Bunny Hopping
 

What's the best technique to use to bunny hop?

I am learning this right now... What you are supposed to do is pull your front tire up and lean back and down to get it high, then use your back tire to push off the ground. Hold your handles very tight when your starting, try to kind of twist them forward when your pushing off with your back tire.

Easiest way to learn, get a friend who knows how to do it to teach you.

If you have cable, there's a couple of shows on the Outdoor Life Network that feature basic MTB skills.

Bunny-Hops are all about momentum and weight transfer. Pick a little object to jump over, something that won't spill you. You need a bit of speed, enough to carry you over the obstacle. As you approach, stand, then "compress" by squatting down suddenly. If you have suspension, you can feel it compress. Right before the object, spring back up strongly, like you're jumping. Try to twist the bars, like the guy above says. You do not need clips to do this, properly done the bike will "follow" you up.

Timing is everything. Squat, compress, spring up....one smooth sequence.

I never could understand this. Instead, i got clipless pedals and pull up on them to hop. This works fine.

Roadies bunny hop too you know. You think it's nice to run over potholes with 110psi tyres?! We have the perfect technique too, go clipless, then pull up and you can get a good height as our bikes weigh roughly 2/3 what yours do!

If you're bhopping over speed bumps, make sure you clear them :D

Hehe- nothing uglier than an endo on asphalt!

You definately want to clear the object with the front wheel, particularly if you are going fast. There is a good amount of pulling up on the handlebars just before the compression jump. Dont rely too much on clipless pedals to do this, you can pull out / unclip then when you come down there is no pedal underfoot and you could wind up landing on your junk.

Just jump over speed bumps. Some of them are 2 in a row, couple feet apart, just go fast and clear the second one :)

are you doing this from the drops, or what?

bk

For some reason, I've never been able to bunny hop with any of my MTBs, but I can leap what feels like a foot in the air on my road bikes. I usually just stand up fast, kinda throwing my body straight up, and the bike comes with. I'm always able to clear whatever it is I was hopping.

Riding in the West, we encounter the occasional cattle guard. They're a real PITA...to ride over them you need to slow down to about 6 mph, and they'll still rattle the fillings out of your head.

But, if you have the speed, and the balls, you can jump over them.

One time in Colorado, I was descending a beautiful road near Pagosa Springs at around 40-45. I love going downhill fast, and never like getting passed. On a long steep straight section, a guy came up beside me on a bike equipped with aero bars. He started to pass me, and I tried to keep up, but he was just too aero and I thought he was going to get away. Then I saw him sit up and grab his brakes, because there was a cattle guard just ahead. I kept pedalling hard for speed, then set up for the jump, and cleared the whole thing at about 40-something mph...and never saw Mr. Aero Bar again. :D :eek:

Someday I might be old enough to know better...but not yet.

Yea i thought my freind was wierd i can do a bunny hop not very high or anything but he couldnt get it when i was showing him i learned to do it on my cool scooter back in the day..

Its very easy, you stand up and put your body forward, so your head is over the handlebars, and then you jump like usual. Both wheels go up at the same time, depending on how much you lean forward.

One key thing many are missing, done properly without clipless or toe cages w/straps, the proper way is to angle rear foot toe down and sort of wedge your feet tween the pedals enough to allow some pull on the bike on the way up, you can get the rear up much higher that way.Its mostly body english and timing, and the compression downward needs to be sharp and explosive.

Not the drops, no. I usually do it from normal riding position - i.e. gripping the hoods of the STIs. It's really easy and it sure as hell beats sore wrists from not making the effort at all!!!

Bunnyhop? What, pass up a free meal?

There is a proper way to do it. This is what you are supposed to do kinda...

1. Pick up a good deal of speed depending how far you want to go and the height of the object you are jumping over.
2. Lean forward so your body weight is over the front tire and crouch down kinda.
3. Pull up on your front tire and pop back trying to get your front tire high.
4. Use your back tire to push off the ground and lean forward to bring it up, make sure your holding the handle bars tight and twist them forward while doing it, it helps alot.
5. Clear the object!


My friends are really good at it, I can do it really easily straight up, but you gotta learn to bunny hop properly if your gina be going off jumps, or dropping, cause then even if you get your front tire up, your back tire is gina pull your front back down and your gina go crashing headfirst into the ground!