Bunny Hopping Road Bikes?

[Julibird]

I want to be like the cool kids in my Monday Night Ride, and hop my bike over the potholes!

Please teach me!

[7rider]

See:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071204134133AAR7Drb

Can you bunny hop a mtb.?

[alpinerabbit]

Do you ride clipless? then you can. try it over speedbumps.

[maillotpois]

When I started riding, I had the hardest time figuring out how to do this. Then suddenly the epiphany: get your butt off the saddle!!! :p Duh. Once you figure it out, it's pretty easy.

[tulip]

I love bunnyhopping. I stared out in BMX in the 70s, so it just comes naturally to me, but I can't do curbs. Never could do curbs.

[velogirl]

think of your body as a spring.

try this:

stand up rigid (not on the bike) and try to jump. not much vertical, eh?

now, bend at the ankles, knees, and hips, and think of yourself as a coiled spring. now jump. what happens? much more vertical.

you need to do the same thing on the bike. coil down to bunny hop. keep your center of gravity over the bottom bracket. make adjustments if needed (ie front or rear lifts or lands more).

and, of course, don't look down at your bike -- look ahead where you want to go.

[Julibird]

think of your body as a spring.

try this:

stand up rigid (not on the bike) and try to jump. not much vertical, eh?

now, bend at the ankles, knees, and hips, and think of yourself as a coiled spring. now jump. what happens? much more vertical.

you need to do the same thing on the bike. coil down to bunny hop. keep your center of gravity over the bottom bracket. make adjustments if needed (ie front or rear lifts or lands more).

and, of course, don't look down at your bike -- look ahead where you want to go.

Thanks, Velogirl and all for the tips. I was out practicing today, and the cue about thinking/moving like a spring was what clicked. I am going to practice it some more and build some muscle memory of the movement so that I will be able to execute the hop with confidence in a group. Need practice!

Love this place!

[mimitabby]

what would be the best speed for this? really fast, really slow?
( i want to learn too)

[velogirl]

speed? pretty much everything is better on the bike with a bit of speed. momentum is what keeps the bike upright. I'd say 8-10mph minimum.

now, even though I teach bunny hops in my clinics, I don't recommend them for group rides or racing, especially if you're in a tight pack or paceline. timing is difficult and unless you really perfect the skill the chance of landing off-line (ie to one side or the other) or directly on the obstacle you're trying to avoid, is pretty high. I don't think this is a safe skill for group riding.

just my opinion.

second reason not to bunny hop? I've cracked hubs (Chris King), broken spokes (DT Swiss and Wheelsmith), and cracked rims (Velocity). granted, I put a lot of stress on my bikes, and I ride on and off curbs in addition to hopping. but the reality is that it can put a lot of stress on your wheels (and potentially other parts of your bike).

again, just my opinion.

[bluebug32]

Get a mtb and then you can bunny hop all you like! I have to really hold back when I'm on my road bike. After learning on a mtb, I find myself wanting to hop over everything in the road :D

[TxDoc]

I want to be like the cool kids in my Monday Night Ride, and hop my bike over the potholes!

Please teach me!

I would think twice before bunnyhopping too much with a nice road bike - especially if you have expensive wheels... you may end up having to face costly repairs after a while. I would suggest to ride around the potholes if you can ;)

[mimitabby]

I have Peter White wheels. I told him i didn't want to mess around with delicate wheels - to build me something that would last.

thanks Velogirl, your opinion is VERY welcome

[alpinerabbit]

A good set of rims will take a jump. It's better than crashing into the speedbumps.

I was taught by a former elite racer. She should know?

[Kalidurga]

Since I'm a semi-weenie, would you recommend trying this out on grass first, or is it easy enough to be able to practice on pavement without falling over and busting myself up?



(Hey, alpinerabbit: Gooood signature.)

[velogirl]

AlpineRabbit, sometimes elite racers know how to ride their bikes. Sometimes they just have big fitness. In either case, if she's a pro, she's probably getting her equipment free and not too worried about trashing her rims.

In my case, because I teach these skills so frequently, I'm putting lots of stress on my equipment. In reality, a typical rider might use this skill a couple of times a year.

Kalidurga, are you comfortable riding on the grass? Are you able to get some speed on the grass? If so, you could try it on the grass. I would personally suggest you just try it in a safe parking lot somewhere. I teach this skill on pavement -- have never thought to teach it on the grass.

[Julibird]

Never thought about my rims, and I'm glad you mentioned it - because that would bum me out to bend my rims. The cost-benefit analysis including the safety in my group matters a lot. That being said - I'll practice on my clunker and try to go around the potholes on the MNR. Thanks again.

[alpinerabbit]

AlpineRabbit, sometimes elite racers know how to ride their bikes. Sometimes they just have big fitness. In either case, if she's a pro, she's probably getting her equipment free and not too worried about trashing her rims.

nope, it was most certainly her bike that she paid herself, plus it was a Klein that you can't even replace these days...

[Kalidurga]

Kalidurga, are you comfortable riding on the grass? Are you able to get some speed on the grass? If so, you could try it on the grass. I would personally suggest you just try it in a safe parking lot somewhere. I teach this skill on pavement -- have never thought to teach it on the grass.

I ride my 'cross bike on grass, gravel, dirt, pavement... Not necessarily more comfortable on any particular one, just figured I should perhaps try it out on a softer surface the first time or two if there's a chance of landing funky and crashing.


In reality, a typical rider might use this skill a couple of times a year.

That makes total sense. I can't actually think of a situation in which I would have used a bunny-hop any time in the past, but I'm to the point that I'd like to begin learning things like this just for the extra confidence it would give me on the bike.

[Andrea]

There's an angled set of train tracks near my house that most people will take a curved path over in order to cross perpendicular to the tracks, but I usually just bunny hop twice (@ about 18-20 mph) to get the front wheel into the middle then over the 2nd rail.
It's mainly because I'm too lazy to swerve, and I also don't like swerving with other riders also trying to swerve at the same time...

I usually use a hop if I come upon a stick, rock, hole, etc. too quickly to react by going around it. It's also a bad idea to swerve in a group because someone could run into you (or you into someone else).

[boy in a kilt]

Being able to bunny hop is a useful skill. Once in a while you just don't have the time or the space to go around something. Once in a great while, your best evasive maneuver involves going over something.

The comments about tacoing your wheel are well taken. Never straighten your legs when you bunny hop; let them absorb some of the impact on landing. Done properly, the landing should be very smooth.

Unfortunately, it's not really something you can't practice on grass if you have a road bike.

[aicabsolut]

speed? pretty much everything is better on the bike with a bit of speed. momentum is what keeps the bike upright. I'd say 8-10mph minimum.

now, even though I teach bunny hops in my clinics, I don't recommend them for group rides or racing, especially if you're in a tight pack or paceline. timing is difficult and unless you really perfect the skill the chance of landing off-line (ie to one side or the other) or directly on the obstacle you're trying to avoid, is pretty high. I don't think this is a safe skill for group riding.

just my opinion.


+1 I've seen the aftermath of a NASTY crash in a race (and heard of a few others in races and group rides) from a bunny hop gone bad. Also, it can really suck for the person behind you who runs into the obstacle you just hopped over.

[Zelda_K]

think of your body as a spring.

try this:

stand up rigid (not on the bike) and try to jump. not much vertical, eh?

now, bend at the ankles, knees, and hips, and think of yourself as a coiled spring. now jump. what happens? much more vertical.

you need to do the same thing on the bike. coil down to bunny hop. keep your center of gravity over the bottom bracket. make adjustments if needed (ie front or rear lifts or lands more).

and, of course, don't look down at your bike -- look ahead where you want to go.

Thanks a lot for these explanations. They helped me to do my first bunny hop (on the mtb though) and now I am extremely proud and happy. Before this I had really resigned and thought I would never learn it (being too old and too mellow etc ....).

[SpinSpinSugar]

I wish I could bunny hop, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't get the front wheel off the ground. I end up springing up OFF the pedals instead of picking up the bike. Like a little kid going over a jump on a horse without a good grip. :o

I can do a tiny bunny hop if I'm going off a curb at a decent speed.. but no way can I hop back up a curb or over a pothole on the flat ground. All the while my DBF is hopping and bouncing up over every curb, hole, and just for fun. grrrrrrr - show off! :mad:

Any suggestions ladies? Thanks in advance!

SpinSpinSugar

[bmccasland]

I've only done small hops over rough railroad crossings and floodgate wall tracks. "Flush with the road surface" only exists as reality on the engineer's plans. Didn't actually plan on doing a hop, it was more like an evasive reaction to a bad road condition that I couldn't maneuver around otherwise.

[OakLeaf]

I wish I could bunny hop, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't get the front wheel off the ground. I end up springing up OFF the pedals instead of picking up the bike. Like a little kid going over a jump on a horse without a good grip. :o

I can do a tiny bunny hop if I'm going off a curb at a decent speed.. but no way can I hop back up a curb or over a pothole on the flat ground. All the while my DBF is hopping and bouncing up over every curb, hole, and just for fun. grrrrrrr - show off! :mad:

Any suggestions ladies? Thanks in advance!

SpinSpinSugar

Are you inadvertently pushing down with your arms?

I don't think I could jump a curb! And it seems risky enough that I don't plan to try. I just haven't got the whole soft landing thing down. :rolleyes: Most of the time bunny hopping jars me as much as just running over whatever (usually a very uneven bridge expansion joint).

I certainly couldn't get enough horizontal distance to clear a set of railroad tracks! What's the secret to that? Just starting at high speed?

[alpinerabbit]

I wish I could bunny hop, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't get the front wheel off the ground. I end up springing up OFF the pedals instead of picking up the bike.

You are using clipless pedals, aren't you?

I'd love to be able to clear some tracks, at least the ones set into the pavement - we have that 2x on my favorite loop, and in town sometimes I need to get over tram tracks at a steep angle, freaks me out every time.

[SpinSpinSugar]

Hi ladies thanks for the replies. I didn't mean to thread-jack. No I do not use clipless pedals - they're BMX pedals - the spikey kind. And I don't think I'm pushing down on the handlebars... it's more like I can spring my body up, but the bike is too heavy to lift off the ground.

My BF can bunny hop the same bike all over the place - even standing in one place! so I know it can be done..... errrrrrrr... very frustrating indeed!

SpinSpinSugar

[JH-NV]

After reading this thread, I thought I would share my "bunny-hopping" onto the sidewalk, while instructing DH and children (10 & 12 at the time) to "WATCH MOM DO A NEAT TRICK!!!"story.

I accelerated across the street, aiming for the sidewalk, approaching at an angle on my new mtb. Apparently, I did not lift my front tire off the street and onto the curb as planned. I flew over the handlebars and landed on my chest (cracked a couple of ribs) had the wind knocked out of me and...my "evil" spawn were laughing their heads off. DH was sincerely concerned (he's my favorite.)
To this day, my kids almost cry with laughter when retelling the story of their mom showing off.
That was my last bunny-hop onto a sidwalk. I stick to 1-2" distance now.....

[indigoiis]

I ride clipless and used the hop to jump train tracks. I thought it was cool but wouldn't want to do it in a group.
I was drafting my husband once and rather than go around (and point out) dog shot in the road, he bunny hopped. I went right through it. Thanks, dude.

[moderncyclista]

I know I'm late to the party, but:

My LBS says "bunny hopping" isn't recommended for non-mountain bikes. I wouldn't bunny hop, as it is supposed to put undue stress on the wheels ($$$) and possibly the frame. If I had carbon anything on my bike I would never jump it off a curb, hit a pothole, bunny hop, etc. Carbon fractures and fails too easily. That is why you should ask if buying a frame on eBay - has it ever been wrecked?

I'm not so worried about "looking cool" as I am the cash-o-la that I'd have to spend to replace stuff. :)

[MartianDestiny]

O, ack, the misconceptions.

Carbon fiber can be made to be just as strong if not stronger than steel/aluminum/or whatever other material. Steel and aluminum can be made to be weak little "beer cans" as well.

It is all in the engineering and the priorities of the frame makers.

A popular boutique mtn. bike brand has been making full carbon 5 inch All mountain bikes designed to drop, catch moderate air, crash, etc. for years. I have YET to hear of one failing under ANY circumstances, and don't suspect I will any time soon either (and people are pushing these bikes beyond their design specifications, and have been for years).

If I can not bunny hop, pop on or off a curb, or preform a similar maneuver in an emergency I don't want the bike, frame, wheelset, component, whatever, PERIOD. I sure as heck wouldn't buy a roadbike that I couldn't hit a pothole on!!!!!!

That's not to say I do so regularly (intentionally) on my roadbikes, but I have done it. The carbon wonderbike has been on gravel, popped off a curb, and even popped onto a curb to get the heck out of dodge (avoiding a collision in progress). I expected it to take it flawlessly and it did. (Of course I realize you can land wrong and bend a rim, etc. especially if you aren't smart/careful about selecting your equipment, but the stuff isn't as fragile (carbon, aluminum, all of it) as it's made out to be IF it's designed properly.)

My mountain bike has a carbon rear triangle (if they made the full carbon bike in my size I'd have that). It's been crashed, laid down on rocks, the works. I do not even begin to worry about it failing on me within a reasonable lifespan (and no, I don't define reasonable as 2 or 3 years...). If I did, I'd have never purchased the bike. The company is well regarded, has a good track record, and cares about performance and reliability. The swingarm would NOT be carbon if they could do it better and safer with aluminum.

Try this with Aluminum or Steel...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDVpRSNtcPQ

[SadieKate]

I know I'm late to the party, but:

My LBS says "bunny hopping" isn't recommended for non-mountain bikes. I wouldn't bunny hop, as it is supposed to put undue stress on the wheels ($$$) and possibly the frame. Oh man, there are a ton of cyclocross racers that are going to have to replace their frames, components, you name it, if that's true . . . .

[OakLeaf]

I think the point of bunny hopping a road bike is to avoid running over something that would be an even greater stress to the wheels (and the rider) than the hop...

[moderncyclista]

*waves hands in front of self*

I asked my LBS, that's what they said. They don't sell too many cyclocross bikes - mostly road bikes. They never carry touring bikes in stock - so perhaps they didn't think of this. All I'm saying is what "I" wouldn't do. That is all. Take it or leave it. :D

I haven't made my distrust of carbon a "secret", to that end -
http://www.bustedcarbon.com/
http://www.bustedcarbon.com/2008_11_01_archive.html
The photos are quite sad to me. I'd hate to spend that kind of money and have something like that happen.
Some of these failures are from crashes, but some are as innocuous as going 8 mph and running over a branch. Or just being defective. One chick hits a pot hole at 20 mph. http://www.bustedcarbon.com/2009/05/busted-cinelli.html
A guy bunny hops on his cyclocross bike. http://www.bustedcarbon.com/2009/03/bunny-hop-disaster.html
Also, Check Out their no-carbon wednesday feature. http://www.bustedcarbon.com/2009/11/no-carbon-wednesday-cyclocross.html
Shows a steel cyclocross bike - Trashed from Cyclocross racing. So yeah, I think if you cyclocross you accept the possibility of that.

Who knows I may own a bike with "some" carbon someday. But, just in case - I'd always go around an obstacle. <--Hyper-cautious? Perhaps.

[OakLeaf]

- I'd always go around an obstacle. <--Hyper-cautious? Perhaps.

How do you "go around" an expansion joint? Get off and walk? Just curious...

I've never been able to clear railroad tracks (bunny hopping one rail puts me right on top of the next one), so I just ride over 'em. But expansion joints, pavement seams and the like, you bet I hop.

[MartianDestiny]

*waves hands in front of self*

I asked my LBS, that's what they said. They don't sell too many cyclocross bikes - mostly road bikes. They never carry touring bikes in stock - so perhaps they didn't think of this. All I'm saying is what "I" wouldn't do. That is all. Take it or leave it. :D

I haven't made my distrust of carbon a "secret", to that end -
http://www.bustedcarbon.com/
http://www.bustedcarbon.com/2008_11_01_archive.html


How did I know the "busted carbon" website would come up? Almost ALL of those photos are from crashes, races, and severely UNDERestimated circumstances; most if not all of which would leave a similarly designed (function, weight, etc) aluminum or steel bike severely damaged as well. Be the bike carbon, steel, or aluminum it seems all failures happen while "just riding along"...BS!

Yes, there's some design defects and recall cases in there too. I can start naming off busted Aluminum from poor design and recalls as well if you'd like....

It boils down to this:
You crash a bike at 30 mph and I don't care what it is; chances are you broke something.

You race a bike and I don't care what it is; eventually you will break it.

You run a bike into your garage door and it doesn't matter what it is; it's toast (yea, a lot of those on busted carbon as well...)

You use a bike outside of it's design specifications and yup, eventually you will break it (that includes ignoring or pushing the rider weight limits that are on LOTS of those lightweight road racing forks and wheels...which can be as low as 150-160 lbs...yup, there's a lot of THAT on busted carbon as well...)

You ignore assembly instructions and, you guessed it, the part is going to eventually fail catastrophically on you (lots of that on busted carbon, some actually admit it...)

You ride a company's prototype or first gen. product and you are taking a certain amount of risk.

From an engineering standpoint there is NOTHING inferior about carbon (or do you not get on airplanes either?). IF one chooses to purchase a no holds barred, ultralight, racing frame one must understand that certain sacrifices were made to get it that way (whether it be steel, aluminum, or carbon). BUT not all carbon bikes are ultralight race bikes anymore. Plenty of companies that are taking longterm strength and structural integrity into account now for the bikes marketed to the masses; instead of just weight (or lack thereof). They are now making downhill mountain bikes out of the stuff; no one's breaking them and no one's complaining.

End lesson:
Regardless of material...Buy the bike designed for your use. Don't expect a "cheap" ($1000 or so frame only), "lightest in class" frame to also be the most durable.

People that buy lightweight race bikes and expect them to hold up to riding/abuse/crashes like a touring bike or even a mountain bike would are going to be sorely disappointed. They weren't designed to. And it doesn't matter what the material is (people used to complain about the weak pathetic ALUMINUM race bikes too...).

Believe the internet nonsense if you'd like, but don't make it seem as if ANY carbon bike is going to fall out from under you at the sight of a pothole. That's absurd and doesn't happen even with the lightest of light frames on anywhere NEAR a regular basis.

[moderncyclista]

Of course that site comes up in a conversation about Carbon frames. What is so wrong with being informed? I don't think you should view it as an attack on those who own, ride, and operate carbon frames. Let alone those who "bunny hop". People ask for opinions on these boards and I try my best to share the wisdom that "I" hold dear.

Also a decent part of that site's content isn't wreck breakage. I don't think I said carbon frames always fail, just that "I" don't trust them. Also, I always follow my mother's old adage: "Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD."

I could bunny hop the daylights out of my touring bikes if I so chose, but "I" don't want to. You and whoever else can bunny hop their carbon, steel, aluminum, scandium, titanium and the like, to their heart's content. :D I consider posting here a friendly exercise in sharing - and I leave you with a tiny tidbit of wisdom. (Elie Wiesel: "Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.")

[moderncyclista]

How do you "go around" an expansion joint? Get off and walk? Just curious...

I've never been able to clear railroad tracks (bunny hopping one rail puts me right on top of the next one), so I just ride over 'em. But expansion joints, pavement seams and the like, you bet I hop.


I guess I have wide enough tires I've never had to worry about it. I've ridden all over and never had a problem on my 520. :D

[Dogmama]

This is like asking my German Shepherd to retrieve ducks. :eek: If you really want to catch air on a regular basis, I'd get an MTB. I cracked a frame on an aluminum Trek bike doing bunny hops.

As one poster mentioned, I had a jerk try to bunny hop right next to me. He ended up falling into me at 30MPH. OUCH. I ended up in the ER. He was my BF at the time and a lawyer. His main concern was that I would sue him. I said "D*AMN STRAIGHT and I'm going to hire your ex-wife lawyer to represent me." Jerk.

OTOH, bunny hopping over obstacles can be a handy thing. But, my bike has a steering wheel, and I'm assuming that "they" meant for me to steer around as many obstacles as possible. Just guessing here...:p

I DO like to catch air. I bought an MTB as my "go out & act like a kid" bike. It's great fun and has improved my handling skills in slippery places.

[marni]

there is one guy I run across from time to time while riding that sits and bunnyy hops in place ( on his road bike) at stop lights. I always find a reaason to move away from him or let him stop well ahead of me for the simple reason that one of these days he is going to lose it, or crack his front wheel off and fall and when that happens, I don't want to be around him.

As for obstacles in the road, I much prefer keeping my eyes open, watching the road surface ahead and braking or steering around them . Easier on me and my bike.

Marni

[Chemagne]

There is one place on my ride where I always end up hopping. It is where I am going downhill quickly and the bridge over the stream is wooden(yikes) and the road is lower than the woden planks. Since I like the speed to go up the other side, I usually hop up the little distance and keep going. :O) A little hop here or there has its uses.