I've been trying to learn and I just can't. I don't know what I'm doing wrong and can't figure it out. Also, it looks shorter than it feels lol
by PristineObjective426
I've been trying to learn and I just can't. I don't know what I'm doing wrong and can't figure it out. Also, it looks shorter than it feels lol
by PristineObjective426
7 Comments
You’re just pushing down and loading your suspension, then hopping.
What really needs to happen is a little more complex.
It’s hard to describe here, and I’ll only hit the general points.
1) Lean back.
2) Lift the front
3) Hop from the rear while the front is in the air. The toe pointing down trick will help you “scoop” the rear.
4) Finish pulling up the front as you hop up the rear, level out, and land.
Watch YouTube. It’ll help way more my explanation…
Time to hit YouTube. You are pretty much starting from scratch so at least you don’t have any bad habits to work out!
It’s not an up and down motion. It’s a combined motion of bringing your body weight down and rearwards simultaneously. You should be pushing your weight back and above the rear wheel initially and your front wheel should come up, then you explode upwards on the pedals to lift your body and the rear wheel with it. That’s a true bunny hop. You’re basically just bouncing on your suspension currently and that won’t do you any good when jumping.
You need to be putting *way* more energy into the bike, first of all.
Like, you need to explode that thing. *Really* compress that suspension.
You’re doing the Roadie Hop. Trace the arcs of where your front and rear contact patches travel through space – you’re going to hang up your back tire on obstacles. What you want is a BMX style technique. Or, compare yourself to a deer jumping over a fence. Front end up goes up first and then the rear follows over. In bike terms this means doing a manual and then leveling the bike flat as your travel over an obstacle.
I learned by putting a 2×4 on some flat grass, very easily knocked over and is not threatening. Then 2×6.
You’re doing great wearing a helmet so far.
Practice on ground that is softer than pavement.
Once you get manuals, the rest will follow. It is more about timing and physical exaggeration than it is about raw strength. Strength training does help to some extent. I’ve seen young people with very little upper body development get serious hang time based on technique alone.
YouTube and then practice on a hardtail if you can.
It’s a two step maneuver. You lift up the front, then the back. It helped me when I was learning to shove down on the front while airborne to help get the rear to lift, though some others might call that out as a bad habit. Helps to wedge your body in between your pedals and handlebars as well