Easy methods to bunny hop a mountain bike

In addition to trying fairly rattling cool, the bunny hop is the Swiss Military Knife of mountain bike manoeuvres. It’s not how excessive you possibly can hop however the way you’re getting off the bottom that basically counts.

Bunny hops don’t simply look cool; having the ability to rapidly create raise will assist you to clean out trails and use obstacles to your advantange. And sure, impress your mates too. Andy Barlow from Grime College breaks it down…

As soon as mastered, this ability will assist you to decide the place you apply weight to the path. It’ll imply which you could resolve the place to go heavy and lightweight, and in the end it should assist you to management your traction when all of it will get a bit hectic. Opposite to what most individuals suppose although, it’s not about how excessive you may get your wheels off the bottom, however the way you get your wheels off the bottom within the first place.

Swap to flat pedals

So as to have the ability to sort out a bunny hop with confidence you’ll must belief that your toes will stay on the pedals. To study this correctly, and make sure that you’re not dishonest by simply pulling in your clip-in pedals, you want to match flat pedals and pay money for some good flat pedal sneakers. Attempt to place your foot so to really feel the ball of your large toe resting up in opposition to the main row of pins. All your toes ought to be hanging off the entrance of the pedal.

Strong stance

While you arise in your bike don’t be afraid to place your entire weight instantly into your toes. Dropping your heels right here will put your centre of gravity even decrease, massively enhancing your management and stability.

Ankle flexibility

In relation to transferring your weight round so as to begin bunny hopping, one thing that may enable you keep connected to the pedals shall be flexing your ankle joints as a part of your leg push. Usually we’ll inform individuals to drop their heels when they’re using, however whenever you’re bunny hopping you need your bike to come back with you, so hooking your toes across the pedal, and driving your trailing foot again, will imply you drive your shoe instantly into the pins.

That is actually no totally different to how your toes would transfer should you had been simply leaping off the bottom with out your bike. As your toes push off the bottom you’d find yourself in your toes and your toes can be pointed towards the bottom. Do that very same factor in your flat pedal and your toes will keep connected as you and your bike get airborne.

Hand place

Hooking your thumbs beneath your grips will imply that you’re jammed into your cockpit with each your arms and your toes. Do that appropriately and it ought to imply that you simply really feel safe at a time when you can in any other case really feel unattached or uncovered.

What’s a bunny hop on a mountain bike?

The bunny hop is a dynamic motion the place you lever off your rear wheel and leap your bike by means of the air in an arc. This superior approach means that you can clear a lot larger obstacles, and can be used at decrease speeds.

Vary of movement

An even bigger vary of movement is required right here so as to make your bunny hops more practical. The primary half is mainly a handbook, as you’re making an attempt to raise your entrance wheel by rapidly shifting your weight away out of your entrance finish. As you attain your most rearward vary of movement and cease, all of that momentum shall be transferred into your bike and your entrance wheel will go mild. Let it grasp right here for a cut up second to gauge your tipping level, then go out of your hips being behind your saddle to being proper up at your stem and bars.

This big vary of movement ought to really feel like not solely is your physique transferring up, however that your legs are pushing by means of your pedals and levering your bike away from the bottom by pivoting off your rear wheel.

The manual-stage of the two-part raise off

Carry off

Push away from the bottom moderately than making an attempt to raise your bike off the bottom, or suck it up beneath you. What you’re making an attempt to deal with right here is your bum going from behind your saddle to being pushed by your legs as much as your stem. Your arms will clearly have to tug on the bars to keep away from you falling proper off the again, however don’t overdo it.

The second a part of the two-stage raise off

Two-stage launch

A great way of considering of a bunny hop is to interrupt it into two elements: the handbook half, and the hop. In the event you’re making an attempt to hop a stick on the bottom, set your handbook half up a little bit bit additional out out of your goal. Your first half, the handbook half, ought to be clean and deliberate providing you with time to arrange your stability and intention. The second half, your hop, ought to be explosive and quick. You’re making an attempt to drive away from the bottom with energy – bear in mind you’re pushing away moderately than pulling up.

Facet hops

Utilizing the bigger bunny-hop approach, roll in the direction of a stick and preserve it in your aspect. As you flip away from it you’ll arrange a tip within the course of the impediment. Use that lean and go for a giant bunny-hop. As an alternative of hopping away from the bottom, you’ll be hopping sideways over the stick. Spot your touchdown and prepare to steer for stability as soon as each wheels are again on the bottom.

Hop on the spot

As an alternative of doing a monitor stand to maintain your stability when stationary, why not try to hop for stability?

Pull each your brakes on in order that neither of your wheels can flip and use your pace hop approach to boost your wheels off the bottom. As soon as within the air you possibly can tweak your stability by hopping back and forth. You’ll be able to even strive simply hopping solely your entrance wheel or solely your rear. With observe you’ll be capable to regulate your stability with the tiniest of hops.

Grip factors

Each time we run a session on hops we emphasise the significance of pushing away from the bottom. It is because within the wider context of path using you want to have the ability to generate traction by making your self heavy in opposition to the bottom. The airtime in a pace hop or bunny-hop is a results of driving your weight away from the path with a strong push.

You’re not making an attempt to keep away from obstacles by getting your wheels off the bottom. You’re making an attempt to hyperlink all the graceful elements of the path collectively by being heavy on them and creating traction.

Be certain your suspension is correctly arrange – don’t overlook to make use of a suspension pump – and if you want to improve your bounce take a look at our information to the greatest mountain bike forks and the greatest MTB shocks. 

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