How to Mountain Bike Over Large Obstacles

When mountain biking on trails, you face a number of challenges. First, you'll need to be fit enough to ride over rough terrain without fatiguing. Second, you'll need to get your bike over, under and around any obstacles you encounter. The bunny hop's a good way of overcoming these obstacles, especially when they're on a downhill slope on the trail.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Approach the obstacle with moderate speed. If you're going down a hill, don't pedal too much before clearing the obstacle. Carrying too much speed increases the risk of a bad crash.

2. Wait until you're about one bike length away from the obstacle, then pull the handlebars back to raise the front wheel. This distance depends a lot on the size of your obstacle, so go with what's safest for you.

3. Press your feet into the pedals hard. The harder you press down, the higher you'll go on the bunny hop.

4. Move your body weight forward and pick the bike's back tire off of the ground. You won't have long in the air, so keep the wheel down until it's right in front of the obstacle.

5. Clear the obstacle and land on the other side. You can push the handlebars down a bit while you're in the air, but don't over-correct the bike's balance and grind its nose into the trail.

Tips & Warnings

• Always jump high enough to clear the obstacle. Speed will get you over large gaps, but it won't thrust you higher into the air on its own.

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