Bunny Hop (cycling)

Bunny Hop (cycling)

The bunny hop, or bunnyhop, is a bicycle trick that allows the rider to launch their bike into the air as if jumping off a ramp. The pedals on the bicycle seem to stick to the rider's feet as the bike becomes airborne very much like the way the skateboard seems to stick to the feet of the skater performing the Ollie. Also, much like the Ollie, the bunny hop is one of the first and most basic tricks a bicycle rider typically learns. While the bunny hop can be quite challenging to learn, once mastered it opens up a whole new level of riding opportunities for both bicycle motocross (BMX) and mountain bike rider alike.

The bunny hop is also a useful skill for an urban cyclist/commuter, allowing the avoidance of potholes and other hazards, and allowing for quick mounting of curbs.

More often, bunny hops are done on BMX bikes, which are smaller than mountain bikes and lend themselves to be lifted far more easily.

Other terms for bunnyhop have been around for years and include the J-hop, bronco, Californian, hop-walk, and others. Local areas have been coming up with their own name for the bunnyhop for decades. The characteristic of the bunnyhop where the front wheel is lifted first, then the back wheel is lifted is the technique which these terms are supposed to convey. Another method to do a bunnyhop is to lift both wheels at the same time instead of front wheel then back wheel. There are undoubtedly many other terms for the bunnyhop used in different locales, but bunnyhop is still the most widely used term for the technique.