BMX bike riding evolved in the 1960s on the California coast, a natural evolution of the progressive and freestyling skateboarding and surfing cultures that put a premium on creativity and fun. Today, BMX bikers race on dirt tracks, jump on streets or perform tricks and stunts on rails and ramps, like skateboarders. The J Hop is one of the simpler, introductory moves for bikers, and a great way to get started doing tricks on your bike.
Step 1
Pedal your bike at a moderate speed. You'll want to be moving steadily but maintain complete control of your bike. If you ride too fast as you try to learn this maneuver, you may end up eating it, while too slow a pace will make the jump more difficult.
Step 2
Stand on your pedals with your weight back and lift the front wheel off the ground like you would to pop a wheelie. The higher you raise your wheel, the higher you can J Hop; however, riding too long with your front wheel raised will make it more difficult to hop your bike.
Step 3
Bend your knees downward soon after your have raised your front wheel to push off the ground just before your begin your move to raise your bike off the ground. This downward movement prior to your upward movement is like a basketball player bending his knees before a slam dunk. This up-and-down movement is called reactive power and helps coordinate your muscles to give you maximize lift.
Step 4
Straighten your legs as you push off the ground. Then quickly pull your knees up to your hips, "hooking" the pedals with your feet to pull the rear of the bike up, lifting the rear tire off the ground. Once you are in the air, your legs, arms and torso should straighten.
Step 5
Push down slightly on the handlebars at the peak of your jump to level out the bike.
Step 6
Land on the ground with both tires at the same time, or as close to the same time as possible. As you practice this move, experiment with the handlebar push-down to get your wheels properly aligned.
Tips and Warnings
- Some people use "J Hop" and "Bunny Hop" interchangeably. Others refer to a J Hop as raising the front wheel off the ground first, while calling a Bunny Hop a maneuver which lifts both wheels off the ground simultaneously.
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