Hopping and Rocking hard?

[FDS2223]

Im having a really tough time trying to get a rocking motion or hopping motion going for more then a few hops or rocks, and im wondering if these are skills that are just extremly difficult to learn until your body "gets it" like a trackstand, or if the weight of my bike has something to do with it being so difficult. I own a specalized p2 with a fatty downhill tube in the back and a slimmed front tire, which both really add to the overall wieght. Can I get some input from any skilled riders?

[marshalllaw18]

Do you have a suspension fork? or any suspension for that matter? Both of those moves are a lot harder with suspension, but still doable. I don't think the weight should be that big a deal, until you start trying to do it for 10 minutes straight and your muscles get tired.

In my opinion it's like what you said, you just have to wait for your body to "get it". Keep at it, with a little practice you should have it.

[Keith Courage]

I agree, seems that rocking is a passively learned skill. Hopping on the other hand seems to require more concentration on my part.
That said, I can't rock for shit, not at all.

[FDS2223]

I do have a front suspension fork, and Ive been considering replacing it with a rigid one. Is there any specific size/brand thats good for trials?

[stewpend0us]

I'm no expert but i'm learning and i've picked up the hopping in place and rocking a little... My advice is go out every day for an hour if it's sucking or more if you're really gettin something. I'd say along with practicing hopping in place you should learn to trackstand and along with practicing to rock you should learn wheelies and stoppies and pivots. I couldn't rock worth anything at all till after i learned how to pivot over 90 degrees consistantly (i still can't rock very well)

about the bike...you should be able to learn to hop and rock and whatever else on that bike...might be easier on a trials rig though...(i don't know this but i'll let you know in a week :Sonic:)

[johnglazer]

1) How are your brakes? If they are slipping at all, it is going to be a lot harder to learn.
2) What happens after a few rocks? Do you lose balance to the side and have to step off? Can you not continue the rocking motion, and have to step off/ride off?
3) How high are your tires getting off the ground?

[FDS2223]

My brakes work fine, and when I rock I usually loose balance to the side after 1 or 2 rocks but I rarely have to step off. Tires go several inches off the ground, but I know its only supposed to come off like an inch, but I figured I had to start by rocking the tires high.

[johnglazer]

Few inches isn't bad for learning.

You don't want to keep putting your wheels in the exact same place (until you have really gotten the technique down), you want to make adjustments from side to side, depending on which way you are losing your balance. (if you are falling to the right, you need to rock to the right)

Once you have gotten comfortable with rocking, you can work on staying in one spot, but to learn I would just worry about keeping your balance.