Jump to content

Manuals


Recommended Posts

Has anyone seen the video on YouTube of the guy who turns his stem wrong way to learn to manual?

Just wondering how you learnt to manual? Would turning the stem the wrong way be an advantage as your weight would be further back and you could find it easyer to get on the back wheel. Or do you think keep it as it is and just keep at it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm no manual expert, but I found that I improved my manuals most when I took off my back brake. So you have to rely on body movements to keep your balance rather then using the back brake to stop you going over the back.

Manuals are quite a tricky one to nail though, so keep at it.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

literally just takes practice, balance and control. once you have them, you'll only make them carry on for longer. i can do them forever i just dunno how to describe learning them :S try stay low with your butt close benind your rear hub/axle, that's how i do it and its where the balance point is pretty much, then just slowly lean forwards or backwards if you upset your balance point.

if you try a manual normally, even if the front is tipping down loads, just keep leaning and pulling back, even if it the front doesn't come back up super quick, if you get it back up you know how to control them! its all about small, slow movements with your butt/knees whilst your in a manual. but i wouldn't bother moving your stem, kinda defeats the point of doing a proper manual... and looks weird! i reckon it'll be harder with the stem back too!

hope that makes sense... i dunno how to describe it very well :S

however, it makes perfect sense to me so if only i could show you face to face then you maybe, just maybe, might understand where im coming from haha :P

but if you do already then keeeewwwwlllll :)

Edited by JJ Leigh
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Learning something the right way the first time is going to be a lot more beneficial to you than learning something the wrong way (turning your stem round) then having to re-learn it the right way afterwards.

If you find you're just dropping the front wheel again as soon as you've lifted it up, keep your arms a little straighter and bend your legs a little more so that overall your body weight is lower and further back.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I learnt them the same as I learn my wheelies on my way to school..

Falling off the back all the time (or grabbing the brake in the last moment) until you've got the balance point right, when try to keep it in balance with the brake and then finally stop touching the brake and balance it out with your butt and legs.

You also learn safely bailing out of them like that :P

I found by trying to teach my friends that fear keeps you from pulling on the bars too hard, but really there actually nothing that happens if you do so, providing you take your rear foot off the pedals first when jumping off. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been struggling with manuals for some time. Sometimes they work sometimes not, very inconsistent.

I think a mistake I make is to not pop up the front enough so it's then a struggle to hold it up. Then again I often lift too much and loop out. I find it helps if I sort of think about pushing with the feet while pulling with the arms to keep the front up.

IDK, my balance isn't too bad but I've always struggled with manuals. I think loads of practice could be the way forward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what's harder manuals with or without pedalling?

i can't manual at all. so lately i've been doing this: i start out standing on the backwheel, then lower my ass and try to pedal a few meters. been trying for a few days now and i can manage about one full turn of the cranks now. dismal, i know. but the best i can do now. there's something visceral against leaning back on bikes in me. takes me forever to learn.

Edited by jeff costello
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a cheap bmx and took off the back brake, which worked well. I've just finished Ryan Leech's 30 day wheelie challenge and I can now do coaster wheelies one hand wheelies turns etc, best £20 I've ever spent on mountain bike skills. Anyway I've been wondering If it would be better to learn how to wheelie sitting on the saddle before learning how to manual?.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im trying to learn to manual too. I can do it a little bit on my mountain bike but not at all on the mod. I can't for the life of me lift the front wheel without a pedal.

Does the technique change with the different geometrys? I know Flip does it all the time on his, or should i just accept that i'm never going to have his skills :'(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im trying to learn to manual too. I can do it a little bit on my mountain bike but not at all on the mod. I can't for the life of me lift the front wheel without a pedal.

Does the technique change with the different geometrys? I know Flip does it all the time on his, or should i just accept that i'm never going to have his skills :'(

my front setup on my mod is the same as flipps,and I can manual forever. In fact, I learnt to manual on a trials bike, I wouldn't be able to transfer the skill over from say a mountain bike as manualling a mod is completely different. If you're learning, rock your weight forwards, (dip your knees) and pull back, arms straight, and try and get your arse nice and far back. Try and get it to flip over, "loop out" as its called so you have to bail/jump off. If you can get it so it loops out, you can get it to manual. It's just time and practice practice to find the point where it doesn't drop down and doesn't loop out, and keeping it there. Once you can hold it there for a few seconds, the rocking of the body starts to come fairly naturally. Front end goes too high, bend knees to bring weight forward. Too low- push with your legs/straighten them to bring it back. It's just practice until your body does it without thinking. Hope this helps
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

and what is that exactly? from the pics i'd guess that flipp runs a 180 stem with like 2cm of stacker.

on my mod i have a 165 stem with the max. amount of stackers (appr. 4,5 cm). so it should be appr. the same height, little less length.

trial tech high rise, trial tech 150x30 stem with a few stackers.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Manuals on trials bikes are tricky as. I used to bmx so learnt to brakeless manny. When I first went to pull up my trials bike it was crazy hard. Then after a little bit you get the hang of it. I found you have to pull up a lot harder and try not to use your back brake. Use your calfs to balence and last resort pull your arms up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...