When did this become possible?

When I was a lad I could never master wheelies. Even when I finished biking I would say my record was a modest 10 pedal strokes. Imagine my sheer dumbfoundedness when I see the local lads doing wheelies the full length of our road, in complete control and going over speed bumps with no hands on the bars doing a full wheelie.

I think some kids have mutant genes

How is this even possible

Infuriating isn’t it? :-/

How is this even possible

same way a unicycle is possible

But a unicycle is nothing like finding the balance point of a wheelie and then actually controlling all that metal that’s up in the air. It just simply shouldn’t be possible.

same way a unicycle is possible

except I doubt the local chavs are riding fixies

Is it really a wheelie? Depends on whether use of the rear brake to control the bike* is considered an essential element that distinguishes a wheelie from a manual I guess.

*unless wheelying on a coaster-braked bike of course.

They are no handed and only thing they are using is their pedal strokes. Rear is normal rear mechs etc. It’s bloody amazing

except I doubt the local chavs are riding fixies

Why would it matter if they are constantly pedalling?

I could do them when I was in early teens, it is still a balance point thing whether 2 hands, one hand or no hands. I also did a (hands on) wheelie for over 2 miles. I now ride only fixed gear so a wheelie is a lot more like a unicycle and can stop on the spot on back wheel (although probably easier on a unicycle due to lower gearing)

What were you lot doing on your bikes when you were young if you didn’t even master the wheelie?

I don’t believe it – I think you must be mistaken…

Good thigh gripping strength is the key 😉

Is it really a wheelie? Depends on whether use of the rear brake to control the bike* is considered an essential element that distinguishes a wheelie from a manual I guess.

Yes it’s a wheelie. ie. pedal controlled riding on rear wheel only while seated or standing.
manual = stood up body weight controlled riding on rear wheel only.
Both wheelies and manuals are purer with no brake used.
A coaster wheelie is performed sat down with no pedalling and generally rear brake controlled. (but can be done brakeless too)

Why would it matter if they are constantly pedalling?

Because that’s why a no handed wheelie is nothing like riding a unicycle

Think of it as a no handed (so obviously brakeless) coaster wheelie to get your head round the control required

Even a one handed impresses me. Eldest_OAB in smug mode.

But it isn’t 100% pedal controlled. Pedal to correct one way, not the other way. But clearly the wheelie/manual distinction is a multi-factorial kind of thing, with plenty of in-between cases.

Did my best wheelie today for over 25+ years, nearly 2/3rds of the way across a very small car park.

Dude the universal measurement of the wheelie isn’t car parks. it’s…
in order:
car park spaces
white lines
lamp posts
streets

car park spaces
white lines
lamp posts
streets

Double points if there is a member of the opposite sex present to observe (whether they want to observe or not)

So homophobic 😉

How’s the reading going?

I feel uncomfortable videoing these lads but as they are no handed. there is zero brakes and these are full on geared bikes without pedal brakes etc so no tom foolery involved.

It’s a kinda magic I tell thee

What do you mean Geex

How’s the reading going?

Well reminded….

Eh?

I did one once as a teenager but ask me to do one and I’d fail!

One of the local lads, who rides for Orbea, holds the world record wheelie. When he was training for it his Instagram was full of wheelies no handed eating breakfast and reading the paper. I can wheelie not bad but one handed eludes me and I can’t understand no hands. Igor one of my guides can no foot manual, we call it the gooch-scootch. Again it shouldn’t be possible, I can’t understand it!

I could kind of do them in the 80’s on my Raleigh Burner, with a layback seatpost – at least enough to spin the bars, and stay in a wheelie. It’s just finding the balance point, which was really easy on a BMX with a layback. You only need the brake if you’re about to go over the back.

I can still do a decent-ish wheelie now every 1 in 3 attempts, no way i’m taking my hands off the bars!

I’m agreeing with OP here. Magic is afoot!

I remember a kid at my old BMX club trying no handed dork wheelies. Don’t think he ever got it

OP – if a no-handed wheelie is blowing your mind. you might want to take a seat before you watch this.

Has anyone mentioned Viola Brand yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ2HyfWCq8g

Peter Sagan wheelies are epic

Should be banned like skateboarding in Norway in the 70s 😁

Little Harry 15 & Jake 100 on YouTube are doing a lot for the no handed wheelie phenomenon..

I can wheelie forever… one handed wheelie for ‘a long distance’…but the physics of NO -HANDED WHEELIES eludes my clever brain, and I can’t do ’em!

DrP

on a similar note, I was on holiday recently and there were a load of rental bikes that the locals would go round sweeping up at the end of the day, bringing them back to their base. The recognised way of doing this appeared to be to ride no handed, but with each hand on the bar of a bike alongside you (ie, 3 bikes abrest, you’re sitting/pedalling the middle one and holding the bars of the other 2). No idea how you get started, or stop..

like this -> https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-boy-creole-riding-a-bicycle-whilst-bushing-two-bicycles-la-digue-seychelles-50934330.html

@5lab that’s not actually very difficult to do at all. the two bikes you’re not riding are like stabilisers. Try it. as soon as you get the hang of their steering it’s easy. you can even stop and stay upright without having to trackstand.

Some seriously odd comments on here about what consitutes a wheelie and a manual.

It’s pretty simple: manual, no pedalling – wheelie, pedalling.

There’s a bit of a continuum – you could transition from a wheelie to a seated manual, for example, but it ain’t that hard to explain.

+1 breaks have nothing to do with manual or wheely.

What were you lot doing on your bikes when you were young if you didn’t even master the wheelie

Riding XC. One of my mates had a riding buddy across the road – they both got very good at wheelies and things. When the kids start to learn, I’ll have to knock my hours down so I can hang around with them lol.

In terms of the physics of it, you can:
1) pedal harder to get it up.
2) pedal less to let it go down (these two give a pretty limited window)
3) move the bike forwards and backwards to keep your cog over the cop of the back tyre’s interface with the road.

Essentially if you can do a brakeless manual, the physics are the same as 3).*

* I can’t do any sort of extended manual, and my wheelies are mediocre at best. But I assume this is a theory lesson.

Well done everyone for not mentioning Viola Brand. Impressive stuff all.