How to hop a curb

[dog]

Saw something in one of the other threads that made me remember this. Found myself in a situation earlier this week where I needed to hop off a pretty high curb. In my Subaru with 8" of clearance I do that sort of thing at an angle, slow and one wheel at a time. When I pulled up on the NC to the top of the curb I realized I wasn't sure how to handle it. Took it slowly basically at a 90° and was surprised when the jolt wasn't bad at all. So what is the best techniques for hopping curbs (or similar obstacles) in both directions?

 

[Beemerphile]

Saw something in one of the other threads that made me remember this. Found myself in a situation earlier this week where I needed to hop off a pretty high curb. In my Subaru with 8" of clearance I do that sort of thing at an angle, slow and one wheel at a time. When I pulled up on the NC to the top of the curb I realized I wasn't sure how to handle it. Took it slowly basically at a 90° and was surprised when the jolt wasn't bad at all. So what is the best techniques for hopping curbs (or similar obstacles) in both directions?

Basic trials riding technique. Going down a tall curb: (up to a foot or two), stand on the pegs with the weight far to the rear and take it just fast enough that the frame doesn't drag before the rear wheel goes over. Going up a curb: stand on the pegs, slow down as the front wheel contacts the curb and blip the throttle to get a bit of lift on the front end so that the back tire can bite the curb before the frame drag slows you to a stop.

 

[bonnielover]

Basic trials riding technique. Going down a tall curb: (up to a foot or two), stand on the pegs with the weight far to the rear and take it just fast enough that the frame doesn't drag before the rear wheel goes over. Going up a curb: stand on the pegs, slow down as the front wheel contacts the curb and blip the throttle to get a bit of lift on the front end so that the back tire can bite the curb before the frame drag slows you to a stop.

Going up a curb sounds like something I don't want to do without a skid plate?

 

[Beemerphile]

Going up a curb sounds like something I don't want to do without a skid plate?

Only if the curb is taller than your ground clearance.

 

[DanWill]

Stay in the street, you dont have right of way on the curb anyway..

 

[dog]

Basic trials riding technique. Going down a tall curb: (up to a foot or two), stand on the pegs with the weight far to the rear and take it just fast enough that the frame doesn't drag before the rear wheel goes over. Going up a curb: stand on the pegs, slow down as the front wheel contacts the curb and blip the throttle to get a bit of lift on the front end so that the back tire can bite the curb before the frame drag slows you to a stop.

Thanks Lee. I'll be doing the advanced MSF course after I get a little more experience under my belt. All we did in the beginner course was ride over a 2x4. In the meantime I'm going to do a bit of practice with these maneuvers.

Is "frame drag" what is sounds like: dragging the bottom of the bike over an obstacle?

 

[Hmcp88]

I hopped down off a sidewalk a few weeks ago at a good rate of speed and hit the cat, oil pan and center stand. Wasn't very high just a regular sized curb. No drastic damage to anything just a noticeable hit. Won't be doing that again...

 

[dog]

Going up a curb sounds like something I don't want to do without a skid plate?

I don't even like to be riding the bike without a skid plate. Trying real hard to get one though.... Feel OK to practice jumping off curbs, but I might wait on the skid plate before trying to go up any substantial ones.

 

[dog]

I hopped down off a sidewalk a few weeks ago at a good rate of speed and hit the cat, oil pan and center stand. Wasn't very high just a regular sized curb. No drastic damage to anything just a noticeable hit. Won't be doing that again...

I decided to go with the NC instead of a cruiser so that I could to this sort of stuff if necessary. Is it just that we need to develop the proper skills to handle these situations?

p.s. No offense meant. I have no idea how long you have been riding or what your skill level is. All I can say is that MY skill level is pretty low. (Thank god I found that video in youtube that showed how to get a bike up on the centerstand....)

 

[Hmcp88]

No offense taken. I have been riding for 9 years 6 of which I have had no vehicle, just my bikes. That being said this is my first "adventure" bike everything else were sportbikes so not much curb hopping was done. So as far as the curb hopping experience I don't have much. I just came down the curb with some good speed which I just measured at 5-6inches, i came down it so fast it happened quick but I do know for a fact it hit.

 

[Beemerphile]

No offense taken. I have been riding for 9 years 6 of which I have had no vehicle, just my bikes. That being said this is my first "adventure" bike everything else were sportbikes so not much curb hopping was done. So as far as the curb hopping experience I don't have much. I just came down the curb with some good speed which I just measured at 5-6inches, i came down it so fast it happened quick but I do know for a fact it hit.

If you were off the throttle when you went over the edge, then your suspension would have been compressed giving you less ground clearance. In order to hit, you were either off the gas or too slow. I have a 12 inch step in my property that I have ridden over often without scraping the NC. I will admit that I haven't gone up it with the NC yet, but I am convinced that I can to it. I have done it often on my dirt bikes. It does bounce it off the frame though.

 

[Ramseysteve]

Maybe you should study how the great Danny MacAskill does it.. Inspired Bicycles - Danny MacAskill April 2009 - YouTube

Just kidding, but it's a great watch.

I feel like I get a hernia just watching this.

 

[bamamate]

Correct me if I’m wrong here………..the basic idea for going off the curb is for the front tire to stay suspended in the air long enough for the back tire to get close enough to the curb so that the vitals clear the curb when the front tire lands. This is dealing with speed, rate of fall, angles and the pivot point, the rear axle, being elevated above the curb. The higher the curb the closer the back tire needs to be. You can visualize this with a book on a table and a pencil. Hold the pencil by the eraser, representing the rear tire, a little above the book and let the tip, representing the front tire, rest on the book. Slide the pencil off the book until the tip rests on the table and the middle of the pencil no longer touches the book. That is how far out the front tire needs to be from the curb or said another way how close the rear tire needs to be to the curb edge to clear the vitals. To accomplish this you need to either hold the front tire up, a small wheelie, or increase your speed so that you travel farther in the amount of time it takes the front wheel to fall.

 

[Beemerphile]

Correct me if I’m wrong here………..the basic idea for going off the curb is for the front tire to stay suspended in the air long enough for the back tire to get close enough to the curb so that the vitals clear the curb when the front tire lands. This is dealing with speed, rate of fall, angles and the pivot point, the rear axle, being elevated above the curb. The higher the curb the closer the back tire needs to be. You can visualize this with a book on a table and a pencil. Hold the pencil by the eraser, representing the rear tire, a little above the book and let the tip, representing the front tire, rest on the book. Slide the pencil off the book until the tip rests on the table and the middle of the pencil no longer touches the book. That is how far out the front tire needs to be from the curb or said another way how close the rear tire needs to be to the curb edge to clear the vitals. To accomplish this you need to either hold the front tire up, a small wheelie, or increase your speed so that you travel farther in the amount of time it takes the front wheel to fall.

You are neglecting the negative impact of deceleration during the maneuver. If you are "off the throttle" when the front wheel goes over, it will take a different (lower) trajectory than it will if you are "on the throttle". Throttle will loft or "hold up" the wheel above the neutral trajectory expressed by your illustration. Lack of throttle will cause a descent faster than your illustration depicts. I am thinking the OP thought he was going fast enough and throttled off going over the edge.

Just guessing. When it doubt, gas it.

 

[bamamate]

Thanks, I did leave out the throttle which makes a big difference.

 

[Hmcp88]

I say get a skid plate to be safe or just avoid it at all costs. Which for me is easy I just have to stop riding like a jack ass lol

 

[glenbo]

"I hopped down off a sidewalk a few weeks ago at a good rate of speed and hit the cat"

Good going, I don't like the nasty beasts either.

 

[StratTuner]

Stay in the street, you dont have right of way on the curb anyway..

I'm sure there is some reason you'd ever need/want to "hop a curb", but I can't think of what it would be.
I will trust that this rider knows what's best for him and his NC and leave it at that.

 

[dog]

I'm sure there is some reason you'd ever need/want to "hop a curb", but I can't think of what it would be.
I will trust that this rider knows what's best for him and his NC and leave it at that.

Come on Strat..., why did the chicken cross the road? Even though I'm a newbie rider, trust me on this one -- knowing how to get over a curb is a skill you'll appreciate if you ever need to; no matter how remote the possibility.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

I'm sure there is some reason you'd ever need/want to "hop a curb", but I can't think of what it would be.
I will trust that this rider knows what's best for him and his NC and leave it at that.

I just hopped a curb just the other day. Why? Because it was a lot easier than backing up and going around. I did the same thing with a 5'' tree limb that was between me and where I wanted to be.