# VIDEO tutorial: Volume 1.5 - Basic bunnyhop techniques, practice session



## flowmaster (Jan 22, 2004)

Ok here we go again, this is that practice video I promised way too long ago, 1.5 outlining some of the basic concepts you need to have to bunnyhop. I had to put it together relatively quicklydue to time restraints so it is still missing a little, but really in the end if you just practice your ass of you'll get it.








Anyway enough blabbing, here it is 320x240 mpeg format only. Please RIGHT CLICK and SAVE AS.

https://www.secretreality.com/mtb/tutorials/volume1.5_bunnyhop_practice_session.mpg

I can't emphasize it enough, practice your ass off. I guarantee you will get it down!
Good luck all!
_-flow _


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## Kevin B (Mar 21, 2005)

i love your work, keep it up. i feel like i should be sending you money!
like i mentioned in the other thread, my bunnyhops used to be 4" max, but with your first vid, i can clear 1 foot without a problem 8/10 times.
today im going to use an empty beer box on its end. im gonna keep trying until i get that nailed!

cheers mate


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## cdub (Feb 27, 2005)

great vid. really like how you break it down i wish i could edit like that cause it looks like fun. my advice for people who want to learn how to j-hop really high is to go out and mess around. i mean i could j-hop just over 30" even before i knew mtb forums existed. so get out there and start practicing


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## Cyco-Dude (Feb 12, 2004)

i wish ALL of your videos were in mpeg format. much more universal (that, and this sucky computer can't play the wmv format without chopping so much that the video becomes a slide-show. bah!)

anyhow...i'd likely kill myself trying to bunny-hop something, but i'll watch anyway  

lookin' forward to volume #2


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## Prexus2005 (Mar 18, 2005)

Thanks for the video Flow. =) 

I can get the front wheel up no problem but it's the rear that just don't want to come up! =/ Even when I pull and lock the front brake, the rear still won't come up. Maybe I'm not shifting my weight forward enough even when I feel like I'm right over the handlebar... or maybe I need more upper body strength and bigger guns like yours! 

I'll keep at it... But w/out Skeletor telling me to practice.. the motivation just isn't there. =p

At least I've mastered the small drops thanks to your Volume 3! Looking forward to your other videos and tricks.


Phil.


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## red_head_67 (May 9, 2005)

Does it matter how heavy your bike is. Coz I can't seem to bunnyhop but my bike weighs about 15kg and I only weigh 48 Kg


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## cdub (Feb 27, 2005)

i dont know kgs but i can jump over 30" with a 32# fs


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## ellsklein (Jan 5, 2005)

wow. great vid. thank you mr. flowmaster for making these.
very informative. good 80s tune as well.


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## flowmaster (Jan 22, 2004)

Kevin B said:


> i love your work, keep it up. i feel like i should be sending you money!
> like i mentioned in the other thread, my bunnyhops used to be 4" max, but with your first vid, i can clear 1 foot without a problem 8/10 times.
> today im going to use an empty beer box on its end. im gonna keep trying until i get that nailed!
> 
> cheers mate


Lol, right on, send it 

American Red Cross
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, D.C. 20013

heh, anyway, good to hear the vids helped you make some progress that is sweet. When you nail that beer carton you have to post some pix


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## flowmaster (Jan 22, 2004)

cdub said:


> great vid. really like how you break it down i wish i could edit like that cause it looks like fun. my advice for people who want to learn how to j-hop really high is to go out and mess around. i mean i could j-hop just over 30" even before i knew mtb forums existed. so get out there and start practicing


Thanks, yeah it is fun to edit, its just a lot of work, but it is rewarding to hear people say they were able to learn something new or improve so it gives me drive to keep doing them. There's some decent software out there, if you have Windows XP you can use the free movie maker to do some edit work too. My first video was just with a digital camera and XP movie maker, kindof to prove a point that you don't need fancy equipment. Although now I'm using vegas and my DV camcorder  I'm hoping to get a helmet camera this weekend so I can maybe get some more interesting shots. Plus I was thinking about recording a mini-movie-short-film-thing I dunno we'll see.


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## flowmaster (Jan 22, 2004)

Cyco-Dude said:


> i wish ALL of your videos were in mpeg format. much more universal (that, and this sucky computer can't play the wmv format without chopping so much that the video becomes a slide-show. bah!)
> 
> anyhow...i'd likely kill myself trying to bunny-hop something, but i'll watch anyway
> 
> lookin' forward to volume #2


lol, well all the future ones will be at least, its much more universal. I suppose I could go back and convert the other ones too, hrm...

ps: try it anyway, you can surely nail it with practice.


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## flowmaster (Jan 22, 2004)

Prexus2005 said:


> Thanks for the video Flow. =)
> 
> I can get the front wheel up no problem but it's the rear that just don't want to come up! =/ Even when I pull and lock the front brake, the rear still won't come up. Maybe I'm not shifting my weight forward enough even when I feel like I'm right over the handlebar... or maybe I need more upper body strength and bigger guns like yours!
> 
> ...


You must have way too much weight over the rear of your bike if you can't endo it while locking out your front brake. While on flat land try throwing your whole body forward like you're gonna bail over your bars, forget the rocking of the bars. Just throw your body forward, that alone ought to be enough to lift the rear tire up off the ground at least a couple inches, you should feel it unweight itself then skid a tiny bit when it comes back down.

Good deal on the wheelie drops, get some pix  I'm thinking a tutorial on doubles next maybe? It will progress, starting with a table then carving the center out. I dunno, you had a bunch of other good suggestions too. Although I might want to start on that little mini-movie thing. We'll see I guess...

I'm trying to work out getting some animated motivation clips in there, ala Gi-Joe or Transformers. Don't make me bust out Underdog!


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## flowmaster (Jan 22, 2004)

red_head_67 said:


> Does it matter how heavy your bike is. Coz I can't seem to bunnyhop but my bike weighs about 15kg and I only weigh 48 Kg


It does and it doesn't. You do need a little more muscle if your bike is really heavy. For example I'm 5'11", 200# and my bike is about 36# Which isn't that bad considering, I've seen some dudes bunnyhop 45# pretty high.

Anyway if I am measuring right, you're about 110# and your bike is 35#. Extra body weight does help a little, but I was able to bunnyhop higher when I was younger and lighter, so you should be able to do it. The weight helps a little because that's what you throw around on your bike to manipulate how it moves beneath you.

Although, when I was in my "prime" I was 18 years old, on a 25# bmx bike and I weighed 125#.


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## Single Track MTBer (Mar 21, 2005)

I can now do a small bunny hop; I think you are defiantly right it just takes lots of practice to get the big air time. I am defiantly lurching forward but I don't think I am pushing down and forward on my handle bars. I shall try it out tomorrow. 

Thanks for the videos, they are defiantly helping.


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## iMan (Feb 22, 2005)

flowmaster said:


> lol, well all the future ones will be at least, its much more universal. I suppose I could go back and convert the other ones too, hrm...
> 
> ps: try it anyway, you can surely nail it with practice.


Thanks Flowmaster, really great of you to share you experience with us newbees 
Your movies are great and educational, very helpful.

Much appreciated, looking forward to the next one

Viktor

Ps. Great in mpg so Mac users can watch them without any trouble


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## Cyco-Dude (Feb 12, 2004)

yo flow! it says its 320x240, but i got a 720x480! needless to say, my POS computer can't even play this correctly lol (the vol. 3 368x240 plays fine though). just letting you know.


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## zenmonkey (Nov 21, 2004)

Great stuff, of course been cheating for years with automatic pedals ...


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## chud (Feb 2, 2005)

These video tutorials are awesome. Thanks for taking the time to make them.


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## MTDirtGirl (Mar 30, 2005)

Anyone ever practice on a lawn? I'm a-scared of that over-the-bars thing...


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## chud (Feb 2, 2005)

MTDirtGirl said:


> Anyone ever practice on a lawn? I'm a-scared of that over-the-bars thing...


I do all my practice in the grass. Hurts less.


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## Irish (Mar 30, 2005)

Awesome video, thanks!


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## lifeinthefastlane (May 13, 2006)

great video, I learned how to bunny hop the right way from your first video. so far (about 30 min) all I can get over is a brick without touching it. few questions: 

when I see your video, you level yourself out in the air. when I do it my front wheel smashes the ground first. Is this alright since I'm not getting very high?

How do I get higher? I'm about 6'2 and 210, I ride a trek 3700 hardtail 22 1/2". It seems like I just cant get it higher in the air.

once again great job on the videos.


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## flowmaster (Jan 22, 2004)

lifeinthefastlane said:


> great video, I learned how to bunny hop the right way from your first video. so far (about 30 min) all I can get over is a brick without touching it. few questions:
> 
> when I see your video, you level yourself out in the air. when I do it my front wheel smashes the ground first. Is this alright since I'm not getting very high?
> 
> ...


Sorry way delayed reply I put my bike aside for a while. 

Anyway, the leveling off is the part where I'm pushing the bike forward. I tried to draw it, hopefully the visual helps a little. You can laugh, it's a crappy drawing but hopefully it is clear enough for an explanation.






​
a) "by using your body weight" - This is the springing up part more or less, you're just hanging on.​
Picture three: "rock down a little bit" - If you are having trouble with the front wheel coming crashing down, forget the rocking down motion, just push forward. But at any height you shouldn't be experiencing the front wheel smashing down first. You can level off at any height, I can do it over a pack of cigarettes and you can see the bike level out.

To get more height you need to get your front wheel higher, the back will follow. Use a good medium speed to practice, you should be coasting. Really get that front tire up, it will define your max hop height. You can muscle it and lift the front by pulling up with your arms (you'll tire quicker) if you're having trouble getting height just with throwing your weight around. But that really is the key to the whole thing, manipulating the bike by throwing your body weight around. You're just a bit taller than me but we're about the same weight so I know you can do it.

One thing, do you have an XC neck on that bike? That can be a problem that can limit your front end height, just something to keep in mind. The reason is that you are leaned too far forward on the bike with that setup. But also keep in mind it is possible to bunnyhop while essentially sitting down, more on that in the next vid which hopefully I'll be getting around to pretty soon here.

Anyway good deal on getting the hop down, you'll get higher with practice.


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## Matikas (Jun 11, 2006)

Nice instructional video. :thumbsup: 

I downloaded the vid last night and today I was out practicing. I finally got the courage to jump over a 2 in. high object and cleared it the second attempt. I tried several more times with success and then my chain snapped. :madman: What's worse is that my bike was only 2 days old and I had no spare chain. :madmax: 

Keep up the good work, can't wait for the next volume.


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## Zen_Turtle (Sep 22, 2005)

*OMG I can bunnyhop!!!*

   
Finally! Great vid. Followed step by step, the hardest part was to learn how to lift the back wheel (without being clipped in). After that it was easy.
Also I had my fork in the lockout position to start.

Big Thanks!!


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## aznsap (Jul 7, 2006)

wow thanks. so to completely lift the front wheel by using your body weight, do you lean back and down or just back? i always feel like i have to lean back and tug w/ my arms, but maybe i need to lean back faster?


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## akoutdoors1 (Sep 7, 2006)

Flojo Mojo,
I gotta tell you about this great ride I had last week. I encountered this big fallen log across the trail. I bunny hopped that sucker!!!! It was off the hizzle!
The log was right at the top of a hill and once I jumped it I was completely flying down the hill, going over sticks and rocks and who knows what. It was completely intense!
I watched your video a few days before it and then I was talking to a guy about the balance that is inherent with greater speeds and the bike's ability to flow over huge rocks. It all came together and was the most fun 15 seconds I've ever had on a bike. 
Thanks my man!
Brian


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## [CrazyRick_11] (May 14, 2006)

another superb video, i have mastered the bunny hop because of ur first video, i am very excited to see the next one woth the 180 and 90's i want to learn some flair. thanks again.


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## suicidebomber (Feb 10, 2007)

The "Pull the bike with your body weight" thingy has worked! I was able to feel the rear tire lift... but just a little bit! 

But the thing is, I can't consistently do it because I take off and land at an angle, which is a crash waiting to happen.

Don't worry, it's not you, it's me. 

I'll just remember what Skeletor said... (Who knew Skeletor could be of so much help to mountain bikers!


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## TXneedmountain (Feb 14, 2007)

Thanks man great video...having a little trouble figuring out how to download it any help? also I was trying to lift the back tire up but I was finding it difficult to do that it seemed like the shock was absorbing all my energy...


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## suicidebomber (Feb 10, 2007)

I can bunnyhop now, but my wrists feel a tad tight sometimes...

Is this normal?


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