Humping at speed?

jonny_trousers
jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
edited May 2012 in Road beginners
What's the prefered technique for this? Riding over speed humps/raised crossings/sleeping policemen at speed, I mean?

I've just changed my commute around so that a long, sweeping descent is involved, but sadly it's strewn with some quite bad examples of the above. When I was a kid on my BMX I'd have tried to launch myself off them. During my short spell as a mountain biker I would have lifted the front wheel onto them, but on my road bike I'm not sure what's safest/quickest: to keep the front wheel down or to lift it as I hit each one.

Thoughts appreciated.

Comments

  • ShutUpLegs
    ShutUpLegs Posts: 3,522
    Dunno, just make sure its recorded as a segment on Strava
  • DaveL
    DaveL Posts: 188
    I got some descent air off one today on my road bike, which is unusual as I like to keep my MTB on the ground :)

    I tend to lift the front wheel and un-weight the rear as it goes over, to have as little impact on the wheels and frame as possible.

    Dave
    Strava
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    ShutUpLegs wrote:
    Dunno, just make sure its recorded as a segment on Strava

    Funnily enough it is.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Depends. If you have a short, quite steep edged hump, I would go for a bunny hop (at 72kgs).

    For more sloping sides, I would lean back as you approach to unweigh the front wheel, then forwards for the back wheel to hop up, in each case, basically gently lifting the wheel which is about to hit the sloping part, while unseated.
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    DaveL wrote:
    I got some descent air off one today on my road bike, which is unusual as I like to keep my MTB on the ground :)

    I tend to lift the front wheel and un-weight the rear as it goes over, to have as little impact on the wheels and frame as possible.

    Dave

    Cheers. That's kind of what I've been aiming for.
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    coriordan wrote:
    Depends. If you have a short, quite steep edged hump, I would go for a bunny hop (at 72kgs).

    For more sloping sides, I would lean back as you approach to unweigh the front wheel, then forwards for the back wheel to hop up, in each case, basically gently lifting the wheel which is about to hit the sloping part, while unseated.

    These are definitely a bit too wide for a bunny hop, but the rest of what you suggest makes sense. Thanks!
  • steelie600
    steelie600 Posts: 519
    This thread is such a dissapointment after a promising title!! LOL
    Idiot ^^^^^^^^^

    Ralph
  • ptr_
    ptr_ Posts: 126
    Bunny hop over them or onto them if they're the longer variety.
  • izza
    izza Posts: 1,561
    Might not be at speed but this shows the correct technique

    http://tinyurl.com/8y8w6p6
  • MountainMonster
    MountainMonster Posts: 7,423
    Man, I thought this was going to be something more interesting because of the title!
    My London Road
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,445
    Hop on to the flat topped ones, hop over the shorter ones.
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • juankerr
    juankerr Posts: 1,099
    Yeah, I get off the saddle, stretch my arms out, get my weight back and push up on the bars to get the front wheel over, then rush my body forwards to unweight the rear as it goes over. Last time I tried bunny hopping humps on my good road bike I ended up with a broken spoke 40 miles later which may have been a coincidence .....

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