REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

Technique Question

674 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by zebrahum, Dec 23, 2009

phosphor

Discussion Starter · Dec 23, 2009

Hey all,

In all discussions on bunny hopping I've seen, including the awesome sticky thread above, the instructions usually include lowering your seat. While riding most people don't have the seat so low.

Say you're riding along a typical cross country trail that's not crazy technical, and doesn't have a major uphill or downhill that makes it convenient to alter your seat height accordingly. So you have it at what would be comfortable to pedal at for a while and allow for some small movement around the cockpit. If you come across an obstacle that you have to bunny hop (or the log crossing technique), do you just do as much as you can with the higher seat height or else get off and hike it? I feel like I definitely could tackle a few more things if I had gotten off and dropped my seat, but that's straight up annoying for one log. (As a corollary to that, do racers bunny hop obstacles with such high seats?)

And no, getting a gravity dropper is not an acceptable answer.

Thanks for the help! And Merry Christmas!

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davidbeinct

· #2 · Dec 23, 2009

Well, I can't bunny hop worth crap, but you can definitely do the necessary weight shifts to do log crossings, rock walls, etc, with the seat at full XC pedaling height. Practice getting the front wheel up with your seat at full height on terrain with nothing in your way. Once you get the front wheel over something momentum and a slight weight shift will get the rear over most stuff.

David B.

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phosphor

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 23, 2009

Cool beans.
I haven't managed to get those down yet, but I'm still working on it. I like the lower speed aspect of the crossing technique compared to the speed you would have to use to bunny hop the same log.

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gmcttr

· #4 · Dec 23, 2009

I don't know which "log crossing technique" you are using but this video will give you an idea of what can be done with the seat up.

I bunny hop 12" with the seat up and i'm not real good at it yet.

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phosphor

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 23, 2009

When I said "log crossing technique" I meant exactly that video actually. I think it's different from a bunny hop because you are relying on the contact of the front wheel on the log in order to shift your weight and bring the rear wheel up. But either way, we're talking about the same thing.

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Dremer03

· #6 · Dec 23, 2009

If you can get your front tire over by compressing a lifting, you wont have to many issues just stomping down on the pedal and getting the back tire over. I can pop my tire at least 6 inches off the ground at almost a stand still, imagine how much lift you might be able to acquire a full speed on the trail.

Watch at about 25 seconds

Testing the 29er in Patapsco from eujinc on Vimeo.

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markf

· #7 · Dec 23, 2009

lowering the seat just makes it easier, especially for learning. good xc guys can clear lots of stuff with their seat at full height.

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zebrahum

· #8 · Dec 23, 2009

And if you're having trouble with a full bunny hop with the seat up, then you can always try a sort of 1-2 approach to clearing things. Sometimes I'll pop the front wheel over or on top of an obstacle then as the back wheel comes up to the object I'll unweight it in one way or another to help bring it up or over.

You can unweight by pushing the bars sort of forward as you would in the finish of a bunny hop, or by simply lessening the amount of weight on your pedals so the back end can pop up as it strikes the object, or even by doing the clipless cheater hop and pulling up on the pedals.

Every obsticle is different, and every speed you approach the same obsticle at will all require a different approach. Even with my seat at full, I can hop a good 6", enough to clear the things I approach at full speed on that bike. Anything bigger I'll either 1-2 hop it, or just monster truck it and ride the damn thing. Start by practicing wheelies, manuals, and just getting your front wheel off the ground and you'll be well on your way.

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