Hop or swerve?

[Arjimlad]

Probably, but how on earth would we find them?

Touché !

 

[Arjimlad]

Is it safe to do this on a road bike though, with its lighter wheels and skinny tyres ? Would my tyres just blow out on return to earth ?

 

[ColinJ]

Swerve, although that's just because at 16st i'm too much of a fat arse to bunnyhop.

Is it safe to do this on a road bike though, with its lighter wheels and skinny tyres ? Would my tyres just blow out on return to earth ?

Totallyfixed and I bunnyhopped a cattlegrid on a descent on one of my forum rides earlier in the year. I weighed over 16 stone at the time. No problem ...




Admittedly, tf said that he worried that my tyres might explode when I landed!

(I did soften the impact by getting off the saddle and bending my knees and elbows.)

 

[jonny jeez]

Swerve, although that's just because at 16st i'm too much of a fat arse to bunnyhop.

Rubbish. you can do it. I weigh more than that and happily hop all day long.

 

[Hacienda71]

Both depending on timing. If you are travelling at speed swerving is likely to end in accident whereas the bunny hop will clear a good distance. At a slower speed I will swerve if I have enough time to get around the pothole.

 

[lulubel]

It would depend on the circumstances - what's going on around me, how aware I am of what's going on around me (whether I can hear anything or if the headwind is deafening me), what bike I'm riding, and on the size of the hole.

I can bunnyhop on my road bike with flat pedals, but I couldn't say how I do it. If there's something I really need to avoid, and there's no alternative, I just do it. I've never been taught. (I think it came out of trying to "lighten" the bike over obstacles like speed bumps, until eventually I lightened it so much that it started coming off the ground.)

 

[jonny jeez]

I can bunnyhop on my road bike with flat pedals, but I couldn't say how I do it.

same here...now I come to think about it I've got no idea how I perform a hop...it just kind of do. It defies logic and gravity. Just jumping up into the air shouldn't take another object with you.

all very odd.

 

[BenBlundell]

Whilst I can't bunny hop...I know for sure it's possible!

 

[TheLondonCyclist]

So, you are riding down hill at anything up to 35mph in a straight line, you see a pothole ahead, its big enough to have you off at that speed but its a distance away you have just enough time to swerve or bunny hop over it.

Which is safer.

Bunny hop over it. I've done it at those speeds. It's not dangerous at all.

 

[Moodyman]

If not wearing cleats... no problem. If you know how to bunny hop properly. Hanging with the kids at the BMX park helps.

If I see this pot hole in the way the OP suggests neither a swerve or a 'hop is needed. I just alter my line.

Indeed. I don't like swerve. I much prefer to pull the handlebar to one side or counter steer. Much safer at 35mph. But there must be no motor vehicle beside me - otherwise I unweight the saddle and hop.

 

[I like Skol]

Is it safe to do this on a road bike though, with its lighter wheels and skinny tyres ? Would my tyres just blow out on return to earth ?

X2 for the bunny hop. I do this all the time, and more besides, on my road bike with no problems.

 

[Nebulous]

Well I can't bunnyhop. At least I've never tried, but I don't think I can.

I had a situation similar to this. Day before the Etape Caledonia I was out riding the first part of the course, and then turned to come back down from Queen's View. Coming down a hill tightening my line to go round a left hand corner I didn't see a pothole until too late. (okay,okay I was going too fast) I hit it, my front wheel lost traction and literally bounced about two feet to the right - towards where oncoming cars would have been. It gave me a scare, but I stayed on and there wasn't a car coming which was the two most important things at the time.

 

[Matthew_T]

I have been having fun when out bunny hopping over potholes and manholes. I only do it when there are no cars around but it is mighty fun! I also only do it when I dont have panniers on as I would end up falling off if I tried that.

 

[Gary E]

If you're going to bunny-hop you need to be absolutely certain you've done your front QR Skewer up properly

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I have been having fun when out bunny hopping over potholes and manholes. I only do it when there are no cars around but it is mighty fun! I also only do it when I dont have panniers on as I would end up falling off if I tried that.

I agree, on my MTB each speed bump or puddle is worthy of leaping over.