how the L do you bunnyhop?

fredy
fredy Posts: 308
edited May 2010 in MTB beginners
i have examined every video, tutorial and guide out there but i just can't get the back wheel up. It happens all too fast and i just end up tripping over my own bike. What's the secret?

Comments

  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Try lifting the back wheel off the ground when rolling slowly forward. Ignore the front for now.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • mrfmilo
    mrfmilo Posts: 2,250
    Keep practicing, you will get the technique eventually. I was trying for about 4 months, then finally got it.

    In 3 steps...

    1. Scoop the front wheel up
    2. Quickly shift body weight forwards
    3. Push down (on the bars) and swoop up pedals (lift them upwards with your feet)
    Marin
  • butcher of bakersfield
    butcher of bakersfield Posts: 1,233
    I used to bunnyhop about 2 feet on a bmx. I still can't for the love of christ do it on a mountain bike. I slow down for big curbs...
  • rubins4
    rubins4 Posts: 563
    supersonic wrote:
    Try lifting the back wheel off the ground when rolling slowly forward. Ignore the front for now.

    I would start here, getting the front up is the easy bit. Get your head round this bit and then its just a case of timing the 2 bits together to clear obstacles.
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12613038
    Cat With No Tail wrote:
    Anyway, fk dis, I iz off 4 a ride innit. l8rz peepz
  • vengeance111
    vengeance111 Posts: 137
    first get some grippy pedals
    then when you going along put your strongest foot forward and point the pedals slightly down wards
    then push back and pull up with your legs and feet keeping the pedals pointing slightly downwards

    have you seen the youtube tutorial with doddy the guy of mbuk. thats a really good video
  • hard-rider
    hard-rider Posts: 460
    I've been trying to learn the bunny hop too and have been struggling.

    The problem is that I cannot get the timing of the 3 phases right. I also don't seem to be getting the front wheel high enough so when it comes to the part of pushing forward to bring the back up the front as already dropped to the ground. I'm now trying to learn how to manual to get the front up higher and for longer. I'll then try as suggested just rolling forward and getting the back up.

    I tried to BH onto a 5" curb and got it completely wrong. The front didn't get high enough and came down before clearing the curb causing me to go over the bars :oops:
    have you seen the youtube tutorial with doddy the guy of mbuk. thats a really good video
    Do you have a link? I couldn't find it on youtube.
  • doug@basqueMTB.com
    doug@basqueMTB.com Posts: 145
    I reckon there's two parts you need to learn separately...

    1. Manual. Get the front up fairly high and for a decent length of time (a bike length lets say).
    2. Rear wheel lift.

    Once you have those you can put them together and bunny hop.

    1. Manual. Start high on the bike with pedals level. Heels down. Drop your weight back and down (like pivot round bottom braket) but keeping legs bent and arms straight. Once front wheel starts to lift, and push through the pedals with your feet. Keep your heels down. Cover back brake and play about to get wheel up.
    Note: Some people recommend pre-loading the forks to help getting the wheel up. I don't think it's a great idea but I know others disagree.

    2. Rear Wheel Lift. You can practice this by standing beside your bike and putting your left leg on the right pedal while holding the bars. Drop your toes and push back. The back wheel should come up?? On the bike you're basically putting your toes down and scooping your feet back. Your weight needs to move forwards onto your bars a bit to take the weight off the back wheel.
    Note: For the SPD guys, don't pull up with your feet. This is sloppy technique and leads to problems with balance. It's one of the main bad things about SPD's I think (just my opinion) and I see people doing it on the trails all the time, jump but pull with your feet and then loose balance in the air.
    BasqueMTB: Mountain Bike Holidays in the Spanish Pyrenees
    BasqueRoad: Pyrenees Road Cycling Holidays
  • Davy-g
    Davy-g Posts: 401
    @ Hard-rider
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAem3L7Rlpk

    practice,practice and more practice... :wink::wink:
  • hard-rider
    hard-rider Posts: 460
    Davy-g wrote:
    @ Hard-rider
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAem3L7Rlpk

    practice,practice and more practice... :wink::wink:
    Thanks. I've seen that one before. Didn't realise that was Doddy from MBUK. Very good tutorial.
  • militantmandy
    militantmandy Posts: 106
    I've just managed to get the idea of getting the bike off the ground recently. I spent a week or so practicing getting the back wheel off and found it much easier after that.
  • Oxygen Thief
    Oxygen Thief Posts: 649
    Take Supersonic's advice!!! I tried on my way to work today and after two or three goes on the back wheel off. I'll be hopping by the weekend for sure. :)
  • fredy
    fredy Posts: 308
    will do! cheers guys.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Yep, it is the feel of lifting the rear wheel you need to get right. Many people jump with the bike, or even off the pedals when they start.

    Once you have that scooping action sorted it is then a case of lifting the front, then the rear. And for higher jumps it is about weight shifting more, and twisting the bars forward.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • fredy
    fredy Posts: 308
    Cheers everyone, i can now get airborne on demand, whether it's as a bunny hop or not i don't care, pebbles are no match for my awesome flight ability now. mwa ha ha ha ha. A higher gear really does help place the energy where you want it, newbie tip right there.
  • Oxygen Thief
    Oxygen Thief Posts: 649
    Already?! I can get both wheels off too now since only yesterday trying thanks to Supersonic's advice. No more than an inch like haha. Wouldn't call it a bunny hop just yet!
  • submityournentries
    submityournentries Posts: 912
    im so glad its not just me who cant do it :) cheers for asking this.

    once i get home on the weekend, so saturday, ill be straight on the mantra trying this, its been bugging me for ages not being able to lift the rear wheel :)
    Ragley Blue Pig
  • fredy
    fredy Posts: 308
    jonbonjovial wrote:
    No more than an inch like haha. Wouldn't call it a bunny hop just yet!

    same for me, but its an improvment, just got to practice more. Next thing, manuals. Wheelies are not too much of a problem, but manuals... they are hard.
  • hard-rider
    hard-rider Posts: 460
    supersonic wrote:
    Yep, it is the feel of lifting the rear wheel you need to get right. Many people jump with the bike, or even off the pedals when they start.

    Once you have that scooping action sorted it is then a case of lifting the front, then the rear. And for higher jumps it is about weight shifting more, and twisting the bars forward.
    I tried scooping the rear up a little yesterday and can get the back wheel about 5-6" off the ground but it slams down again immediately. Should I be able to hold the back up longer and do I need to be able to scoop it higher up?

    I'm am slowly improving being able to raise the front wheel and can get it consistently higher ~8-10" but it to too still slams down pretty quickly.
  • Oxygen Thief
    Oxygen Thief Posts: 649
    fredy wrote:
    jonbonjovial wrote:
    No more than an inch like haha. Wouldn't call it a bunny hop just yet!

    same for me, but its an improvment, just got to practice more. Next thing, manuals. Wheelies are not too much of a problem, but manuals... they are hard.

    I'm shit at wheelying too though so god help me manualing :-/ Sure it will come, just practive aint it.
  • submityournentries
    submityournentries Posts: 912
    newbish question, by scooping the back up? does that mean as your riding along lifting the rear by pushing back and up on the pedals? sort of like doing an endo but just whilst moving?
    Ragley Blue Pig
  • Oxygen Thief
    Oxygen Thief Posts: 649
    Yeah
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    hard-rider wrote:
    supersonic wrote:
    Yep, it is the feel of lifting the rear wheel you need to get right. Many people jump with the bike, or even off the pedals when they start.

    Once you have that scooping action sorted it is then a case of lifting the front, then the rear. And for higher jumps it is about weight shifting more, and twisting the bars forward.
    I tried scooping the rear up a little yesterday and can get the back wheel about 5-6" off the ground but it slams down again immediately. Should I be able to hold the back up longer and do I need to be able to scoop it higher up?

    I'm am slowly improving being able to raise the front wheel and can get it consistently higher ~8-10" but it to too still slams down pretty quickly.

    Absorb the landing with your arms and legs.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • kenan
    kenan Posts: 952
    or you can do it the easy way . . .

    Get some clip in pedals :) so easy to get the bike off the floor.

    You do however loose any abality on a bike with flats :oops:
  • underdog
    underdog Posts: 292
    kenan wrote:
    or you can do it the easy way . . .

    Get some clip in pedals :) so easy to get the bike off the floor.

    You do however loose any abality on a bike with flats :oops:

    That's a bit like gluing yourself to a skateboard instead of learning to ollie though isn't it :lol:
  • fuelex
    fuelex Posts: 165
    I used to practise bumping up small kerbs (2-3cm) when I was a youngun on my BMX.
    It helped with the rear wheel lift and the timing.
  • kenan
    kenan Posts: 952
    underdog wrote:
    kenan wrote:
    or you can do it the easy way . . .

    Get some clip in pedals :) so easy to get the bike off the floor.

    You do however loose any abality on a bike with flats :oops:

    That's a bit like gluing yourself to a skateboard instead of learning to ollie though isn't it :lol:

    Yep, I'm a cheat :lol:

    I have just fitted flats and plan improving my (lacking) skills on my lunch break
  • butcher of bakersfield
    butcher of bakersfield Posts: 1,233
    fuelex wrote:
    I used to practise bumping up small kerbs (2-3cm) when I was a youngun on my BMX.
    It helped with the rear wheel lift and the timing.

    See, I find a mountain bike completely different. Yeah, it helped me a little, but a BMX is so easy to chuck about. x-ups, 360s, etc, all off the flat, no problem on a BMX. But I struggle so much just getting the front wheel up on an MTB.

    Practice makes perfect though... I dare say many people don't realise the effort that goes into this stuff.
  • scoob113
    scoob113 Posts: 80
    fredy wrote:
    i have examined every video, tutorial and guide out there but i just can't get the back wheel up. It happens all too fast and i just end up tripping over my own bike. What's the secret?

    It's against the laws of physics :-) I've struggled with this for a bit and finally decided I'm too old. Uphills i get my front over the obstacles usually and i just manage to at least unweight the back as it crashes off whatever I've come up. Never bust a spoke yet, but sure would like to skip both wheels over.

    Will now try separately learning the back wheel lift on it's own ..... fingers crossed .. good tip that I think
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Remember that lifting the front also requires a kind of scooping motion, not a straight jerky lift. You almost pull the bars back towards you. If you get good at it, you should find that you can loop the bike (basically go up on the back wheel, and right over, ending up on your bum on the floor) if you overdo it :lol:

    When learning, it can also be worth slamming a quick quarter turn or so on the pedals to get the front end up really high.
  • butcher of bakersfield
    butcher of bakersfield Posts: 1,233
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    Remember that lifting the front also requires a kind of scooping motion, not a straight jerky lift. You almost pull the bars back towards you. If you get good at it, you should find that you can loop the bike (basically go up on the back wheel, and right over, ending up on your bum on the floor) if you overdo it :lol:

    That's actually probably where I go wrong. On a BMX, you can just lift it.

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