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How to climb up sidewalk curve on a rigid fork?

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How to climb up sidewalk curve on a rigid fork?

Old 03-13-20, 07:03 AM
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Adis
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How to climb up sidewalk curve on a rigid fork?

Hello there. So I never learned how to climb up sidewalk curve and I want to learn it. I have a single speed bike with a rigid fork. So should I just climb up without jumping? I never bunny hop because I can't but I can jump off the curve.
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Old 03-13-20, 07:17 AM
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A curve is a bend in the road. A curB is something you should not try to jump or climb using a bicycle. Find a nearby curb drop or driveway, or dismount. Alternatively, you could learn to build wheels and set a side a rim replacement fund, and get accustomed to rebuilding your front wheel periodically.
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Old 03-13-20, 07:26 AM
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The exact same way you would with a suspension fork. For me, set right foot to 3 o'clock, shift weight forward and as the front is about to hit the curb pull up and back using your body weight. Once the front clears the curb shift your weight forward, tilt your pedals forward and pull up until the pedals and pop the back wheel up. If you don't tilt the pedals you'll just hop off them and crash. This is a TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK
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Old 03-13-20, 10:41 AM
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Definitely a good skill to have is to be able to ride up a curb. You can get learn the skills Russ Roth described just riding around and practicing them individually. Just pull up to get the front wheel up and lean forward, kick back and pull the rear up. These skills come in handy for much more than just riding up a curb, you can use them for getting over a tree branch in your path, road damage, etc. Good luck!
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Old 03-13-20, 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by RoadKill
Definitely a good skill to have is to be able to ride up a curb. You can get learn the skills Russ Roth described just riding around and practicing them individually. Just pull up to get the front wheel up and lean forward, kick back and pull the rear up. These skills come in handy for much more than just riding up a curb, you can use them for getting over a tree branch in your path, road damage, etc. Good luck!
I used my skill at riding up and over curbs to ride up stairs. That's a lot of fun.

Cheers
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Old 03-13-20, 11:41 AM
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Originally Posted by Russ Roth
The exact same way you would with a suspension fork. For me, set right foot to 3 o'clock, shift weight forward and as the front is about to hit the curb pull up and back using your body weight. Once the front clears the curb shift your weight forward, tilt your pedals forward and pull up until the pedals and pop the back wheel up. If you don't tilt the pedals you'll just hop off them and crash. This is a TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK
If you don't have toe clips or cleats, you can still do this.
Practice popping your front wheel up first, before you try it on a curb. It's all about speed and timing and weight shifts
Then when you can do that, you just need to unweight the back wheel and let your momentum carry the rear end up and over.
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Old 03-13-20, 11:55 AM
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
If you don't have toe clips or cleats, you can still do this.
Practice popping your front wheel up first, before you try it on a curb. It's all about speed and timing and weight shifts
Then when you can do that, you just need to unweight the back wheel and let your momentum carry the rear end up and over.
My post assumed platforms, hence get the pedals angled forward which let's the feet pull them up. Once you get a little speed you can't just let the wheel ride up, it will pinch and possibly dent the rim.
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Old 03-13-20, 04:48 PM
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I definitely have left more biking miles behind me than I have in front. If I haven't learned to bunny hop or climb curbz by now ... ah, well ...
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Old 03-13-20, 09:40 PM
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Just a note, doing this habitually for a few months may be why I developed shoulder pain that took even longer to go away.
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Old 03-14-20, 07:47 AM
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Alternative method: pull up parallel next to the curb, put down your curbside foot, lift your front wheel onto the sidewalk. Scoot forward and the rear wheel will follow. Continue on your way. Drawback: does require you to stop briefly. Advantages: won’t scare pedestrians, won’t dump you on your face.
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Old 03-14-20, 08:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Russ Roth
The exact same way you would with a suspension fork. For me, set right foot to 3 o'clock, shift weight forward and as the front is about to hit the curb pull up and back using your body weight. Once the front clears the curb shift your weight forward, tilt your pedals forward and pull up until the pedals and pop the back wheel up. If you don't tilt the pedals you'll just hop off them and crash. This is a TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK
A couple of things to add: First, this will all happen quickly. It takes much, much longer to explain (even when speaking) than it does to happen. Second, the weight shift forward should be quick and downward, followed quickly by the weight shift backward. The point of the weight shift is to compress the tire and make it rebound like a ball. The point of the pull back is to “bounce” the tire upward.

Third, when the rear tire is close to the curb...again, it happens very quickly...twist your hands forward on the bars. This helps lift the rear wheel. You should also move your body forward towards the bar (and over the curb) so that the rear wheel is unloaded.

Originally Posted by madpogue
A curB is something you should not try to jump or climb using a bicycle. Find a nearby curb drop or driveway, or dismount.
Why not? Mountain bikes have been going up, over and down much worse for roughly 40 years now. For a good 15 of that 40 years, we did so without benefit of suspension and for a good 25 years of that 40, we did so without benefit of rear suspension. Broken wheels don’t instantly result from dropping and climbing curbs. Broken wheels result from poor technique. I’ve been “climbing” (hopping, really) curbs for most of that 40 years without issue. I’ve hopped up curbs on mountain bikes, commuter bikes, road bikes (with 23mm tires), and touring bikes with loads all without issue. I build wheels but I don’t have to build them because of damage.
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Old 03-14-20, 01:40 PM
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This guy is doing bunny hops on a fixie with way more than enough explaining and slow-mo to get you there

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Old 03-14-20, 04:40 PM
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
Why not? Mountain bikes have been going up, over and down much worse for roughly 40 years now. For a good 15 of that 40 years, we did so without benefit of suspension and for a good 25 years of that 40, we did so without benefit of rear suspension. Broken wheels don’t instantly result from dropping and climbing curbs. Broken wheels result from poor technique. I’ve been “climbing” (hopping, really) curbs for most of that 40 years without issue. I’ve hopped up curbs on mountain bikes, commuter bikes, road bikes (with 23mm tires), and touring bikes with loads all without issue. I build wheels but I don’t have to build them because of damage.
Well, this is the commuting forum. Maybe it was a mistake on my part to think that the OP was inquiring about incorporating a curb-hop into her/his daily commute.
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Old 03-14-20, 06:07 PM
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Originally Posted by madpogue
Well, this is the commuting forum. Maybe it was a mistake on my part to think that the OP was inquiring about incorporating a curb-hop into her/his daily commute.
It was your mistake to think that Adis doesn’t want to incorporate a curb-hop into his/her daily commute. That’s the title of the post, after all. Telling someone that they shouldn’t do something they obviously want to do is the problem. Yea, there is a learning curve...it’s easier to learn if you happen to mountain bike...but it’s not a terribly steep one nor is it going to damage the bike.
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Old 03-14-20, 06:43 PM
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Originally Posted by madpogue
A curve is a bend in the road. A curB is something you should not try to jump or climb using a bicycle. Find a nearby curb drop or driveway, or dismount. Alternatively, you could learn to build wheels and set a side a rim replacement fund, and get accustomed to rebuilding your front wheel periodically.
I disagree with everything that you say...I ride up and down the curbs and jump them on my rigid fork bikes everytime I commute. I am also a mountain biker and I ride my rigid fork MTB over drops, roots and rocks which are a lot bigger then a typical curb. It's fun and it's a usefull skill to have. I have never damaged any of my wheels form curb hopping.
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