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

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?

: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.

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.