Riding walls; any tips? « Singletrack Forum

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Riding walls; any tips?

32 posts & 22 voices | Started 3 years ago by RudeBoy | Latest reply from simonralli2

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RudeBoy - Blocked

So. Near me, there's an underpass, that has a 45º banked bit between the ground and wall. That, I can ride no probs. But what I'd like to do, to impress the girls, is to be able to ride the actual wall itself. I can get near vertical on the tops of berms, and I know that it's centrifugal force keeping me up, but I'd like to be able to at least get my tyres on the vertical bit, even for just a second or so. Then, I would look like I have skilz dem, and be Rad to the Power of Sick, Dude. Or something.

And tips?

It's a tiled wall, so not the best grip. I just don't seem to be able to make the transition from the 45º bit, to the vertical surface. I can get my tyres into the join between the two angled surfaces, but no higher. Mainly, my bottle goes at that point. I've seen others ride walls with similar banking, and would like to be able to learn this skill.

Help me please.

Posted 3 years ago #
matt_outandabout - Member

And tips?

Yes.

Dont practice in front of said girlies....

Posted 3 years ago #
DezB - Member

Mainly, my bottle goes at that point

The crux of the matter.
You just have to know you can do it.

Posted 3 years ago #
neilforrow - Member

more speed. hit it fast.

Posted 3 years ago #
Mr Agreeable - Member

Rub a Pritt-Stick on your tyres.

Posted 3 years ago #
GW - Member

Tiled walls?

easy

Posted 3 years ago #
njee20 - Member

If you get halfway and change your mind, a big handful of front brake will save you. And video it.

**awaits hilarious video**

Posted 3 years ago #
GW - Member

confidence and commitment is what you really need!

Posted 3 years ago #
twohats - Member

Bank to walls are dead easy to ride!
Aim to be approaching the wall at about 45-50 degrees on the 1st few attempts, have enough speed so that you bunny hop out of the bank and into the wall at such an angle that both wheels hit at the same time and kind of slide down the wall to get a feel for what's happening. As you get more confident, use more speed and less of an angle, not forgetting to pull the front end off the wall on re-entry!
The trick is to try and forget about the missing transition between the 45 degrees of the bank to 90 degrees of the wall!
It also helps if you learn on a grippy wall rather than a tiled one!

Posted 3 years ago #
devs - Member

Bejaysus. That guy is off his trolley. Some of his "wallrides" are more like collisions!

Posted 3 years ago #
DA_DOOD--lulz - Member

stay of da breaks.no bottle=no skillz. lulz

Posted 3 years ago #
JonEdwards - Member

That Reuben Alcantra vid makes the main points - you need speed to hold you up against the wall (maybe not *quite* as much as RA!) and you need to get the bike as perpendicular to the wall as you dare.

Balls and commitment in other words!

Posted 3 years ago #
molgrips - Member

Watch a lot of videos. Visualise....

Posted 3 years ago #
Van Halen - Member

the more perpendicular you are the better. aim to be turning on the vert bit. i`d hop off asap if its slippy.

the faster the better.

Posted 3 years ago #
atlaz - Member

Not done it on a bike but as a nipper, I could wallride on a skateboard. Basically mostly what everyone else says, there's 10% skills and 90% commitment. Get the angle right and get your positioning on the bike right and then it#s all about the bottle.

Incidentally, a really half-arsed wallride is far more painful to come off on than a commited but ultimately bad one.

Posted 3 years ago #
tomlevell - Member

Centrifugal force doesn't exist so don't use that
;0)

Posted 3 years ago #
RudeBoy - Blocked

(Watches Reuben Alcantara vid; thinks 'how hard can it be?' Then realises that he does not in any way possess anywhere near the skilz dem to even contemplate being able to do such insane stuff. Cries, at the futility of it all...)

Thanks for the tips. I've just got to psyche meself up for it. I've got to being able to flip me back wheel round slightly, to be able to exit straighter. So, I need to 'hop' into the vertical bit? Not just ride into it?

I take it flats are preferable to spuds?

Speed. Right. Speed.

Where's me hoody and baggy jeans....?

Posted 3 years ago #
xherbivorex - Member

if you're going to try to learn these riding SPDs, DEFINITELY video your attempts freddo...

Posted 3 years ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

naaa SPD's will be fine, in fact i hear toestraps and track pedals are the way foreward. After all everyone on STW possesses the reaction times of a stopwatch, the ability to unclip in any situation and has learnt to fall correctly?

Posted 3 years ago #
Van Halen - Member

dont hop into it. ride up the 45 degree bank ride up the vert bit turning (or carving) up to the apex a little hop and drop into bank.

you can ride down onto the bank if you like but if its slippy or you are riding out too flat the back might slide on descent.

start with just the front wheel on teh vert a couple of times then give it some beans and scrape the roof.

Posted 3 years ago #
molgrips - Member

I'll do the Cwmcarn one one day too.

Rudey, please video it - even if you don't crash, I just want to see There aren't enough vids of STWers pushing their own weekend warrior boundaries...

Posted 3 years ago #
mark_b - Member

There aren't enough vids of STWers pushing their own weekend warrior boundaries...

Can't do video but would a picture help - in this case it really is just a matter of riding on, staying off the brakes and remaining committed....

Posted 3 years ago #
martinxyz - Member

that approach berm looks so wrong.

Posted 3 years ago #
molgrips - Member

mark_b, that one looks cool. The Cwmcarn one is about a quarter that size and has a really crappy transition to run into it. That's what puts me off...

Posted 3 years ago #
mark_b - Member

I'm not sure what purpose the first berm serves - a flat corner would be just as effective.

And having looked at the Cwm Carn wall ride and then having ridden the one at Glentress there is just no comparison. Cwm Carn you've got to be able to jump into the wall which ups the ante a lot !

Posted 3 years ago #
jedi - Member

the pic above is a big wooden berm.it has to be vert to be a wallride

Posted 3 years ago #
mark_b - Member

Ah well - my glory moment last for a day or so and is dismissed out of hand

Posted 3 years ago #
FoxyChick - Member

I was impressed mark_b!!

Nasty jedi...

Posted 3 years ago #
jedi - Member

its still a nice move but its a berm. sorry

its dont change the pic,thats cool

Posted 3 years ago #
mark_b - Member

Thanks FoxyChick

'Tis another valuable lesson for Rudeboy - don't even think about claiming it as a wall ride unless it's properly vert

Looks like non of the GT 'wallrides' pass muster...

Posted 3 years ago #
jedi - Member

none of them true.

Posted 3 years ago #
simonralli2 - Member

Look and learn Rudeboy from the grandmaster that is Rocketdog

Posted 3 years ago #