How To Improve Pedal Kicks?

[saint jed]

i have recently learnt to do about 3-4 pedal kicks in a row after an endo. Sometimes i can do them straight away but i dont get much height. how can i get more height and distance with each kick?

[chris4stars]

unfortunately it is just a case of practice!

i know that sounds like a pretty pants answer, but in my opinion its something that will come naturally without any specific thinking....i'll try to explain...

if you can imagine you have just learnt to walk..(hypothetically), learning to run would be the natural progression...

you'll be aware that your limbs are moving faster, and your balance may not be as good. but there isnt a specific action of part of your body, or skill required to make the progression any easier. the changes in balance are too small really to be instructed by someone else..its just something you need to learn for yourself

if youre only doing 3 or 4 hops (and only after an endo). rather than going for height or distance, i would work on getting your balance and 'small' hop sorted first.

try starting the hop from stationary - pull up on the bars, or even do a mini wheelie to get the front end up. try small little hops on the spot. check out ryan leeches video too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cuo7BslZXz8&feature=related

honestly....if you get the basics sorted before going bigger, your technique and riding will improve huge amounts. theres no rush remember

[Ticklebush]

Doing pedal kicks after and endo is great, that's how a lot of riders begin to learn how to get on their rear wheels, but what you really want to learn is how to kick your front wheel up with a "pedal punch" instead. Before trying to add distance and altitude to your pedal kicks, try getting to rear wheel without doing the endo. Instead give the bike a little pedal kick while leaning back and lifting your bars up. You definitely want to get your basics down well, so that you don't develop bad habits later on.

To answer your question though, when most riders start out they're pretty stiff on their bikes. (especially when balancing on the rear wheel) So what you'll want to do is get comfy on rear, that way you can maximize the power you're putting into your bike. If you feel solid on your bike, you'll have a good solid base to jump from, and if you have a solid base to jump from, you'll be able to jump off of it harder. So as a general tip, I'd say as you learn to balance on your rear wheel, try letting your front wheel down a bit and lean forward just before you launch if you want to add distance. A little tip...keep your elbows bent

The best advice I give to a new guy for adding altitude to any move is "preload". Generally that is the first thing I see new guys lacking in. A tip for this one is to keep your knee's bent, and don't be afraid to move your butt around the bike.

Here's a good vid that shows what I just explained.

Notice how he leans in before gaping, and how low his preload is.

The best advice anyone can give you though is JUST RIDE Some days you'll want to practice and get better, but don't forget to mess around and have fun also, that's how you'll find your own style as a rider.

[dErZ]

That really good information thank you for taking the time to type it.

[mr.tattoo]

yep good post worth a vote imo

[matthew_coggan]

Doing pedal kicks after and endo is great, that's how a lot of riders begin to learn how to get on their rear wheels, but what you really want to learn is how to kick your front wheel up with a "pedal punch" instead. Before trying to add distance and altitude to your pedal kicks, try getting to rear wheel without doing the endo. Instead give the bike a little pedal kick while leaning back and lifting your bars up. You definitely want to get your basics down well, so that you don't develop bad habits later on.

To answer your question though, when most riders start out they're pretty stiff on their bikes. (especially when balancing on the rear wheel) So what you'll want to do is get comfy on rear, that way you can maximize the power you're putting into your bike. If you feel solid on your bike, you'll have a good solid base to jump from, and if you have a solid base to jump from, you'll be able to jump off of it harder. So as a general tip, I'd say as you learn to balance on your rear wheel, try letting your front wheel down a bit and lean forward just before you launch if you want to add distance. A little tip...keep your elbows bent

The best advice I give to a new guy for adding altitude to any move is "preload". Generally that is the first thing I see new guys lacking in. A tip for this one is to keep your knee's bent, and don't be afraid to move your butt around the bike.

Here's a good vid that shows what I just explained.

Notice how he leans in before gaping, and how low his preload is.

The best advice anyone can give you though is JUST RIDE Some days you'll want to practice and get better, but don't forget to mess around and have fun also, that's how you'll find your own style as a rider.

Yes this is good advice, but when you have mastered the pedal hop and you are slighly better. What i did was go to them raised bus stop curbs and practice pedal kicking up them. It took me about a week to get good at it and be able to do it every time, so if at first you dont sucseed try try try again. In my oppinion a bus stop curb is a good benchmark height and will help lead you on to bigger thinks.

[Jake Beach]

yep good post worth a vote imo

+1, voted and validated him!

[Luckyluke]

ive only just started so probly not guna be the best anser.

just practise it, ive been doing it since christmas and i couldnt pedal kick for my life!!!. but one day i was out and i duno how but i just did it i was so happy. so just practise.

[Leevans]

Another way in which u can learn and the way i learned is, to get used to the motion of having the front wheel in the air, so pull a wheelie, obviously make sure your not sitting down and practice the motion of pedalling and braking, that way you get used to keep the front wheel in the air and not letting it drop. It sounds like you know how to add the 'hop' so once your compitant with that, add the hop in and away you go.

[Tom R]

"Pedalling, braking, pedalling, braking, pedalling, braking" - Always remember Hans Rey saying this with his funny accent on an old video with the Martyn/Martins I think.

In the vid he was kicking into a wheelie stance, then literally kicking then stopping and so on....though this is obviously easy for someone with so much experience and balance.

Like has been said before though, its just practice practice practice, getting used to the feel of balancing on the rear wheel, but the best suggestion I can give is to try to phase out the endo stage, and gain the technique of just kicking up the front onto a balance point on the rear wheel. It'll come with time!

HTH

[crofty1244]

also voted for your validation, if your putting full effort into pedal hopping and you keep putting effort into learning trials like that you'll put rapid improvement in and want to see some videos when this heppens

[JD™]

"Pedalling, braking, pedalling, braking, pedalling, braking" - Always remember Hans Rey saying this with his funny accent on an old video with the Martyn/Martins I think.

Wasn't it actually one of the Mart(y/i)ns that did that in a Hans Rey voice?

Either way, that's the way I learnt too. Once you're used to putting the hop in, it's surprisingly hard to stay on the floor while doing it...

[LifeTrials]

unfortunately it is just a case of practice!

i know that sounds like a pretty pants answer, but in my opinion its something that will come naturally without any specific thinking....i'll try to explain...

if you can imagine you have just learnt to walk..(hypothetically), learning to run would be the natural progression...

you'll be aware that your limbs are moving faster, and your balance may not be as good. but there isnt a specific action of part of your body, or skill required to make the progression any easier. the changes in balance are too small really to be instructed by someone else..its just something you need to learn for yourself

if youre only doing 3 or 4 hops (and only after an endo). rather than going for height or distance, i would work on getting your balance and 'small' hop sorted first.

try starting the hop from stationary - pull up on the bars, or even do a mini wheelie to get the front end up. try small little hops on the spot. check out ryan leeches video too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cuo7BslZXz8&feature=related

honestly....if you get the basics sorted before going bigger, your technique and riding will improve huge amounts. theres no rush remember

That's good advice - thanks man.

[rupintart]

Something a lot of people over look is their brakes. If you don't have 10002978345983274659876% confidence in your brake, you won't push it as hard. You'll be scared of it slipping or just not grabbing good enough.

Also, try to stomp as hard as you can and put as much weight forward as possible when you leap.

This pic is an example:

If you ever notice, the 1st couple steps to gapping either to the front or to rear is the same. You leap forward exactly the same for both, it just that after the bars leave your hips like in the picture above, you either make the bike go to front, or kick the rear out like in this following picture:

Whenever you goto pedal kick, don't try to just kick. When you jump forward, have faith in your leap and bring those bars to your hips/thighs and then release the break and scoop the bike underneath you and/or out for whichever move you're trying. In your case, don't be scared to push out the rear to land on whatever it is you're trying to land on.

In any case, when you leap, bring the bars to your hips and COMMIT to the gap.

Edited March 12, 2010 by rupintart

[Mtchell]

Yerp Rupintart , I,ll second that for sure, got to trust your brakes and bike in general thats a good piece of advice right there.

[chris4stars]

In any case, when you leap, bring the bars to your hips and COMMIT to the gap.

Commit?! but erm...what if it goes wrong?! The brake could slip, I could bash my frame or break something, I could hurt myself if something goes wrong?! ahhh this is going to hurt.....

(the potential narrative of a persons thoughts before doing any move in trials)

Joking aside, its perhaps the best advice mentioned yet - Committing to any move you do 100% will make all the difference, push out any thoughts of things going wrong, try to relax and focus on what you are trying to achieve. Its when you only make half an effort, and let negative thoughts enter your mind that the chances of something going wrong escalate rapidly!

Whatever the move, picture yourself doing it...how it would feel, where your body would be, where the bike would be etc. It can help to do the line on foot, jumping the gap, up the wall etc etc. Picture all of it going right and youre half way there

[Rusevelt]

Sprinting up steep hill or incline on your bike helps strengthen and improve your quick-twitch muscles and gives you a cardio workout. For an extra challenge try 1st just doing the pedal action up a steep incline/hill 2-3 times, keep your bodyweight back and not leaning forward over the bars, relax for 5-10mins then try a proper pedal kick going up the same hill which is a really hard workout. Give you yourself 5-10mins rest before trying pedal kicks on a flat surface which should feel really easy. Its just basically resistance training to make your legs kick harder.