Bunny Hopping Road Bikes?

[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.