Discussion
I was reading a website on the benefits of having clipless pedals and it stated that having clipless pedals would stop you from being flung from your bike should you hit a pothole fast. This is irrelevant to the topic but I found it amusing anyway.. Surely if you hit a pothole with enough force to literally fling you from your bike, I doubt clipless pedals will do much good and will likely just see you flying through the air with a bike attached to your feet for you to land on, as well as the floor, rather than just the floor itself.
Website in question : http://gizmodo.com/5990381/why-you-should-switch-t...
This site also stated that having clipless pedals would allow you to perform "bunny hops" on your bike. This actually quite annoyed me. I'm sure it would also annoy anyone who grew up on a bmx or similar. Do cyclists really ride around using their pedals to yank the bike off the floor to get up kerbs?
I'm no advanced BMXer and just dabbled in fun riding in my youth but were able to hop around 1-2ft through simple technique and not being attached to the bike. I tried a simple hop yesterday on my road bike and indeed, it lifted off the floor with the same technique and I probably would have got it higher had I not been doing 20mph at the time
So, who here can do proper bunny hops, and who uses their pedals to yank the bike off the floor?
Website in question : http://gizmodo.com/5990381/why-you-should-switch-t...
This site also stated that having clipless pedals would allow you to perform "bunny hops" on your bike. This actually quite annoyed me. I'm sure it would also annoy anyone who grew up on a bmx or similar. Do cyclists really ride around using their pedals to yank the bike off the floor to get up kerbs?
I'm no advanced BMXer and just dabbled in fun riding in my youth but were able to hop around 1-2ft through simple technique and not being attached to the bike. I tried a simple hop yesterday on my road bike and indeed, it lifted off the floor with the same technique and I probably would have got it higher had I not been doing 20mph at the time
So, who here can do proper bunny hops, and who uses their pedals to yank the bike off the floor?
Edited by MysteryLemon on Tuesday 30th July 10:58
The only people who lift the bike, rather than the rider, are people who haven't been shown how to do proper bunny hops. Unfortunately, that is probably 80% of riders!
The trick of course to a bunny hop is that you lift YOUR mass (the heavy bit) first, and then allow the "spring" in the bike (with a small amount of bar twist/pedal friction for really large ones) to keep the bike stuck to you!
The trick of course to a bunny hop is that you lift YOUR mass (the heavy bit) first, and then allow the "spring" in the bike (with a small amount of bar twist/pedal friction for really large ones) to keep the bike stuck to you!
Surely Bunny hops are one of the first things you learn once you've mastered the absolute basics. If anything I found jumping with clipless pedals more restrictive when I first put them on to my mountain bike.
The real trick is bunny hopping across things with clipless pedals when wearing normal trainers, many a battered shin perfecting that one
The real trick is bunny hopping across things with clipless pedals when wearing normal trainers, many a battered shin perfecting that one
My misspent youth on a BMX saved my arse on my first ride on my road bike, going along at a fair clip on a B road and noticed a double manhole cover that had about a 6" gap all around it. Managed to clear the whole thing, reckon I covered at least 12ft in the air (distance not height ;-)).
That website is a load of guff.
If you need clipless pedals to be able to bunny hop you are doing it all wrong. The hop comes from extending the bike up and away from you by raising/pushing the bars whilst tucking your feet with your ankles level/slightly dipped back.
I couldn't consider riding around smashing into kerbs and other obstacles without making any attempt at hopping and relying on my feet being attached to the bike
If you need clipless pedals to be able to bunny hop you are doing it all wrong. The hop comes from extending the bike up and away from you by raising/pushing the bars whilst tucking your feet with your ankles level/slightly dipped back.
I couldn't consider riding around smashing into kerbs and other obstacles without making any attempt at hopping and relying on my feet being attached to the bike
tuffer said:
uncinquesei said:
One of favourite moments from the Tour - Cav bunny hopping roundabouts, past team cars to get back....
I just wasted 2 minutes trying to click on that and watch it......http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/cavendish-bunn...
sorry.Vladimir said:
I'm amazed how many quick, fearless MTBers can't do them properly.
Bunny hopping is critical to being able to offroad - there are plenty of occasions where you need to be able to clear <1 foot obstacles or be able to take advantage by preloading and hopping lips/natural jumps.I thought it was only these lycra clad speed demons who need SPDs to be able to hop, even more pathetic when you consider the average racer bike is barely 1/3 of the weight of an average full suspension MTB
Vladimir said:
SPDs are bad for bunny hops; I was up to nearly two feet on flat pedals them switched to clipless; now I can hardly hop on flats at all without a load of practise! I can only do about a foot on clipless!
I'm amazed how many quick, fearless MTBers can't do them properly.
You bunny hop 1 foot in the air on a road bike?I'm amazed how many quick, fearless MTBers can't do them properly.
Your poor wheels.
Disco You said:
You bunny hop 1 foot in the air on a road bike?
Your poor wheels.
Badly written by me again; a foot on SPDs on my MTB. Probably half that for the occasional emergency pothole hop on the road bike. Your poor wheels.
I'm off to practise again; hopping used to be my thing a while back...!
Aka; spd hopping isn't proper hopping IMO. But clipless pedals definitely get you into bad habits.
I can't lift the rear wheel without SPDs - never occurred to me to try as a sprog and even wheelies and jumping off kerbs broke the frame on my last small-wheel bike.
The last time I tried to wheelie my MTB would have earned me £250 if there had been a camera handy.
Strictly wheels-on-the-ground for me.
The last time I tried to wheelie my MTB would have earned me £250 if there had been a camera handy.
Strictly wheels-on-the-ground for me.
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