lift the front end keeping your arms straight. as your front tire gets to the desired height you unload your legs with some force and point your toes down. pointing your toes will help get your rear wheel off the ground as well as giving your feet some grip on the pedals. then you're going to want to curl your legs back up and suck the bike up under you to get some more height out of the jump. than all you gotta do after is land :D .

i like rough riders way betta, i get 3 meters of height.

Any tips on doing a manual? I've gotten to the point where I can lift my front tire, but can't seem to stay up there. Should I lower my seat? Push the bike under me more?

than all you gotta do after is land :D .

:p reminds me of every time i play a flight sim of some sort - i'd take off, destroy everything in sight, fly back, and then get owned by tarmac.

Any tips on doing a manual? I've gotten to the point where I can lift my front tire, but can't seem to stay up there. Should I lower my seat? Push the bike under me more?

accually, your seat should be quite high, its ezer to manual. when you manual, you want to be on a very easy gear, pedal once hard while lifting your front tire off the ground, and continue pedaling hard. to push your front end a little farther down, just TOUCH your rear brake. to lift it higher, pedal harder.
the rest is just balance.

Pedal? Thats a wheelie not a manual.

LEarn your rear balance point. Lift the front end till you feel like you will loop out and tap the brake to bring the front down. Eventually with time you will learn to hump the bike to maintain the balance point without using the brakes.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not telling you this is the ONLY way to manual. It's MY way. If you don't like it, fine, but this is how I learned and improved. End of Disclaimer.

The key with the manual is leaning back AND down. When I learned manuals I used to do them standing pretty much straight. It both looked ugly and they didn't work very well.

Start by rolling along on the ground (flat and nice makes it easier). Roll along calmly with the pedals in lever with choco-foot first and set yourself up. Now you can choose do to one of the three things:
1. Pull the bars up
2. Pedal up into the manual (I do this most of the time)
3. Roll along and do the practice later (not recommended)

If you picked 1, you are simply going to roll along and pull hard on the bars and lean back. This is the hardest way, at least I think so. If you picked 2, like me, pedal back until your chocolate foot is on the highest point of the pedal revolution (12 o'clock). Now pedal hard until the front comes up. By the time the pedals are level (with choco-foot forward) you should be up. If you are not, add another pedal revolution.

When you have found your balance point, crouch down quite low and have your arms straight. Your legs should be slightly bent. Now pump the bike with the knees. This helps you to balance, and gives the bike a little bit of extra speed. It's easier if you over exaggerate the pumping.
The first thing you should learn is to manual WITHOUT the rear brake. Just practice and practice. You will have to jump off the bike a couple of times, but that is not a problem. Once you can manual a few yards, you can proceed to the more advanced technique.

Now it's time to learn how to use the rear brake in a manual. You pedal/pull up into the manual as usual, but now crouch down even more. You can lean back a little bit more too, if you think you were too high up when not using the brake. When you feel you are going to tip over backwards, stop pumping the bike with your legs instead of braking. If that doesn't help and you are REALLY falling backwards, feather the rear brake VERY LIGHTLY, and start pumping the bike underneath you again.
If you need more speed, try doing the manual in a small downhill piece of road. Too much and you will fall down, at least I did.

The manual is a hard trick, but very cool and nice to know. There are millions of things you can do with a manual. For example, manualing before a drop, or even after it if you are brave and trust your rear brake.

Falling is not an option, it's a fact. I've fallen over plenty of times when manualing. The thing is that if you bail a couple of times and get out of the crash unhurt, you are certainly boosting your confidence...

Manual Manual written by & © 2003 Robert Janson - www.CykelTrial.Net

Keep in mind that rear brake has this effect of suddenly working perfectly when you're wheelieing or manualing. That's because complete weight is on the rear wheel and the brake then BITES, so you have to feather it twice as gentle.
When you're rolling on two wheels, front brake matters more because centre of your balance moves forward while you brakes (due to intertia), and more weight on a wheel equals more braking efficiency


HEre is a good how to from a trials site I use to learn a manual - not a wheelie.
.

Looks like I was hopping wrong then... it was stand, crouch, lift on bars and twist them forward simultaneously... got the bike up a few inches, but not super high. Been doing the clipless cheat lately though... may not be right, but it's easy ;)

I've just spent all day trying to wheelie/manual. I still can't keep my wheel up long enough to pedal...I can't even get to the point where I feel like I might fall backwards...help!

PRactise...

^ Words to live by. Actually WORD to live by.

I can get my wheelie into a manual, but I can't keep it there for more than 0.5 seconds.

http://www.mtv.com/shared/media/images/artist/v/vanilla_ice/az_official/376x180.jpg (http://demand1.stream.aol.com/ramgen/timelife/gl/timelife/6724/06724_02_10_ice_ice_baby.rm?pageid=av-results-in-browser-wrapper)
Word to ya mutha :roflmao:

Arg...if you are sitting and you stop pedaling its just a coaster wheelie. A manual you pull up and ride it out humping and modulating the braking...you should need to pedal to get the front up for a manual. Think of what bmxers do when they pop out of the bowl

http://www.bmxtrix.com/ goto how to ride street and manuals is at the top.

http://www.mtv.com/shared/media/images/artist/v/vanilla_ice/az_official/376x180.jpg
Word to ya mutha :roflmao:

Ice Ice Baby....

Oh it gets worse click the picture :D

Can't do it...I can't hear that song again. Thank god I don't have RM player :)

Forget Bunny hopping try a J-hop (if you have front suspension) you push down on you shocks and the split second you do that pull up your back tire. the more you do it the higher you get. but do whatever is best for you.

no offense but why do have a pic of vanilla ice?

back up man! that's a good song! that song made one heck of a splash! :)

Forget Bunny hopping try a J-hop (if you have front suspension) you push down on you shocks and the split second you do that pull up your back tire. the more you do it the higher you get. but do whatever is best for you.

Its still called a bunny hop. Trials riders wanted to distinguish it by calling it something different, but bmxers over 20 years ago were calling it a bunny hop :)

But you are right, that is a way better method than the level lift.

Than where does the bronco fall in with all this? I always thought j-hops and broncos were the same but aparently not.

Than where does the bronco fall in with all this? I always thought j-hops and broncos were the same but aparently not.

What in the world is a bronco?

I learn something new every day. A bronco is when you are stalled on your sprocket or pedal and hop up onto whatever object you are resting.

anyone have any videos of themselves manualing?? I honestly have never been able to do it, and I think it might be easier to do after seeing...

anyone have any videos of themselves manualing?? I honestly have never been able to do it, and I think it might be easier to do after seeing...

Yeah, that would be nice.

last time i manuald i ran into a car and took a hunk of skin of my elbow. it wa funny though my friends got it on tape.

PS: i dont have anything against Vanilla Ice

Looks like I was hopping wrong then... it was stand, crouch, lift on bars and twist them forward simultaneously... got the bike up a few inches, but not super high.

Try this. Im thinking maybe it will help with some of the form a little. Sounds like you pretty much have it right. Maybe lean forward on your bars a little more. Be careful not to fly over them though.

Find some speed bumps. They dont have to have much of an incline. But get some speed and try launching yourself off them. Pull the bike up when your in the air.

When on a flat surface you want to pretty much do the same thing except it will take more force.

Maybe you should get someone to watch you do your bunny hops. Its easy to get high on them and not even feel it.

Or heck! Just practice popping up your rear tire. Once you get that then go for the bunny hop.

I was screwing around at a near by middle school earlier today. They have 3 different sized speed bumps. I discovered the thinnest ones were the best for launching because of the high incline. Some how I managed to hit one just right. Pulled my handle bars just after my front wheel hit then lifted the back just after the back wheel hit. I got some real good air off that.

no offense but why do have a pic of vanilla ice?Read the post right ahead of that one

^ Words to live by. Actually WORD to live by.


I wanted to play off the WORD comment but I wanted some thing more obscure than the recent Korn cover of Cameno's "Word Up" I just associate "Word to ya Mutha" with Vanilla Ice most likely because it's the last thing he says at the end of "Ice Ice Baby". That's the reason it's there.

You never saw "Cool As Ice"? It's a classic of bad cinema :lol:

http://www.x-entertainment.com/pics/cool1.jpgClick me (http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/385.html)

PS: i dont have anything against Vanilla Ice

I sure do...he ruined a lot of my late teens and early childhood...I was forced to listen to him for 5 years...damn gf's ;)