[Closed] Poll: Who can pull wheelies?

I can't wheelie...

... and I even live on a council estate so I am very much breaking a tim honoured tradition.

Nope

Nope. They've never lasted more than a few pedal strokes...my manuals aren't much cop either.

Wheelies and manuals - a world apart! Wheelies are easiest uphill, slowly, easy gear. Manuals are far harder I find (can do bmx but nowhere near the balance point on an mtb) but are best learnt using car park spaces to feel some progress, which is essential if you're going to stick it out.

Good luck!

Nope as above

Is it even important?

Wheelies are pointless but relatively easy to learn
Manuals are pretty useful on the trail but way harder to learn

Apart from maybe using a small wheelie to pop the front wheel over obstacles, there's not much practical use. I love the feeling of wheelies - they're just fun. But you can't really do them without being accused of "showing off".

I've never been able to wheelie.

But I can manual fine. Years of riding BMX helped there I guess.

I can remember being able to wheelie for ages on my Raleigh Medale racer when I was about 14. Sadly that was the last time I managed it.

I can wheelie. I can also manual, but only sat down...

Yeah - one handed and everything!!

DrP

Nope gave up after crashing my Grifter into a wall trying back in 82. I sometimes try again but nope still cant manage it,keeping 2 wheels on the ground is safer.
J.

Yup and pretty well too. 😉 Can't manual more than about 10ft though which is much more useful on the trails. I'd defo trade a manual skill for the wheelie skill

Even got a Danger Panda Shot 😉
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Wheelies are pointless but relatively easy to learn

That's fighting talk where i come from.

Carlos that looks like Spain, are you Spanish?

Yup, I am awesumz. I have witnesses too.

Not me, mind you not tried since being 'jedied' but it will still probably be a no!

I can only get a few pedal strokes in before it goes tits up to one side or the other and my manuals rarely last 20 yards, but put me on a motocross bike and i'll wheelie through all the gears and hold it till the tank runs dry 😀

I can't wheelie for more than about 20 yards. It wasn't always the case. I once got thrown off of the velodrome at palmer park in Reading for doing two full laps on my back wheel during a sponsored cycle, age 15 on a raleigh mustang ( the pink n purple one )

Good eyes. It is, last years trip and it was Awesome.

Nah, not Spanish. Born and bred in Cheshire

I've been practising for ages but I'm still rubbish at them! Can hold a wheelie or a manual but not for very long at all... The funny thing with manualling is that the variety where you pump manual for a while through rollers is actuated and held completely differently to the variety where you just keep the front wheel up on flat ground.

I ruined a Superstar front hub trying to learn to wheelie,

I never managed it.

No, I'm pretty crap to be honest.

However, sat at traffic lights with cars in front of and behind me in town the other day, I successfully pulled off a decent track stand for 20 or so seconds and (for some reason still unbeknown to me - I think I was still pissed), wheelied away when the lights turned green. I must have looked like a massive knob, but fortunately I managed to get about 5 pedal strokes, just until I lost my balance - fortunately that was time to put the power down.

I can't imagine how much of a knob I'd have looked if I messed it up completely.

Nope, but my son can wheelie all day, & jump off bus shelters & land in control, etc etc.
Little git.

No. Nor can I manual. Can someone teach me, please?

I ride flatland bmx, I can manual a whole park on a bmx, MTB needs more weight shift and brake control

Good eyes. It is, last years trip and it was Awesome.

I live there (here), the dryness is easy to spot!

I'm 43 & I was brought up on wheelies. Without wheelies you couldn't show your face round my way. They were measured in white line - i.e. How many white lines down the middle of the road you could wheelie, then in minutes.

A sat down manual was called a coaster wheelie when I was a lad.

No. Nor can I manual. Can someone teach me, please?

Isn't that when you get hold of your nob and pull vigorously & repeatedly.

Can wheelie and manual, takes regular practice to keep the distances high though.

Nope.

Funny this thread should come up. Can wheelie an mtb no problem, learnt to manual (on mtb) a couple of years ago on a skills day, and I'm ok at that. Can't for the life of my seem to manual my 24" crusier...

But I digress, the best wheelie I have ever done was today, on my.... (wait for it) fast road bike, uphill, passing a mate who was clearly struggling. (Not a steep climb, but a long drag) the glare I got from him nearly knocked me off, I was only saved by my own smugness

I know, feel free to bask in my orsumz.

Not properly, for any distance.

I can wheelie, grew up on a council estate so it was the only way to roll.

I use to be able to manual downhill a bit. Not a chance on my FS, can't lift the front anywhere near high enough, I wheelie it up then roll for a bit but that ain't a proper manual.

Can wheelie at will. Sometimes for a bit and sometimes a long section of fire road climb. I do it to practice and relieve boredom on dull climbs.

Manuals I flounder badly at and tend to end up on my ass.

Yeah - one handed and everything!!

DrP

You mean, with one hand still on the bar? Amateur. [i]Real[/i] dangerfans do it no-handed.

I sense a theme here. Of the people who can wheelie, can any of them wheelie better than they could aged 15? I certainly can't. I think somewhere there is a photo of me circa 1999, inspired by Jez Avery no doubt, doing a one-handed / no-front-wheel wheelie. I think that was the pinnacle 🙁

I'm crap now, lack of practice.

Here's how to make it look easy, from about 2:20

And no handed by 'the other Matt' from 18bikes at 3:25!

Can't manual but working on it. Wheelies - I am tres awesome - normal, one handed and the ultimate; the no handed wheelie!

Tis how I got our lass... (resplendent with Stella, five skin construction and a dose of nonchalance! **may not be true!**)

Seriously, wheelies make riding up hill fun. Plus you can annoy your mates by cruising by popping one handed wheelies while trying to push them off! 8)

Here's how to make it look easy, from about 2:20
And no handed by 'the other Matt' from 18bikes at 3:25!

Hmm, they're both pretty good. Props 😀

I love wheelie-ing me.

Probably the first 'trick' I ever learned as a kid and just haven't stopped. 😆

Of the people who can wheelie, can any of them wheelie better than they could aged 15

Probably, but only just. And it took quite a while to find that 'sweet' spot on my first FS, especially for manuals.

Yep wheelies no problem but manuals I suck at, just long enough for trail obstacles and the like but that's it. Wheelies help if you end up at a drop with very little speed, just a quick pedal to
to take you off the edge.

I do it loads when climbing fireroads, seems to take your mind off the effort because you are trying to balance.

Yup, I can wheelie continuously for a good minute or more uphill, including corners in fire roads. Manuals, on the flat I'd be pleased with more than about 30ft but through 2 or 3 rollers is no problem.

It is my secret shame. I can do a functional trail manual- like, wheel comes up for long enough to go over a thing- but nothing balance pointy. The one time I really tried, I broke my coccyx and it still bloomin hurts years later so I figure that's nature's way of saying NOPE

No I've never been able to get the balance point and keep on it. Too scared of going over the back I think. I can do manuals through short sets of rollers though, weird.

Great for showing off, useless for anything else, learn when your a teenager riding BMX then never stop 🙂

Just cant get the hang of wheelies, manuals not to bad for short distances.

yup, wheelies and manuals....

four years ago i couldn't wheelie. spent six months on Gran Canaria and used to practise on the way to work each morning. had it sorted after 2 months... manuals followed a month or so later, i think.

last summer in South Tirol i went through a speed trap (one of those 🙂 / 🙁 electronic signs) on my back wheel and was clocked at 56kmh! (sad face) i got lots of cheers from the people outside the ice cream shop, too.... 8)

was in London on the weekend and whilst walking along Acton High St two scrotes came past, each on their back wheels, weaving in and out of traffic until a police car appeared and they scarpered! 🙂

Even got a Danger Panda Shot

Except it's not, your hand is on the bar & we can't see if you are looking st the camera rather than where you are going, but it's still an awesome pic

No.
But, I held the unofficial Lichfield BMX back wheel hopping title, with a 100+ score, back in 83'.
Yeah.

Was going to say coast kid ... He never buys front tyres...

Nope. Even as a kid it was never more than a few yards more by luck than good management. I could never find that elusive balance point. I've been making a concerted effort to practice - on my big unwieldy 29er no less - but despite *some* improvement I'm still a looonnnggg way off. At least my kids are young and naive enough to be impressed though 😆

rOcKeTdOg - Member
Even got a Danger Panda Shot
Except it's not, your hand is on the bar & we can't see if you are looking st the camera rather than where you are going, but it's still an awesome pic

Oh? So it's a one handed wheelie selfie. Humm not quite got the same ring to it as Danger Panda. Oh well you learn something new everyday.

I'm arse up, chin on stem XC Jaybouy and seasoned Roadie..

Whaddapoint of a wheelie?

carlos - Member

rOcKeTdOg - Member
Even got a Danger Panda Shot
Except it's not, your hand is on the bar & we can't see if you are looking st the camera rather than where you are going, but it's still an awesome pic

Oh? So it's a one handed wheelie selfie. Humm not quite got the same ring to it as Danger Panda. Oh well you learn something new everyday.

It's ok, the power of the Niche is weak in you, that's all.

Yeah, manual and wheelie happily.
I can now manual the CX bike for a few seconds and wheelie it reasonably well too. Once you find that balancing point on a bike it becomes pretty easy. I always make sure there is a good back brake though, especially when clipped in 😯

Once you find that balancing point on a bike it becomes pretty easy

Any tips? Any distance I cover with a wheelie seems to be more a result of momentum than balance. With some practice I do seeming to be getting a bit closer to that elusive front to back balance, but I'm still struggling with the left to right balance. I'm consciously trying not to pull on the bars but trying to sort the front-back balance and the left-right balance is a bit like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time 😆

Any tips?

I gave up Strava-ing my commute while trying to constantly beat my times a couple of years ago and opted for a different route so I could learn how to wheelie.

It took a whole summer but I'm quite chuffed with myself.

However, I found that I couldn't do them on my FS MTB?
I worked out it was because of the huge difference in riding position, so I changed my commuter to a position closer to my MTB and after a while... viola! wheelie both no probs.

When I hit the sweet spot I can manual, but otherwise I rely on the back brake.

It's a fairly useless skill, but my god it feels great when you get it right!

I'd find a flat carpark and just practice.
I found having the saddle up a touch higher helps to start with.
Once you've found the balancing point drop the saddle again.
I don't think it takes that long to wheelie, but to wheelie for long distances takes time.

Note: Do not practice them having just fitted new brakes euro style..You wouldn't believe how fast/hard you can propel yourself into the floor. I should probably upload the gopro clip of that.

Any tips?

Start off going up hills, it's a lot easier.

Experiment with seat height. I think it depends on the frame (probably something to do with the seat tube angle) but it often makes quite a bit of difference.

Going off the back is OK - if you're forever scared of doing this then you'll never progress. Try (with flats, at low speed) deliberately going too far and stepping off the back gracefully. Once you've lost the fear of this, learn to 'catch' it on the rear brake when you go too far backwards, just before stepping off.

Although people talk about 'the balance point', you should spend most of your wheelie time in front of this point. I.e. if you stop pedalling the front will come down. You don't ever really need to go past the balance point if you're doing it right (especially up hills).

Side-to-side balance is harder to master but it's really just practise and if you get to the stage where you're limited by this you're doing OK and probably will have developed some ideas yourself. Bandy knees often help.

Its one of the few things I can really do properly! I can pull up a one handed wheelie no problem, and can on a good day pull up a no-hander. Length wise the best i have done is 4 miles. Tips to learn them is grow up in a village on the somerset levels with nothing else to do! and feather the back brake!

and feather the back brake!

When I start looping out any attempt to control it with the back brake results in a very sudden return to solid ground for the front wheel. My BB7s are either on or off.

My BB7s are either on or off.

Wheelies are the measure of cool. 8)

I would suggest that anyone who can wheelie has been cracking away at the skill from an early age. Trying to pick up wheelies later in life I would expect is harder, but far from impossible.

Some bikes wheelie better than others (short stems, wide bars help). A fairly light weight bike also helps.

Flat smooth ground helps in early days, throw in bumps and it makes the process of balance that bit harder to control.

I'd suggest try saddle lower than usual to aid knees coming out with are key to balance/steering when on the back wheel.

Al boils down to endless practice.

Would agree with a previous post manuals are much harder than wheelies, or coaster wheelies. The manual you have to lean back into, the wheelie is a pop to get the front up.
I engage the back brake (slightly drag it) from the off.

The perfect wheelie is right on the balance point, so you can stop pedaling regularly and just balance, then add a few more pedal strokes to keep you rolling. I disagree that a wheelie is chasing the balance point just below, that makes a long distance wheelie far too tiring.

Local chav's do awesome wheelies. They can literally ride anywhere for any distance doing a wheelie, often while one handed.

I guess they get all day and everyday to practice though - and if they trash the bike it's probably not theirs anyway.

I've just started to be able to wheelie for longer than about 5 sec. Unfortunately, my directional control whilst wheelying is, er, poor, to say the least, so right now, my awesome 100m wheelies often end in a ditch/hedge/tree/badger **delete as appropriate!

Heck, I only really mastered riding no handed yesterday!

I took the Fallowfield loop up to Clayton Vale, it's so dull that you need something to entertain you. Another couple of rides up there and i should have wheelies sorted.

alpin - Member
yup, wheelies and manuals....

four years ago i couldn't wheelie. spent six months on Gran Canaria and used to practise on the way to work each morning. had it sorted after 2 months... manuals followed a month or so later, i think.

Ok, I've been trying for a week and haven't managed it yet. I thought I must be balance impaired but this gives me hope. I'm making it my Holy Grails of skills as people say it's easy and yet it forever eludes me.

It'll take a lot longer than 1 week to master, don't give up yet!
As above, you should be right on the balance point, not below it. If you are below it you need to be accelerating continuously to hold the front wheel up. Likewise, if you are trailing the rear brake you won't be able to maintain it for long. I'd also disagree with those saying saddle down, saddle up will get the front up more easily and bike balanced with the front wheel nearer the ground.

Can't wheely more than a pedal stroke or two before I flop sideways, can manual short distances, eg puddles, short rooty sections, stuff like than. Showboatery has never been my strong point 😉

That's a nope from me, can lift the front up to wheelie over stuff on the trail but that's the sum of it. I'd love to be able to manual though as this would be much more useful on the trail, plus it looks cool 8)

Yep can wheelie with both, one or no hands. Was easier years ago when the headset on my Clockwork (when i was 15) was indexed due to lack of money and lack of maintenance.

Set to straight ahead and off you go......Now the bars move a bit more freely but i still got it 8)

I've been practising a little bit when I take the dog out round my local park. Its a 3 mile route on cycle paths so its easy to practice a bit.

Still rubbish. Can get the front wheel up but typically flop to the side before I get more than 1 full pedal stroke in.

I drop my seat when practising (Reverb) so there aren't any calamitous moments if I come down badly

No chance of manualling!

I was on a cheap rigid bike the other day and the front wheel came up really easily so I suppose its different for different bikes. I tried it on a boris bike the other day...