You’ll be able to smooth out trails by utilizing obstacles to your advantage, while also impressing your friends by learning bunny hopping and creating lift quickly. Once you master this skill, you will be able to determine where to apply weight to the trail. It will enable you to decide where to go heavy and light, and ultimately control your traction when it all gets a bit stressful. The important thing is not how high you can get your wheels off the ground, but how you get them off the ground in the first place. Don’t understand? Keep reading.

advertisement

For a bunny hop to be successful, you must trust that your feet will stay on the pedals. Flat pedals are best for learning this and making sure that you aren’t cheating by just pulling on your clips. A good pair of mountain bike shoes will have a sole designed specifically for sticking to the pins, and they will be supportive enough so that your foot won’t collapse around the shape of the pedal. Position your foot so that the ball of your big toe rests against the leading row of pins. You should have all of your toes hanging off the front of the pedal.

Flexing your ankle joints as part of your leg push will help you stay attached to the pedals when bunny-hopping. Normally, we tell people to drop their heels while riding, but when you’re bunny-hopping, you want your bike to accompany you, so if you hook your toes around the pedal, and drive your trailing foot back, your shoe will hit the pins directly. There really is no difference between how your feet would move if you were just jumping off the ground without your bike. As your feet push off the ground you would end up on your toes and your feet would be pointed downward. By doing the same thing on your flat pedals, your feet will stay attached while you and your bike are in the air.

advertisement

Steps to Unlock the Bunny Hop

Don’t worry, the Bunny Hop is an easy trick to achieve, and we’ve made it even easier by narrowing the process into five steps:

1. Master the pumped manual. Practice getting the front wheel of your bike into the air using only its natural rebound and not because of the forks or your weight.
2. Stand as tall as you can on your bike. Don’t be tempted to swing your weight backward but instead, stand tall and push through with your feet.
3. Lift your bike’s front wheels first. Many make the mistake of attempting to lift both wheels at the same time but all you really have to focus on is getting the front wheels up.
4. Throw the bars forward and rotate at the same time. As soon as the front wheels reach full height, push the bars forward and simultaneously rotate and roll them forward to help twist the back of the bike into the air.
5. Never stop practicing. Practice the trick every chance you get until you are ready to use it on your next trail ride.

Now, you are ready to perform your very first bunny hop. You’re one step closer to becoming the pro mountain biker you aspire to be.

advertisement