Can you bunny hop a road/hybrid bike?

[Matthew_T]

I can't. I can do a little wheelie but that is it.

 

[ianrauk]

yes, cycling the mean streets of London meant that one had to learn to bunny hop very quickly.

 

[VamP]

It's really not hard (with clipless).


Another question is how high?


In cyclocross, elite riders bunnyhop 16 inch barriers (ususally as a combo of two, about 12 feet apart.) At speed. Now that is hard.

 

[Dogberry]

Yes, it comes in handy sometimes.

 

[gb155]

yes, cycling the mean streets of London meant that one had to learn to bunny hop very quickly.

Same up norf in Manchester too

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I can half bunny hop and get enough weight off the back to spare my rims but I've never managed to get my rear wheel off the ground. Except when launching myself over the handlebars, of course.

 

[MontyVeda]

I've only managed the parallel hop, as in both wheels leave and land at the same time. Never got the hang of the 'mono' hop as we used to call it, as in front wheel up first followed by the back wheel. I couldn't even do that on my bmx

 

[martint235]

Even I can do a bunny hop!! I think I can still do the one where the front leaves the ground first and lands first, used to be called a something kick I think back in the day when I could ride a bmx.

 

[akb]

I have never had the need. If I need to mount the pavement (part of my route requires this to go under and avoid the A1!) then I use drop kerbs.

 

[gaz]

Aye. do it daily. Bunny hopping in a fixed wheel is an intresting experience.

 

[martint235]

I have never had the need. If I need to mount the pavement (part of my route requires this to go under and avoid the A1!) then I use drop kerbs.

Why on earth would anyone want to avoid an A road???

 

[tyred]

I've never mastered this but there again, in normal riding, I cannot think of a single occasion where it would have been useful. I don't ride on footpaths.

 

[zizou]

its usually not a proper bunny hop if you do it clipless...teaches bad technique and habit, as i know all too well when i occassionally put on flat pedals on my mtb, i keep trying to do it the lazy way and my feet keep leaving the pedals

 

[zizou]

I've never mastered this but there again, in normal riding, I cannot think of a single occasion where it would have been useful. I don't ride on footpaths.

It is useful for avoiding potholes or other road debris when you cant swerve to miss them, its not really about being able to hop up kerbs.

 

[ColinJ]

Why on earth would anyone want to avoid an A road???

What - seriously?

(Ooh - hail! I thought that the sun had disappeared rather suddenly and a combination of heavy rain and hail has just hit us! I didn't spot that on the forecast ...)

I do my best to avoid A-roads, but Hebden Bridge is located on the often-busy A646 so I am obliged to spend some time on that. I like to get off it up onto the quieter hilly roads ASAP though.

Getting back to bunnyhopping ... Yes, I can do it on my road bike and often do. It is definitely a very useful skill to have.

For instance - Once I was on a forum ride with various CC members including Bokonon who warned me about the descent past the Cow & Calf at Ilkley. He told me to watch out for a cattle grid near the bottom. His warning went in one ear and out the other and I found myself doing 75 kph (47 mph) when it suddenly appeared out of the mist in front of me; I instinctively bunnyhopped it! You want to be absolutely sure to get that kind right though - you do not want to land on the edge of a wet cattle grid at nearly 50 mph ...

It's good for hopping over debris, potholes, sleeping policeman, rumble strips and snakes! (We don't get many big snakes on the roads round here, but I bunnyhopped over one on a mountain descent in Spain once!)