Need Help With Jumping Techniques For Step-Through Frame
 

It has been stated by many that the step-through frames will always be weaker than the regular-shaped bicycle. The reason for this is that, because of its smaller triangle, step-through frames can not handle the normal bumps of the road for long.

While I am commuting, I sometimes meet obstacles that block my way. Usually, I cannot swerve aside without causing unwanted accidents, and slowing down/stopping would just be inconvenient for me.

Due to this, I want to learn how to jump with my bicycle. Let's just say that I love my step-through frame, and will not trade it with anything else for now.

Is there any jumping technique for a step-through frame? I want to be able to land softly.

Are you serious?

When you say "step through", do you mean a u-shaped frame like this or more of a ladies/mixte style like this?

Depending on material/construction, the mixte frame should hold up to normal, infrequent emergency maneuvers just fine. Search youtube for 'bunny hop bike'.

I have the mixte style. Thanks for the advice.

Yes I am. Don't know why you need to ask. The obstacles are uncommon, but I would like to be prepared.

I need to ask because this has disaster written all over it and I thought you might be trolling.

If you can't swerve, what are you going to do when you miss the landing? Probably fall off the bike and be thrown into traffic, that's what. Also, slowing down for obstacles is too inconvenient for you?! Really?! Would you rather arrive at your destination by bike or by ambulance?

What kind of obstacles are you talking about that are too much of an inconvenience to slow down for, moving aside from would cause accidents, but you think you can safely jump over?

Fair enough. Sorry for not being clear enough about my intentions.

Sometimes the streets are too packed for me, so I used the sidewalk. Where I live, it is legal to use the sidewalk (Los Angeles area). The problem with sidewalks is a common one: tree roots. It causes the sidewalk to rise up vertically about 4 to 8 inches. It's not just in one place, but many. To swerve to one side would mean trees and tree roots. To swerve to another would be mean meeting fences. These are non-car related accidents.
I could get out and walk, but - counting all the obstacles - this adds up to a considerable time. About 20 to 30 minutes extra, most inconvenient. I guess I have to change my statement about obstacles being uncommon for me, now that I think about it.

Pull up on your handlebars and push forward keeping your feet parallel to the ground once your font clears point your toes down a little bit and lift up on your pedals that will lift your back end up you need to shift your weight forward when you lift your back up. You might be able to get away with just lifting your front end up depending on the obstacle and your bike and your back will just roll over it. I def jump curves and other stuff on my road bike/ cyclocross just don't always do it.

Haha, all right, that's different! :lol:

I was envisioning you riding down the narrow shoulder of a busy highway with wooden crates and furniture and stuff falling off flatbed trucks right into your path! Well, not really, but more along those lines...

Can you pop a wheelie, like enough to get the front wheel over a curb? If you can do that well then often you can just sorta slow down and pedal your way over the rest of the curb or root or whatever, unless it's too high to clear the chainrings, in which case you get your front wheel up and over the thing, move forward a bit, then slow down and do the same thing with the back wheel. I can't explain the motion in text but it's pretty easy, you sort of "jump" up a little bit with your feet still on the pedals and the rear wheel just comes up. Be careful to not let your body go over the handlebars. Probably better for you and the bike to keep one wheel on the ground rather than bunny-hopping over everything, but once you master both of those motions you then know how to jump, you just do both together as one motion instead of two.

I mean, those obstacles will slow you down pretty much whether you hop one wheel at a time like described above or jump over them all, but it's still a lot faster than walking, eh?

I'd practice the bunny hop techniques away from pavement,

so the attempts that do not succeed dont break things on you or bike, or raise bruises.

Based on the videos I have watched, bunny hopping is definitely worth it. Much faster than walking the same distances.

it is not the smaller tirangle that causes step through frames to be weaker
but the lack of support on the back side of the seat tube where the lowered top tube joins
a normal non step through frame has the top tube and the seat stays meet the seat tube at approximately the same place
so the seat stays and top tube sort of cancel each other out

there is a third type of frame called a mixte which are not commonly made anymore
these frames have the same front half of a stanard step through frame
but the rear half has an extra set of seat stays in the middle between the seat stays and chain stays
meeting the seat tube at the same point as the top tube

mixte frames were much more common in the 70s and 80s
but went out of style when many bikes started being made with sloping top tubes and cmopact rear triangles
a few smaller companies are still selling them but not in huge numbers
http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/buena-vista

anyways
yes step through frames are not as strong as standard frames
but they are still more than strong enough to handle regular street riding
even with large bumps and bunnyhops to clear obstacles

edit

just saw that you have a mixte frame
in that case
ride it like you stole it
it is as strong as the same bike in the non step through version