Mountain Biking - How do you do a manual?

Can someone explain to me how to manual? I try to jerk up on my handlebars, but maybe I'm just not strong enough to pull the front wheel off the ground.

Help a sistah out, I have no idea what I'm doing.

Thanks!
:)

fastequalsfun

you have to lean back as you're coming up...I can get my front wheel off the ground without much effort from my arms, but more my bodyweight.

Can someone explain to me how to manual? I try to jerk up on my handlebars, but maybe I'm just not strong enough to pull the front wheel off the ground.

Help a sistah out, I have no idea what I'm doing.

Thanks!
:)

fastequalsfun
Just what I asked myself two weeks ago. After not too intense practising, I've realised how to do one (personal experience):
Roll at a medium speed. Compress fork and pull back on the bars while putting all your weight back. Hopefully, this should bring you high enough. From then on I have no idea on how to continue. :lol:

One big accomplishment today is that for the first time ever I actually managed to pull up into a manual so far that I had to hop off the back onto my feet, 'cause of pulling up so hard. :D:D

Lean way, way, back. Seriously. Back further then you would ever want to do is probably where you need to be. My wife was having the same problem... but a lower centre of gravity should in theory offset the upper-body strength issue if the weight-shift is far enough.

Eventually you'll need to learn to feather the back brake if you start to tip over backwards. It might be easier to learn to do a convetional wheelie first to help find the balance point. You can probably search for more details on this in older posts

Lean way, way, back. Seriously. Back further then you would ever want to do is probably where you need to be. My wife was having the same problem... but a lower centre of gravity should in theory offset the upper-body strength issue if the weight-shift is far enough.

Eventually you'll need to learn to feather the back brake if you start to tip over backwards. It might be easier to learn to do a convetional wheelie first to help find the balance point. You can probably search for more details on this in older posts

Cool. My new bike (Santa Cruz Blur) has a much lower center of gravity than my old one.

Thanks everyone for all your help... I guess my weight is just nowhere near back enough.

...From then on I have no idea on how to continue. :lol:

Nice. Haha!

O.K. I am stupid, but...what exactly is the difference between a Manual and a Conventional wheelie?

Manual = No pedaling + Standing Up

Wheelie = Sitting Down, Peddaling.

Catwalk = Standing Up, Peddaling.

Well first you need a product then you need to (in writing) describe the product, it's component pieces and how to operate it. Oh wait wrong manual

Raiyn, I think you're only allowed to be the Grammar Po-Leece in this thread, because I doubt you dont know how to do bicycle manuals :p

One thing you should know, is that using your fork to help bring the front up is a bad way to start. You can become too dependant on it and not learn how to do things properly. Try to learn how to wheelie first, and then try manuals. I can wheelie for pretty much as long as I want, but my callouses start to hurt really bad, and I have to set the front down. Im trying to learn manuals myself, but I tend to drift off to one side and have to set the wheel down so I dont fall...

Yes, try not to really on your fork too much, and always keep a finger on both levers! Helps you keep soooo much control I watch people fall alot and know if it was me I would have been fine because you can controll yourself alot with brakes. If you are about to flip, squeeze your back brake.
Now for maintaining the manual, this is difficult to explain, but you can kinda "pump" with your legs kinda bending them then realeasing that energy then doing it again ect. Just practice and dont give up.

Lean back a lot and lift the front up, but don't just jerk it up or your balance will be very hard to find. You need to get to a point where you feel as though you are about to fall off the back, this is your balance point. This will sound weird but keep balance by thrusting your hips forward and back, the more exagerated the air hump the better the manual will keep. Also when first learning you will need to feather your brakes if you are going too far back, this will bring the front down a bit.

Wow, hopper you said exactly what I wanted to say 10 times better then me!

Hmm... am I the only one that shoves my right pedal down while coming up?

Lean back a lot and lift the front up, but don't just jerk it up or your balance will be very hard to find. You need to get to a point where you feel as though you are about to fall off the back, this is your balance point.
<snip>
Good tips. :) When I managed to pull up so far that I had to hop off the back (no, not kangaroo but as in bail :lol: ) it was when I didn't just compress the fork and pull like a maniac trying to bring the front up but rather I put my butt behid the seat and I sort of felt like a lever, somehow, the front came up nice and slowly.

This is probably a really obvious question, but i guess you have to do it going down atleast a slight incline?
Also, is it easier to manuel on a hardtail? (i have FS) How easy is it to manuel a BMX?

BMX's are easier to get up, but MTB's are easier to keep up. I can't imagine what manualing an FS would be like.

This is probably a really obvious question, but i guess you have to do it going down atleast a slight incline?
Also, is it easier to manuel on a hardtail? (i have FS) How easy is it to manuel a BMX?

I personally find it easier to find my balance on a slight incline. But once you find your balance on a down slope it is way easier to hold it. I ride a dually and will not say if it's easier or harder on a HT. As I am used to my bike I canb find the balance point easier on my bike, but when I ride other peoples HTs I think it can be better due to the lighter front end (I have a DH bike therefore heavier forks)

Go ask the little guys at your local BMX spot. They seem to do it with ease. Short chainstays seem to help though.

i still haven't been able to manual or even wheelie for any significant amount of time. but from the tips i've been given are:

1. keep your arms straight.
2. keep your knees bent.
3. pull back on the bars and lean back, keeping arms straight and stay low.
4. some people have said it's good to keep one finger on the rear brake so you can tap it if you feel like you're going to loop back. others have told me it's better to learn without the brake - you can get a lot further without it cause you don't lose as much speed. so far this is how i've been learning (without he brake). if i feel i'm going to loop back i just jump off the bike if i can.
5 (and probably the most important). lots and lots of practice.

most BMX'rs dnt use breaks, i myself dont
i still havent got it perfect but i understand the art of doing them properrly by keeping my balance without brakes.
my way of doing of it and most professioansl on a BMX is known as the pump. basically as u pull ure handlebars of and lean ur body wieght backwords to lift ur front wheel up, u keep ur legs str8 as u lift up, as u feel ur handlebars reach the limit of lift i.e when u over do the lift and the bike fly up in the air u compress ur knees to keep the wheel in its exact position

to describe in more detail i will explain it below:

1) go at a steady speed (if u go to slow u wont keep the front up for to long, if u go to fast u will proberrly fly of the bike and die figurally speaking)
2) when ur rolling at the speed u feel comfortable with compress your knees so u can prepare for the lift, after uve compressed lift ur handlebars and lean over ur seat and keep ur legs fairly bent but straight aswell.
3) now the tricky bit...if u do the lift spot on u will be able to feel the front of ur wheel slowly rising more and more till it reaches the limit and u feel that u will fall of the back, as u feel this, bend ur knees in the gently to push the front wheel of the bike a bit lower down and then extend them again to pull the wheel back up. this is the pump

its ovbsious u will fall from reaching the limit of ur lift and maybe fall flat on ur ass but it means ur understanding on were abouts u need to compress ur knees to balance out the lift

this works with brakes to....same way of doing it but good for controlling balance...but ruins style i think, the pump looks so much better in my opinion
hope this ahs been helpful

Vibe07, seeing as how it's been 2 years since the last post, he's either learned or given up by now. Your post would have been more helpful if it was written in English. How old are you?

It was helpful to me Brian.

I can manual on a unicycle

As if trainwrecked.....that takes mad skills.
I once manualled a scooter. It was intense.

It was helpful to me Brian.

Yeah, but I've seen what Australian schools teach kids...

Hmm... am I the only one that shoves my right pedal down while coming up?

Nope. I do as well, I got a frame thats a smidgen too big for me( I'm 5'6 and have a 19.5" frame >_> ) so I pedal up hard and try to balance. Same for wheelies, which I can't do very well either. I can't get the sideways balance.

Wow Why bump this >_<

Yeah, but I've seen what Australian schools teach kids...
Care to explain?

Because if somebody started a new thread
a) Noone would reply
b) If they did, they would have just said "Use the ^#$&ing search tool"

Care to explain?


My comment was direct at his lack of spelling and grammar skills. You replied that you understand his post. To that, I responded that you were educated in Australian schools, where spelling and grammar are not stressed nearly enough.

brian im 16
and it doesnt matter if the person posted this 2 years ago, it will still helpful to people who want to learn the manual.
and im english and im sorry if its not good toyour liking...i try to use slang in writting if nu know what i mean
i hope u dnt take this the wrong way...and im not being aggressive in anyway, jst thought id point it out since u asked

Please don't use text speak. This is a forum, not a texting venue

brian im 16
and it doesnt matter if the person posted this 2 years ago, it will still helpful to people who want to learn the manual.
and im english and im sorry if its not good toyour liking...i try to use slang in writting if nu know what i mean
i hope u dnt take this the wrong way...and im not being aggressive in anyway, jst thought id point it out since u asked

You didn't read the rules before you posted. They're taken pretty seriously here. So no more text - spell things out fully, and use proper punctuation. Thanks.

i dont get why the spelling thing is sooooooooooo important??
its not gonna be the end of the world if someone uses slang is it lol
but fine if it makes you lot happy i will type with decentsy and respect your wishs

i dont get why the spelling thing is sooooooooooo important??
its not gonna be the end of the world if someone uses slang is it lol
but fine if it makes you lot happy i will type with decentsy and respect your wishs

Because people from all over the world read this, and they may not understand your poor grammar, bad spelling, or slang. Also, you don't want the rest of the world to think that BMXer's are a bunch of morons. This is the only forum where we constantly have to remind people to use proper spelling and grammar.

lol yeah helpful and pretty funny

i dont get why the spelling thing is sooooooooooo important??
its not gonna be the end of the world if someone uses slang is it lol
but fine if it makes you lot happy i will type with decentsy and respect your wishs
hillarious!

I feel like such a putz. I can wheelie all day long and I can ride a unicycle. But manuals? - - those are tough. I've yet to get the hang of them. Thanks for your tips, Hopper.

hehe so funnny how this topic has become a talk about grammar, lets leave at this lol