[Closed] Why am I learning to maual?

a) the cool factor
b) the satisfaction of knowing you can
c) the fact that it can be useful for covering certain terrain

I'm probably doing it for b) but I'd like to know when it's useful for c)...

how are you getting on? is there a manual for it?

There's a series of 3 bumps on lower cliff (Cannock) that I always think as I pound through them 'I could carry speed much faster through here if I could manual'

but I'd like to know when it's useful for c)...

Chris Ball has an excellent segment on this on the DirtSchool DVD.

I'll see if I can find it online anywhere.

I still can't do it. Just can't get it. I know the principle. Must be the fear factor.

Two friends who were naughty boys on the estate as kids can do it no bother. But then they've been doing it since they had Raleigh activators. They ride up fire roads on the back wheel like it is nothing.

That youtube channel with 2 lads on, called something GMBN or something. global mtbing network has a video on how to manual along with a load of other stuff. My bike is steel so that's reason I can't manual 😛 , probably would be easier if your bike is carbon I'm sure.

Do you mean manual or wheelies?

I mean manual. I can do it (well, occasionally maybe 5% of the time I properly get my weight in the right place at the right time) but I don't really know what situation I'd use it in on a descent.

I mean both.

Bet his dad taught him that.....

Bet his dad taught him that.....

He's got his arms bent. You're not allowed to do that (according to the internet)

opusone - Member

He's got his arms bent. You're not allowed to do that (according to the internet)

And it's under power, so it's really a wheelie.

Do you have a clutch mech? You can't manual with a clutch mech

I use manuals to..

A) pump through small whoopy sections that would bring me to a snails pace if the front wheel had to go in between

B) Go through puddles. Especially the ones that you don't know the depth of.

C) do drop offs that are super steep so i dont go over the bars at the bottom - ie I land with both wheels parallel to the ground

D) To make boring descents more interesting e.g Fire roads or tarmac section between trails.

Do you have a clutch mech? You can't manual with a clutch mech

Why not?

I've had stiff lower back the past few days which I attribute to a few bad-form attempts at manualing on my morning commute on Monday.

I can't manual far, a few metres on a very good day, but it's s fundumental skill and is the basis for proper bunny hops, which in turn is the basis for proper jumps and drops - if you can manual, even badly and pump, you'll be quicker than someone who can't.

Or at least that's what I was told on a "learn drops and jumps by manualing" course ha ha

I can't manual or wheelie, but Jedi did a pretty good job at getting me to do jumps anyway!

I think they are skills that look great, and are given as a sort of entry criteria for being properly skilled!

I can manual for about 3 seconds - though it probably doesn't count as a proper manual more of a case of just pulling the wheel up and trying to delay dropping it as long as possible as opposed to a proper manual where you find the balance point and hold it for a time. But even with my clumsy attempts it is one of the most useful things i've learned out of the trail, especially for drops, small and large, puddles and just smoothing out short rocky or rooty sections.

I'd love to be able to do them properly. Everytime I do pull the wheel up high enough to get the balance point I tend to crap myself and grab the rear brake.

There is a pump track near me and I'd love to get a BMX and have a go and learn properly, but I can't get over the fact i'd feel like a bit of a prat - a 43 year old man in amongst a load of cool kids.

My wheeling is coming on nicely now, I feel like i'm on the cusp of cracking them. That is a bit of a pointless skill, but i'm hoping once I've cracked that the manuals will follow shortly after.

Manualling for about 3 seconds is actually a pretty long time when you think about it. I love a nice short-chainstay frame because it makes manuals super-easy.

Watch any section of this for 3 seconds and see how far he goes!

The answer is...

D. Because it's awesome!

I've been finding I'm learning to manual with no intention of doing it. It's just that with a lot of riding I've found it more and more easier to lift the front and whereas before I'd push/pop to hop the front over something in a clumsy manner, I'm now finding I can hold the front a little, and then suddenly realised I can pedal through on the rear across puddles/bogs, over roots, etc. Then finding it's quite useful for a lot of things where it's useful to keep the front of the bike up. Bit of a revelation really.

Still can't bunny hop over obstacles though. As much as physics says front up, push forward and the rear will just follow up and over, it stays firmly glued to the ground 😀 . Not fussed now though as manualling is quite fun.

Wheelies are a bit different. That I've been getting into a bit also (finally at 40-something 😀 ), but it's not really that useful except to learn balance, which may be why the manualling is working.

It's worth learning.

Riding front wheel first into things isn't always the smoothest/most efficient/safest/fastest way of doing things.

It's also good for keeping your feet dry going through big puddles!

As much as physics says front up, push forward and the rear will just follow up and over, it stays firmly glued to the ground

Yeah I don't believe that version of physics. You still need to unweight the rear and help it up, or you just push the front back down. I feel that's just evidence of the poor descriptive/teaching methods employed by folk who can do it by feel.

It is awesome for clearing path-crossing water (watch out for square edge drainage snake-biting you), giving your arms a rest when on washboard nonsense, stuff like that.

Why am I learning to manual?

I can hold a manual long enough to get through some bumps but can't pull off anything like the above. Something I'd love to get the hang of.

Look up "WynTV".

http://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/video-the-very-best-wheelie-wednesdays-from-wyntv/

I've been learning for over 30 years.

Still very much in the learning stage...

I'm just confused.. I tend to weight down on the forks and pull up over small obstacles which feels clumsy.

Do you need to manual before you can wheelie, and wheelie before you can bunny hop?

Get rolling on some hard grass (floor kind) and stop trying to bounce the front end up, instead try to push the bike out in front of you with your feet (hard) and pulling backwards on the bars. There's no need to preload the suspension. The bars will come up by default. Push/pull in. conjunction with shifting weight backwards to really lift it. Best practice is too try to fall off the back, you should be able to lift the front totally up without pre-load and without much effort as most comes from the legs.

Manuals are wicked man, especially when you ride by a skatepark Lycra clad and still show the cool kids what's up! 😆

I tried precisely that at the weekend on grass. Went straight off the back on my ass, with the bike flying away in front of me. Seemed a bit pointless after that.

Manuals are wicked man, especially when you ride by a skatepark Lycra clad and still show the cool kids what's up!

I don't own any lycra, and I don't make eye contact with anyone who looks under 25.

Do you have to have a slammed saddle for this?

I intend to learn it as in the videos I've seen it's emphasized as a fundamental skill & it's part of the process for learning bunnyhops.I'm still learning...
Have a look here,he's even reversed the stem to make it easier.

no_eyed_deer - Member
I tried precisely that at the weekend on grass. Went straight off the back on my ass, with the bike flying away in front of me.

Next time hold on 🙂

These 'how to' vids are useful but what they don't show is just how much practice it takes to be able to pull a decent manual. A couple of hours isn't going to cut it. A couple of hours a week for a year maybe...

I use manuals on simple singletrack to make it more fun/interesting or when riding through rollers as it feels good. On rough terrain it's useful on rocks and roots (especially wet ones) as it's helps maintain momentum and also safer as the front wont wash out. Plus it feels good. When just out riding i practice (well used to) by manualling the gaps between lamp posts. Wheelie for one, rest for one etc. It passes the time on boring road/path rides.

I can't manual for long at all 1 second at best, but I can bunny hop pretty well. I don't get people saying you need to manual to bunny hop?

I learnt to bunny by tilting the pedals down pushing back and "jumping" at first only concentrating on lifting the back end.

glad its not just me then

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/the-elusive-manual

😉

I can't manual for long at all 1 second at best, but I can bunny hop pretty well. I don't get people saying you need to manual to bunny hop?

crap, maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. Stayed under the radar

I don't know much about manuals, but I think I might know the answer to the OP's question and it's related to the comments by deadkenny and others.

I reckon you are learning to manual because, like me, you read too much and think that you need to learn to manual before you can get good, In fact that's putting the cart before the horse.

I think that people (teachers and students) look at good riders, marvel at the way they can pick the front wheel up over stuff at will (manual, bunny hop etc) then think that they can get good by learning the skills. In fact, I reckon that the skills are a consequence of being good and not the cause.

If you learn to manual (or any other "trick") in isolation then you'll be able to impress your mates in the carpark, but I'm not sure it will make you a better rider. Or rather, I think you'd be better off spending the time that you spent learning that trick just riding more.

Almost from the first time you ride off-road you realise that you need to lift your front wheel to get over stuff (or to stop the front dropping on drops). At first it is tricky, but with time you find that it gets easier, then it becomes natural and you do it without thinking. Finally (not that I've reached this stage yet) you realize that you are keeping the wheel up for multiple obstacles.

I say this as somebody who has read everything about manuals etc, watched endless videos and been on multiple coaching courses (group and one to one). In fact it was the instructor on my last one to one course who said "just ride your bike more".

I can't manual for long at all 1 second at best, but I can bunny hop pretty well. I don't get people saying you need to manual to bunny hop?

you only have to get it up for a fraction of a second to be able to bunny hop. I'd imagine (as I can't manual for much longer than a second on a good day) that if you could do perfect endless manuals, the better balance would help with other hoppy stuff.

It helps (even if you can only do it for a fraction of a second) on low to medium speed drops too.

Being able to manual (or wheelie) for ages is only for cool kidz and people that want to get done by the fun police (see the MBR article for that).

Drop your saddle, shift your hips back and down. The front wheel will come up, then you stand up sharp and the back wheel comes up.

Use this to pop over stuff, puddles, holes, logs etc.

I've been trying to teach myself to manual, I'm still rubbish, but it's already proving useful being able to to unweight the front suddenly for little drops and rolling over roots. Well worth pursuing.

I found this video by far the most helpful when learning:

The 'L' shape he describes makes it so much easier.
I can't hold a manual at all, but little ones are used all the time for getting over small obstacles or ditches, holes etc without losing speed.
He holds some impressive looking manuals in that video but it's the short clips at the end that show where they really come in useful on the trail.

One thing I realised - to reach that balance point the front wheel needs to come a lot higher than you think! Really feels like you're going to fall off the back. I need more practise 😛

Really feels like you're going to fall off the back

Lifting the front wheel up I don't have a problem. It's finding the balance point that I just don't seem to be anywhere near, nevermind maintaining the manual. Got flat pedals coming soon and I'm recalling memories of jumping off the back of my BMX as a kid after pulling a wheelie (then the BMX knocking down a young tree).

(then the BMX knocking down a young tree).

Any tree that couldn't stand being hit by a rider-less BMX was clearly not long for this world.