Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 49 total)
  • Why am I learning to maual?
  • opusone
    Free Member

    I’m learning to manual but I don’t really know why. Why am I learning to manual?

    SaxonRider
    Full Member

    a) the cool factor
    b) the satisfaction of knowing you can
    c) the fact that it can be useful for covering certain terrain

    opusone
    Free Member

    I’m probably doing it for b) but I’d like to know when it’s useful for c)…

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    jekkyl
    Full Member

    how are you getting on? is there a manual for it?

    There’s a series of 3 bumps on lower cliff (Cannock) that I always think as I pound through them ‘I could carry speed much faster through here if I could manual’

    SaxonRider
    Full Member

    but I’d like to know when it’s useful for c)…

    Chris Ball has an excellent segment on this on the DirtSchool DVD.

    I’ll see if I can find it online anywhere.

    olly2097
    Free Member

    I still can’t do it. Just can’t get it. I know the principle. Must be the fear factor.

    Two friends who were naughty boys on the estate as kids can do it no bother. But then they’ve been doing it since they had Raleigh activators. They ride up fire roads on the back wheel like it is nothing.

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    That youtube channel with 2 lads on, called something GMBN or something. global mtbing network has a video on how to manual along with a load of other stuff. My bike is steel so that’s reason I can’t manual 😛 , probably would be easier if your bike is carbon I’m sure.

    boxelder
    Full Member

    Do you mean manual or wheelies?

    opusone
    Free Member

    I mean manual. I can do it (well, occasionally maybe 5% of the time I properly get my weight in the right place at the right time) but I don’t really know what situation I’d use it in on a descent.

    olly2097
    Free Member

    I mean both.

    Rorschach
    Free Member

    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXk4kyvYePw[/video]
    Bet his dad taught him that…..

    opusone
    Free Member

    Bet his dad taught him that…..

    He’s got his arms bent. You’re not allowed to do that (according to the internet)

    Andy-R
    Full Member

    opusone – Member

    He’s got his arms bent. You’re not allowed to do that (according to the internet)

    And it’s under power, so it’s really a wheelie.

    Rubber_Buccaneer
    Full Member

    Do you have a clutch mech? You can’t manual with a clutch mech

    burmaboy
    Free Member

    I use manuals to..

    A) pump through small whoopy sections that would bring me to a snails pace if the front wheel had to go in between

    B) Go through puddles. Especially the ones that you don’t know the depth of.

    C) do drop offs that are super steep so i dont go over the bars at the bottom – ie I land with both wheels parallel to the ground

    D) To make boring descents more interesting e.g Fire roads or tarmac section between trails.

    opusone
    Free Member

    Do you have a clutch mech? You can’t manual with a clutch mech

    Why not?

    sirromj
    Full Member

    I’ve had stiff lower back the past few days which I attribute to a few bad-form attempts at manualing on my morning commute on Monday.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    I can’t manual far, a few metres on a very good day, but it’s s fundumental skill and is the basis for proper bunny hops, which in turn is the basis for proper jumps and drops – if you can manual, even badly and pump, you’ll be quicker than someone who can’t.

    Or at least that’s what I was told on a “learn drops and jumps by manualing” course ha ha

    phil40
    Free Member

    I can’t manual or wheelie, but Jedi did a pretty good job at getting me to do jumps anyway!

    I think they are skills that look great, and are given as a sort of entry criteria for being properly skilled!

    wobbliscott
    Free Member

    I can manual for about 3 seconds – though it probably doesn’t count as a proper manual more of a case of just pulling the wheel up and trying to delay dropping it as long as possible as opposed to a proper manual where you find the balance point and hold it for a time. But even with my clumsy attempts it is one of the most useful things i’ve learned out of the trail, especially for drops, small and large, puddles and just smoothing out short rocky or rooty sections.

    I’d love to be able to do them properly. Everytime I do pull the wheel up high enough to get the balance point I tend to crap myself and grab the rear brake.

    There is a pump track near me and I’d love to get a BMX and have a go and learn properly, but I can’t get over the fact i’d feel like a bit of a prat – a 43 year old man in amongst a load of cool kids.

    My wheeling is coming on nicely now, I feel like i’m on the cusp of cracking them. That is a bit of a pointless skill, but i’m hoping once I’ve cracked that the manuals will follow shortly after.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    Manualling for about 3 seconds is actually a pretty long time when you think about it. I love a nice short-chainstay frame because it makes manuals super-easy.

    Watch any section of this for 3 seconds and see how far he goes!
    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Eru0ktMss[/video]

    WayneKing
    Free Member

    The answer is…

    D. Because it’s awesome!

    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdLX2RVxUuA[/video]

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    I’ve been finding I’m learning to manual with no intention of doing it. It’s just that with a lot of riding I’ve found it more and more easier to lift the front and whereas before I’d push/pop to hop the front over something in a clumsy manner, I’m now finding I can hold the front a little, and then suddenly realised I can pedal through on the rear across puddles/bogs, over roots, etc. Then finding it’s quite useful for a lot of things where it’s useful to keep the front of the bike up. Bit of a revelation really.

    Still can’t bunny hop over obstacles though. As much as physics says front up, push forward and the rear will just follow up and over, it stays firmly glued to the ground 😀 . Not fussed now though as manualling is quite fun.

    Wheelies are a bit different. That I’ve been getting into a bit also (finally at 40-something 😀 ), but it’s not really that useful except to learn balance, which may be why the manualling is working.

    smatkins1
    Free Member

    It’s worth learning.

    Riding front wheel first into things isn’t always the smoothest/most efficient/safest/fastest way of doing things.

    It’s also good for keeping your feet dry going through big puddles!

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    As much as physics says front up, push forward and the rear will just follow up and over, it stays firmly glued to the ground

    Yeah I don’t believe that version of physics. You still need to unweight the rear and help it up, or you just push the front back down. I feel that’s just evidence of the poor descriptive/teaching methods employed by folk who can do it by feel.

    It is awesome for clearing path-crossing water (watch out for square edge drainage snake-biting you), giving your arms a rest when on washboard nonsense, stuff like that.

    mark88
    Full Member

    Why am I learning to manual?

    [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgiThnLvAmw[/video]

    I can hold a manual long enough to get through some bumps but can’t pull off anything like the above. Something I’d love to get the hang of.

    benmotogp46
    Free Member
    butcher
    Full Member

    I’ve been learning for over 30 years.

    Still very much in the learning stage…

    mattyfez
    Full Member

    I’m just confused.. I tend to weight down on the forks and pull up over small obstacles which feels clumsy.

    Do you need to manual before you can wheelie, and wheelie before you can bunny hop?

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    Get rolling on some hard grass (floor kind) and stop trying to bounce the front end up, instead try to push the bike out in front of you with your feet (hard) and pulling backwards on the bars. There’s no need to preload the suspension. The bars will come up by default. Push/pull in. conjunction with shifting weight backwards to really lift it. Best practice is too try to fall off the back, you should be able to lift the front totally up without pre-load and without much effort as most comes from the legs.

    peatybike
    Free Member

    Manuals are wicked man, especially when you ride by a skatepark Lycra clad and still show the cool kids what’s up! 😆

    no_eyed_deer
    Free Member

    I tried precisely that at the weekend on grass. Went straight off the back on my ass, with the bike flying away in front of me. Seemed a bit pointless after that.

    opusone
    Free Member

    Manuals are wicked man, especially when you ride by a skatepark Lycra clad and still show the cool kids what’s up!

    I don’t own any lycra, and I don’t make eye contact with anyone who looks under 25.

    mattyfez
    Full Member

    Do you have to have a slammed saddle for this?

    Bustaspoke
    Free Member

    I intend to learn it as in the videos I’ve seen it’s emphasized as a fundamental skill & it’s part of the process for learning bunnyhops.I’m still learning…
    Have a look here,he’s even reversed the stem to make it easier.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    [Quote]no_eyed_deer – Member
    I tried precisely that at the weekend on grass. Went straight off the back on my ass, with the bike flying away in front of me. [/quote]

    Next time hold on 🙂

    Euro
    Free Member

    These ‘how to’ vids are useful but what they don’t show is just how much practice it takes to be able to pull a decent manual. A couple of hours isn’t going to cut it. A couple of hours a week for a year maybe…

    I use manuals on simple singletrack to make it more fun/interesting or when riding through rollers as it feels good. On rough terrain it’s useful on rocks and roots (especially wet ones) as it’s helps maintain momentum and also safer as the front wont wash out. Plus it feels good. When just out riding i practice (well used to) by manualling the gaps between lamp posts. Wheelie for one, rest for one etc. It passes the time on boring road/path rides.

    nickgti
    Free Member

    I can’t manual for long at all 1 second at best, but I can bunny hop pretty well. I don’t get people saying you need to manual to bunny hop?

    I learnt to bunny by tilting the pedals down pushing back and “jumping” at first only concentrating on lifting the back end.

    teamhurtmore
    Free Member
    Stevet1
    Free Member

    I can’t manual for long at all 1 second at best, but I can bunny hop pretty well. I don’t get people saying you need to manual to bunny hop?

    Wait what? If you’ve not got your grade B or above manual and wheelie license then how can you have taken your bunnyhop theory test? OMG don’t tell me you went off book and just learnt it by yourself. Mods! call the trail police – we have a situation magenta here!

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 49 total)

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