Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 63 total)
  • I simply cannot trackstand
  • timnwild
    Full Member

    …despite practising every hanging about moment I get on the trails, and at every traffic light, no improvement. Anyone got any tips for cracking it?

    ta

    racefaceec90
    Full Member

    i cannot either (can sometimes manage max 4-5 seconds on a good day).will be interested in any advice also 🙂

    Whathaveisaidnow
    Free Member

    get a 29er it’s a lot easier

    finbar
    Free Member

    Get a fixed gear it’s a lot easier ( no handed trackstands here 8) )

    Jamie
    Free Member
    Muke
    Free Member

    I found facing up a small gradient helped

    MulletusMaximus
    Free Member

    Yes, don’t get your feet caught with the front wheel overlap or you will lose balance and fall in a crumpled heap in front of traffic. 😳

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    http://www.trashzen.com/balance-trackstand.php

    I’m gradually getting there. However Jedi pointed out that being able to ride very very slowly is more useful than trackstanding in more MTB situations so I’m working on that now too.

    qwerty
    Free Member

    Practice uphill on a slight incline, stand, don’t use the brakes, get used to a slight pedal drive to push you into the gradient and then roll back an inch or two. Repeat.

    kilo
    Full Member

    I can’t track stand for toffee on a fixed but am ok on gears and some motorbikes.

    try standing, weight slightly forward and using the front brake to hold the bike whilst slightly pushing forward on the pedals

    hungrymonkey
    Free Member

    i look at a fixed point a few meters in front (if its a difficult place to track stand)

    [another no-handed track-stander]

    flyingmonkeycorps
    Full Member

    Keep your head up, makes it a lot easier.

    thepurist
    Full Member

    Forget the “stopping” bit at first, just ride tighter & tighter circles slower and slower to get a feel for keeping the bike upright, then when you do try to stop do it on a slight upslope as that gives something to push against.

    And it helps if you’re in the right gear – it’s all about pedal pressure & how the back wheel moves. Too high a gear means too much pedal movement & not enough wheel (though Hoy can trackstand on his bike so that’s a pretty high gear), too low makes it a bit twitchy to start with.

    Retrodirect
    Free Member

    Don’t touch the brakes!

    matttromans
    Free Member

    As above, practising on a gentle gradient helps. I try and think of it a little bit like holding a car on the clutch – its a balance of the right pedal pressure to counteract the gradient. Feathering the brakes can help too.

    Stevelol
    Free Member

    Post a video of yourself for some more effective advice 🙂

    glenh
    Free Member

    Trackstanding is easy.

    Wheelieing, for more than 2s, in a straight line. Now that’s tricky.

    swingbing
    Free Member

    Try dropping your saddle if you haven’t already. Gives much more room to manoeuvre the bike under you.

    Merak
    Full Member

    Its not really that important in the grand scheme of things. The ability to carry out very slow speed maneuvers is the practical by product, as mentioned,incidentally I can track stand likes boss.:-)

    Bez
    Full Member

    Front wheel turned 45 degrees, stand with pedals level, chocolate foot forward, weight forward, brakes. Balance by moving the bars over the front wheel. For a proper trackstand it’s brakes off, of course, in which case do the same with the front wheel pointing up the camber on the road, using pressure on the front pedal to balance.

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    try standing, weight slightly forward and using the front brake to hold the bike whilst slightly pushing forward on the pedals

    No. Do not use the brakes. I need a slight hill to roll up against, so I can roll slightly backwards, but I can stand there until I’m bored, mostly.

    nosemineb
    Free Member

    When we were kids the village show slow bike race took hours! But i cant do a lot of things. Manualing or even doing wheellies are way cooler. Can you do them?

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    Try setting a small target of a few seconds ,then pedal away.Repeat until the time gets longer.
    Use all above advice while doing this..angle of bars ..slight hill..brakes if you really must at the beginning.
    If this all fails ,get your ears syringed 😀

    GEDA
    Free Member

    However Jedi pointed out that being able to ride very very slowly is more useful than trackstanding in more MTB situations so I’m working on that now too.

    Maybe but it depends what kind of trails you are riding. I ride a lot of trails with rocks and roots and woodwork. Frequently you get your line wrong and come to a stop on the flat and uphill and if you can’t trackstand you have to dab. If you can then you can get your balance back and with some trails type trickery get going again. You can also stop and check out the trail without putting your feet down so you don’t get that few seconds of having to get into pedalling again.

    Its a cool feeling on some of the technical climbs I do to come to a complete stop, feel c**p that you have messed it up then trackstand and clear it.

    Euro
    Free Member

    I can’t see how you’d need to trackstand for more than a few seconds so I wouldn’t get too upset about it. Unless, of course, you’re wanting to look cool. Legs bandy, chin high works for me.

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    Frequently you get your line wrong and come to a stop on the flat and uphill and if you can’t trackstand you have to dab.

    Tch! Get off, push back and try again…

    I though grand track-standing was for track racing and traffic lights only, both of which are rare on mountain bike rides 😉

    I do practice slow riding, and should do it more, especially for slow steep cornering under braking. Must learn Euro-hopping switchbacks too.

    flange
    Free Member

    If you’re really struggling, lean your front wheel against a wall, just to get the feel of keeping your weight central over the bike.

    GEDA
    Free Member

    Can’t do something on bike. Must remember that advice. Get off and walk. If it is useful totally depends on the trails you ride.

    devs
    Free Member

    Stand tall, pedals level, weight above stem or as close to it as you can. It’s definitely easiest if you point the front wheel up a gradient and rock backwards and forwards through pedal pressure put also try stopping and just balancing for as long as possible. Always look up at something 10-20 meters away. At junctions I actually find it easier if I’m looking side to side at traffic. Practice practice and more practice.

    birky
    Free Member

    No. Do not use the brakes. I need a slight hill to roll up against, so I can roll slightly backwards, but I can stand there until I’m bored, mostly.

    This. Sitting down, no-hands 🙂
    Rolling back and forwards makes it easier, tricky doing it completely stationary.

    sas
    Free Member

    Try a different/friend’s bike? I’ve got two, both 26in, on one of them it’s really easy to trackstand (can almost do it sitting), on the other I can only manage it for about 2 seconds.

    kimbers
    Full Member

    sit ups & yoga really help

    its all in the core muscles and yoga helps with balance and breathing too

    yunki
    Free Member

    use minimum brakes.. only apply as a last resort

    gonefishin
    Free Member

    If you are riding a bike that can freewheel then advice to “not use the brakes” is nonsense. Unless you only trackstand on an upslope then you have to use your brakes. As had been said, in and of itself it isn’t that useful a skill, but it does help with slow speed balance and manouvers.

    Use your brakes if you want to especially when learning what it feels like. By all means progress to using an upslope with no brakes but don’t feel bad if you do.

    Head up and look to the distance.
    Stand up with your cranks level.
    Roll to a stop. (using your brakes if you want)
    Turn your handlebars towards your forward foot.

    As with all skills it takes time and practice.

    Edit. Also remember that it is not passive, you will have to move your body around to maintain balance.

    yunki
    Free Member

    If you are riding a bike that can freewheel then advice to “not use the brakes” is nonsense

    I see what you’re thinking there, but it’s not strictly true

    trying to trackstand against full brakes is counter productive for a beginner, a small amount of movement shouldn’t be discouraged..

    wheeliejim
    Free Member

    My recommendation is when practising, each time you fall off, try and analyse why you fell off, and address that on the next go, e.g do you always fall off to the left, then perhaps put more weight the other side etc.. That’s the way I approach things anyway. Maybe videoing yourself would help.

    mintimperial
    Full Member

    Turn your handlebars towards your forward foot.

    How important is this exactly? Is there’s anyone out there who can trackstand well who does this the other way round? Cos I can trackstand for a few seconds at a time, but usually only with my wheel pointed away from my forward foot, and I wonder if this is what’s holding me back from getting better at it. If I try it the ‘proper’ way then I find it much harder.

    I’m right-handed but usually lead with my left foot, if that makes any difference.

    timnwild
    Full Member

    cheers fellas. I’ll just book a couple of weeks off and try and crack it…

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Rock the bike back and fore underneath you. Much easier with a slope, even if it’s just the road camber.

    The hardest thing is being able to look around and over your shoulder for cars etc, whilst keeping balance. Helps at traffic lights when in uber-courier mode, and also looks cool and nonchalant.

    nicko74
    Full Member

    I can’t see how you’d need to trackstand for more than a few seconds

    Commuting with SPDs. I wore out a cleat in about 2 weeks clipping and unclipping on the way to work.

    Turn your handlebars towards your forward foot.
    How important is this exactly?

    Depends what you’re riding, but on a fixie, the toe overlap would be problematic in that scenario. Like you, my instinct is to turn the handlebars away from my front foot, which I’m trying to change.

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 63 total)

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