The Bunny Hop

In mountain biking and even BMX riding, the bunny hop

is a bike trick that involved the rider lifting the

bike up and over an obstacle while remaining in

motion on the bike. Experienced bikers can lift

their bikes in excess of a meter or one and a half

feet. The world record for the bunny hop stands at

4 feet.

The bunny hop is executed by approaching an obstacle

with speed, lifting the front of the bike then

leveling the pedals. If the bike has full or front

suspension, pre-load the shocks by pressing down

on the bike just before you reach the obstacle.

Once the shocks have been pre-loaded, the rider

will spring upwards, pulling up with the hands and

feet at the same time. Toe straps or clipless

pedals help with this, although if plain platform

pedals are used, it's still possible. As the biker

lifts, the hands will roll through twisting the

throttle. After the object is cleared, push down

on the bike then absorb the impact with the arms

and the legs.

It's often times a misconception that a bunny hop

without toe clips is achieved by rotating forward

on the handlebars. Lifting up on a mountain bike

while standing next to it is quite difficult to

hold on to the handle bars.

The bunny hop is very popular with mountain biking,

as experienced riders can make it look a lot easier

than it actually is. New mountain bikers should

practice a lot before they actually attempt the

hop, as doing it on a bigger obstacle can easily

be quite dangerous.

With proper practice, the bunny hop can be achieved,

even for beginners. All you have to do is give it

some time and effort, and you'll be pulling off the

bunny hop just like the pro's do it.