# Kerbs - do you stop or bump?



## allen-uk (17 Feb 2009)

I'm sure that 40-50 years ago I used to ride up and down kerbs of any old height. Having gone back to the saddle, I now tend to stop at anything of more than an inch in height.

Is this too much caution? It's not the jarring of the old bones that bothers me, but rather the damage to wheel and tyre. (The bike is a hybrid, with fairly slim road wheels).

Ta.

Allen.


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## Young Un (17 Feb 2009)

Mountain Bike/BMX I hop up and down the kurbs all the time - in fact it is riding off kurbs that has taught me a lot of bike control - espically when you bunny hop off them to gain more height and do it one handed/one footed/no hands at all. 

But when out on the road bike i stear well clear of kurbs - and if I do ever have to go over one (entrance into carpark for example - the inch hiegh ones)) I make the bike very light and bend my knees to keep the impact as minimal as pissible - i sometimes pick the front wheel up over them aswell, and if you are riding clipless you can get the back up easily aswell.

Steve


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## wafflycat (17 Feb 2009)

allen-uk said:


> Is this too much caution? It's not the jarring of the old bones that bothers me, but rather the damage to wheel and tyre. (The bike is a hybrid, with fairly slim road wheels).
> 
> Ta.
> 
> Allen.



Slim road wheels, whilst coping well with the usual potholes, lumps & bumps on a road are not meant to be bumped up kerbs..


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## RedBike (17 Feb 2009)

It totally depends on what bike i'm on. My best roadie doesn't get taken up kerbs, end of. My commuter gets bounced up them but very slowly. On the MTB I sometimes even speed up so that it's easier to hop up/down them.


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## RedBike (17 Feb 2009)

Don't try and bounce up kerbs at an angle on any bike!


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## Young Un (17 Feb 2009)

RedBike said:


> Don't try and bounce up kerbs at an angle on any bike!



Ah your just not skilled enough being able to bunny hop the back wheel up makes anything possible - simply wheelie the front wheel up and pull sideways a bit - then bunnyhop the back up and twist your hips sideways - hey presto you just went up a kurb at an angle.


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## mickle (17 Feb 2009)

The ability to lift one or both wheels at will is a skill well worth learning. Pot-holes, kerbs, wet man hole covers, tram lines etc, just sail over them. You need to land road wheels straight and light but it can be done. I had to jump a rattle snake once at full tilt coming down off the Santa Monicas.


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## Young Un (17 Feb 2009)

mickle said:


> The ability to lift one or both wheels at will is a skill well worth learning. Pot-holes, kerbs, wet man hole covers, tram lines etc, just sail over them. You need to land road wheels straight and light but it can be done. I had to jump a rattle snake once at full tilt coming down off the Santa Monicas.



I agree - I have had to bunny hop the road bike several times to avoid potholes and the like - This thread has made me really want to get back out on the 4cross bmx (24" wheels) but unfortunately its 90 miles away and im stuck off the bike with a dadgy knee


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## jimboalee (17 Feb 2009)

Aproach the kerb, apply both brakes hard. Do a 'stoppie' turn so the rear wheel swings round 180 and up onto the higher level of pavement.
Transfer your weight so you effect a rear wheel wheelstand and swing the front wheel round 180. land the front wheel and ride off.

Listen for the shouts of "SHOW OFF".


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## Young Un (17 Feb 2009)

jimboalee said:


> Aproach the kerb, apply both brakes hard. Do a 'stoppie' turn so the rear wheel swings round 180 and up onto the higher level of pavement.
> Transfer your weight so you effect a rear wheel wheelstand and swing the front wheel round 180. land the front wheel and ride off.
> 
> Listen for the shouts of "SHOW OFF".




I know several bmx riders who can do this, I keep meaning to get one of them to teach me - everyone likes a bit of showing off!


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## Christopher (17 Feb 2009)

Good advice above, I will just add: a useful skill is being able to do a semi-wheelie when riding off a high kerb (pref on a MTB), so you keep the front wheel level in the air while you are riding off the dropoff. It reduces endo possibilities... seen trials riders do it all the time.


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## Young Un (17 Feb 2009)

Frustruck said:


> Good advice above, I will just add: a useful skill is being able to do a semi-wheelie when riding off a high kerb (pref on a MTB), so you keep the front wheel level in the air while you are riding off the dropoff. It reduces endo possibilities... seen trials riders do it all the time.



Yes I agree - another very good technique


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## jimboalee (17 Feb 2009)

Young Un said:


> I know several bmx riders who can do this, I keep meaning to get one of them to teach me - everyone likes a bit of showing off!



Get a couple of old matresses. Find a quiet place out of view and place them about four feet apart stradling the kerb. Practice.


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## allen-uk (17 Feb 2009)

jimboalee said:


> Aproach the kerb, apply both brakes hard. Do a 'stoppie' turn so the rear wheel swings round 180 and up onto the higher level of pavement.
> Transfer your weight so you effect a rear wheel wheelstand and swing the front wheel round 180. land the front wheel and ride off.
> 
> Listen for the shouts of "SHOW OFF".




In my case (60s, fat, one-leg, one-eye, etc.) I think the shouts would be "AMBULANCE!"

A.


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## Arch (17 Feb 2009)

Young Un said:


> Ah your just not skilled enough being able to bunny hop the back wheel up makes anything possible - simply wheelie the front wheel up and pull sideways a bit - then bunnyhop the back up and twist your hips sideways - hey presto you just went up a* kurb* at an angle.



Very clever moves, and beyond me, but it's *kerb*!

Curb (with a c) means to rein in (and is indeed also a type of horse bit) or restrict...


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## jimboalee (17 Feb 2009)

When you go off a high kerb on a push-bike, - as in a 'jump', and you feel you are going to do an 'endo', ie go over the bars, pull UP on the handlebars.

When you do the same on a motorcycle, PUSH DOWN on the handlebars.


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## Landslide (17 Feb 2009)

I do nose-wheelies off kerbs when I'm on the commuter.


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## Christopher (17 Feb 2009)

another thing i do sometimes when going *up* a kerb is: do a tiny wheelie to put the front on the kerb, then lean right forward and let the rear go up the kerb. Can only be done at low speeds, works well for flats/toeclips/riding a fixed wheel (if clipless then I just bunny hop it, can't manage to bunnyhop otherwise)

oh and MTB types refer to 'manualling' which I gather is sustaining a wheelie over all sorts of obstacles. Wow!


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## Young Un (17 Feb 2009)

Frustruck said:


> another thing i do sometimes when going *up* a kerb is: do a tiny wheelie to put the front on the kerb, then lean right forward and let the rear go up the kerb. Can only be done at low speeds, works well for flats/toeclips/riding a fixed wheel (if clipless then I just bunny hop it, can't manage to bunnyhop otherwise)



To do a bunny hop with flats - purchase flats with the little allen key bolts that stick up (although it can be done without them) and wear shoes with a soft sole (skate shoes or similar) stomp down hard on the pedals to get a good contact between them and your fott, angle your foot right down to the floor, and if your ankles let you try to point the backwards. Then simply pull up on the bars to get the front wheel up then kind of kick up and back wards with your legs. If you cant do this in one go, practise getting the back up by using both brakes and kicking upwards (making yourself do an endo/stoppie/nose wheelie), then practise pulling up the front wheel (should be easy) then when you feel confident put the two together in one movement and watch yourself bunnyhop I also find it easier to do when you are travelling at about 3/4 mph - dont try and do they from standing jsut yet, once you can do them and get reasonable height, further your bunny hop ability by hoping on the bike stamping your feet on the pedals, little track stand, then bunnyhop, then ride out looking like your a pro.

HTH - it probabbly doesnt - and it certainately doesn't help with the business coursework that I am supposed to be doing.


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## allen-uk (17 Feb 2009)

Young Un said:


> To do a bunny hop with flats - purchase flats with the little allen key bolts that stick up (although it can be done without them) and wear shoes with a soft sole



I already use those things (Terror Pins they're called, somewhat over the top of course), but I use them to keep my plastic foot ON the bleeding pedal, not to assist me in doing myself a mischief.

Thinking about it, I do perform very small 'bunny hops', but only up kerbs of about half an inch. Much more, and I stop, get off, etc.

A


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## Young Un (17 Feb 2009)

allen-uk said:


> I(Terror Pins they're called, somewhat over the top of course),




I can see why - when I was a bit stupid and fell off all the timerode bmx, I would come home about every other day with lots of blood coming from my shins from where I had been riding in shorts stupidly and had missed the pedal


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## bonj2 (17 Feb 2009)

just don't ride onthe pavement and you wont have that problem


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## allen-uk (17 Feb 2009)

_Ben_ said:


> just don't ride onthe pavement and you wont have that problem



Not quite as simple as that round here. Several designated cycle paths cross pavements, and roads, and while you don't want to go speeding along the path then straight across the road, none of them have 'sloped' entrances or exits. So the only way is to bump, or, in my case, not. Just slows it down a bit, which doesn't bother me, as it happens.

A


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## Christopher (17 Feb 2009)

allan, I think you'll be alright as long as you don't go slamming into kerbs at speed. If your hybrid has even half-decent wheels than they'll be amazingly strong and well able to take knocks like in your post above. Heck, I once hit a pothole so hard the back axle broke (and it was solid steel) but had no more than a small blip in the rim. Only repair needed was a new axle.


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## Joe24 (17 Feb 2009)

I had to bump up onto a pavement the other week. A guy got out his car and stood in the road, so i swerved left then right and jumped onto the pavement. Was good.
Ive also been rushing to see my GF at her school, and the drive has these little speed bumps, they are about 2" high but are short, so i go along at a decent speed hopping over them all, while all the people with fags just stand there and watch me.
Ive gone down big pot holes before, and some where man holes are sunk down and hit them doing about 25mph(the person at the front wasnt signaling them, and was just missing them himself) and it didnt damage my rims at all, thats with 700X23c tyres pumped up to about 120psi aswell.


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## bonj2 (17 Feb 2009)

allen-uk said:


> Not quite as simple as that round here. Several designated cycle paths cross pavements, and roads, and while you don't want to go speeding along the path then straight across the road, none of them have 'sloped' entrances or exits. So the only way is to bump, or, in my case, not. Just slows it down a bit, which doesn't bother me, as it happens.
> 
> A



ride on the... shock horror... _road_?!


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## allen-uk (18 Feb 2009)

Perhaps I should try a different language.

End of path.
Pavement.
Kerb.
Road.
Kerb.
Pavement.
Start of new path.

How would YOU get from path, to path? Fly?

A.


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## asterix (18 Feb 2009)

Cycle paths are dangerous (I'd tell you about my accident if I thought your nerves were strong enough). Stick to the road, it's where bicycles were meant to be used.


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## bonj2 (18 Feb 2009)

allen-uk said:


> Perhaps I should try a different language.
> 
> End of path.
> Pavement.
> ...


I wouldn't WANT to get from 'path' to 'path', because i wouldn't start off on 'path', and I wouldn't want to finish up on 'path'.


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## bonj2 (18 Feb 2009)

Joe24 said:


> I had to bump up onto a pavement the other week. A guy got out his car and stood in the road, so i swerved left then right and jumped onto the pavement. Was good.


was he a policeman or was it a road rage incident?


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## snorri (18 Feb 2009)

allen-uk said:


> Perhaps I should try a different language.


A lot of young smart ***** around here today allen-uk, don't worry about them, there's not a real cyclist among them.
Another bit of terminology for you..dropped kerb. There should be a dropped kerb at the point where cycle paths and roads intersect in order to allow the cyclist a smooth transition from road to path. Complain to your local council if these have not been provided where appropriate.


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## allen-uk (18 Feb 2009)

_Ben_ said:


> I wouldn't WANT to get from 'path' to 'path', because i wouldn't start off on 'path', and I wouldn't want to finish up on 'path'.


Well, I doubt if we'll meet up in any of my local parks which have designated cycle paths, and I'm glad you don't have any problems, or faults, or trouble sticking to the path. 

A


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## allen-uk (18 Feb 2009)

snorri said:


> A lot of young smart ***** around here today allen-uk, don't worry about them, there's not a real cyclist among them.
> Another bit of terminology for you..dropped kerb. There should be a dropped kerb at the point where cycle paths and roads intersect in order to allow the cyclist a smooth transition from road to path. Complain to your local council if these have not been provided where appropriate.



Hello snorri, good to meet you.

Thanks for the terminology. The paths I'm on about are in local parks (Welsh Harp, NW London, for example), rather than 'cycle lanes'. The question was prompted by an incident the other day, when I saw two MTB herberts approach the intersection I referred to above, fly straight over the 5-inch kerb onto the road way, across the road, then straight over the opposite kerb. I thought at the time they could be nutters, but now I know they were just bunny-hopping....

On the other point: smart young sods don't bother me, at least not on message-boards, as I have found that the loudest chest-bangy Alpha males on the www creep timidly along in real life, and I'm past caring! (Well, almost).

A.


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## jimboalee (18 Feb 2009)

'Drop kerbs' and paths are not for cyclists. They are for invalid/disabled scooters.

The council paint a picture of a bicycle on the 'Path' because they already have a stencil, and to make a stencil of a Invalid scooter is a bit too difficult, and would use more paint - which all costs money.

I whole heartedly agree with all the posters who say "Bikes are for the road". I pay my Council Tax, so I will take primary on the road and get in the way of the Audis.

PS The 'Bicycle' stenciled picture actually means "Non Internal Combustion engine propelled vehicle".


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## allen-uk (18 Feb 2009)

jimboalee said:


> The council paint a picture of a bicycle on the 'Path' because they already have a stencil, and to make a stencil of a Invalid scooter is a bit too difficult, and would use more paint - which all costs money.



Sounds like the start of a new Urban Myth to me.

Is there any point in making an alternative case? Probably not. 

You were right. I was wrong. I shall throw my bike in the skip and take to the car instead.

A


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## asterix (18 Feb 2009)

..that must be the cycling forum equivalent of taking your ball home! However should you hang around any longer on this forum I would suggest avoidance of the P&L section, out 'kitchen' as it were.


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## allen-uk (18 Feb 2009)

asterix said:


> ..that must be the cycling forum equivalent of taking your ball home! However should you hang around any longer on this forum I would suggest avoidance of the P&L section, out 'kitchen' as it were.



a) no, balls are for everyone.

 it's not the heat that would keep me out of your kitchen, it's the too easy availability of sharp objects.

A.


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## asterix (18 Feb 2009)

Ah. I am pleased to see that you have a sense of humour


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## Joe24 (18 Feb 2009)

_Ben_ said:


> was he a policeman or was it a road rage incident?



Road rage.
No i didnt report it, didnt get a number plate or anything.
Ive seen the guy in his car since and hes not done anything. I even found out where he lives
He got annoyed because he cam up n the side of me as we were going along and started to indicate left, so i shouted "OI" and kept sped up so he didnt cut across me, he took the road on the left, then he just appeared again up the road. He stopped, dived otu his car, and stood in the road, trying to get me. He did very nearly grab me, but he just wasnt fast enough
He didnt try anything else mind, i carried along the road keeping a check on what was behind and never saw him again till a few days later, and i doubt he even realsied it was me.


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