Australian Mountain Bike — December 01, 2017

104 - AMB

WORDS: JARED RANDO IMAGES: NICK WAYGOOD

Bunny hopping is hands down one of the most

important skills any mountain biker can develop.

Not only is bunny hopping useful in its own right

to clear gutters, logs, rocks or anything else on

the trail, it’s also critical as a gateway skill in

learning to jump and pre-jump correctly.

Those are key skills for any intermediate level

trail and above – especially when you throw

racing (or Strava if you are so inclined...) into the

mix. There’s no doubt that clip in pedals make the

process a whole lot easier, but relying on having

your feet clipped in is certainly the wrong way

to go about it. If you really want to learn how to

bunny hop correctly and effectively, buy a cheap

set of flat pedals to practice with as you learn.

STEP 1

WHAT GOES UP, MUST GO DOWN FIRST

Bunny hopping with suspension is a much different

beast to bunny hopping a rigid bike. To start off, keep

your weight centred and pre-load your suspension by

pushing down predominantly with your legs but also

with your arms. This all happens in a split second and

the bunny hop effectively starts from the point your

suspension is compressed and begins to rebound back.

This skill is also not something

which is mastered in a day or two –

give yourself months or even years

to get comfortable and don’t get

frustrated if you can’t get it straight

away. It may seem impossible at

first, but time and patience are the

key ingredients to learning.

Here’s the fundamentals and also

some tips to help master the bunny

hop.

HOW TO

BUNNY HOP