The Bunny Hop

In mountain biking and even BMX riding, the bunny hop
is a bike trick that involved the rider lifting the
bike up and over an obstacle while remaining in 
motion on the bike.  Experienced bikers can lift 
their bikes in excess of a meter or one and a half
feet.  The world record for the bunny hop stands at
4 feet.

The bunny hop is executed by approaching an obstacle
with speed, lifting the front of the bike then 
leveling the pedals.  If the bike has full or front
suspension, pre-load the shocks by pressing down
on the bike just before you reach the obstacle.

Once the shocks have been pre-loaded, the rider
will spring upwards, pulling up with the hands and
feet at the same time.  Toe straps or clipless 
pedals help with this, although if plain platform
pedals are used, it's still possible.  As the biker
lifts, the hands will roll through twisting the 
throttle.  After the object is cleared, push down
on the bike then absorb the impact with the arms
and the legs.

It's often times a misconception that a bunny hop
without toe clips is achieved by rotating forward
on the handlebars.  Lifting up on a mountain bike
while standing next to it is quite difficult to
hold on to the handle bars.  

The bunny hop is very popular with mountain biking,
as experienced riders can make it look a lot easier
than it actually is.  New mountain bikers should
practice a lot before they actually attempt the 
hop, as doing it on a bigger obstacle can easily
be quite dangerous.

With proper practice, the bunny hop can be achieved,
even for beginners.  All you have to do is give it
some time and effort, and you'll be pulling off the
bunny hop just like the pro's do it.

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