A bunny hop is among the many bike tricks you can perform. It is when you lift the front end of your road bike, followed by its back end, to jump over an obstacle. Knowing how to bunny hop is very helpful because it can allow you to ride your road bike more safely and smoothly. The question that comes to mind is whether it is okay to bunny hop on a road bike.
Yes, bunny hops are safe to perform on a road bike. However, they need to be done carefully. You must not do a bunny hop on a road bike if you have not learned how to do it. If you are still learning, you need to get sufficient practice to ensure you are comfortable jumping over any obstacles.
There are several useful tips if you are a beginner and learning to bunny hop. Keep reading to find out more about bunny hops on a road bike!
Related: How Long Does It Take To Get Used To Riding A Road Bike?
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Are Bunny Hops Safe On Road Bikes?
Bunny hops are not only safe to perform on a road bike, but they are also enjoyable. Thus, unless you have not learned how to bunny hop, you are not at any risk of harm. Learning the principles of a bunny hope will make you a better rider and keep you out of trouble by giving you more control over your road bike if you face an obstacle.
Additionally, knowing how to bunny hop will allow you to jump over bigger obstacles. Bunny hops also prevent injuries that arise from landing abruptly on your road bike’s seat. Without having to slow down every time there is an obstacle, you can easily jump over them and continue going forward at a fast speed.
However, bunny hops must be done correctly, or they can be dangerous. There is a risk of your road bike falling over, which may injure you. Keep on reading to find out how you can learn to do bunny hops!
How to Bunny Hop on a Road Bike?
To learn how to bunny hop, you must first set up a “place-holder” obstacle. This can be a rolled-up towel or a t-shirt. Doing this allows you to practice bunny hops on softer obstacles without the risk of hitting your front wheels on a hard object and falling over.
Once you have cleared soft obstacles, you can continue increasing their sizes. You must do this until you feel confident enough to try bunny hops on a log, bench, or curb. A bunny hop involves three steps, which we will discuss below.
You can also watch this video as you read to keep up with the steps:
Set it Up
Most beginners cannot bunny hop standing still, so their road bike needs to have speed before doing so. Thus, approach the obstacle at approximately 10mph so there is enough drive for you to bunny hop completely. When you are about three feet away from the obstacle, stand up from the bike’s saddle, keeping both pedal levels horizontal.
Then, you must loosen your elbows and knees, making a bend at the hips. In doing so, you will be positioned over the saddle instead of behind it. This position is also referred to as a ‘ready position’ by professional mountain bikers.
While standing up from your saddle, you must not grip it with your thighs as that will prevent you from doing the bunny hop correctly. You can try lowering the saddle if you struggle to maintain balance when standing up. Practicing with a lower saddle will give you more confidence before progressing to the proper bunny hop.
Lift the Front Wheel
You may be tempted to jump off the ground with both wheels at once. However, this can only be done at high speeds, or it will be dangerous if you are not confident performing a bunny hop. Lifting the front wheels first will teach you to clear larger obstacles easily and safely before progressing to larger ones.
You must crouch on your road bike to jump over the obstacle smoothly. You should shift your weight forward into the handlebars and pedals of your road bike. This will help load the suspension to the required pressure level.
Once the suspension is loaded, pull up the front wheel of your road bike and get off the ground with your arms. While doing so, your feet should push into the pedals so that the road bike maintains its speed as it continues to move forward.
Finish and Follow Through
As the front wheel of your road bike comes off the ground, continue to lean your weight forward. Once the front wheel has cleared the obstacle, push the handlebar forward so it goes away and down.
At the same time, you must lift your legs up towards your body to bring the bottom bracket and back wheel up in the air. This will allow the back wheel to pass over the obstacle.
Lifting the third wheel is often described as “scooping backward with your feet” by coaches. This is because you are sucking the bike up underneath you, absorbing the shock without banging the wheels heavily on the ground.
While crossing the obstacle and coming down the other side, you must stay off the brakes. If brakes are pressed, your bike will make a sudden stop. It will topple over as you go over the handlebars and fall, sustaining many injuries.
Having discussed the method, it is important to know whether you can bunny hop on any bike.
Can You Bunny Hop on Any Bike?
You can perform bunny hopes on almost any bike. However, if you are a road cyclist learning to bunny hop but have access to a mountain bike, you should start on a mountain bike.
It will teach you how to load a bike and help you become more confident doing a bunny hop road bike. This is because road bikes are stiffer and require a tighter grip for bunny hops.
Conclusion
Bunny hops can easily be done on a road bike without causing any harm. However, you must learn how to bunny hop over softer obstacles first, following the abovementioned steps correctly to become more confident while jumping over hard obstacles.
I always had a thing for cycling sports and love almost anything that involves bikes and boards. I work part-time as a designer in the tech industry and work on my blogs whenever I can.