How to bunny hop! (MTB skills clinic)

OVERVIEW

Have you ever wanted to become a bunny?? (your answer should be yes) Then come learn to bunny hop a mountain bike! This adventure is a skill-building, bunnyhop-learning clinic for beginner/intermediate mountain bikers. To join, you don’t need loads of experience – but at minimum, you be comfortable riding a mountain bike on trails and have a few rides under your belt.

What is a bunny hop, you ask? Basically, you hop the bike into the air – first your front wheel, then your back – in order to clear your bike over an obstacle. It looks sick, and is also a really useful skill to have on the trail. If this bunnyhop thing sounds hard, don’t worry – this clinic will teach you how it’s done. If you already know how to bunnyhop, but want to get higher hops, you may also benefit from this clinic.

I recommend that you wear long pants. During the learning process, you WILL slip a foot off the pedal and whack yourself in the shin, at least once. If you’re wearing shorts, this hurts a lot, so please wear long pants give you some protection. If you have stiff-soled shoes (think: vans, bike shoes), these will help a lot.

The plan:
– Meet at shred shack
– Ride together to an empty-ish parking lot on Grounds
– Go over the basic movements, and give it a try! I’ll help you through the learning process as much as I can

I will bring:
– Bikes and helmet for those who need
– Some wood to hop over. If needed, I’ll prop up it up to create taller obstacles. Much like a high jump bar, the wood falls out of the way if you don’t clear it; it’s not very dangerous.
– Random boxes and stuff to prop up the wood
– A first aid kit

You should bring:
– Bike & Helmet (or let me know in the questionnaire if you need either)
– Water and snacks?
– Preferably, wear long pants
– Appropriate shoes — this includes any shoe with a flat and soft sole. Vans and other skate shoes are great; running shoes are ok. The better the sole of your shoe, the better it will grip the pedal, and the easier it will be for you to learn to bunny hop

**Bunnyhopping isn’t incredibly difficult, but keep in mind that all skill requires practice. By the end of the clinic, you’ll probably be able to do a tiny hop – if you want to truly emulate the graceful rabbit, though, you’ll have to practice more on your own! **