Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Trying to skid while going fast... help?

So, I've been riding bikes for a while now, and got a set of fixed wheels like, four days ago. So the first day I had them, I learned how to skid, and tried to track stand (which I still really suck at) so that I'm not completely useless.

So I can skid at low speeds with reasonable confidence, and I know the whole, commit commit commit aspect of it all, but when I get going and try to skid, I kinda freeze up, or bail out inadvertently. This kinda bucks me up a little bit, and then after that I just get nervous and whimp out.

Any tips on skidding while going fast, so that I can, you know, try not to get hit by cars if the situation arises?

I know I'm a noob, so please don't be condescending, much.

get a brake.

So just said that you know you need to "commit" to the skid yet you said you wimp out.

???????????

brakes >>>>>>>>>>> skidding

FYI, if you put your weight over the bars, it's easier to hold the skid.
HOWEVER, this also increases your stopping distance.
WHICH is quite desirable for showing off, but totally useless in traffic.

I agree with everyone here, get a brake, since you are fairly new. But if you are really determined to ride brakeless (which I am assuming), keep practicing until you can do seated skids. It also helps if you simultaneously pull up on your toestrap while pushing down with your other foot.

Yeah, I got the weight over the handlebars thing, and can hold them and whatnot.

I could get a brake, but yeah, I'm doing the whole aesthetics thing I guess.

Other then the going fast and skidding thing, I don't have any more trouble, because since I know I can't stop going fast, I don't go too fast. I just kinda, get there when I get there.

This is just something that's kinda frustrating me, and youtube hasn't really helped me with this one.

Thank for the advice so far though. If I can't get it soon, I'd probably get a brake.

No offense but you sound really immature.

Let me get this straight, you want to learn how to skid at fast speeds. That's totally cool. But the only issue is that you refuse to ride with brakes even though you know for a fact that a) It's a lot more dangerous to do so b) You can't even do it without traffic around. What makes you think you're gonna be able to do it when **** hits the fan and a car swerves to your left?

If you want to learn how to skid at fast speeds, it's all about timing. No youtube video is gonna teach you timing unless it's shot with a big budget.

Get a brake regardless of skidding. I can skid going down hill at fast speeds without putting my balls on the stem but even then I only do it for a second just to slow down so I can ride slowly to the bottom.

In traffic it's IMPERATIVE to have a front brake. No ****in way will anyone with any sense would recommend riding through traffic brakeless. The biggest reason why they don't use brakes on the velodrome is because NO ONE else has a brake and aside from that stopping with immediacy would cause injury.

HOWEVER, in traffic, cars do EVERYTHING you're not supposed to do if you're riding brakeless. Making people who ride brakeless in cities deserving of a Darwin award.

you may just be choosing aesthetics over your life. get a brake, you're learning still (ive been riding at least 2-3 years and i still ride with a brake).

gilmatic, took the words right outta my mouth.

Yeah, I got the weight over the handlebars thing, and can hold them and whatnot.

I could get a brake, but yeah, I'm doing the whole aesthetics thing I guess.

Other then the going fast and skidding thing, I don't have any more trouble, because since I know I can't stop going fast, I don't go too fast. I just kinda, get there when I get there.

This is just something that's kinda frustrating me, and youtube hasn't really helped me with this one.

Thank for the advice so far though. If I can't get it soon, I'd probably get a brake.

Don't worry. Darwin will help you figure it all out soon enough.

This thread..

Get a brake while learning dude, and then keep it on. I have never learned how to skid, I do use my front brake though and I do use the skip to slow down.

Any tips on skidding while going fast, so that I can, you know, try not to get hit by cars if the situation arises?

skidding isn't very good way to stop.. the faster you're going, the longer it's going to take you to slow down

get a front and back brake if you don't want to die in traffic.. yes, its not "cool" but neither is getting hit by a car

For the record - I ride brakeless and know how to skid in any given situation but never need to because I know how to ride my bike.

Riding like an idiot in traffic will get you hit by a car whether you have brakes or not.

I know how to ride my bike.

it's the people who don't know how to drive that you have to look out for

it's the people who don't know how to drive that you have to look out for

+100000

When you're in traffic and an SUV tries to make a right turn through you at an intersection...

I ride brakeless now after about a year and a half of riding with a brake. I rarely need to skid stop. If you are reluctant to get a front brake learn to back pedal and don't ride in traffic until you learn to ride safely and feel comfortable.

It is not a matter of aesthetics.

Braking 101 (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/473376-Braking-101-a-public-service-message-from-your-Uncle-Sixty.)

it's the people who don't know how to drive that you have to look out for

Which is precisely why I don't ride like an idiot in traffic. Knowing how to ride responsibly is included in "knowing how to ride my bike".

I ride pretty slow through busy downtown areas, stay very aware of my surroundings and always assume that people don't see me (or don't care) because I know anything can happen.

I think it also helps to use a lowish gear. All of my urban FG bikes are geared under 70 gi, so I can stop pretty hard when I need to by back pedaling. I don't use skidding as a braking method, since it's inferior to back pedaling. I only use higher gearing on bikes that are ridden on very low traffic country roads with infrequent stops. Also, all of my urban FG bikes have a front brake, because **** can happen.

Riding on the street on a bike you can't control. Genious. Bet OP is pushing a monster gear too.

Which is precisely why I don't ride like an idiot in traffic. Knowing how to ride responsibly is included in "knowing how to ride my bike".

I ride pretty slow through busy downtown areas, stay very aware of my surroundings and always assume that people don't see me (or don't care) because I know anything can happen.

I used to blast through downtown traffic and with a high degree of situational awareness, lots of riding experience, and a front brake that allowed me to stop on a dime and give me back a nickel's change kept me from being road kill.

You have to ride with the philosophy that no-one can see you and the ones that do want to kill you... especially people in white BMW's.

You can't mosey about when riding fast is how you made your living and while some messengers here don't use a front brake the majority do because it isn't about looking pretty but having your bike perform at it's maximum capability.

If you lay down a lot of miles in a day having a front brake saves your energy... if you ride a few miles a day it's no big deal but if you are knocking down 30-40 miles a day it really helps.

Like Tejano, I use a lowish gear on the road and spin faster rather than try and mash a big gear all day... my working bikes were geared at around 70 GI.

One thing I have noticed is that many fixed gear riders are younger and have limited riding experience and like younger drivers of cars have a much higher chance of being in accidents... rate for this is about 10x the rest of the population and it just stems from a lack of experience.

The riding skills might be solid... it is the road skills that need to be developed.

Aaaand /thread

52-14 FTW in teh city streetz w/no brakes, headphones in.

I could get a brake, but yeah, I'm doing the whole aesthetics thing I guess.

I use a brake, but it doesn't bother me when others don't if they have some experience.. doesn't sound like you do. IMO you should put the brake on until you can control your bike.

Do you have foot retention? Are you doing the nuts to stem skid or the kind where you barely get off your seat?

In Chicago, even though its flat, brakeless in traffic is stupid. If you're in the loop, I usually find I have to go fast enough to keep up with traffic (read: be a car), and stop faster. Using a combination of pedal force, skidding and my front brake, I've never had a problem.

You can definitely get an aesthetically appealing brake setup, by the way. The proper cable length, with a good lever and caliper is not that bad.

52-14 FTW in teh city streetz w/no brakes, headphones in.

brb getting this tattooed on my legz

increase your ratio try 60-65 G.I. then increase to larger gear once perfected! That the best way to "create" technique

Which is precisely why I don't ride like an idiot in traffic. Knowing how to ride responsibly is included in "knowing how to ride my bike".

I ride pretty slow through busy downtown areas, stay very aware of my surroundings and always assume that people don't see me (or don't care) because I know anything can happen.

Being a good rider doesn't make you immune to accidents, as well as the stupidity of other people.

Having a brake is part of "knowing how to ride responsibly." You're willingly handicapping yourself before you even get on the bike. Knowing how to ride responsibly is making sure that your bike is totally functional and you have the most control over it at any given time. No one is all knowing and accidents happen. There is no brakeless argument beyond what the OP said, "going for the whole aesthetic thing."

Scrod.....No brakes on the Raleigh? Suicide hub? Or just on the leader?

I threw a brake on the Raleigh. Eff having a suicide hub with no brake. My Leaders are both brakeless.

goldenradical - I get what you're saying and never claimed to be "all-knowing". Please step away from the soapbox.

I use a brake, but it doesn't bother me when others don't if they have some experience.. doesn't sound like you do. IMO you should put the brake on until you can control your bike.

Ok, I've listened to all your advice, and understand.

I'm rocking just the 42/16, and ride slow in traffic. most of my commute is along a waterfront, and no traffic, besides that of foot.

I can control my bike, and have been riding to work just fine.

I do admit though, I have ****ty foot retention, and am trying to save money to buy some better cages, but I do have straps. my plastic ass cages won't fit the straps.

Time for a clip/strap upgrade then. Check out the local Co-Op and grab a used set for 10$

fast skids are all about the momentary hop and (what doesn't seem it but really is extremely) VIOLENT weighting of the front wheel. you're not just humping the stem you're ****ing it to death.

but not in actual physical space; just with the momentum of your center of gravity... kicking it forwards violently... it looks more like a little hip-jump and in actuality your hips don't leave more than six inches away from the saddle unless you're just standing up to straighten your legs. it's not violent; rather, it doesn't feel violent, but it's a very, very forceful movement for all of a split second. and from then on it's just getting leverage over the bars to keep your cranks stationary while simultaneously balancing over the front wheel to keep upright without whipping too much.

and even then with all the skill in the world it's just not safe. i ride brakeless in traffic with a 48/19 and a 46/15 and i either a) don't ride where a car would turn into me (biking like you're invisible), or b) slow way the **** down so if i can't avoid a car or risky situation like a busy intersection i'm going slow enough that the others in that situation have enough time to see me and i have enough time to find another way out of that situation. which basically translates to me slowing way down so i don't have to skid down hills(painful and sloooow) as well as simply taking every sideroad/shortcut/pathway that isn't wrong way or so far out of the way i would have to change other plans or areas of the route to accommodate it.
were i to bike fast and skid fast everywhere i'd need and want a brake. and when i bike fast on my bikes with brakes i often find myself not giving as much caution to potentially risky situations, and having to be way more assertive and MAKE cars see me because i'm going too fast to just avoid them, i'm in their way for longer because i'm going more their speed.

i have learned though that you need a certain amount of speed or slope to whip skid to a given angle of drift/whip. whip skidding only happens with a certain velocity or camber. so if that's what you are after, it just takes commitment flow and steeze, and a low gearing. if you're fighting a huge gear it makes it that much harder to control the rear tire through a skid.

I can control my bike, and have been riding to work just fine.



If you can't stop at speed, you are not in control of your bike.