recumelectric

I've never learned how to climb the curbs, although I can jump off them pretty easily. (I even rode off curbs a few time in the past week with my new recumbent.)

I want to know the technique for climbing curbs. It could be good in total emergencies...not to mention a nice way to impress friends and family.

BarracksSi

Too straight-on, and it'll be rough; too shallow of an angle, and it'll just push your wheels out from underneath you.

I don't remember what I did when I learned to climb curbs because that was thirty years ago. I do know that I was jumping them right after that, though.

drhrosa

I would suggest you do a "bunny hop" search on You Tube. There are plenty of folks teaching how to jump curbs and things. Here's one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAem3...eature=related

77midget

+1 I just pull up the front, then hop the whole bike. The back wheel might bump slightly, but not hard at all-I purposely do not try to hop that hard or high to better preserve control.

wyeast

Pull up the front to hop the curb, then lean forward to pull weight off the rear as it hits - downstroke to climb.

At least that's what I seem to remember from my ol' stair crashing days in college.

jerseybmx

i kn ow it's not right but i kinda wanna laugh... i guess it cuz i rode freestyle bmx my whole life... ( i can bunnyhop 38") but hopping curbs is easy. if u really wanna climb a curb without a true bunnyhop... pop ur front wheel on the curb goign straigh at it and at an angle with practice... wheh ur front wheel lands... pussh into ur bars and unweight ur back wheel... maybe hop a little til u get used to it... its really easy if ur running clipless... all u have to do is jump!

recumelectric

There are probably a lot of things about me that would make you laugh. Especially the time I tried the BMX experience. After falling on my butt 3 times in a row (just attempting the first hill), I decided that wasn't the sport for me.

...I'll probably try the "pop a wheelie and then climb" technique. That's something I can handle.

paulwwalters

I wish I could go down stairs on my road bike. I can only take one bike to college next year and that's the one... so it could be handy. I've seen it done before, and I've got 36 hole rims...

cooleric1234

Agreed, I just wrecked the other day while trying to teach myself to bunny hop. I caught way too much air on the front end. Of course, like an idiot, I wasn't practicing on grass as I should have been.

BCRider

Bunny hopping is a skill that is best practiced with shin guards on. I've got the scars from my platform MTB pedals to show for it.

To ride up a curb I don't bunny hop. Instead I slow to a fast walking pace and just before the front gets there I throw my weight to the rear and pull back and up on the bars. This pops up the front end to about 6 to 8 inches easily with no fuss or muss. Then once the front is over I lean forward quite aggresively and point my toes and kick back with my feet to unload and lift the rear. Once you get the hang of it you can do this at more like a slow running pace and unload both ends for the hit just fine.

Of course the bunny hop full on aerial clearning of the curb is TOTALLY sweet if you don't mind risking the shins. Either that or wear shin guards....

You can easily practice the throw your weight back and lift deal as well as the lean forward and pedal kick back deal on level ground.

You don't even really need to be totally airborne with either end. As long s they are well unloaded they'll bounce over just fine.

kwrides

ht yr hed 1nce r 2wice?

LittleBigMan

Climbing Curbs: How To?

I never tried, until one day I was riding along and decided to stop in the middle of the block and get off my bike. I saw there was no traffic behind, so I hit the brakes.

I hit them a bit too hard. My rear wheel lifted off the ground several inches, then swung to the right and landed on top of the curb. Now I was in a predicament, with my rear tire on a high curb and my front tire in the street, with me stopped. Rather than fall into the street, though fast and jerked hard on my handlebars and pulled my front tire up on the curb. I leaned right and put my foot down.

I looked over to my right on the sidewalk, and saw some bike messengers watching me, eating lunch.

I was hoping they thought I did it on purpose.

JanMM

You want to do this on a 'bent? Pretty difficult to unweight the front wheel.

bkwentz

I suggest leaning way over the front and grabbing the front brake right as you hit the curb. You will get over the curb.

But really, If worse comes to worse just do the 7 year old method, lean back and plow through it. I find myself reverting, more and more, to my paperboy days. No technique, but i am always moving forward.

recumelectric

I popped some wheelies over some small obstacles (about half the size of a curb) tonight. It felt g o o o o o d. I'm mainly worried about the stress on the handlebars.

JanMM

Did this on a 'bent?

croscoe

There's no practical reason to bunny hop a curb.

1. Apply pressure to drivetrain and lift front wheel over.
2. Shift your weight forward and off of the pedals allowing the rear wheel to lift over. (don't slam the rear wheel into the curb. no no! also, clipless makes this easier, but it's easy with platforms as well)
3. Success.

recumelectric

Yes sir, I did! It's a Sun bike, so it's really not that low.

recumelectric

That's pretty much how I did it, except, with a bent, it was fine to put some weight on the pedals, which are up towards the front. Put my butt up at an angle towards the front edge of the seat, and that effectively shifted the weight while pulling the back end over. It was actually smoother than I expected.

I'm still not comfortable with actual curb height, but I might get there.

JanMM

Video is required.

huhenio

Lift front wheel ... hop off the pedals so the momentum carries the bike over without your fat arse hurting the wheel against the curb.

I have mad skills and I do it with a fixed gear.

hairytoes

I dunno about where you live, but riding on pavements is for kids over here. Anyone over 9years old can get hit with a £30 fine - that's about 50 US dollars.

recumelectric

In the city where I live, a bicyclist can choose: street, sidewalk, bikelane, canal path, etc. as long as the cyclist is following the rules that apply in each situation. In other words, while on the street, a bike is a vehicle and must follow the laws of traffic. While on a sidewalk, a biker is a pedestrian and must follow the laws governing pedestrians. ...I know this because I got a few lectures from cops and judges 20 or so years ago when I moved to this area.

(Note to others: Let's please not open the sidewalk vs. street debate here. There are plenty of old threads on that topic that can be dug up for a good fight. )

My interest in hopping/ climbing a curb at this point has more to do with....ahhh, nevermind. I just wanted to be able to do it.

HardyWeinberg

pavements = sidewalk?

BarracksSi

We're waiting for the YouTube vid... just so ya know..

Yes. Different terms in different parts of the world.