Road Cycling - I am king of the track stand!

HAHA!

Was riding in rush hour traffic tonight and got hit with a red so I rode it out with a track stand...... I lasted the entire phase :D I normally start off from these lights in 2nd or 3rd and i used 3rd to track stand..

IM HAPPY!! lol thought I would share.

Brendon

You know, I just recently acquired this skill myself. After practicing in my driveway for awhile, I was finally able to balance and proceeded to try it on the road several months ago. I was quite excited myself, because it seemed I'd never be able to learn after those first miserable attempts!

But, I've also been hit by several autos over the last few months and now I'm starting to wonder if it's all related. . . . Hmmmmmm. . . .

Congrats! I can track stand for a few minutes on my road bike. With my new fixie, I hope to extend that to hours ;)

When track standing at stop lights I often wonder how many people were watching and were amazed .... no one ever says anything or even takes a second glance as they drive by so I figured few if any took notice. Then one day I was doing a track stand and my front wheel slid into a crack in the road causing me to lose my balance and do a one legged dance across the bike lane. I managed to stay on my feet and hold the bike up as well as learning that a lot of people take notice if you almost crash.

When track standing at stop lights I often wonder how many people were watching and were amazed .... no one ever says anything or even takes a second glance as they drive by so I figured few if any took notice. Then one day I was doing a track stand and my front wheel slid into a crack in the road causing me to lose my balance and do a one legged dance across the bike lane. I managed to stay on my feet and hold the bike up as well as learning that a lot of people take notice if you almost crash.


you can bet people noticed that maneuver!

HAHA!

Was riding in rush hour traffic tonight and got hit with a red so I rode it out with a track stand...... I lasted the entire phase :D I normally start off from these lights in 2nd or 3rd and i used 3rd to track stand..

IM HAPPY!! lol thought I would share.

Brendon

Hey CZ! Congrats! I'm still working on that one! I guess it'll have to wait until the ice clears from the roads...... :(

Bob

I like to roll up to someone and talk to them while doing a seated track stand,this is pretty much a fixed only trick,unless you luck out and end up on a slight slope.
I think trackstands freak out people in cars because, since your feet are up, they think you are still moving

Quite the skill to have, congrats. - it'll help you in many other areas of cycling, especialy if you MTB.

I ride a SS (not fixed) and all of my track stands are done seated. If it's level, or slightly DH I just turn my bars 90, lock the front brake and apply presure to the pedal - there's enough flex in the front wheel to simulate a grade. I rarely have to do this because most car lanes have a crown, almost always there is some small grade to push against.

Next, you'll have to master the no handed track stand (that one I need a slight hill for).

Not to sound stupid, but can yall explain a track stand?

Not to sound stupid, but can yall explain a track stand?
Pretty good article here.
http://www.teamestrogen.com/articles/asa_trackstand.asp
I have yet to learn it myself, but plan to give it a try in the winter when I have to cut my rides shorter.

Pretty good article here.
http://www.teamestrogen.com/articles/asa_trackstand.asp
I have yet to learn it myself, but plan to give it a try in the winter when I have to cut my rides shorter.

Thanks for the URL BigFloppy! I can't wait to try this, I hate clicking out in the middle of a ride. I don't think my wife will let me do it in the living room though, have to clean out the garage.

I ride a SS (not fixed) and all of my track stands are done seated. If it's level, or slightly DH I just turn my bars 90, lock the front brake and apply presure to the pedal - there's enough flex in the front wheel to simulate a grade. I rarely have to do this because most car lanes have a crown, almost always there is some small grade to push against.

Next, you'll have to master the no handed track stand (that one I need a slight hill for).

Showoff. :D

Jay

I like to roll up to someone and talk to them while doing a seated track stand,this is pretty much a fixed only trick,unless you luck out and end up on a slight slope.
I think trackstands freak out people in cars because, since your feet are up, they think you are still moving


not really only for fixed, if you don't have a slope you may have to use your brakes more, or learn how to move backward a bit while standing (not as hard as you might think)

anyhow trackstands are fun to do while waiting around at an organized ride, lots of riders will turn their heads :p

When track standing at stop lights I often wonder how many people were watching and were amazed .... no one ever says anything or even takes a second glance as they drive by so I figured few if any took notice. . .

I've actually received comments from at least two different women while waiting at a light. . . so evidently some people do notice.

I've actually received comments from at least two different women while waiting at a light. . . so evidently some people do notice.

Maybe it's just in Arizona where they don't notice till you crash .... or maybe it's that they don't care until you crash.

Ever see the episode of The Simpsons where they go to the Nascar race? Everyone is bored until there's a near crash and they get all excited until the driver recovers to which they moan in dissapointment. Thats pretty much where I place the majority of motorists in Phoenix.

Thats pretty much where I place the majority of motorists in Phoenix.

kinda a off topic thing, but how have you been (riding wise) with your knee and all? have you recovered more or still in the same spot as last year?

kinda a off topic thing, but how have you been (riding wise) with your knee and all? have you recovered more or still in the same spot as last year?

My season has been hit or miss ... mostly miss. My knee gets really sore, in strange areas and from doing nothing to it, to the point of stopping movement at all, so I haven't been on the bike a lot. I don't have medical insurance so it's mostly just deal with the pain and ride when I can. Generally I can ride through the pain if I can make it through 5 or 6 miles. No hard sprints or hill climbs though.

In addition my motivation has been kind of lacking, I moved, got a new job, etc and therefore things have been crazy. Everytime I tried to get serious about building up a base something came up and ruined my fun. August was my best month this year and even it was pretty pathetic.

It's hard to tell without a true medical opinion what's wrong ... something ain't right, I know that, but until I can get medical insurance I am just going to grin and bear it. I am hoping November/December can be base months for next year now that I am in Phoenix and can ride all winter... then maybe next season will be good again.

Anyway, it's been hard, part of physical and part of it mental, but I am out on the road when all things allow. Thanks for asking. :)

I was test riding a bike in Charleston,SC a few years ago, so I was not clipped in. I came up to light downtown. A guy ahead of me went into a track stand. I was not very good at it, I could maybe get 30 seconds or so. But I figured "what the heck". I pulled up and did one myself. Somehow I hit the zone. We both did a side by side track stand for the entire light. It was pretty cool. :D

I am not so brave clipped in.

Hehe, when I first read that link about how to do the trackstand, I saw the first picture of the person on the back wheel, and I was like "you balance the bike on just the back wheel while you're waiting at the traffic light!!??". So I read the whole page waiting for her to get to the part where she tells you how to get up on just the back wheel until I realized you're supposed to do it on both wheels, and the picture wasn't what a trackstand actually is. Makes me wonder though, are there any of you guys who can do a track stand on just one wheel??

Austin