[Closed] Wheelie Afficionados ...

You're scared
scared of looping out. (this is also why you're grabbing the rear brake too hard and not adjusting your position and pedal pressure while doing so)

sort it out.

firstly by looping out intentionally loads of times and learning to step off the back confidently. it's really not scary. and a really easy move to master.

next practice wheelies UPHILL. (just a slight gradient will do). then you won't even need to cover the rear brake and the bike won't ever get away from you forcing you to "chase the front wheel"

I don't ever use my rear brake manualling or wheelying. i really should learn as it means i can't coaster wheelie down hill for very long. Can manny for ages tho.

Once you're good at wheelying uphill practice on the flat but at really SLOW speeds to help your fine motor skills and balance.

There's no "secret" some of the best wheeliers drag the rear brake the whole time.
some never touch it.

The more you practice the better you'll get. it really is that simple.

Oh... and don't pay too much attention to "advice" on here.
loads of replys to "skills" querys tend to come from folk who can't even perform the skills.

Oh... and LOOK UP.
beginners never look far enough ahead.
once you've masterered it, you don't actually have to even look in the same direction your going. but while learning it's really really important to look far ahead.

I'm still finding I'm chasing the front wheel at some point - even uphill - though not as much say on a flat.
Tends to happen when I've let the front drop just a tad too low.
I'm trying to do nice slow wheelies too but finding the balance trickier.

I'm still finding I'm chasing the front wheel at some point - even uphill - though not as much say on a flat.
Tends to happen when I've let the front drop just a tad too low.
I'm trying to do nice slow wheelies too but finding the balance trickier.

So by the sounds of it ... practice
and more practice.

I’m the world expert at this. It took me seven years of daily practice. I could be a lawyer ir a doctor an astronaut with the time I put into it. You aren’t far enough back. Practice on the flat. Or very very sight uphill. You use the back brake quite a bit or else you speed up. Knees spread out wide. That’s how I cracked it eventual. If you I are speeding up and chasing the front wheel... not far enough back. The uphill thing just lets you get away with being not high enough.

I reckon I’m an expert because I obviously have zero natura talent. People told me I’d never get it and there was probably a bit of my brain missing. Now I can wheelie properly. Manuals are close but not there Yet.

Excuse the typing. I fell off on y phone. Not wheelie related.

Dunno doug. Learning skills when you're older is def more challenging.
I learned to wheelie at 8 or 9 yr old. Don't remember exactly but I do remember wheelying the entire mile home after School pretty much every day in P5 on a 5 speed racer.

As Doug says. If you're chasing the front you're not even at/in the balance point.
it's not just a weight back thing though as wheelies can be performed arms straight or elbows bent while perched on the saddle nose, middle or back.
At the balance point your bars/front wheel feel weightless. (not completely.. .but when you figure it out you'll get what i mean)
I don't really agree with Doug's knees spread out wide advice. You do use your hips/knees to steer/balance and turn but they don't need to be out wide at all. unless you're going for an intentional "goon" look.
Saddle height will dictate how far you can spread your knees apart anyway.
I can wheelie sat down with the saddle at any height but my preference is saddle fully up. (more leverage and easier on the ol' knees).
There's no right or wrong there though. I wheelie Ebikes with the saddle 1" lower (partly because of the weight, partly because of the assistance added to my own inputs not being constant and it gives me a little more leway to hold the balance point since I don't touch my rear brake.
if you're still struggling with chasing the wheel practice on an uphill grassy meadow/park. the extra rolling resistance will help you stay slow too.

I'm going to say this once more... do pay attention this time...

LOOK UP!
No.
FURTHER AHEAD!
Not looking far enough ahead stops you leaning back properly and is a causes of the front wheel dipping.

@Doug Is your balance a little poor in general? I'd have assumed your core to be strong and balance fairly sorted as you ride for a living (maybe not so much if you learned long before you rode so much).

The uphill thing just lets you get away with being not high enough.

it doesn't.
It allows you to slow the bike while remaining at balance point without touching the brake.

Not having the front wheel high enough (and chasing it) isn't even wheelying

Geex. You calling me old?!? Fight!!!
😉

No balance is super good in general. It was a fear thing I think stopping me getting back enough. It was that front back balance. And the side t side balance doesn’t work so well unless you are near the front-back balance point, just physics. When I had No weight in the hands it basically meant I panicked and braked. Instead of reakising I was There.

For me hips don’t move so easily independent of the knees I guess. Old and a few meters of downhill over the last decade! Knees wide really helps me rotate around the saddle. If that makes sense?

I honesty reckon the uphill advice held me back loads, I finally nailed it on a flat football field after a few beers. Once I had it once it was easier.

Sorry, phone is really broke.

"Chasing the front wheel"
This happens a little while after I've reached that balance point and after I've started wheely-ing.
When I learnt to hit that balance point the bike feels planted, neutral and weightless. It's difficult to describe in layman terms but it feels great. It's just what happens after I get wheely-ing.
I've tried shifting the weight back to prevent the front dropping but there isn't a whole amount to go … I've been learning with the seat fully extended.
So what weight I do shift maybe has little effect.

I’ve tried shifting the weight back to prevent the front dropping but there isn’t a whole amount to go … I’ve been learning with the seat fully extended.
So what weight I do shift maybe has little effect.

Yeah. you've probably been reading advice from idiots.
The only major weight shift required is when getting the wheel up in the first place.
once at the balance point you don't need to shift your weight about much at all. just very subtle movements. to hold the wheelie you simply need to maintain appropriate force/torque on the pedals (smooth pedal strokes) to keep the wheel up. not too much. not too little.
this is why uphill is great for learning.

Keep practicing. you'll get it.

It shouldn't take anyone 7 years. (7 days of genuine practice and you should be able to hold a wheelie for a decent distance).
Once you're off the grass and on to tarmac/concrete start measuring your improvements using white lines/parking spaces, then move onto lamp posts and then whole streets. 😉

Oh.. and enjoy it

actually.. Hold on (just read the OP again)

30-40m is probably way further than 99% of folk on this forum can hold a wheelie.
if you're getting that far you must know how to hold the bike at the balance point.

so just chill and keep practicing until you're really comfortable in the (weightless) balance zone

and KEEP LOOKING UP!

swoon

OK.
Thanks for the advice.
Wanted to kmow I am on the right track.
Before I started - I had it in my head it would be like learning to ride a bike and once you click - the infinite wheelie would be done.
I've lowered the saddle a tad and yes ^^^ the weight shift thing does nothing.
The HEAD UP thing definitively helps.
Now learning to slow down and maintain balance.

Member kerly
swoon

Show us some evidence of your wheelie skills kerly.
There's some good advice from geex and doug up there.

Although geex is shit at ebike wheelies because he doesn't know how to drag the back brake enough while wheelieing

He is however quite good at manualing an ebike.

I'm pretty crap at wheelies, have good days and not so good.

I have noticed that the post ride pint wheelies are usually a bit cooler though.

Try and relax, once you are up you need to do next to nothing, a bit like riding with no hands.

don’t pay too much attention to “advice” on here.
loads of replys to “skills” querys tend to come from folk who can’t even perform the skills.

Noted. Since you’ve replied so extensively what assumptions should I draw?

Tips:
There is no substitute for practice.
Try and work a ‘wheelie road’ into your regular ride. There is a very quiet gentle gradient road near me so I incorporate it into my solo loops for wheelie practice.
Find a setup you like. Flat pedals allow subtle weight movement that you can’t do with SPDs.
As above, 30-40m is actually pretty good - you must have the basics down. So it’s just a question of practice to finesse the small movements.
I hardly ever use my brake for wheelies. Certainly uphill you don’t really need to.

Kerley is awesome at wheelies Stu.
The massive chip on his shoulder balances his fixie on the rear wheel so well he actually finds it difficult to drop the front wheel at all.
Plus he once told us he's awesome at wheelies.

I’m no master but realise that the biggest feet is falling off the back so I started doing just that. Far easier to stop pedalling or use the back brake if you do start to fall back that chase the front end. So for me just getting comfortable at the balance point. That is the only thing i’m Focusing on, not distance or anything, that will come. I just want to master feeling comfortable at the balance point. The biggest thing i’m Struggling with is the side to side balance. I get to the balance point and start moving forward but then start to tip sideways and struggle to correct that. Just practice.

My Mrs looked over my shoulder while I was reading this and read part of one of geex's posts. I'm worried she may have got pregnant from the sheer awesomeness of it all.

Still, at least if she is the kid has a good shot at being pretty much the best at everything, ever.

If she's still there patiently waiting for her go to get on mumsnet tell her she is 100% preggarz and the morning after pill or termination won't even work.