[Closed] PSA: Ryan Leech 30 day wheelie challenge is FREE

Thanks.

Thanks too.

It's really rather good.  I'd be surprised if I ever actually succeed but it makes sense in a way most YouTube videos never have

I just signed up too. Gonna come out of this lockdown as the raddest guy in my cul-de-sac.

Nice one thanks!

Bookmarked. Thanks

👍🏻👍🏻

Day 10 for me (although repeated day 7/8). Coming on nicely. I’m using the local golf course (not the greens or fairways) as there’s some lovely long stretches to practice.
I’ve now progressed to tarmac and the difference is incredible. There’s days of frustration but occasionally I’ll nail it...as a 40+ year old who could never wheelie (properly) I’m over the moon!

Day 10 for me (although repeated day 7/8). Coming on nicely. I’m using the local golf course (not the greens or fairways) as there’s some lovely long stretches to practice.
I’ve now progressed to tarmac and the difference is incredible. There’s days of frustration but occasionally I’ll nail it…as a 40+ year old who could never wheelie (properly) I’m over the moon!

When you have a day where something starts to click though it's brilliant!

How much flat grass space do i need for this? Its all a bit up/down where i am. lots of flat road but no flat park style grass.

How much flat grass space do i need for this? Its all a bit up/down where i am. lots of flat road but no flat park style grass.

I've been doing it up and down the road so far.

Try and find the flattest short grass as possible. Too long and the friction just kills the wheelie and I found I just came to a complete standstill. Day 5ish progresses to slight inclines-but don’t think it that necessary. As Ogden says road is fine-I now use the school car park so no one can see me!! Use flats though as you’ll be jumping of the bike backwards.

I'm in, just finished day 2. It's dificult not to rush ahead.

Shall I shant I ......?

Maybe.

Cheers OP

I've been trying to teach my 8 year old to lift the front wheel. A not too successful demo today means I and probably her will be signing up.

Once you learn to wheelie is it like... eerr riding a bike or do you have to re-learn if you don't do it for a while.

Once you've got it you have it

Swapping bike to bike may take a few attempts as balance points differ.

If doing this on a full bounce lock it out makes it easier as the balance point wont wander

Ive finally found a purpose for the 26 Hardtail thats been gathering dust in the shed. Its now my "wheelie practice" bike. Seat set at a lower hight (and set back) and leave in the right gear.

Thanks OP I am looking forward to Day 2 practical. This could be a brilliant lock down success story. My wife is not offering the support Ryan suggests is needed, she thinks I am going to be an unnecessary burden on the NHS. Ben 48 and never mastered the art of the wheelie.

This and several other youtube videos (how to endo 180, Ali clarksons how to trackstand) would make perfect lockdown skills building, if only I had a seatpost.

Mine's away in Germany for warranty service at the moment. Tempted to buy a cheap post to tide me over. Although I don't really need a post for Ali's trackstand video...

Ta, OP, signed up!

Bought a cheap BMX years ago to try to learn to wheelie on, never mastered finding the balance point though!

As an aside, this website has an interesting approach to internet security!! Is there a way of changing your password?!

Cheers op, signed up and we will see how it goes.

To change your password, just click on the profile icon and then settings.

@1timmy1 ta!!

I'm about day 24 on this. Have been at it longer than that but can't manage every day. Have had to do it all on tarmac as no suitable grass area. Tarmac has been fine. Good days and less good days but really enjoying it. Slight uphill makes it much easier but might leave my technique lacking. Have got as far as some 40-50m wheelies however still very inconsistent so loads of rubbish ones. Suspect there is plenty of pandemic left to get more consistent.

This is brilliant thanks for sharing!
Myself in Manchester and brother in law in Leeds are going to learn together at distance.
I could see this sort of coaching working for me in the future too, little and often practise is much better than a one off coaching day

I'm doing it with my son, even got my wife having a go yesterday!! Daughter just looks at us like we're mental though....

40-50m is pretty solid. I'm just starting out and using tarmac. Only on lesson 4 and have already looped out but managed to jump off rather than land on my arse. A long way to go.

Thanks for sharing OP - now on day 4 and like the bite sized approach to it. I've tried teaching myself in the past so these early steps are familiar but I never got past about half a dozen pedal strokes, so hoping for more this time.

I followed this link about 10 days ago too - I'm doing it with fadda Jr and we're on about day 6 or 7 (he's only here 5 days out of 10).
This approach is leading to small but steady improvements - its fun and its something for us to do together. Inevitably, he's doing better than me (bloody teenagers...), I'm up to a reliable 3/4 pedal strokes, with an occasional 6/7.
I'll be sooooo cool in the car parks when we're allowed back out.

Fadda (age 55 and 1/4)

Glad it’s helped people out, or just given us all something to do 😀

Im finding its the second pedal stroke that’s really important to get up to the balance point. Just getting to grips with the side to side. For me consistency in getting to the balance point nice and straight is by far the hardest bit and feathering the brake. Some useful tips on Pinkbike vid yesterday.

Progress takes ages but sticking with is seems to be paying off. Often seem to struggle to do the specific drills as well as I want, but find the techniques gradually creeping in without me really thinking about it. I'm not nearly as good on the flat as on a slight incline. Have got to the downhill wheelie lesson but that might have to wait until after lockdown as a grass downhill slope will be really useful. Keep it up folk.

@scruff I have exactly your same problem, can you you point me to the video you mention please?

I just signed up too. Gonna come out of this lockdown as the raddest guy in my cul-de-sac.

This is truly all I aim for in life. I just want to see the jealousy in the other middle-aged dad's eyes! Obviously Mrs 10 doesn't think this is a great idea...

https://m.pinkbike.com/news/video-how-to-wheelie-with-martha-gill-and-bex-baraona.html

Update time, how are you all getting on? all well on our way to being wheelie gods?

I'm still at it, day 17 now, pedal pauses. I'm putting in approx. 30-45 minutes practise in each day (there's a gated car park on the way to work so 15 minutes on the way in to work and then 30 minutes or so on the way back) consistency is getting much better and managed a few full length of the car park, about 40 meters. Also managing to correct errors and mistakes without putting the wheel back down which is nice.

I just did a 5 pedaller on my drop bar gravel bike.

Fair play. Stalled last week and I'm picking it back up again. On day 9, frustrated that I had a break as its definitely set me back...

Will head to the nearest carpark this weekend to see if that helps...

I'm on around day 6 (4/5 pedals strokes). Not managing to practise every day and have developed a habit of bending my arms! Planning to stay around there till I improve. I'm using a rigid 650b+ bike. Had a go on wife's smaller 26" bike and was surprised how much easier it was.

A smaller bike will be easier to house the front but probably slightly harder to learn on as it reacts quicker to your inputs (which are kack handed for now)

I'm on day 16 or so, enjoying it but not convinced I'm doing as well as I should be. The odd 20+ m wheelie but a load of mis starts in between. Tempted by his manual course next thou

I like the look of the manual course too, I think I'll start that once I've finished the wheelie challenge. I'll just keep wheelieing anyway, mostly to annoy anyone I go out riding with 😀

Me and the mrs are having a go. On day 7 but have practiced several days rather than go straight through the lessons. Progress is slow but definite. The mrs had told me she couldn't ever see herself managing it and has put in several 3/4 pedals in and is consistently getting the front wheel lift better than before. Will take a lot of time and practice but determined to crack it.

I am a month in and stuck on lesson 17 - no way am I ready for turning. Had a few days off in between and always return fresher and better. I replaced the bottom bracket bearing last night so hopefully I will now be super smooth. I also fitted new rear brake pads before starting the challenge and I think these have now properly bedded in as I am finding modulation / feathering is getting easier and more subtle, I am sure this is nothing to do with all the practice. Never used flats before but think I will stick with them when I go proper mountain biking again.

I've been going about 3 weeks but haven't got past day 8 (for time, not lack of progress). So far I'm probably wheelying about as good as I was before but the practice really is the important bit - I feel what's happening more and am hitting the balance point without fear. Far to go yet, mind.

I've stalled around day 8/9 as well. I had a trip to A&E after Xmas to get my head glued back together after falling backwards off my niece's new hoverboard (after standing on it for about 3 seconds) sp I think I'm extra cautious of over doing the balance point. On a good practice I'll definitely get the wheel up and have started to feel the effect of turning the front wheel, but I'm not comfortable enough with the balance point and haven't got anywhere near looping out so don't really feel I can move forward yet. MrsP is doing it as well and after a struggle with the early sections is catching me up, so that might give me a bit of an incentive to push on through the fear.

there's a practice where you deliberately loop/jump off the back. If you're worried, I'd give that a decent go to learn the feel. With a lowish saddle you should be able to get your feet down in time or just jab on the rear brake

I spent the best part of a week concentrating on looping out and also catching it with the brake. It's a nice feeling the first time you catch it and realise you've done it subconsciously.

I've signed up for this. I ride a lot (although I've been off the bike for 8 months following 2 heart attacks) but have absolutely no skills!

I noticed that in the text of the preparatory lesson Ryan encourages you to use your non-dominant leg/foot to drive the wheel lift (suggesting that this may help with other skills later on); the voice over for the first video suggests that either leg will do (use the one that works best).

I'm finding that using my non-dominant leg gives me a another step I need to consciously think about and gets me in a muddle; using the dominant (left) leg helps a little.

Will I be storing up trouble later on (if I decide to try & learn other stuff) by using my dominant leg?

Currently I've learnt that I can't do the course in my back garden, so I'm going to have to pluck up the courage to go out in public & make myself look an idiot!

Im on day 4 or thereabouts, after 3 weeks. I can lift, do 3-4 pedals, cant turn, loop out or much more. But my practice is over a 6m lawn. I must also now move out to the real world...

I've just signed up! God knows when I'll get to practice, but it should be fun!

I think I'm on day 8, thinking about steering. My discipline is not very good, explains why after 20 years I'm still rubbish on the guitar too. Was a bit wary of looping out deliberately, then did it by accident and seemed to manage it no bother. Did it another two times just to be sure. No idea how many pedals, can't pedal and count at the same time.

I got up to lesson 18, but I don't think I had the fundamentals down enough to turn while wheeling out of choice. So I have gone back to lesson 13 to get my side to side balance better. I find that I will have a couple of really good days and I'm all positive, then I'll have a couple of frustrating days where I feel like I should be better than I am; but that's all part of the learning process. I wish I had a big flat car park to practice in nearby, but you have to made do with what you have close by. Just remember that the majority of people that see you in public probably won't be able to wheelie themselves 🙂

I found that using my left leg (I'm right footed) to start the 'pop' felt more natural to me, personally I went with what felt best to me. I need to film myself again and post it on the lesson to get some more feedback on my technique from the coaches.

On day 5 with my son. Great fun and I'm slightly better than my son which makes it all the better..

Practicing in local park on grass.

How we all getting on? I'm now consolidating days 8/9/10 - experimenting with side balance and float zone. Struggling with the side balance a bit as I am still only managing short (5-12 ish pedal stroke) wheelies so don't get much chance to get my knees out or turn the bars much.

I've just started and I'm rubbish!

I've tried several Day 1s but just can't develop a pattern where I'm regularly lifting the front wheel. Sometimes I find myself yanking on the bars (bending the elbows), sometimes the wheel lifts easily and once suddenly I'm flat on my back with the bike on top of me, the front wheel having shot up as if it was rocket propelled! I just can't get a feel for what's making the difference.

I also find myself lifting my bum out of the saddle a little on the power stroke (being watched my multiple dog walks doesn't help either). I don't know whether I should progress to Day 2 or stick on Day 1.

I've also been off the bike since October (2 heart attacks and ongoing issues) and I'm wondering whether I shouldn't just get used to being back on the bike first and getting a few rides under my belt.

Good luck to everyone who's trying!

Second pedal stroke gets the front up properly, you have to pedal quite hard to keep the wheel up especially uphill.

@thepurist

I'm also stuck on 8/9/10 spending days concentrating on various balance techniques trying to get beyond 8 or so pedal strokes!

I'm frustated by how many false starts I keep doing. When it does all come together, I do several pedal strokes but find that I lose it just when I want to bring a knee or handlebar tweak in. Repeating these days until I feel I can move forward with at least a basic grasp.

I spent a day a while back deliberately chucking myself off the back. Great thing to do. First couple of times I landed like a sack of spuds. Then it became a graceful step off. Now, I seem to use rear brake subconsciously. Great confidence boost & fear killer.

Keeping on keeping on! One day it will be satisfying.

@nakedrider Thanks for sharing - I'm with you on the false starts thing! I'm deliberately not looking ahead in the course so I don't feel the urge to try something else as well as knees, bars and front/back balance

Persevere folk, it will come, not as quickly as we'd like but it will happen.

This is me after two months, previously couldn't wheelie at all.

Day 18

The really important days I found for me we're getting comfortable with stepping off the back and back brake, not necessarily the control but subconsciously catching it before going over backwards.
Consistency is getting much better and I found the key to this was to make sure the lift was carried out in one fluid motion and the lift comes from the legs not the arms/torso, once I'd sussed this then I was much less likely to veer off to one side (still not very good at steering but it is improving)

Keep at it, it gets better.

It's really useful to hear how other people are getting on. I started about 6 weeks ago and have been doing 2/3 sessions a week at the local park (thankfully not too busy) but feel I should be much better than I actually am! Oblivious Ryan Leech is a pro so makes it look really easy, but it would be useful if he had other people on the tutorial who were learning so you could maybe get an idea as to how you should be progressing. This may help me feel less demoralised!

I'm also on about 8/9/10 but keep going back to basics as feel like I need to get these sorted before I can progress. Every now and again I get a decent one with 7/8 pedal strokes but it's more luck than skill, and not at all consistent. Will keep practising as its something I've always wanted to do.

Nice work flicker.

I agree that progress is slow - clearly way slower for me than you but there is progress.

I'm at the stage where I'm comfortable with stepping off the back - in fact maybe I'm stepping off a bit too soon.

If I can resist the urge to bail, and remember to feather the back brake, I might just get this.

I have sort of given up on the videos....but I can do it!! Went through a huge spell of wheelieing about 50m bit only 1 in every 10 times, the rest pathetic 3/4metre attempts. The big breakthrough came when I had to revert to my 29er FS as I’d tacoed the back wheel on my 26ht from all the practice. All of a sudden it just twigged...balancing the bike seemed easier on the full suss, and can regularly pull of 40m wheelies without embarrassment. Did have my first fall last week on a road though...not covering the rear enough. The 2 beers probably didn’t help 😜

I had a lot of fun and success with this earlier in the year - and a 50% off code (MANUAL50OFF) for the manuals course popped up on my facebook feed so I bought it - £35 for the course seems good value - plus giving a little back for the first course too.

direct link (I think) is https://learn.ryanleech.com/manual-masterclass-sale