Manual Machine work?

Mountain Bike Mike

Well-Known Member
Yeah... but I can see Danny Mac doing a wheelie on rollers.

As far as manualling roller doubles, I can usually do that on a BMX track or on a pump track, assuming I can carry enough speed. But just manualling down a trail, notsomuch.

I’m backwards.. I learned the feel on dubs and then progressed to parking lot lines and sidewalk blocks
 
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qclabrat

Well-Known Member
If it helps.. I first learned the manual feel by trying to manual through a set of small double rollers. That is how I taught my kids to manual.

As you approach the roller dub, get your stance and pedal position set and try rolling off the roller face and keep the front wheel up until it smashes in to the second roller. Keep doing that until you progress the front wheel over to the backside of the second roller. You will also notice as the rear wheel crests the peak of the first roller and down the backside, your rear wheel and feet will drop and your hands and handle bars will come back closer to your chest - careful as this is where you could loop out. If you feel like you’ve gone to far, (it will happen fast AF) quickly grab brake or bail or risk landing on your ass / back.

However - looping is a necessary evil as you will learn the limits and balance point. You could mitigate loop out / back smash risk by learning to step back, put a foot down and catch yourself when you loop. You can simulate that in the grass. Pull a wheelie too far and put a foot back and down behind toj and catch yourself. Get used to that and as you practice manualling, if you feel the loop out coming, you’ll be comfortable catching yourself.


good luck - post up a progression video and let is critique it.
if any of this sounds scary and something above your risk acceptance level, don’t do it.

lastly - the key to shredding on a bike is to stay loose, relaxed and nimble and not tense, stessed or anxious. The latter usually results in injury.
great recos Mike, I know the back smash too well
My problem is jumping off the pedals while looping out
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
great recos Mike, I know the back smash too well
My problem is jumping off the pedals while looping out
While even the best of them have gotten laid out, the key is to jump off before the point of no return. Look at my butt height compared to the ground, you basically just stand up.
If you do that super high style that @Ryan.P likes, it is even more just standing up.
A9188D61-1B97-4A66-9E16-62F165B5FEAC.jpeg
p
 

Ian F

Well-Known Member
Anyone see Wyn Masters' "Wheelie Wednesday" IG video recently? Manualling down a steep hill on his DH bike. While standing one-footed on the saddle. And he's flying. At least he has shoes on... In a lot of his videos he'll be manualling down some crazy-steep hill wearing flip-flops... That's what confidence looks like.

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A Potted Plant

Honorary Sod
Just got in from taking the can down, I tried to bring up the front in the garage rolled down the street and was able to get 4 pedals in with the wheel up. It is an uncomfortable feeling to say the least.

Anyway I need to install spell checker I switched OSs and there is no way I got every word right.
 

pkovo

Well-Known Member
I broke down and built one of these. I can wheelie and hop on the rear wheel pretty well, but can't manual worth a damn. Have always been curious if they worked. Hit the perfect storm of boredom and convenience; Covid isolation, rainy Sunday, lumber for my shed rebuild sitting in the garage....

Haven't used it much yet, but if it works it will also teach me to stay low since my basement ceiling is low enough for me to bonk my head if I don't.

manual.JPG
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
I broke down and built one of these. I can wheelie and hop on the rear wheel pretty well, but can't manual worth a damn. Have always been curious if they worked. Hit the perfect storm of boredom and convenience; Covid isolation, rainy Sunday, lumber for my shed rebuild sitting in the garage....

Haven't used it much yet, but if it works it will also teach me to stay low since my basement ceiling is low enough for me to bonk my head if I don't.

View attachment 127032
So after a few months, did it work?

@qclabrat how is the progress going? Since the time I posted this, I built up a 20", which is 100 times more fun to manual than a mtb.

So @qclabrat, how about this, I will learn to switch foot manual and/or 1 foot manual for motivation? Deal? Are we up to $20 for you now?
 

EJphotos

Well-Known Member
Whats with all the groups of preteen kids on rail trails and them yelling "dO a wHeEliE!!!"? Seriously on my ride the other night, I passed 7 different groups of these kids and every single group yelled that.
 
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