BMX - manuals

When i try to do manuals, my pedals will sometimes go backwards and it causes me to fall back.
Am i doing something wrong?

like a back-pedaling motion? are you starting with your feet paralel to the ground?

I'm confused:twitchy:

yea, a back pedaling motion.
I start off with both pedals completely parallel to the ground, but as you lift the front of the bike up, the pedals have an angle to it. And sometimes, i will accidentally backpedal because of it, anyone here ever have this problem?

No I never had that problem just put equal pressure on both pedals. I am still a little confused but try that.

maybe he's not bending his knees?

It's not really possible to manual without bending your knees.

im thinking it's probably because of uneven pressure

Yea just keep practicing and don't give up.

Yea just keep practicing and don't give up.

thanks :)

by the way, how long did it take you guys to learn this move?

It took me maybe a week to go like 3-4 ft. A month or so to go farther like 8-10 ft.

It took me maybe a week to go like 3-4 ft. A month or so to go farther like 8-10 ft.

How often were you riding during that week/month?

it seriously took me like a week to get like 5 sidewalk squares. and thats doin this for 2 miles, once on the way to the park, and once back, every 5 squares. it felt like forever.
just practice.

practice, some people will pick itup easier than others, i could do it almost straight away, and some of my friends still cant do it that well.
just set yourself a target to do, like one carparking space and extend when you have reached your target.

How often were you riding during that week/month?

Not very much. I maybe practice it 1/2 hour to and hour a day. It was hot out.

haha

but thats what i did. look for a few sidewalk squares that have growth coming out and then try for those. it makes a pretty distinct start/stop point.
and just continually expand your goals. get bigger and bigger each time you meet one.

I just do manuals out of like the bowls, snake, on the box etc. Also whenever i'm biking somewhere i bunnyhop up **** and manual ****. That's how you get better.

Manualing rollers is fun.

When i manual, i look down at my handelbars. Everyone i ask says to look straight ahead, but when i do that, i dont know when im gonna flip. Anyone else look down at their handelbars and is that keeping me from manualing far?

Manualing rollers is fun.

And hard!
I try it whenever I get a chance to ride the track at beenleigh.

just keep your head up. youll get used to it.

Good tip: lean back more than you think you have to.

and keep your bars up. sometimes they may feel too high, but theyre really not. sometimes.

Ok, here is how it is done...

first of all, it's easier to learn on a mountain bike.

Once you learn to go at least 6 feet, anything under that should be pure instinct. After that, you have to stay in the most uncomfortable position possible. I'm talking, the most uncomfortable position you can find that still works.

I don't do much wheeling on BMX anymore, but one a mountain bike, once you get up you have to have your arms completely straight. With your elbows ALMOST locked, and keep your knees in. That way, it's easier to balance because your knees are closer to the middle, and easier to adjust. Then if you start going one way, just pull a knee out a lil bit. This is sitting down on a mt bike of course...

Today I was riding my gary fisher, I stopped before this bridge and was in 1-1 gear. I started to do a wheelie, (first time in awhile on this bike) well any ways I probably got a good 10 feet in. The funny thing was, the first 5 feet my front was only up about 7 inches. Motorcycles can wheelie by using there weight and the engine can hold them up 2 inches from the ground if they wanted to. Bicycling, it's all about balance/pedaling.

Like I said, I haven't BMX'd in a while, but that's what I have learned from it. I hope to be able to go as long as I want some day. ;)

Oh and what you described in the original post made me think of a bent crank? Is that possible? Does it naturally feel crooked when you pedal real slow?

I met this kid one time that had a bent crank, he had it his whole life and didn't even know. He got on my bike and ****.

Ok dude,
Wheelie on a mountain bike and manual on a bmx, 2 very different things.

Ok, here is how it is done...

no pedalling in a manual dude.

When i manual, i look down at my handelbars. Everyone i ask says to look straight ahead, but when i do that, i dont know when im gonna flip. Anyone else look down at their handelbars and is that keeping me from manualing far?

Looking down is the bad way to "know" when you're going to flip back... you have to feel it. keep pressure evenly on both of your pedals, maybe a slight bit more pressure on your front foot to start, the most important thing I can tell you is to not overthink this one. which is what it sounds like you are doing in looking down.

Do this!
1: practice bailing off the back, intentionally try to manual(not cranking) into pulling your bike out from under you and jumping off the pedals backwards onto the ground and running out of it. Dont go to fast when doing this of course and keep your hands on the bars!
2: once you are used to bailing the feeling is all you'll need to make sure you are safe.
3:practice like everyone else is saying, I started out in a empty parking lot, doing parking spaces. If you need to start in a smaller distance, manholes on your street or somewhere might be a good one too. try to feel where your back wheel is and not so much on pulling up on the front. Balancing over your back wheel is how its done correctly! GOOD LUCK!

Oh and what you described in the original post made me think of a bent crank? Is that possible? Does it naturally feel crooked when you pedal real slow?

I met this kid one time that had a bent crank, he had it his whole life and didn't even know. He got on my bike and ****.

i dont think i have a bent crank, it looks straight to me