The ollie, or bunny hop, is one of the first tricks you should learn on a BMX bike, whether you want to get into dirt track racing, jumping or freestyling. This move gets you airborne, and many tricks and stunts are extensions of this maneuver. Start slow and low and you'll be on your way to jumping high and far.
Step 1
Practice raising your rear tire off the ground with an endo, or stoppie, by braking your front wheel and lifting your rear tire off the ground. An endo keeps the bike stationary while your rear tire is in the air. You can raise it a little or a lot, but practice stopping with your front brakes, shifting your weight forward and raising the rear tire off the ground with your feet and legs.
Step 2
Practice raising your rear tire off the ground while moving and without braking, by slowly pedaling forward and lifting the rear of the bike up using your legs to lift the pedals as you lean forward.
Step 3
Practice raising your front tire off the ground while moving and without braking, by slowly pedaling forward and lifting the front of the bike up using your arms to lift the handlebars as you lean backward. This is basically a wheelie and will form the basis of the J-hop, the next move you'll learn.
Step 4
Coordinate the two tire-raising motions to lift both tires off the ground at once, by lifting the bike off the ground with your legs hooking the pedals, raising the rear tires with your legs and the front tires with your handlebars. Your pedals should be even with each other in the middle of the frame when you perform the maneuver.
Step 5
Use an up-and-down motion with your legs, bending down, then straightening your legs as you lift the bike. This is called reactive, or plyometric power, and will give you more power to get the bike up in the air.
Tips and Warnings
- Because the various forms of BMX biking are still considered "outlaw" sports with no governing body, the terms bikers use have not been codified. Some call an ollie a bunny hop, which is the term most commonly used for this maneuver. The term ollie may more correctly refer to a jump done on a skateboard. Some refer to a bunny hop as raising the front tire first, which is actually what most riders call a J-hop.
Things You'll Need
- BMX bike
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