Hi,
I am the mother of a four year old who is riding BMX. He has a GT micro bike. The problem is when he is approaching some hills with a lot of speed, as he comes over the top of the hill the back pops up, then he gets all squirrelly. I know he should have level petals (he approached with level petals and still popped up), but where should his weight be when approaching the hill, going up the hill, going over the hill, and going down the hill. Also where should his body be positioned? Also, is the problem caused by him being on a micro rather than a micro mini? I was looking at pictures of expert riders and in many cases I saw there tush behind the back of the seat. When do you do this? Also I saw pictures in some cases where there tush was way in front of the seat out of the starting gate. When should this be done?
Additionally, we were told that at the starting gate he should keep his tush over the seat and his wrists forward (sort of in front of the grips). Should his wrists be like that throughout?
Please help!!!!! I am trying to understand this, but really need help! Thanks in advance!
mude
09-18-06, 06:46 PM
if he's four it'll be hard for him to lift the bike and such so just give him time until he has a bit more strenght to worry more about control but his weight should be relatively back the entire "bump" im assuming you mean rollers.
Maureen
09-18-06, 06:53 PM
Rollers? On the BMX track there are hills, or bumps that he has to ride over. The other kids his age (some are smaller) are not getting popped up like he is, and it is causing a lot of frustration for him, hence I would like to help him. Some of the other kids his age look like they are pulling up on the handlebars then pushing down once they get to the top of the hill. Since he is popping up and getting squirrlly all he can do is try to stay up, and he ends up trying to slow down before he gets to the bump to prevent a large pop. Thanks again for any help!
dauphin
09-18-06, 06:57 PM
I find that if you bend both knees and she bends both knees...then the hips can meet with gentle tap...
mude
09-18-06, 07:07 PM
its called pumpng. you want to have yoru weight back when going up and push into it with your arms going downi
Maureen
09-18-06, 08:00 PM
Thanks Mude! That sounds as if it will help with the problem of the back popping up at the top of the hill, as long as he can execute. Thanks again!:)
CMcMahon
09-19-06, 12:08 AM
Rollers? On the BMX track there are hills, or bumps that he has to ride over.
Yeah, rollers. Because you can, like, roll over them.
KinetikBiker
09-19-06, 08:25 AM
Thanks Mude! That sounds as if it will help with the problem of the back popping up at the top of the hill, as long as he can execute. Thanks again!:)
You can also like manual (better know as a wheelie, haha) over them, that way his front end is allready up, but that might be too complicated.
As long as he stays low and pushes down to keep his speed he should be good.
And im sure at your race track there are lessons or a clinic he can take or even learn from the older riders.
As for the gate, its hard, i went to a race track by my house and i was having a bit of trouble snaping out of the gate right, and staying balanced.
If you raise his seat a little bit that might help, or at least thats what the racers at the track told me...
CMcMahon
09-19-06, 10:41 AM
manual (better know as a wheelie, haha)
Except you don't pedal in a manual...
KinetikBiker
09-19-06, 11:22 AM
Except you don't pedal in a manual...
Well i wasnt aware you pedaled in a wheelie either...
Jerry Garcia
09-19-06, 11:43 AM
lean back and bend the knees.
CMcMahon
09-19-06, 01:13 PM
Well i wasnt aware you pedaled in a wheelie either...
A wheelie is basically defined as lifting up the front end and pedaling, so I don't see how you wouldn't know that.
Maureen
09-19-06, 02:40 PM
I think I understand, but please correct me if I am wrong.... At the gate the wrists are positioned like I described above in order to facilitate pulling the bike up at the gate. I suspect it is not necessary to position ones wrists as such, unless one were trying to do a "manual". Those and pulling up at the gate, are beyond my son for now, so I wont worry about those as of yet. When popping up in the back, going over a "roller", one should position ones weight toward the back of the bike whith their knees bent, until they get to the top of the "roller" then start pushing down with their arms. At this point I assume their weight should still be back, knees bent, and tush should still be slightly behind the seat.
As far as the bike is concerned I suspect I know the answer to that one, although I was hoping someone would try to talk me out of buying the micromini. I am in the San Jose area if anyone knows of one for sale. I already looked in Craigs List to no avail.
Also I plan to ask someone to help him at Prunedale (as most of the problems surface at that track rather than PAL) , but I want to understand what is supposed to happen first.
Thanks again for all of your help; we are going tonight so we can try it all out!
liamgreen
09-25-06, 07:18 AM
i have very little weight anyway, so it doesnt matter if i am even on the bike at all
KinetikBiker
09-25-06, 11:02 AM
A wheelie is basically defined as lifting up the front end and pedaling, so I don't see how you wouldn't know that.
I always thought a wheelie was just pulling up your front end, and a manual was holding it up for long distances...
I thought pedalling during manuals/wheelies were called like power wheelies or something.
Meh whatever.
Haha.
FuzzyRyder
09-25-06, 05:42 PM
Wheelies, catwalks, power wheelies... it's all the same.
Brian
09-25-06, 06:39 PM
At the gate, he'll want to be slightly forward on the bike he can apply maximum torque as the gate drops, while keeping the front wheel down. I've raced with guys that have spun their back tire or even flipped at the gate. He wants the best position to put down the most power, while at the same time keeping both wheels on the ground.
On rollers, jumps, or the rhythym sections, he wants to bias his weight rearward, and try to keep his front wheel off the ground all the way through. Once he learns to manual, his front wheel shouldn't touch the ground over sets. This way he can get in a pedal stroke or several if he needs to, without getting squirrely.