Performing a bunny hop is one of the most basic and most useful skills a mountain biker can acquire. One of the best tutorials is on YouTube and it gives a step by step demonstration on how to perform a bunny hop.

In mountain biking the bunny hop is a technique where the rider lifts a bike up and over an obstacle while riding on the bike. Like most other mountain bike skills, riders typically get better with time. Experienced riderst can easily clear obstacles that are two or more feet in height.

To bunny hop, approach an obstacle at some speed, lift the front of the bike and level the pedals. With front suspension you would pre-load the suspension by pressing down before you reach the obstacle. Some of the more expensive forks have adjustments for rebound and it will affect the timing of our move. In the picture on the right you can see how the rider presses down on the front of the bike in preparation to clear a large puddle of water.

Once you have pre-loaded your suspension, spring upwards and pull up similtaneously with your hand and feet. It is easier if your pedals are clipped in, but you can also master the technique without clips, a lot of BMX riders do it. The height that you will get depends on the pre-loading and the amount of spring you get into the start of the hop.

In the second picture you can see how the rider extends both his arms and legs to get good clearance from the obstacle.

Once you've cleared the obstacle, you absorb the landing with your arms and legs, like any other jump.

It looks deceptively easy, but timing is everything in this game. When I started, I would look at small holes, or indented sections in the path and go through the steps described above. Once I got my timing right, I started jumbing patches of grass. Later I "graduated" to small branches or other small obstacles, then the curb and I'm almost ready for the next level.

I see the ease at which some of the team members ride next to a curb and do a bunny hop out of their line, hopping to the side, onto the curve. I've also seen some of them bunny hop over rocks, out of trouble and prevented what would have been a definate pinch flat.

It is all about practice.