Bunny Hop on a Bike

A "bunny hop" is a bicycle trick that involves jumping both the front and back wheels off the ground at the same time. The trick will allow you to launch your bike into the air to avoid or jump over obstacles. The bunny hop is really a combination of two moves, the front pull and the back hop, which you must master individually before combining them to execute the bunny hop. With a little bit of practice, you'll be bunny hopping in no time!

Steps

Mastering the Front Pull

  1. Ride at a slow to medium speed and lean back slightly. Stand up out of the bike seat while keeping your pedals parallel with the ground.
    • Keep your elbows and knees loose and slightly bent, and bend at the waist so that you are positioned above the bike seat rather than behind it.[1]
    • When you stand up, position your head directly over the front wheel.
  2. Sink your weight into the front wheel and then pull your handlebars upward with your arms. Use the momentum you get from shifting your center of gravity back to explode straight upward.
    • While you are pulling up with your arms, push your feet into the pedals, applying an even amount of pressure to each one.[2]
  3. Lift the front wheel off the ground by pulling with your arms. Once you've gotten the bike as high as you can by just leaning back, pull it up with your arms until the bike is standing up, and you're standing up with it.
    • Keep your pedals level through the whole maneuver.
  4. Drop the wheel gently back down to the ground. You haven't mastered the front pull until you can place the front tire down with carefully controlled motion, rather than just let it snap back to the ground.

Executing the Back Hop

  1. Shift your weight forward. Do this quickly, but not so quickly that you "throw" yourself forward and shake the bike.
  2. Snap your heels up quickly and then pull the pedals up with your feet. Pull them up so that your feet are almost vertical.[3]
  3. Press back against the pedals as you push your legs up. Your feet will make a scooping motion backward. The pressure you apply to the pedals, with your feet in a horizontal position, will keep your feet on the bike as you pull the back end up with your leg muscles.
  4. Use your leg muscles to lift the back wheel up and off the ground. Shrug your shoulders and then push or roll the handlebars forward as you do this.[4]
  5. Drop the back wheel gently back down to the ground. Just like with the front pull, you haven’t perfected the back hop until you can delicately place the back wheel down, rather than drop it sharply to the ground.

Combining the Front Pull and Back Hop

  1. Maneuver into a front pull to begin. As you’re doing this, shove your mass into the ground through the back wheel. This will give the rear wheel a bit of "bounce" to help you take off when you move into the back hop.
    • Pull the front wheel up to maximum height before transitioning to the next part of the maneuver.
  2. Snap your heels up quickly and then pull the pedals up with your feet. Once you’re front wheel is in the air, snap your heels upward so that your feet are almost vertical.
  3. Press back against the pedals as you push your legs up. Point your toes and then push back with your feet, “scooping” backward. Use the push/pull motion to get the back wheel up (while the front is still in the air).
    • The pressure you apply to the pedals, with your feet in a horizontal position, will keep your feet on the bike as you pull the back end up with your leg muscles.
  4. Shrug your shoulders and push the handlebars forward.[4] You will do this at the same time as scooping back with your feet, creating a motion almost like a gear shifting.
    • Try to stay focused on technique rather than worrying about the speed you’re traveling as you bunny hop.
  5. Level your bike in the air. Squeeze your legs together while you are in mid-air to get a more defined looking bunny hop. Remembering to level the bike is an important habit to establish for when you eventually start bunny hopping onto higher surfaces.
  6. Lower your rear wheel back down to the ground first. It stabilizes your landing and makes controlling the bike easier immediately after landing. Only land with your front wheel first when you need to regain front wheel control and traction immediately, such as when you need to make a turn immediately after the hop.
    • Practice this in grass before you try it on pavement or out on the trail.
    • If you feel like you are about to start falling during a bunny hop, try to fall uphill and onto grass for a softer landing.[2]
  7. Practice bunny hopping over various obstacles. Bunny hopping is a bike trick, but it’s also a very useful maneuver when it comes to avoiding or jumping over obstacles in your path when you’re on a ride.
    • Set up obstacles to practice bunny hopping over, starting at a height of about 6 inches and increasing the height as you get comfortable with each hop.
  8. Experiment with bringing both tires up at the same time when hopping over obstacles. This is an additional technique that involves jumping, just like you would on the ground, except during this you are one with your pedals.
    • Simply jump while twisting forward on the handlebars of the bike, but don't let your feet come off the pedals.
    • If you keep your feet on the pedals and jump, the back end will come up.
    • Then bring up the front end at the same time as the tires. You will be pulling up without pedaling.



Tips

  • Select obstacles of sensible sizes when you’re jumping things. Start small and work your way up.
  • If you want to go really high, then you will need to work on your technique, and make sure you tuck the back wheel up underneath you. Keep practicing!
  • The lighter your bike, the easier it is to bunny hop. Remove any excess weight from you and your bike while you’re practicing.
  • Try to practice on a light-weight bike. Start jumping using a smaller bike. The difference in weight and mobility is critical to beginning jumps.
  • When you first start practicing this trick, do it on grass instead of pavement until you get more comfortable with it.
  • Always wear a helmet and knee/elbow pads when riding.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.bicycling.com/training/skills/how-bunny-hop-boss
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.active.com/mountain-biking/articles/learn-to-bunny-hop-a-skill-for-every-mountain-biker-873174
  3. ↑ http://www.bicycling.com/training/skills/how-bunny-hop-boss
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.mtbtips.com/how-to-bunny-hop/#sthash.N1tKO8xn.dpbs
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