How to Bunnyhop If You Can't Do It At All

[@gmbn]

Can you bunny hop? If so how long did it take you to learn and do you have any tips or inspiration for people learning? Let them know 👇

[@caiowen5211]

I can. It took me around 2 days do do it properly.

[@Losovox]

@@caiowen5211 2 days? You learn quick. I took about a month, but I was struggling to clear a kerb. I went off my dualie for a while and rode my DJ, which fine tuned my technique. Now I can clear 40cm walls. Learning on a hardtail is definitely best.

[@gmbn]

​@@caiowen5211 Nice! 🙌👊

[@caiowen5211]

@@gmbn thanks 👍

[@caiowen5211]

@@Losovox I didn’t start till around 4 months after riding mtb so thats why i was quite quick

[@DarioMangoni]

I would really love to see *coaching/tutorial-with-newbie* lessons from GMBN instead of tutorials made by pro. Looking at a pro that always makes it right it's surely helpful, but beginners really need to (1) spot *what* they are doing wrong, since it's not always obvious (2) *how* to fix such specific error. I would really love to have one episode or even a *full serie* that follows *an average rider* *progressing* *on* *its* *skills* . It would be a great source for new contents!

[@yvan2218]

What i love about the stick method is that its actually tactile. It has a response. You know when youve messed up and you know when exactly you should pull the trigger. Brilliant

[@ChinoZ32]

Out of all the countless bunnyhop videos out there, I'm really happy to see one that has a different and easy to follow approach. Using the stick method adds to the lesson, I can't wait to practice this one. Thank you.

[@gmbn]

Hi @MaxximusD! It's such a great video for stripping everything back and just learning from the ground up! Thanks for the support and good luck with your bunny hops! 👍

[@urbanredneck3068]

This is by far the best explanation I've seen. And super helpful to those learning and being able to use/practice in a trail situation to pop off roots or rocks.

[@schnawgalawg]

I learned how to bunny hop today and it’s so much easier than I thought it was. It’s all about the body position

[@ShaniqaPikes]

Your "stick method" is the best instruction method ever. I have always struggled with getting the front wheel high enough that I could pull the bars to my waist, with my legs ready for the rest of it. Bouncing off the stick puts everything in the right place.

[@becksteadmtb]

Most ironic thing: I just figured out the correct motion on Monday, and yesterday used it on my ride, and it definitely felt like the most versatile skill i have

[@jeloneq7]

I am amazed how neatly those stick landed. 5:16

[@ShadLife]

You are basically doing a bump jump. I did a how to on my channel last summer on bump jumping. The bigger difference is that you can pull up the front wheel and manual then pop when your rear wheel hits. These techniques you show really do smooth out the trail and make riding a lot of fun!

[@ChrisKim-eo9ku]

I always feel like whenever I try and bring the back end up my feet will just fly off the pedals. Gotta keep practicing I suppose

[@Losovox]

Point your toes downwards and push your bars forwards. It means you scoop the pedals instead of just lifting your feet up, and you rotate the bike into your feet by pushing the handlebars. I used to struggle to clear a kerb and now I can hop 40cm walls. You'l get there

[@tomsing98]

What made it click for me was, imagine you're picking up a bowl only touching the inside. You have to push your hands apart to create pressure, and then you can lift up with friction, right? Same deal on a bike - you're creating that pressure with your hands pushing forward on the bars (which, your fingers give you grip automatically), and your feet pushing back on the pedals. In order to keep your feet on the pedals as you push back, you point your toes down.

[@Losovox]

@@tomsing98 perfect explanation

[@BlackFlag94]

Jeff Kendall-Wood has a fantastic tutorial showing you how to push the bars to pick up the bike. You can do it without feel being involved

[@gmbn]

Practice, practice, practice and more practice Chris. It's one of those moves that is difficult at first and then just clicks

[@ArtHistoryNstuff332]

I am learning this on a hard tail - getting the front up is not a problem; getting the back of the bike to lift is where I can't get this to work...yet. What's frustrating is that I think I am actually doing it on the trail out of instinct (or terror), but I can't deliberately make it work on smooth ground. I do like the video, it's quite clever using the sticks from larger to smaller. It's similar to training a dog to listen to commands, and to get the animal to where they don't need the reward, they just do it when told to.

[@Minecraftuploads211]

that is how i learned how to bunnyhop but instead of sticks i practiced on roadbumps and then i learned the movement for doing it so many times and with more practice i started to do the bunnyhop better and better, don't give up if you are trying to learn because it's 100% possible

[@jonathanwilliams5976]

Great video, honestly this is the perfect training method for me. Thanks 🙏

[@darcyphillips70]

Blake’s demonstrative skills are ace

[@johndef5075]

Practice this kids. Very useful maneuver in my 30 yrs. of mtbing.

[@dillydean]

Never seen this stick technique before. Absolutely brilliant! Helmet on let's go practice boys!

[@gmbn]

Here's a video from Martyn if you want some extra inspiration 👉 gmbn.eu/BunnyHopsAnalysed

[@davecurtis8833]

Great to see a different bunny hop tutorial. I’ve got my stick and I’m going to give it a go.

[@carlosbarragan6729]

this is my fav b hop tutorial. thxs dudesss

[@lionelhernandez34]

Always the simple things that get past me, I always set out to time and not hit the stick bumping it one wheel at a time makes to perfection makes sense. Thanks for sharing this video is one of the better explanations I've seen thanks for sharing

[@boniceligaudenmarr.113]

I've watched the bunny hop tutorial by Neil Way back yet here I am HAHA not that I did not learn anything, I learned a lot from Neil of course just here for quality contents!

[@gloseatsandthings]

THANK YOU! I've learned so much from you guys!

[@richardr8928]

I thought Neil’s version was good but this is much better. Thanks

[@miata8148]

this is an amazing video, i couldn t bunny hop at all but this really made me do it correctly :). Thanks a lot!

[@SalubriouzNL]

Thanks for another Great instruction vid!!! keep it up you beautiful people

[@CiderPang27]

I learnt on a bmx many years ago. Like a wheelie, once you can do it you never forget.

[@bigcwastaken2112]

I haven’t ridden trails all that much because I have no local ones but I have gotten so many pinch flats on curbs so I need to do this

[@norcotorrentguy]

Thanks Blake! You're awesome

[@hiigara2085]

Hey you helped me out Blake cheers

[@coltc1588]

Try to get air off a little roller without a lip and without going insanely fast, after some days or very few weeks you can translate the same to flat ground

[@brendan1]

I've never been able to bunny hop very well. I find it takes an enormous amount of energy and eventually my elbows hurt from all the pulling on the bars. Probably because I'm doing it wrong.

[@eziola]

Great video! Can you take the next step and do a video on how a perfect bunny hop helps you dirt jump on vertical lips?

[@thilinakumara1731]

Good explain thank you..🤘

[@c-up1317]

Blake for a do it all bike would you pick the canyon spectral or the nukeproof mega? Something that will be used for everyday trail riding but also Midwest American enduro races.

[@mattiasvanoverbeke1831]

I am good at bunny hopping but somehow these video's are still fun to watch

[@tgnilsson1]

Really nice tip with that stick :-) like it. Will test it when snow and ice are gone :-)

[@jimmabon]

Gosh, it's so difficult to bunnyhop the way you guys do it. My shins get injured almost everytime I practice it, new wounds comes before the older wounds recovers. Could only get like 3-4 inches above the ground. Couldn't do the front lift by moving the hips all the way back. When you get the front wheel up, it was so difficult to stand up with handlebar near to your chest as it all happens so quickly. Most importantly is when you managed to get the front wheel near to the loop out point, you basically forgets everything you learnt and focus on crash landing😵‍💫 Could GMBN come out with a tutorial that focus on students in their mid forties and how to prevent injuries while learning bunny hopping? The fear of getting injured is immense when getting older

[@sprousaTM]

haha. I thought the exact same thing. That is just spot on. I can get the front wheel up really easy but the transition to stand up just fails. I havent tried it with some kind of trigger though. I have bunnyhopped before but more on accident than anything else. Someone who CAN bunnyhop very well might have forgotten how hard it was to learn it. I just turned 40 as well and have no bmx or MTB background at all. Hell, I have not had a bike at all for almost 20 years. So a tutorial for the absolute dumbest person possible with the least amount of body control would be helpful 😂🤣

[@b.w.1704]

Proper shin guards would be a first step in the right direction.

[@jexner]

Over 50 here, started riding in 2017, so same boat. I like the videos by Alex Bogusky / Joy of Bike. They are often made specifically for us oldies.

[@T9DA]

Bunny hop, flat ground. Got it. Bunny hop going downhill, face plant.

[@pavelisanbaev6947]

Ah... Love that air punching from Blake after finally nailing a bunny hop 😂

[@martinsero685]

Bravo bravissimo 👊😜 perfect video “show - explain - show” you beautiful people.

[@The_Other_Ghost]

Growing up I used to do this on the sidewalk parts effected by tree roots.

[@Koji459]

Give him the stick. No, don't give him the stick! You're not my dad! (Those who know, know. Those who don't... I feel for ya's) Excellent explanation of the steps and functions. Very well done! Sooo, what's up with your van??? 😃

[@nerdexproject]

This is a top idea man! Will practice this way for sure! But I have always been wondering about one thing: When you are on a smooth and flat trail, what is the maximum height you could bunny hop provided you absolutely nail the technique? Is it as high as you could jump from stand still with your bike on your shoulders? Or does the suspension and the tire compression help to jump even higher? Or does the bike absorb energy and therefore your bunny hop is less high than if you were simply standing on the ground and then jumping up with your bike on your shoulders? I know it's a weird question especially for those who already can bunny hop but maybe somebody just could answer this for me. ^^

[@samuelgunvalson494]

Your bunny hop can go as high as you bring the front wheel up. Suspension more or less absorbs the power and you would actually get higher on a no suspension bike.

[@webster169]

Any chance of a video showing how to bunny hop on a hardtail, without being able to squash the back end down I find it hard to pull off hops big enough to clear roots etc.

[@softdollies]

I used to always to just smash the back wheel up against the kerb, i'm now attempting learning to bh, probably die of old age before i get the hang of it

[@parkergainey5847]

Does it matter if my front shock is locked out or open on a hard tail?

[@anthonyclarke7081]

I'm confused, it was my understanding that lifting the front wheel should be done with a down - back motion like a manual, rather than pulling on the bars, which can lead to being bucked when using this on jumps??

[@gmbn]

Hey Anthony, yes the motion is similar to a manual (straight arms during the pull) however it's a more explosive action, Blake's 'bump-jump' method is a great way to unweight and learn what it feels like for the bike to get off the ground. If you are scared of getting bucked it's best to use a smallish stick to feel out how it feels before moving on. Best of luck 👍

[@FredasAdventures]

I had a specialized xc bike and could bunny hop quite high but now ive switch to a whyte which is long and slack i struggle getting just the front wheel up, guess i just need alot more practice on the new bike

[@hallstewart]

I invariable pull up skew whiff and crash. After so many crashes I’m now conditioned not to pull up. Gave up trying bunny hop and wheelie years ago!

[@ElliotsMTB]

Hey GMBN. Nice video as always! Is it alright if I use parts of this video as part of a video I'm making where I learn to bunnyhop in 7 days?

[@maciejbarabasz9522]

Is it Hello Kitty helmet? :) Just joking, I love you guys, learned a lot from yours movies.

[@marc-oliviert.8349]

My chain often came off while practicing bunny hops. Is my chain too long (I swap my mech from 10s to 12s and a friend mecanic cut it for me) or I simply need a chain guide ? Or every other answer PS : my chain also came off when I descend really hard rock garden

[@UFOzNoJoke]

TRIALS!!🎉

[@pableitor]

Great vid buddy, but I cant keep my eyes out of that beautiful pink helmet 😂

[@jokermtb]

The stick is a good idea

[@06racing]

If you plan on changing directions make sure you have double wall rims.

[@thomasbenito274]

I'd like to think of this as a✨bump-assisted✨ bunny hop lol

[@yengsabio5315]

Hello! I only have a hardtail MTB. Which is easier to practice bunnyhop on: full-suspension bike or hardtail one? For a hardtail, will it be the same technique? Thanks in advance! Lots'a love, cheers, & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines! #KeepBiking

[@MartinTheGhost]

hardtail is easier, hardtails are always better for jumping around and doing tricks.

[@brixsteezy4486]

Depends on what bike you started on, hardtails like jumping on two feet you dont need to squish the rear shock(ground) just practice matching your pull up to the rebound of the fork after compression, on a full suspension you cant jump normally like on a hardtail because your rear shock will absorb the compression of your knees, imagine you are on a trampoline, if you try to jump normally the trampoline absorbs your legs compression and rebound, so you compress and match the rebound of the trampoline to jump, same applies to full suspension, compress and match the rebound to your jump

[@maciej_ma]

Hardtails are awesome for jumping! Full sus is little bit trickier, because you have to overcome damping of rear shock. Truth is that you can learn to BH on any type of bike. I comes down how much you practise. Remember that there will be days of progress and days with no progress. Most of bad days come form us being tired. Rest well and train the other day.

[@gmbn]

A hardtail is the same technique Yeng, it may even be easier to learn good form on a hardtail. Just be sure to use a small stick 👍

[@jg374]

@@maciej_ma "any type of bike" - recumbent? :)

[@zephaniahcatoera9175]

I'm from Phillipines, and I use a very cheap bike and it's so heavy but I don't have a money to buy a more expensive bike that is lighter so to me, it's basically impossible to execute an effective bunny hop any suggestions or techniques to make it more effective?

[@traillifeuk4153]

What’s the bike name??

[@callum7059]

For me i practiced a bit but in the end it was just randomly i did a small bunnyhop and i worked from there.

[@evoevolutionix]

A stick seems a nice idea to learn timing. But if we're talking about technique - Leigh Donovan explained that as simple as possible. Sorry, Blake)

[@vemvdotnet]

A (decently sized) bunny hop can be understood as a jump but without a ramp or a landing. Therefore you need a lot more speed, and consequently better skills to handle your bike at speed. So it's a whole lot easier to practice on a ramp, just pick up a mellow one, with landing. Oh and jumps can be understood as just drops, so doing small drops is also something you can do even earlier in the learning process.

[@linusaranha6703]

here too early... cause i cant wait to get started

[@Xinleonidas1]

Easy Job So easy

[@BexFletcher]

If there’s a video I need to watch it’s definitely this one 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@kevincross9206]

Me too 🤣

[@gmbn]

Hou got this! Here is some extra inspiration Bex 👉 gmbn.eu/BunnyHopsAnalysed

[@Tboze29]

In the beginning of the video I saw that stick and said “oh, that is a cool stick”

[@dandamma-olufsen825]

omg those angles. come on guys some serious camera work

[@lindawilliams3947]

So I like the stick suggestion. I have watch Neil Bunny hop video and worker out on a manual machine to get the down and back technique down. I really wish you guys would pull some women in and teach them!

[@88davidw]

B-LAKE 😍

[@fentuz]

I find it fairly archivable/easy with a suspension bike, with a hard tail/rigide fork, I still struggle ...

[@s14tat]

You get more feedback with a hardtail and you can actually use that stick as an actual bump to bump jump off of. A full suspension would just absorb that little stick and not give you any extra pop.

[@fentuz]

@@s14tat i understand all that but with a suspension fork, i can compress it and use the rebound to spring out. I’m not strong and every little help to produce a pop is good

[@s14tat]

@@fentuz I find it noticably more difficult to bunny hop a full suspension bike. Even when trying to use the rear suspension to help. Most people can bunny hop higher with less effort on a hardtail. Have you tried jumping them back to back? If you put that same energy into your hardtail as you do with a full suspension, it might open your eyes and got much height you can get on your hardtail with the correct technique of course.

[@MGL83]

"Curl your feet on pedals"? Are you a hawk? How does one curl feet exactly? When I try this I effectively jump off pedals and have a painful landing.

[@bobothericefarmer1878]

Nice

[@elbino413]

I can j-hop but not very high hahaha it’s kinda funny but it’s very important movement

[@Hyleys]

I still dont understand how U lift the rear weel

[@alp54987]

Bunnyhops don't really work on old hardtail e-bikes, do they?

[@Zeatis]

Bunny hop works on everything

[@esiu74]

I have an old school 2000s XC hardtail with no drop post and a top tube that doesn’t angle down that much, so I can’t preload the bike that much. Any ideas?

[@SenorDelSol]

Your hardtail doesn't need that much preload! Go try and improve :-)

[@esiu74]

@@SenorDelSol didn’t have much last year, will try again when the snow are gone…

[@francisdee9955]

i can get both wheels off the ground, but i‘m struggeling with the forward movement of the hips…

[@razellekentcalvario7728]

1st shee ganna learn a new trick

[@gmbn]

It's one of the most valuable skills on a bike! Best of luck 👍

[@razellekentcalvario7728]

@@gmbn thx mate

[@elbino413]

Ahhh bump jumpin, I can’t jhop very high but bump jumpin is so much easier

[@davetbassbos]

Bump Jump!

[@66kirneh]

Can bunnyhop bee executed on a hardtail?

[@younesd.2648]

What is that bike?

[@gmbn]

Hi, @Younes -! Blake is riding the Nukeproof Mega in this video! 👍

[@murtmtb3284]

Does frame size make a difference? Back in my bmx days, I could manual for days and bunnyhop fairly high. But now I’m riding a nukeproof scout (size large) and find it extremely difficult to get the front wheel up for hops and mannies.

[@ridinglikearussian5945]

Yes, you need more leverage to manual on a bigger bike, geometry also matters as well

[@voltage446]

how tall are you?

[@murtmtb3284]

@@voltage446 I’m 5.10, I was on the borderline for both the medium and large frame size. I got the large due to no mediums in stock.

[@voltage446]

@@murtmtb3284 medium is 5.6-5.10 and large is 5.9-6.2 so i'd say you may even be better suited to the large, but obviously it's all personal preference, although, with more practise you'd definitely be able to do it no problem. For whatever it's worth, I'm 5.11 and rode a medium scout last weekend and found it a little small, especially on the reach.. I'm going to buy a large later this month :)

[@chonventures]

Still waiting for the video where Blakie shows us how to fakie

[@ersonvelasco2531]

Can’t avoid looking at Blake’s Barbie POC helmet...

[@jonasfischer5729]

This isnt correct! The main thing people get wrong doing bunnyhops is using their feet when lifting the rear wheel. If you do that you will shift your weight forward and land front wheel first, and your bunnyhops becomes very limited in height. The rear wheel lift comes from lifting the bike by your handlebars and not by scooping your feet. Its also easily proven, just go watch someone do a no-footer bunnyhop!

[@braillejansen9109]

I don't have legs

[@tacticianomen3077]

Blake's a great guy, but GMBN instruction videos are always terrible because they try to cram too much into one neat 10-minute package with loads of time wasted on shots of experts doing that skill. Beginners need a lot more detail than GMBN videos provide, and there are much better videos out there, e.g. the many bunny hop videos put out by 'skills with Phil.' GMBN should either give up on doing this sort of video, or start breaking it down into tutorials going into far more detail on the individual movements, including practice drills to get them into muscle memory. For example, with bunny hops, a really useful drill for learners is to focus on the fingers and feet: whilst rolling along, you start the movement by dropping your heels, allowing your body weight to fall back and feeling your fingers pulling on the front of the bars. You then lift your heels whilst pulling strongly through your fingers until your body weight is forward and you're now pressing on the rear of your bars with your palms/thumbs. The tension between your palms/bars and your feet pressing back on the pedals will 'lock you in' to the pedals. If you start doing this slowly and keep repeating it, you can gradually make it quicker and sharper, which will eventually mean your front then rear wheels become airborne - i.e. a bunny hop. From there, you can gradually tweak the movement, by bending your knees as you lean back, and straightening them as you pull forward - which produces the jumping movement that gives you your height. You have to do this hundreds, if not thousands of times to make it an automatic movement, so the GMBN video talking about choosing landings etc. is pointless at this stage - you need to learn how to do it first.

[@SkiRedMtn]

Appreciate the explanation. I love these guys’ vids, but as a beginner I can pull my front bar no problem, but I’ve NEVER been able to figure out how to lock into the bike and pull the back end up. I live on the prairies and it’s tough to find people who are willing to show you anything.

[@ryangoldstraw688]

Don’t be knocking these guys there doing a great job the best they can at explaining the basics of important skills, it may not be helpful for you but others may find it useful

[@Tactician666]

​@@ryangoldstraw688 If you found this video helpful, then that's great, and you're free to say so. But I didn't, so I said so, and that's none of your business.

[@marcialkideng7105]

Im using a dh bike to bunny hop and i cant lift the rear wheel im only 5'5 thought 🤣

[@greyspoke2522]

When he says "pull" he demonstrates this off the bike by bending his elbows. But on the bike, he keeps his arms straight. Do what he does, not what he says!

[@brendansherlock6442]

I just never have the energy required when a hop would be useful, always manage a patethic effort 😂

[@wolfura]

HELLO BEAUTIFUL PERSON

[@JoeJoe-C137]

Off course I can bunny hop, truth is we get lazy always good to have refresher and dial in are technique

[@mannyechaluce3814]

My stick has no moss :S

[@ciaramac05]

Laugh he said first u need a full sus

[@timhofstetter5654]

OK, great. You pop a wheelie. How predictable. That rolls your weight and your bike's weight onto the rear wheel, increasing the ground pressure from that wheel. But how the heck do you launch the rear wheel off the ground? There's no apparent propulsion anywhere. You aren't even pedaling (as seen in your video). It's obvious that YOU do it, but you never explain how to get that rear wheel off the ground. Does it have something to do with your rear suspension, compressing it hard and letting IT propel your rear wheel up? If so, that would make a bunny hop impossible on a hardtail bike, right?

[@liamcollins2826]

Bro your explaining it like it the easiest thing to do it’s not that easy man explain better bro!!

[@globalfreedomnetwork888]

Your helmet is hideous. It makes it hard for me to enjoy the video.

[@Alex-rz5eu]

muie