How To Bunnyhop - Scoop Or No Scoop?

The slow motion clips are honestly what help me the most! Thanks!

For years I was one of those who couldn’t figure out how scooping works. Finally an explanation that makes sense….gonna have to try it out tomorrow

So good to see Kyle back in front of the camera! Kyle your coaching resonates with me a great deal. I think you approached the topic in a manner that welcomes feedback verses the “my way” approach. Nicely done!

The reason your coaching is so great is not because of the way you explain things, obviously that counts a lot, but its the way your humility shows through your manner of speaking. You have a bright soul my friend I wish you nothing but the best in life.

I love Kyle's technical explanations - it's thanks to him that I learned how to pump my bike round a pump track, after some really bad instructor had completely confused me by overcomplicating it. I saw Jeff Kendall-Weed's experiment bunny-hopping with the wooden pedals, and I commented on that video that he could still grip the pedals by creating tension between his feet pushing backwards and his palms pushing forwards on the grips - just like Kyle is saying here. If Kyle were to do an entire series just looking at the technical minutiae, e.g. what your feet do when leaving a jump, or how to counter-steer to initiate a turn, I bet he'd get a load of views.

Phil Kmetz says it's "like scrapping dog crap off your shoe". Personally I'd use font foot heel down and rear foot toe down and push apart. I use this technique with flats on my hard tail all the time on black trails. Knees practically parallel, it helps the bike pitch, yaw and roll underneath me.

Great video and explanation. Since you asked, I'll give my 2 cents... as a coach, my issue with calling it the scoop is that many people(and instructors) take it too literal to mean that the scoop is what is actually lifting the rear wheel up instead of guiding the wheel up... you are correct, it's pointing the toes and engaging the hamstrings creating the tension between the pedals and the bars which allows you to stay connected and guide the rear wheel up.. I absolutely teach the rear wheel lift when teaching the bunnyhop, it all starts with the energy we put into the ground and wheel lifts are a great way to demonstrate this. BTW, the Muscle Man is only pulling up, no energy into the ground. I could go on and on with this and really geek out... Great video Kyle!

Thanks Kyle, good analysis. As a Garage Bunny devotee I had 'pedal separation anxiety' when I swapped out the clips for flats. My solution was two-fold 1) make a pair of shin-friendly pedals by removing the pins and wrapping some thin foam around them and 2) created an exercise with the front wheel propped up about 12" (similar to your set-up) and then bouncing up and down as if on a pogo stick, replicating just the 'pop' part of the hop. The feeling of the pressure under the grips was what I focused on (arms fairly straight) - I found doing this created confidence and a muscle memory such that I didn't really think about my feet after that. As you say 90% of the work lifting the bike is done in the hands - maybe more??? 😊

Gotta love that clear style that Kyle brings to instruction videos!

Good to see you back, your girl held it down very well while you were down though. 💯👍

I was happy with my 12” bunny hop until I watched this. 3’?! Time to reevaluate my technique and practice. Thanks!

Excellent video! Great coaching and tips! Thank you. I also learned from your video that my timing is off just a bit from when I lift the front wheel to when I jump up. You seem to be almost simultaneously doing both at the same time. I’m late with my jump. I can comfortably bunny hop 14”, but I’ve had issues going higher. This explains why. Thanks for the slo-motion video. Very helpful!

Fantastic video as always, you make it look so easy and the height you generate is unreal, I’m in the mental block group and went out side for over an hour practicing your technic and only managed very small amounts of lift, I’m getting on in years and I’m finding it harder to learn new skills but I’m also stubborn so wont give up, your explanation of how it all works shows your skill level to be really high. Keep up the good work you do educating us mere mortals.

hey kyle, muscle man here. i appreciate you pointing out my issue. watching you do the muscle man made me realize that is exactly how i look. 😂

That's amazing short video with right explanations for beginers ! Kyle you are explaining technical aspect with open mind set and no right or wrong and instead more about a feeling...and for me this is waht biking should be and your videos makes me progress ! Thanks so much for your time and engagment ! Too much snow here for taking my bike :( got too be aptient now !

Nice video buddy!! Loved watching those hardtail bunny hops!

As usual Kyle, very well explained and demonstrated! I really appreciate your openness to what other YouTube riders/coaches call the right way and how you add your point of view and experience to it!! BTW that is a spiffy little piece of equipment that garage bunny, never seen one before ....

Love when you break it all down like this. 🙏🏾

thank you. key point about tension make sense to me. scooping make me shift weight too much forward and nose drop too quickly

Finally a very detailed bunnyhop tutorial. Finally know how to do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!