By using controlled SPM manipulation, carbon nanotubes have been continuously bent into a series of increasing angles, and two distinct buckling modes corresponding to "abrupt" and "gradual" buckle formation were observed through recording the height increment at the bend site during the loading process. Molecular dynamics simulation also found the two buckling modes in different types of carbon nanotubes, and their atomistic mechanism was revealed. Finally, the dependence of the critical buckling condition on diameters of carbon nanotubes was tentatively studied.