I think I figured out bunny hopping.

Man what a bust of weekend. Rain all day Saturday. Not just a little. According to the weather man we got more rain Friday and Saturday than we got in total for the last 3 months. Considering we’ve been in a drought in the scheme of things it really wasn’t that much.

No riding Saturday. Sunday I didn’t bother taking the bike anywhere, I assumed the trails would be a mess.

I settled on playing around in the yard and trying to work on some skills. Mostly bunnyhopping. I’ve not been happy with the way my log jumping skills have been going downhill. A few times on the trails I’ve come up to some logs and just out of habit , dismounted and went to walk them. Not real big ones either, about 10". This is from the knee rehabbing. Well dammit, as far as I’m concerned the knees pretty good so I’m going back to trying to kill myself.

I’ve never been able to do a real bunny hop over a log, but that is going to change.

I start with lowering my saddle. Its at a good height for xc riding and hills but I think its a little too high for learning technical skills. I use a 1x6 laid flat as my log and start going at it. At first I’m doing what I always do. Jumping up and taking the bike with me. Impossible without clipless pedals. Ok thats not working. I think about what I’ve read on bunny hopping and rethink the situation. I concentrate on just getting the front wheel up. No problem. Next step. The one I have problems with. Pull the rear up into the air while twisting the bars forward. 10 trys and I’m not getting any better.
Finally I have a break-thru.
I think it happened just because I was getting tired.
Instead of jumping up with the whole body and trying to take the rear with me, I simply pull the feet/legs up quickly.
EUREKA!
I think I did it.
A few more test runs and I’m half ass doing it.
It probly doesn’t look graceful, but I’m getting the job done.

I graduate myself up to a piece of 6" (it might be 4" but for my pride I tell myself 6") piece of drainage tube I had laying around the yard. I’m making it over, correctly, about 2/3’s of the time.

I still have to concentrate and think about what I’m doing, but it is happening. With practice I know I can get to where it’ll happen without thinking about it. I just need time. (I learned this theory from 4 years of karate).

The wife happens to come outside while I’m practicing and just at that time I go to jump the pipe. Instead of hitting it straight on I’m at an angle and it throws everything off. Back tire catches the pipe and the bikes throws me off. I’m laying on my back, and to hear the wife you’d think I just endoed off a 20’ cliff. She’s not real good coach. She had ME worried as wheather or not I had hurt myself.

Seeya