Show off and stupid I know and despite being 35 and trying since a kid I am still shit at them… I recently decided to attempt one every day and have my 40th birthday as the deadline. I tried yesterday and fell off again due to SPDs getting stuck and crashing into a parked Transit van…

There must be a foolproof method out there?

SPD + Wheelie = PAIN!!!!!!

Flats and trainers is the only way to learn. Practice getting so high you have to step off the back, then try finding the balance point. I used to ba able to do average wheelies until I fell off with the aid of SPDs and really hurt my arse. 🙁 I get 'the fear' now….

Nah SPDs are OK its when you let go of the bars you may get into trouble!

I reached the same conclusion and have got some DMR V12s on my Christmas list….

cover the brakes.
theres nothing more to it, if youve got the brakes covered, when you feel yourself over tipping, dab the rear, and it brings you back down again.

(then again, i realy dont get why people DONT cover the brakes, loads of pics of "rad dudes" in all the mags with thier mits wrapped around the bars)

you want to be a low torquey gear (around 32:18)

this is speed dependant, but you want to be able to pedal, but be in a gear you would spin out if you pedalled for any more than a few revs

from a gentle cruise, smoothly apply too much pressure to the pedals, at the same time, allow your weight to sink back over the saddle, and keep your head BACK. the temptation is to move your head forward to realign your CG, which will counteract the tip.

there is NO need to pull on the bars, think of it, not as lifting the bars, but pushing the rear wheel under the front wheel.

as the wheel comes up, it will get easier and easier to lift it (as the front wheel moves backwards towards the rear wheel the leverage it has decreases)

and it will get to a point where it is "weightless"

this is because your CG is now OVER the back wheel, and any further and youll be on your way down onto your back.

to ME it feels like, a hard torquey half pedal rev gets it up in the air, then gentle winding gets it to the balance point, and then balance it between the back brake and the pedalling for as long as you can.

magic.

as long as you have your fingers on the brakes, there is no problem 🙂

dabble with the back brake too.. manuals are fancier though…

i did once get into pedal hopping in the car park at nant on my 21" XC bike, but then missed the target for the rear wheel (a rock or something) and ended up like a turtle, on my back, winded, with the bike still clipped to my feet.

that put me off pedalhops/kicks for life (so far)

Wheeling is cool, don't care what anyone says!

Try pumping up your rear tyre harder, it'll turn better rather than drag if its soft.

Stick you knee's out and turn the bars to shift your weight from left to right.

Try and keep your arms straightish.

I also found that if you wear a rucksack with something with a bit of weight to it, it'll act as a weight to pull the front wheel up when your on the balancing point.

There's a video called Dirty Tricks and Cunning Stunts by Martyn Ashton and Martin Hawyes. Really good for basic trials skills, including wheelies!

Good Luck!

edit: reading olly's post I think thats a much too harder gear!! drop it onto the granny ring and have it around 4th cog down from the top works best for me.

edit no. 2: found the video http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dirty-Tricks-Cunning-Stunts-VHS/dp/B00004CX6U/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=video&qid=1260983289&sr=8-7

if you're not using the back brake, you're not pedalling hard enough.

the left / right balance is a lot easier when you're in the front/back balance sweet spot.

you'll never get it perfect, you'll always be adjusting left a bit, right a bit, left a bit, right a bit, etc. when you're adjusting left, anticipate having to adjust right a bit only moments later.

Put your saddle down a bit makes it easier

Wider tyres makes it easier

Dont do it in strong crosswinds

It WILL give you huge confidence and enable you to get over some enormous logs / big step ups when have da skillz

Thanks for all your help on this. I have started a blog about bike stuff and have used some of your comments on my 1st posting about wheelies. Hope no one minds me stealing their comments! Please come and slag the article off. How to pull a wheelie