canonikon

I live in NYC and sometimes I would need to go from road to sidewalk and sidewalk to the road due to the space on the roads but every time I jump the curb I can successfully lift the handlebar and avoid the front wheel hitting the sidewalk curb. However, the rear wheel always hit the curb and potentially in the future it will damage the rims, tires/tubes. Is there a walk to bunny hop onto the sidewalk without the rear wheel touching the curb? Is there a trick to do it?

PS: I bike a Dahon Jack mountain bike

zstjohn

Pull up on the bars and jump/lift your legs.

Creatre

Watch some videos, it really isn't that hard.

ptle

If you commute on a mountain bike, I wouldn't be too concerned about your wheels unless you have small tires. You can lift your front wheel, then kick up you rear wheel really quickly.

I take curbs pretty quickly on my Centurion, which has 25 year old wheels.

Carbon Unit

I wouldn't do it on a road bike unless you have heavy wheels. I bet jumping a curb can destroy a set of road bike wheels.

Seattle Forrest

Slow down for the curb, especially while you're learning. Pick your front wheel up, moving all your weight backward while you do it, until it's up on the curb. Now push some of your weight forward, and if you've got clips or clipless, pull up on the pedals and jump upward. If the gap is small enough, you want to pull the wheel up to curb-level, otherwise, it can roll up pretty easily when it's not bearing your weight. I find that slowing down helps me get through the "dance" and have time to pull it all off.

Mountain bikes are meant to take a lot of abuse; you can just roll down a bunch of stairs. Don't try this on a road bike. I don't even do it that often on my CX bike.

StephenH

I suspect whether you weigh 140 lbs or 280 lbs has a lot to do with how your wheels hold up, too. I make it a point not to jump on or off curbs, myself.

W Cole

Clip ins? Pull up on the pedals, you can get a couple of feet of air. I do this with the road bike over speed bumps and "cattle catchers" (dont know if thats the proper name) as well.

umd

Only if you miss...

Creatre

You mean cattle grates?

umd

They call them cattle guards here.

mazdaspeed

Having clipless pedals seems to help.

ballistic

What if you have a carbon fork? Should one still be most concerned about the wheel?

umd

Look, if you miss and hit the curb, the wheel and fork are going to be the least of your problems.

daoswald

My question is why? If you're riding on the roads, there aren't too many curbs to hop. Here in LA I've got plenty of crappy roads to deal with, but I have yet to feel a need to hop a curb. If riding on the road is a problem for you, get one of those little BMX bikes that are so popular among sidewalk riders. Have fun! They're bullet proof. When you actually want to go somewhere, get out the road bike again, and stay off the sidewalks and curbs.

ballistic

I don't hop curbs. I actually walk my bike to the parking lot from my apartment because there aren't any ramps. I avoid gravel and rough terrain when possible, but sometimes I'll short-hop a little pothole or unevenness in the road or path I'm on. But I still worry about the fork.

Velo Vol 

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-as-a-cucumber.

mazdaspeed

IMO it's easier and safer to slow down quite a bit first. I'm not sure if you guys are talking about hopping them at 15-20mph but I don't think that's a good plan.

LesterOfPuppets

There are 3 ways to do it, in order from easy to difficult:

1. Fastplant. Roll up to the curb at a 30 degree angle at about walking pace. Plant your right foot on the curb. Boost the rest of your bike up. Apply pressure on your left pedal to pedal away while putting your right foot back on the pedal.

2. Dunno what to call this one, but it's the technique Seattle Forrest outlined. I frequently apply a little front brake to help get the rear wheel up.

3. Bunny hop. You'll want to practice a LOT hopping over a 2x4 in your driveway or other item that is less likely to destroy your rear wheel before you try doing it up curbs.



And, we always called 'em cattle guards.

sfrider 

Only if you fail to clear it...

pdedes

curb hopping is a good skill to be able to pull out of your hat. especially laterally hopping a curb ( which saved my arse several times crit racing)

chasm54

Precisely. I don't know where the idea came from that road wheels are fragile, has nobody ever watched the pros riding Paris-Roubaix? Bunny-hopping curbs is common practice in races and done right, it's no more likely to trash your wheels than is riding at speed over a road with a poorish surface. And while I wouldn't recommend it as a routine part of one's commute - riding on sidewalks is dangerous, and not just for the cyclist - it can be a pretty useful skill in a pinch...

vw addict

knowing the technique helps more

midgetmaestro 

Why is this in road cycling? There are other forum categories...

Seattle Forrest

I recently got a Cervelo RS, which took the crown at the Paris-Roubaix. It's my first proper road bike; my other ride has drop handlebars and 28s, but it's also got disc brakes, and so much metal on the tubing, it'll survive crashes I won't. Good cyclocross bike. So, when I got the Cervelo, I asked the people at the shop just how much babying it demands. They suggested that I only put so much stock in the race, since I don't have a support team ready to swap my wheels out while I'm riding, and that I'll have to pay for a new wheel set if I destroy mine. They also said that to actually destroy my wheels, I'll need to sprint every time I see a pothole, and fly down stairs with a loaded backpack.