Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Don't practice trackstanding...

...next to the spot where your neighbor has 5 years worth of leaked motor oil on the road. Thank goodness for Simple Green.

...you used simple green to clean yourself?

Nah, I managed to only get the oil on my suede bike shoes. The simple green didn't quite work - guess I need some leather cleaner. OTOH, if you like to smell minty-fresh, using simple green on yourself probably isn't such a bad idea.

...and you have no pictures of this event?

I've been promising to myself for months that I'll go out and spend an afternoon and I will be able to trackstand by the end. Take my bike to the park and practice and practice, away from the mocking eyes of the public.

I never do and you've just given me another reason.

Cheers, mine's a schooner.

or how about not practicing track standing with your feet in the clips

when i first started riding fixed and was learning track stands i had many moments where i felt like a complete ass for just falling over

I practiced for an hour last night...learned about 5 minutes in to it that the clips gotta go.

I built a beater fixed gear with a suicide hub and all and platform pedals (yes, its brakeless) so that I could learn to track stand. I geared it 38/19 to start, and after a couple of days went to 48/19. Now I can track stand just fine on it long enough for most stop lights.

If I ever have a kid I'm teaching him/her to ride fixed backwards first.




Forwards and track standing will be pie in comparison.

hmm. it took me like 5 minutes to learn trackstands. the trick to learning them is that you need to learn to balance with your feet. no handed track stands are fun but if you arent quick you can bust your ass. id like to learn backwards circles but i can only get half way around. all of these tricks are pretty worthless for the most part.

all of these tricks are pretty worthless for the most part.

but, but... what about my street cred!

but, but... what about my street cred!

What about just for fun? At my age I had the choice of Viagra or the IRO group buy. I went with the IRO. Don't steal my joy.

Trackstanding is useful at stop signs and stop lights. Backwards circles on the other hand are useful if you need to up and join the circus at some point.

or perhaps if you encountered a mexican hat of some sort.

any tips for vanilla foot trackstands? i can do multiple backward circles, no handed trackstands, foot on the wheels trackstands, but my off foot has never happened for more than a few seconds.

trackstanding is great. totally worth every second of practice. it gives me so much more control at low speed and at stop lights. since i learned how to trackstand fixed i can do it on my mountain bike and my road bike.

i am horrible at trackstands, and i practice everyday. i run 48/16, would the best suggestion be gearing down or just practicing more? I am not hellbent on getting it, but eventually i would enjoy being able to do it.

or perhaps if you encountered a mexican hat of some sort.


perhaps indeed!!!

any tips for vanilla foot trackstands? i can do multiple backward circles, no handed trackstands, foot on the wheels trackstands, but my off foot has never happened for more than a few seconds.

trackstanding is great. totally worth every second of practice. it gives me so much more control at low speed and at stop lights. since i learned how to trackstand fixed i can do it on my mountain bike and my road bike.

same way you got the first foot

or perhaps if you encountered a mexican hat of some sort.

I must admit I can't trackstand or do reverse circles. I regret it everytime I see a mexican hat in the road.

i am horrible at trackstands, and i practice everyday. i run 48/16, would the best suggestion be gearing down or just practicing more? I am not hellbent on getting it, but eventually i would enjoy being able to do it.

Wah??? Is it really that difficult? I do the pedal-very-slowly pseudo trackstand on my bikes all the time, I can't imagine that doing it for real fixed would be much different.

What about just for fun? At my age I had the choice of Viagra or the IRO group buy. I went with the IRO. Don't steal my joy.

GOLD

You guys specifically practice trackstanding? I ended up learning at traffic lights and intersections.

EDIT: Ok I realise this is gonna draw a s***load of comments from people I've offended by saying WTF do you specifically practice trackstands. It is fun to show off to friends.

Yeah, what's up with people practicing stuff to get better at it? That's totally stupid.

Wah??? Is it really that difficult? I do the pedal-very-slowly pseudo trackstand on my bikes all the time, I can't imagine that doing it for real fixed would be much different.

if you're new to it, never tried it on any bikes, and you're still working out your balance, then yes it's a new motion you have you get your body used to. atleast, that's my experience.

typically i'm not to accustomed to balancing myself on two wheels.but im gainin on it.

Wah??? Is it really that difficult? I do the pedal-very-slowly pseudo trackstand on my bikes all the time, I can't imagine that doing it for real fixed would be much different.

that is quite different from a trackstand. You are steering the bike to balance with a trackstand the steering stays constant and you move the bike forward and back with the pedals which results in the side to side movement that balances you. You can do a trackstand on a freewheeled bike too provided you are pointing uphill.

i am horrible at trackstands, and i practice everyday. i run 48/16, would the best suggestion be gearing down or just practicing more? I am not hellbent on getting it, but eventually i would enjoy being able to do it.
Probably you've heard this a bunch of times, but practicing on a slight uphill slope does help a whole bunch. Roll forward, let the bike roll back a bit etc. Gearing down would help a bit but not much I think, so it's not worth bothering with that.
Try to relax and not jerk the bike around... try not to just push the pedals, move the bike back and forth by the handlebars.

Edit: actually, it is possible and not really all that hard to trackstand a fw bike on level ground. I can do it by using the front brake. Not gracefully though, I admit.

Nah, I managed to only get the oil on my suede bike shoes. The simple green didn't quite work - guess I need some leather cleaner. OTOH, if you like to smell minty-fresh, using simple green on yourself probably isn't such a bad idea.

Suede cleaner. Not leather cleaner, you'll **** them up more...

hmm. it took me like 5 minutes to learn trackstands. the trick to learning them is that you need to learn to balance with your feet. no handed track stands are fun but if you arent quick you can bust your ass. id like to learn backwards circles but i can only get half way around. all of these tricks are pretty worthless for the most part.

Trackstands aren't worthless. They allow you to stay clipped in where you have better control (especially with road style clipless pedals).

The underside of exposed cleat systems aren't particularly sticky.

You guys specifically practice trackstanding? I ended up learning at traffic lights and intersections.

I've been thinking pretty much the same thing.