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Keep your pedals level

Once you can bounce back a few hops, try to limit your momentum backwards by staying well balanced over the rear hub instead of always leaning too much behind that axis.

Level your pedals to a comfortable position.

Initially when you rock from the horizontal to the vertical position, your pedals follow the wheel-base alignment, and you may not feel very comfortable.

Also when you bounce back, your pedals don't stay level because you may accidentally ratchet up the freewheel backwards. You must compensate for these combined effects by re-adjusting the position of your pedals. To do so, release the rear brake briefly during a hop and push on your front foot. This re-adjusts the pedals in mid-air to a more comfortable level-position. Lock the brakes before you touch ground again to secure the bike and get ready for the next hop. This is tricky at first, but it will help you tune your brake control too.

Click on any photo and use the scroll-wheel to animate the move.

Keeping your pedals level

1° Release the rear brake briefly during a hop and push softly on your front foot.

2° In mid-air, re-adjust the pedals to a comfortable level-position.

3° Lock the rear brake before touching ground again to secure the bike upon landing.

4° Flex your ankles for a supple reception, ready for your next hop from a more comfortable position.

Biketrial video Watch this move in slow-motion

Moving forward

Soft controlled hops.

Now that you can bounce back, or nearly on the spot, try to hop forward. With each hop, tuck your knees in front of you instead of just beneath you, while straightening your arms. Each hop will bring the bike one step in front of you.

Flex your calves and use them to control the bouncing effect, both in compression and amplitude. This is what will move your body up and down (not the action of pulling on your arms). These hops allow you to control the rear tyre position softly and with a lot of precision even if the ground is slippery or unreliable.

Pedal kick assistance
Another way to move forward more efficiently with each hop is to slightly kick in your driving pedal, towards the end of your impulse upwards. Release the brakes as you push with your front foot and lock them right after the kick. This will add a rolling effect to the bounce, effectively bringing you one step forward or maybe just compensating for your backward momentum.

The more you kick while still on the ground, the more you will go forward, that leads you to the Pedal kick. This works well if the ground offers a good grip. On a slippery or uneven surface, it is best to use this softer approach because if you kick too hard, then you could lose grip. Each tiny kick or soft pedal pressure will allow you to re-adjust your feet position while moving a small step forward. From there you can really improve the precision of your hops.

Turning around

Turning around.

By combining bar turns, twisting your shoulder and swinging your hips to some degree, you'll be able to turn with each hop, even as you bounce on the same spot. As you spring up into extension, swing the bars to the side you want to turn and shift your hips to the opposite side.

Build inertia with your shoulders. In mid-air, firm up your arms to bring the bike in front of you, following the rotation of your shoulders to land it in the new direction. Follow up with another swing of the handlebars and hips, assisted by the rotation of your torso just before the next hop.

Click on any photo and use the scroll-wheel to animate the move.

Turning around with hops

1° Start bouncing on site, then look into the direction you wish to turn.

1° As you hop up, swing the bars and shift your hips to the opposite side.

2° In mid-air, re-align the bike in front of you to land it in the new direction.

3° As you land, re-align your hips behind the bike before the next hop.

4° Give another swing of the handlebars with the rotation of your torso to perform the next hop.

4° In mid-air, firm up your arms to bring the bike in front of you, following the rotation of your shoulders.

Biketrial video Watch this move in slow-motion