[cdub]

trying to put some pics together for those of you who want to see how to j-hop. not to good at describing, but here it goes......

1) lift your front tire up and lean back

2) Bring the front tire higher and start leaning forwar

3) Lean forward and push the handle bars forward

4) Crouch down and squeeze those last few inches

Let me know what you think

 

[rt_hat]

Nice pics !

I've been trying to bunny hop for the past few weeks and I'm still having trouble - I can bring up my front or back tire a couple of inches up, or I can do a weird sort of hop that brings up both tires up at the same time but only about an inch high.

How do you rock your body so that you bring the front tire up and then the back tire ?!?! Should I be practicing wheelies first?

 

[cdub]

Nice pics !

I've been trying to bunny hop for the past few weeks and I'm still having trouble - I can bring up my front or back tire a couple of inches up, or I can do a weird sort of hop that brings up both tires up at the same time but only about an inch high.

How do you rock your body so that you bring the front tire up and then the back tire ?!?! Should I be practicing wheelies first?

As far as rocking, it should just come with practice. my best advice would be to just practice leaning back and pulling up pretty high. it does not have to be held for a long time, just enough time to jump. Now the MOST IMPORTANT thing to do if you are having trouble is this: as you are in the wheelie, sort of bounce your back tire to make it compress ( don't make it obvious or exaggerated, just a subtle bounce) and then as the tire is coming up, lift your rear and push the handle bars forward. it sould be smooth sailing from there.
please let me know if you have any more questions because it kind of helps me to figure out what exactly i have been doing. and i might try and get some better pics from a better angle and something higher but the bike in the pics cracked so i am still getting used to my new one.

 

[Tomasz]

foot-pedal interface

As far as rocking, it should just come with practice. my best advice would be to just practice leaning back and pulling up pretty high. it does not have to be held for a long time, just enough time to jump. Now the MOST IMPORTANT thing to do if you are having trouble is this: as you are in the wheelie, sort of bounce your back tire to make it compress ( don't make it obvious or exaggerated, just a subtle bounce) and then as the tire is coming up, lift your rear and push the handle bars forward. it sould be smooth sailing from there.
please let me know if you have any more questions because it kind of helps me to figure out what exactly i have been doing. and i might try and get some better pics from a better angle and something higher but the bike in the pics cracked so i am still getting used to my new one.

Hi cdub,

I'm yet another follower of the bunny-hop path, which proves to be a rocky one...

Not that I do them consistently, nor that I can sustain them for long, but for now I'm finding wheelies easier. However, I do them firmly seated (I'm more stable that way), so I'm in a wrong position to transition to a bunny-hop.

I'm also trying the very first phase, which is leaning back to lift the front wheel and effectively manual for a while. The problem I'm running into is that I either don't pull on the handlebars hard enough, thus the front wheel doesn't get high enough off the ground, or I pull too hard, and have to bail out / jump off the bike.

Finally, I'm working on a back-hop, a stationary and hence easier version of a bunny-hop. I frequently manage to get my bike almost vertical while standing on the pedals, but then fail when I try to lift the rear wheel off the ground -- I just seem unable to make my feet stick to the pedals! I'm pushing against the pedals and keeping my toes bend down, but apparently must be doing something wrong Any suggestions on how to improve that "mission-critical" aspect of my technique?

Cheers,
-Tomasz

PS As for pictures, on the final one landing is obscured, but otherwise fine!

 

[cdub]

oops double post

 

[cdub]

Hi cdub,

I'm yet another follower of the bunny-hop path, which proves to be a rocky one...

Not that I do them consistently, nor that I can sustain them for long, but for now I'm finding wheelies easier. However, I do them firmly seated (I'm more stable that way), so I'm in a wrong position to transition to a bunny-hop.

I'm also trying the very first phase, which is leaning back to lift the front wheel and effectively manual for a while. The problem I'm running into is that I either don't pull on the handlebars hard enough, thus the front wheel doesn't get high enough off the ground, or I pull too hard, and have to bail out / jump off the bike.

Finally, I'm working on a back-hop, a stationary and hence easier version of a bunny-hop. I frequently manage to get my bike almost vertical while standing on the pedals, but then fail when I try to lift the rear wheel off the ground -- I just seem unable to make my feet stick to the pedals! I'm pushing against the pedals and keeping my toes bend down, but apparently must be doing something wrong Any suggestions on how to improve that "mission-critical" aspect of my technique?

Cheers,
-Tomasz

First off, your going to have to learn how to do a wheelie standing up. this will make the other steps fall into place much easier. As far as the old question of how hard to pull up on the handlebars, the only advice i can give is simply practice. Also try leaning your body way back, that way to will not have to pull up as hard.

Fnd now for your big problem, slipping off the pedals. I see that you are already pushing your toes down, which is the most common mistake. so about all i can reccomend is getting new pedals ( any wellgo B- series) or just get out there and practice. maybe dont try as hard to get your bike vertical. you can see from the pics that i am not really that high up in the wheelie and i have speed, which makes everything easier.

while all this info is great i am giving you, it is ultimately up to you to tell yourself " i am going to j-hop no matter what" if you carry this mentallity, you should be decent at it within a day.

 

[bubbayz220]

CDUB's dousche bag

CDUB first of all thats a jay hop not a bunny hop(***)

next u can't even do wheelies standing up

god u are a ***

 

[cdub]

i love you to Bronson

 

[Nat]

Minor correction:

1) Take off shirt for the laydeez

2) lift your front tire up and lean back

3) Bring the front tire higher and start leaning forwar

4) Lean forward and push the handle bars forward

5) Crouch down and squeeze those last few inches

 

[AndrewTO]

Okay, I have to ask - what the heck is a j-hop? How is it different from a bunny hop? I always figured if both wheels were going up at the same time it was a bunny hop.

 

[cdub]

well a bunny hop is jumping and lifting both tires up at the same time. a j-hop i when the front comes up first like in the pics. this method can allow you to jump much higher.
and just for kicks, an o-hop is lifting the rear up first. theres really no need to know how to do one but i still do them for fun.

 

[AndrewTO]

Gotcha.

One last Q, if I may...

You mention about learning to wheelie standing up. Last time I did that was one a bike in the '70's, with a banana seat and chopper-style handlebars (maybe before your time? no offense). When I got a "real" BMX I started doing them (somewhat successfully) sitting on the seat. What's the purpose of learning in the standing position? Better grasp of your balance and that with your bike?

Thanks!

 

[cdub]

i said that simply for the sake of pulling off a decent j-hop. obviously you need to be standing up to perform this and you have to wheelie to inititate the hop. so this is pretty much why. i mean its not vital that you can do it for long, just long enough to hop.

 

[Nat]

i said that simply for the sake of pulling off a decent j-hop. obviously you need to be standing up to perform this and you have to wheelie to inititate the hop. so this is pretty much why. i mean its not vital that you can do it for long, just long enough to hop.

It's also a vital trail skill. Say you're rolling down a descent, standing up. You see a 8" tree downed across the trail. If you can wheelie standing up, then you can keep riding. If you can't get that front end up, you're either going to yard sale it or have to stop and walk over it (*shudder*)..

 

[AndrewTO]

cdub - okay. got it. Thanks!

Nat - understood completely and agreed profusely. For an 8" object I hop it. That's what clipless pedals were invented for, right?



Actually, the ooooooooonly reason I can hop anything taller than a quarter in height is that I have clipless. With my seat in place I can clear about 12-14". I, too, shudder at the thought of dismounting.

Thanks guys!

 

[cdub]

may i offer one tip of advice. if you really want to learn to jump over things switch to flats to practice. i could do about 16 inches with clipless and immediately i could do just over 30" with my flats on. i am not sure why this is but it seems universal with all of my friends.

 

[SuperNewb]

Nice. Now lets see the pics of you doing a lil wheelie before it then jumping up the steps without putting the front tire down before it.

 

[AndrewTO]

Uh uh! Nooooo way! The last time I did that (with flats) I reefed on the handlebars and the front wheel came way up and I thought "hey, this is great". Then my body came up along with my feet. However, the rear wheel looked up at me and said "wtf are you doing?!?!!?" and stayed where it was. Then I landed..... with my feet on the ground, not the flats. That would be the point where I squashed my canolee on the top tube. That was the only time in my life I ever collapsed on/off my bike.

I think I layed there about 10 minutes then slowly hobbled home with my bike as a rolling crutch.

I missed something - then didn't. (I know I missed the pedals/push thing, but it just never happens)

I was always envious of my buddy that could hop onto picnic tables. After that affair with the top tube I cringed when I saw him hop tables.

 

[SuperNewb]

I saw my cusion do that. I couldnt stop laughing.

Learning on clipless is way easier then flats. I learned on flats first only cause I rode bmx/freestyle before going to clips on my mtb just made it easier to do but I couldnt do it as high (high seat issue)

Dont need to learn on flats if you are only going to be doing bunny hops while clipped in. But if you are going to ride flats like maybe on your city bike it is good to learn on them too. Jumping the curbs without slamming your wheel into the edge is nice indeed

 

[cdub]

you got it. i just gotta find a video camera