BikeTrial Tutorial 3 - Hopping

Hopping has got to be the most important of all the 3 fundamental skills. Whether hopping on 2 wheels or one wheel, hopping will literally let you boldly go where no bike has gone before... lol. Could not resist that being a Trekkie and all. Lol.

Well, it is mostly true. Hopping will let you climb stairs, balance on steep boulders, set up other sophisticated moves, climb tables, chairs, jump gaps, etc.

For now, the hopping skill used with the other fundamental skills like track stand and pivoting will allow you to climb and navigate out of tight spots, which can be very satisfying and motivating.

In this tutorial, we will focus on learning the basic two wheels hop. We will learn 2 variations of the 2 wheels hop. That is, from track stand into hopping on the same spot and hopping while coasting or rolling forward.

You should at least know how to track stand before attempting to learn hopping.

Feet and Pedal Positions

The placement of the feet on the pedals is very important. Similar to the track stand, you will need to position your "favorite foot" on the fore or forward pedal. See the animated photo below.

Like the track stand, getting your favorite foot positioned correctly is the first step. My favorite foot is my right foot. If you are left footed, switch accordingly.

You will need to maintain both pedals aligned parallel horizontally to the ground. Your feet should tilt down on the pedals slightly and push backward maintaining a "grip".

From Track Stand Into Hopping

Next, from a track stand position, straighten the front wheel and compress downward with your body weight (hands firmly gripping the handles, feet "gripping" the pedals, bend your elbow and knees on compression) and "jump up" or "lift up" the whole bike on the decompression.

While on the up, prepare to compress downward again. Repeat the whole process and get into the rhythm. For now, it is not about how high you can hop, it is about getting the feel (muscle memory) and rhythm of hopping. Remember to keep the front wheel in a straight alignment with your rear wheel.

Start off with the track stand, then lead into the hopping.

Learn hopping by using your body weight to compress downward before lifting the bike on decompression.

You will likely struggle with gripping the pedals with your feet while maintaining balance. But you will know when you get it right, as it will feel natural.

Remember to breathe.. lol. Hopping takes some energy, but well worth all the effort.

From Coasting Into Hopping

The other way to learn hopping is while coasting or rolling forward your bike. This technique is commonly used in mountain biking, hopping or bunny hopping over small gaps or obstacles.

For our purpose, coast at a slow speed and keep the front wheel in a straight alignment with your rear wheel. Next, compress downward with your body weight (hands firmly gripping the handles, feet "gripping" the pedals, bend your elbow and knees on compression) and "jump up" or "lift up" the whole bike on the decompression.

Learn hopping while coasting your bike.

While on the up, prepare to compress downward again. Repeat the whole process and get into the rhythm. For now, it is not about how high you can hop, it is about getting the feel (muscle memory) and rhythm of hopping.

Use this coasting method if you have not mastered the track stand and want to get a feel for hopping.

I hope this tutorial on hopping will help anyone trying to learn this skill. Use the compression and decompression (of the tires) to minimize the effort required for hopping.

The next tutorial will show how to learn the rear wheel hop. It took me a long time to learn it. I will illustrate a few methods that will speed up the learning process. Cheers.

BikeTrial Tutorial 0 - The Fundamentals

There are 3 fundamental skills that must be mastered before one can progress further in BikeTrials. They are track stand, pivoting and hopping.

These skills will be used in various combinations with each other to achieve more advanced techniques by the rider to over come the challenges of riding over obstacles of varying height and surfaces.

1. Track Stand

The track stand is used in all types of biking styles and disciplines ranging from regular cycling, technical mountain biking, BMX flatland, cross-country, etc. It is one of the most useful biking skills that can be used anywhere anytime.

In BikeTrials, the track stand is one of the most crucial skill to master. At any time, you may be required to rest by track standing on or between ledges, rocks, water features, planks, logs, etc. It is the first step in mastering the art of BikeTrials.

2. Pivoting

Before attempting to learn pivoting, you will need to make sure that you are comfortable with track stand on demand. Pivoting is a skill used by riders to maintain balance, move between small spaces, climb, drop-off, cross gaps, etc. It is a very useful skill to learn and less tiring than hopping. It is also a skill to set up the next technique. For example, using the pivot to bring up the front wheel to transition into a rear wheel hop.

3. Hopping

The prerequisite to hopping is the track stand. Before attempting to learn hopping, you will need to make sure that you are comfortable with the track stand. Hopping on 2 wheels is the starting point to the rear wheel hop. Whether hopping on 1 or 2 wheels, it is a skill that must be mastered, as it will be needed in various forms. Hopping requires the rider to lift the wheels off the ground with the intention of either maintaining balance, setting up for the next move, achieving momentum, crossing a gap, riding in narrow spaces, climbing, etc.

All the advanced BikeTrials techniques will incorporate any one, or a combination of these fundamental skills. So, you will need to be able to execute these skills on demand to be able to progress any further.

In my next post, I will be explaining the age old biking skill, the Track Stand.

As a footnote, although I am still very much a newbie, I hope I can contribute a little bit to the progress of BikeTrial in Malaysia. Peace and have fun on trials!!