BigNoseWhipper

i jump things ALL the time. ive been ridin freestyle bmx for 9 years, so its kinda trained me to constantly jump things. its really fun too.

pinkrobe

I didn't see the coverage, but apparently he cleared the whole thing and got the win. Also, I forgot about cyclocross - bikes get tossed all over the place...

Psimet2001 

Finally a post in my native language!


I used to bunny hop all of the time as high as I could on my road bikes as a kid. To this day I hop a ton of stuff on every ride. Honestly I find it safer and easier on my equipment and other riders than swerving is. I consider it a wonderful handling technique that should be mastered by everyone.

...I don't do 2 foot high standing hops anymore, but rolling hops that lead to some fairly big air are part of my regular ride.

Dead Roman

I live in texas, so if you want to ride fast, bunnyhopping is just part of it.



Ive cleared a few cattle guards in my day as well...

SteveE

I bunny hop only when necessary. Like others have said, it's less stress on your wheels than slamming into a pothole. If you do it right, and absorb the shock of the landing with your arms and legs, you can manage to land pretty darn softly.

Mothra

I jump stuff all the time, usually up and down kerbs to bypass street-lights. Cleared a suicidal cat one time. Potholes that jump out in front of you on blind downhill curves are best jumped, lest you want to fly off the cliff trying to ride around it. Hop over crashed riders in races, although I usually aim for the neck just in case I don't clear them completely...

merlinextraligh

Particularly for racing. Sometimes in a race jumping is the only choice. Also works well on single railroad tracks. a lot safer to jump than to risk sliding out if they miight be wet.

ElJamoquio

Texas? Is it really that bad down there?

To the OP - I *have* to bunny hop many obstacles a day. I concur with everyone that says it's less stress on the rim/etcetera than slamming into the potholes. Plus, in my opinion, you're far less likely to get a blowout.

noisebeam

I can, but don't.

Instead I like to keep pedaling and stay in the seat, so I'll unweight and pull up a little on bars to clear small debris or go over a depression or tracks, but not 'hop'.

But I would like to be able to hop without disrupting cadence, but need more practice. Its not so easy.

Al

ghettocruiser

High-flying antics are rarely necessary on my road bike.

Generally my road bike is moving fast enough that hopping an inch or two will carry me over most sewers, pulverized roads and whatever else might cause problems. The impact of landing from such a height is close to zero, I would think. I have hopped up a few curbs on my road bike at full speed, but generally I avoid this .

Now on my downhill bike, lame, high-flying antics are a lifestyle choice...

lotek 

best bunnyhop witnessed.
Ride up to a set of rollers, bunnyhop with sideways motion onto rollers
and just start riding them. . .

FormerBMX'er

I'll let my handle speak for me

jeff_o

i see... i guess in the end it will all depend on the rider weight and how good he hops. Because the legs and arms have to absorb your body weight upon landing and not the bike for a smooth land.

In our lingo.. we call your wheel taco as 'ocho' or the number 8 in spanish.... imagine a rim taco-ing to the extreme... forming a figure of 8.

last question.... what's a clydesdale? i know a section of the forums discussing about clydesdale but the thread is so long.. all i know is that you call a have biker a clydesdale...? is that right?

slvoid

Eh... with all the rain and wear and tear I got a giant ocr touring with full fenders and disc brakes...

Dead Roman

This would be tuff.

cs124

Railroad tracks & potholes all the time. A downed bike once in a race...the rider thanked me afterwards, for not crashing into his new frame!

Also the sideways hop to get on and off tram tracks is a skill all Melbourne roadies should have.

NoRacer

+1

Last weekend, during a century ride with the bike club, I was at the front of the paceline as we approached a low elevation bridge. Just before the bridge was a frost rise in the road. I bunny-hopped over it at 22 MPH. The same for the next bridge which happened to be on my pull, as well.

Lots of times I bunny-hop over railroad tracks, sometimes quick hops over each rail; sometimes over the entire track at once, depending on my speed and what's on the other side.

merlinextraligh

[QUOTE=NoRacer]

Last weekend, during a century ride with the bike club, I was at the front of the paceline as we approached a low elevation bridge. Just before the bridge was a frost rise in the road. I bunny-hopped over it at 22 MPH. The same for the next bridge which happened to be on my pull, as well.

[QUOTE]

you bunny hopped an obstacle at the front of the paceline? This is a major no no. First, the guy behind you may not have time to react to bunnyhop it himself, Second, when you do the bunnyhop you're likely to slow the bike or push it back just a tad, setting up a wheel overlap situation (same reason not to stand in the paceline) Third, at the front you have the ability to see the obstacle and go around it.

Bunny hopping something while your in a tight pack or a paceline is an emergency manuever to be done as a last option.

pinkrobe

Follow-up question - anyone do nose wheelies?

NoRacer

[QUOTE=merlinextraligh][QUOTE=NoRacer]

Last weekend, during a century ride with the bike club, I was at the front of the paceline as we approached a low elevation bridge. Just before the bridge was a frost rise in the road. I bunny-hopped over it at 22 MPH. The same for the next bridge which happened to be on my pull, as well.

Sorry, neglected to mention that others already knew that the bump was there and where yelling "BUMP!" ahead of time. So, everyone behind me was already slowing and my hop was low enough that the impact to speed was minor.

NoRacer

I saw that one too. Taped it, in fact. Bob Roll warned the viewing audience to "...don't try this at home."

caloso

I think I might have that on Tivo. How far into the race was that?

NoRacer

It was near the beginning during the recaps of the other stages.

profkrispy

Wish I had had the forethought to do that about 10 days ago. I was on a group ride with 30 or 35 riders, going about 20 mph when someone in front of me overlapped a wheel in front of them and went down. I heard a scream, saw bikes scissors in front of me, hit the brakes (my bike stopped!), apparently flipped and landed on my right shoulder breaking the collarbone right next to the shoulder. It required a plate and some screws. Not sure how my left hand broke at the same time but it needed two pins for about 6 weeks. A plate, some screws, some pins, and some staples to clip the incision shut, heck, I could have stopped at Lowe's on the way home.

I'm not sure if I could have bunnyhopped the mess in front of me. Might have been worth a try in hindsight. Oh well. A few months and I'll be back riding.

merlinextraligh

Bunnyhopping downed riders is an all or nothing strategy. If you don't clear em, its going to be one heck of a fall. (and there's always the risk they raise up.) If you just jam on the brakes, you at least minimize impact speed. Unfortunately there's no time to reflect, and hindsight is 20-20.