Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Skiiids.

Yeah, I feel wicked stupid for asking this, but i was wondering if anyone riding a 48/17 ratio can skid without killing themselves. When I can manage to skid i usually have to jam my knee into my frame and feel like i am gonna die, granted i only do this when i feel like i am gonna die from trying to bomb a intersection and having second thoughts.

Either way, is it just that I need to have bigger legs or is it just difficult to skid with that ratio?

im 49x18 (~71-72 gear inches) and my roomate is 48x18 and have no problems skidding... Something tells me you're doing something wrong.

48x16 and no problems. My friend rides 49x15 and skids like a madman.
GF rides 44x14 and recently learned to skid.
Maybe it's just your technique?

im 49x18 (~71-72 gear inches) and my roomate is 48x18 and have no problems skidding... Something tells me you're doing something wrong.

me too.

Nuts to the stem!

i've heard about this knee into the frame thing before and it sounds incredibly dumber
i ride a high gear and have very little trouble skidding
but i rarely need to do it or see the point except for when i want to look stylin'

I've gotten some really solid skids by accidentally hooking my heel underneath the left chainstay. :)

42/15 here, which is about the same as your ratio.

Now are you talking skidding for disctance for for stopping quickly? I'm running that ratio and skidding and skipping are no probs. Still finding that comfort zone for long distance stuff.

lean waaayyyy forward.

50x16 and can skid happily.

sometimes it's better, though, to be more like water and less like a brick wall with your riding technique/form. wasn't it proven in another thread that it is much better on the body, mind and heart to simply ride a bit more consciously, be aware of when you will need to stop before you neeeed to stop? ride smooth, dude.

Now are you talking skidding for disctance for for stopping quickly? I'm running that ratio and skidding and skipping are no probs. Still finding that comfort zone for long distance stuff.

more for the quick stops, slight skids while turning and emergency stops sorta thing.

I learned to skid on a higher ratio, its just technique. Go to an empty parking lot or something and really put your crotch far forward when you lock your legs. Then try doing it going faster. With more practice/stronger legs you will probably be able to do it without putting so much weight forward, which means the skids will have more stopping power.

yeah, that is probably the best idea, i have a feeling there isn't enough weight being put forward yet.

i learned to skid using 53:13, i dont use that gear anymore, but it makes it a lot easier to skid on other bikes.

i learned to skid using 53:13, i dont use that gear anymore, but it makes it a lot easier to skid on other bikes.

holy crap.

i hardly use skidding to actually stop. more for competitions. skipping is so much faster/easier IMO.

Can someone tell me how people skid seated?

I sorta post a little and then lock my legs. It ends up being more pulling up than stomping down. As I've learned recently, geometry of your bike does come into play.

I could skip and skid withing a few days of going fixed, but I've never been able to lock the wheel seated.

I sorta post a little and then lock my legs. It ends up being more pulling up than stomping down. As I've learned recently, geometry of your bike does come into play.

interesting about the geomtry, that makes sense... i agreed w/ 128 on the movement.
until i learned to skip, my effort exerted to skid was greater, as my brain/foot wanted to push down to to execute. after learning to skip, which is a pulling up action, skidding moved to a new level. much easier.

are you running bull horns? I was having trouble when i started, but switched out my drops to bulls. No problems now.

I pulled my first unconscious hockey skid (car was turning as I was trying to go straight) tonight. I was proud of myself. Shorter wheelbase makes it ALOT easier to skid. as does a smaller front chainring.

geometry of your bike does come into play.

+1

Shorter wheelbase, getting the seatpost at a steeper angle (to get your ass farther away from the rear axel, it's all about weight distribution). It also helps to have long bullhorns, that way you can get more weight in front of the front axel (too much and you endo).

46\15 no prob. But I'm clipless, so it' s really easy.

are you running bull horns? I was having trouble when i started, but switched out my drops to bulls. No problems now.

flat bar.

I'm running 48x17 with drops. It's all about the weight distribution and timing. Find the center of gravity of your bike by picking it up from the top tube until the wheels are level with one another. When you want to skid, throw all your weight beyond that point on the top tube by getting your ass past it and simultaneously lock up your legs when they are parallel to the ground. Find a smooth surface that offers low resistance until you get the feel for it. Try it on a downhill at low speed, and you'll unweight the back wheel more easily. Once you are clear on the front-to-back balance necessary to skid the back wheel, you'll start to get a feel for adding weight to the back wheel for quicker stops. That being said, I've got a brake, so what do I know.

Or, try stopping on a slight downhill covered in wet leaves; you'll be skidding more than you ever wanted. You won't be stopping...but you'll be skidding--more than you ever wanted!! Another option (if skidding is so much fun) is getting a coaster brake!! Sorry for the sarcasm; but in my years going brakeless I've found if you have to skid, you're probably in some degree of trouble. Of course I'm no showboater; but I have four years of commuting with zero crashes. That's the record I'm proud of.

smooth snowpack is good fun for skidding. Highly recommended if you have the means.

Of course I'm no showboater; but I have four years of commuting with zero crashes. That's the record I'm proud of.

too bad you just jinxed yourself.

i run 48x17. you'll probably learn how i did. a car will turn in front of you and you will slam into a skid without thinking about it. voila, you will be able to skip/skid evermore.

are you running bull horns? I was having trouble when i started, but switched out my drops to bulls. No problems now.

I learned on bullhorns, which was much easier than my drops (have fallen a couple times from my knee hitting the bottom of the bar and throwing me down). I still get hesitant trying to skid on my drops.

My problem with skidding/skipping is that I can't do it at higher rpms yet. Any tips?

Also, would my 48x19 be the problem since I'm 'spinning' more at higher rpms?

If anything itll make it easier. (tho i just woke up so dont quote me)

The best advice that I can give is what has already been given....but here it goes again....first of all the most important thing is to commit to the skid. I don't think that you can ease into skidding. second your thighs need to be touching your bars essentially placing your sac/vag right over the stem. other than that as 128 said I find that pulling up on the front pedal makes alot more difference than pushing down on the back

Get the feel for it by throwing your weight way forward as others have suggested. Once you can do it that way, though, wor on doing it with your weight less far forward. Balls-on-the-stem is useful for longskids, but doesn't really do much of anything useful for you in traffic. Learning to lock up your wheel with your weight farther back is what you need to do for stopping quickly.

At this point I can skip and skid when seated. When I have to skid to stop short, I usually actually end up rotating my cranks/wheel backwards a bit in the process, rather than just locking it up. One big thing that helped me was concentrating on pulling up with the one foot while pushing down with the other. It's really easy to over-concentrate on pushing down with the one foot and ignore the pulling up on the other side.

Nuts to the stem!

+1

I sorta post a little and then lock my legs. It ends up being more pulling up than stomping down. As I've learned recently, geometry of your bike does come into play.

it's definitely all about the pulling up for me, just make sure those toe straps are tight. I found that when im trying to skid to stop i do the pulling up and don't lean forward as much, but for show i lean way far forward and push back..idk if that helps, but thats what works for me on any bike i've ridden so far

skipping for traffic, skidding for show.

It helped me to learn the technique using my dominant leg to do the backpedal pullup. It's the stronger of the two.

skipping for traffic, skidding for show.

It helped me to learn the technique using my dominant leg to do the backpedal pullup. It's the stronger of the two.


when im in traffic i skip as well but i can do it with both legs so it helps out a lot.

locking your knees and learning how to shift your weight from front to back and side/side as well helps out so much with skidding. i always put more weight on the side of the leg im locking up extended.

Get the feel for it by throwing your weight way forward as others have suggested. Once you can do it that way, though, wor on doing it with your weight less far forward. Balls-on-the-stem is useful for longskids, but doesn't really do much of anything useful for you in traffic. Learning to lock up your wheel with your weight farther back is what you need to do for stopping quickly.

At this point I can skip and skid when seated. When I have to skid to stop short, I usually actually end up rotating my cranks/wheel backwards a bit in the process, rather than just locking it up. One big thing that helped me was concentrating on pulling up with the one foot while pushing down with the other. It's really easy to over-concentrate on pushing down with the one foot and ignore the pulling up on the other side.

+++1. all about pulling up on your front toe clip to start the skid.

having a track (geometrically speaking at least) bike makes it alot easier... you can pretty much just stop pedaling, lean forward and let the back wheel bounce if you need to stop that fast...

I've seen some videos of skidding contests. Are those contests helds on dry roads? I can sortof skid, when it rains or snows I can do it very well, but when it is totally dry out I have trouble. I probably just don't commit to the skid and lean forward enough. Anyways, I can't imagine doing that long of a skid on dry pavement, tell me they wet it down with a hose first or something?

they're leaning so far foward in skidding contests that the dry pavement isn't really an issue. they're essentially riding on the front wheel with an almost weightless rear tire dragging behind them - and they can go very far. obviously not something you'd do if you needed to stop.

I finally learned how to skip efficiently today, being able to skip at faster speeds.

My back tire completely comes off the ground and just skips, but when I put more weight on the back -- it sort of whips out.


I'm on a used parts bike/frame and the lil bits get a little loose. Any tips?

i learned to skid using 53:13, i dont use that gear anymore, but it makes it a lot easier to skid on other bikes.

good god! are you in a wheelchair now? my knees would fall apart if i had to skid with that gear ratio all of the time.

i learned to skid using 53:13, i dont use that gear anymore, but it makes it a lot easier to skid on other bikes.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/onepalecow/zanbike.jpg

you should start with no handed backwards circles before you try to skid. you should move up to a 51. 1:3 is the most efficient standard ratio.

Nuts to the stem!

+1

if you can skip, you know how to "post" a bit and lock up the rear wheel, at least for a bit, until the pedals take over and go another rotation.

for distance skids, jam one knee onto the frame and put your nuts/vag on the stem. for quick skids, do a skip but don't let the pedals take over and go arouind again.

i ride 48/17...this seems harder for you than it did for me.

I ride a 46x16 and manage pretty well when it comes to skidding. My only problem is my wrist. I got into a bad accident well over a year ago and my wrist hurts when riding certain bars (it's the main reason I switched from bullhorns to drops). It sounds ass backwards, but it hurts less grabbing on to the shoulders of drops than on the sides of the bullhorns.

I am however doing physical therapy involving the lifting of many, many pint glasses.