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Have you always wondered how to bunny hop!? Look no further!

In this third part of our key mountain bike skills series, we’ve pulled together some photographs to show you how to bunny hop, which combines both the front wheel lift and the rear wheel lift that we covered previously in our skills part 1 and part 2.

Learning how to bunny hop is one of the most useful mountain biking skills you will  master.

We hope that by reading this and understanding the techniques, you will become more proficient at the bunny hop. It is a daunting thought, having to combine all of these aspects when you need it most, but by taking it slow and breaking each aspect up will make things a whole lot more progressive.

KEY MOUNTAIN BIKE SKILL 3: HOW TO Bunny Hop an MTB

1. Rolling into the area with the obstacle in question at a steady jogging pace, looking forward with head and eyes up.
2. Load the suspension by compressing the front suspension
3. As your front suspension starts to return, move your body weight backwards and push forward with your feet. Your arms are doing no pulling or lifting, they are straightening to allow you to move your body backwards. Your front wheel will leave the ground as your weight goes further backwards and your front suspension extends fully.
4. As the front wheel reaches the highest point of the lift you will notice Jono’s arms are still straight, but he is starting to pull/move his weight forward which will put weight over the front wheel and make the rear easier to get off the ground.
5. Now that your weight was shifted from the rear of the bike to the front, you are able to ‘scoop’ the pedals, by pointing your toes down and pushing back on the pedals with your feet. Raising the rear wheel off the ground and starting the front wheel in a downward trajectory.
6. As the front wheel comes closer to the ground, start to move your weight backwards in order to stop you going over the bars. Front wheel will come into contact with the ground first.
7. The rear wheel should come into contact with the ground as you start to bring your body weight back into a central/natural riding position.

The bunny hop is a mountain bike skill that you’ll find invaluable on almost all of our mountain bike adventures around the world, and our guides will be more than happy to give you some on-the-trail tuition on how to bunny hop , should you need a few more pointers.

All that is left is for you to put in plenty of practice and time in the saddle, and you’ll soon be bunny-hopping like a pro!

Well, don’t just sit there… get out and practise your mountain bike skills!