How to Bunny Hop on a Bike

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A "bunny hop" is a bicycle trick that involves jumping both the front and back wheels off the ground at the same time. The trick will allow you to launch your bike into the air to avoid or jump over obstacles. The bunny hop is really a combination of two moves, the front pull and the back hop, which you must master individually before combining them to execute the bunny hop. With a little bit of practice, you'll be bunny hopping in no time!

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Mastering the Front Pull

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  1. Stand up out of the bike seat while keeping your pedals parallel with the ground.
    • Keep your elbows and knees loose and slightly bent, and bend at the waist so that you are positioned above the bike seat rather than behind it. [1]
    • When you stand up, position your head directly over the front wheel.
  2. Use the momentum you get from shifting your center of gravity back to explode straight upward.
    • While you are pulling up with your arms, push your feet into the pedals, applying an even amount of pressure to each one. [2]
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  3. Once you've gotten the bike as high as you can by just leaning back, pull it up with your arms until the bike is standing up, and you're standing up with it.
    • Keep your pedals level through the whole maneuver.
  4. You haven't mastered the front pull until you can place the front tire down with carefully controlled motion, rather than just let it snap back to the ground.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Executing the Back Hop

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  1. Do this quickly, but not so quickly that you "throw" yourself forward and shake the bike.
  2. Pull them up so that your feet are almost vertical. [3]
  3. Your feet will make a scooping motion backward. The pressure you apply to the pedals, with your feet in a horizontal position, will keep your feet on the bike as you pull the back end up with your leg muscles.
  4. Shrug your shoulders and then push or roll the handlebars forward as you do this.
  5. Just like with the front pull, you haven’t perfected the back hop until you can delicately place the back wheel down, rather than drop it sharply to the ground.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Combining the Front Pull and Back Hop

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  1. As you’re doing this, shove your mass into the ground through the back wheel. This will give the rear wheel a bit of "bounce" to help you take off when you move into the back hop.
    • Pull the front wheel up to maximum height before transitioning to the next part of the maneuver.
  2. Once you’re front wheel is in the air, snap your heels upward so that your feet are almost vertical.
  3. Point your toes and then push back with your feet, “scooping” backward. Use the push/pull motion to get the back wheel up (while the front is still in the air).
    • The pressure you apply to the pedals, with your feet in a horizontal position, will keep your feet on the bike as you pull the back end up with your leg muscles.
  4. You will do this at the same time as scooping back with your feet, creating a motion almost like a gear shifting.
    • Try to stay focused on technique rather than worrying about the speed you’re traveling as you bunny hop.
  5. Squeeze your legs together while you are in mid-air to get a more defined looking bunny hop. Remembering to level the bike is an important habit to establish for when you eventually start bunny hopping onto higher surfaces.
  6. It stabilizes your landing and makes controlling the bike easier immediately after landing. Only land with your front wheel first when you need to regain front wheel control and traction immediately, such as when you need to make a turn immediately after the hop.
    • Practice this in grass before you try it on pavement or out on the trail.
    • If you feel like you are about to start falling during a bunny hop, try to fall uphill and onto grass for a softer landing. [4]
  7. Bunny hopping is a bike trick, but it’s also a very useful maneuver when it comes to avoiding or jumping over obstacles in your path when you’re on a ride.
    • Set up obstacles to practice bunny hopping over, starting at a height of about 6 inches and increasing the height as you get comfortable with each hop.
  8. This is an additional technique that involves jumping, just like you would on the ground, except during this you are one with your pedals.
    • Simply jump while twisting forward on the handlebars of the bike, but don't let your feet come off the pedals.
    • If you keep your feet on the pedals and jump, the back end will come up.
    • Then bring up the front end at the same time as the tires. You will be pulling up without pedaling.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Road bikes do not have suspension, so can doing bunny hops on a road bike cause dents or any other damages to the bike?
    Community Answer
    It depends whether or not the parts are good or not. If the parts are crap then maybe after a couple hops they will (very unlikely), but if they are high end then they shouldn't.
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    Not Helpful 9 Helpful 21
  • Question
    My feet always come off the pedals. How can I stop this?
    Community Answer
    It's important to keep pressure on the pedals. You can do that by using your arms to press down. Do not bend them; just grip tightly enough to apply pressure to the pedals.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 29 Helpful 23
  • Question
    How can I lift the front wheel of my bike higher?
    Community Answer
    As soon as you lift it up in the air by leaning backwards quickly, you have to push the handlebar downwards towards your crotch. The bike will stand almost vertically. After that, scoop your handlebar forward and upwards to lift the rear wheel.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.bicycling.com/training/skills/how-bunny-hop-boss
      2. ↑ http://www.active.com/mountain-biking/articles/learn-to-bunny-hop-a-skill-for-every-mountain-biker-873174
      3. ↑ http://www.bicycling.com/training/skills/how-bunny-hop-boss
      4. ↑ http://www.active.com/mountain-biking/articles/learn-to-bunny-hop-a-skill-for-every-mountain-biker-873174
      5. Videos provided by Adam LZ

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To bunny hop on a bike, start by standing up on your bike pedals, leaning back slightly, and pedaling at a medium pace. Then, shift your weight down onto the front wheel before pulling up on the handlebars so the front tire lifts into the air. Next, point your toes upward and pull up on the pedals with your feet. While the front wheel is still in the air, press back against the pedals and use your leg muscles to pull the back tire up. Finally, shrug your shoulders, push the handlebars forward, and squeeze your legs together to level your bike. To learn how to land on the ground after a bunny hop, scroll down!

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      • B. Woltz

        Jan 22, 2017

        "In most tutorials, the focus is on getting the front wheel high, however, this article teaches the the rider how to ..." more
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