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Riding backwards?

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Old 08-18-05, 05:41 PM
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Riding backwards?

Do any of you have any tips or pointers on riding backwards? I was practicing no-handed trackstands for the past hour and I've got them down. I won't be breaking any records on duration, but its respectable.

I tried riding backwards, to eventually do figure-8's but keep on getting thrown off the pedals.
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Old 08-18-05, 05:56 PM
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There's plenty of conjecture and ideas in the archives, but what I keep getting is to just practice and practice and practice. I seem to do better when I keep my weight more over the front wheel, but I still can't get more than about 3 feet before falling, so my experience isn't worth much here...
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Old 08-18-05, 06:14 PM
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balance. pedal slowly. go backwards. one hand, on the stem.
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Old 08-18-05, 07:21 PM
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um start like you are track standing and um put more weight over the front wheel,

don't turn the front too much keep pedaling smoothly all the way though the rotation
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Old 08-18-05, 08:05 PM
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practice tacking, like backin up a trailer...then then try going straight.
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Old 08-18-05, 08:43 PM
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i tried for about an hour one day to ride a backwards circle....i finally did a clean circle and a half and gave up cause i was satisfied....havent bothered to try since
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Old 08-18-05, 09:16 PM
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training wheels.
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Old 08-18-05, 09:41 PM
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wow. i cant believe im saying this but i actually did use one training wheel to learn
. i started doing circles and then moved to fig 8 leaving the wheel on. so i would be on my own for half of the eight. then i took it off one day and i can do about 3 figure eights now without falling. i wish i could do more but im fine with 3.
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Old 08-18-05, 10:17 PM
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I am pretty new to fixed gear but I waste a lot of time goofing off on the side walk at work while taking my breaks.

I recently have gotten better at backwards balance by slowly biking up to a lightpost/support column/vertical structure, trackstanding, then pushing off of said vertical implement with my hand to give myself a little backwards momentum
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Old 08-18-05, 10:43 PM
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I saw some people behind OneOnOne one night helping eachother with it. One would stand in the center of the circle the biker was going to make, and the biker would put a hand on their shoulder. The person in the center would turn as they rode. I don't know if that really works or not - never tried it...
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Old 08-19-05, 04:23 AM
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It's much easier if you go "beep---beep---beep" while doing it.
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Old 08-19-05, 05:35 AM
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I first tried seated- no luck. Now I practice every once in a while standing on the pedals, leaning forward. I only get to half a crank rotation then fall inwards every time.
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Old 08-19-05, 08:14 AM
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When I learned how to do it on a 20" bike, (back when I still rode flatland) I found that looking forward helped for some reason. For some reason, I always wanted to look at the ground and until I started looking straight ahead, I could never ride backwards.
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