anyone have any suggestions on how to not have my back wheel fishtail into the next lane everytime I need to skid?

equal pressure on both pedals.

skip instead of skidding

I never did figure out how to do that before I stopped skidding entirely. Maybe I should try again.


I don't remember the last time I skidded, at least on purpose.

it's not hard, and once you get it becomes automatic. (although i'm with you, i almost never skid, or skip, anymore).

I LOVE controlled skidding in the rain personally.

what do you find gives better control? seated skid or regular?

Neither, do it a little out of the saddle but not over the bars, just unweight the saddle.

At the sprints we were doing last night, we also ended up doing skids since the light misty rain had left a nice slick surface. teadoggg ended up doing 180 skids, very nice.

Skidding, to me, as others have posted above is more of a style/show thing or In Case Of™. I prefer to pick my lines and gauge my route as opposed to trackstanding, skidding or any of that. Plus I've spent some good money on 4 tires in the last week and I'd like my current set to last a while too.

Wow!!! I did that many???

Ohhhh, you meant degrees!

in the rain, I find that it's easier to control my skips/skids with my weight farther back so that the drag isn't so far off what you get on dry pavement.

That's how I read it too!

I've been enjoying skidding on the damp streets the last couple of days..

and on another note, I was behind a no-brake fixie this morning who I saw illustrate some perfect skipping. He had me out-geared though and was also running through interesections with a little less self-regard than me, so I couldn't catch him. Bombing reds in the rain? No thanks!

I LOVE controlled skipping in the rain.

so smoothe.

this weekend in central CT, with the rain and the hills, lent itself well to that.

skidding on the other hand, i couldn't control, and went down a few times (what's that funny lever on my handlebars for? oh yeah...)

forgive the newb question but i've never heard of skipping?

I'm skidding in the rain
Just skidding in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I ride down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just skiddin',
Skiddin' in the rain

(Mental image = A Clockwork Orange, NOT Gene Kelly)

skipping is when you do little teeny skids, or hop your back wheel up and stop its rotation for a second to scrub off speed

i like skidding on ice. it makes the whole no brakes thing seem even more X-TREEM!
i hate falling on ice while skidding though.

yea....I was gonna ask about skipping vs. skidding

skipping is what happened to me when I was trying to skid, and couldn't do it


does that sound right?...and...

which is more effective to stop?

neither. control is your best offense.
i still love skidding though..

skipping will stop you quicker than skidding.
control with both is something you just have to work on.
think anti-lock brakes.

a brake.


Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't really know what they're talking about. Simple physics tells you that if you're skidding, you're sliding, which means you aren't actually stopping.

*Edit.... Sorry, that was kinda harsh. Controlling your cadence is really the best way to stop, with or without a brake (in my opinion). A lower gear will help you control your speed better AND give you better acceleration, which means faster in the city.

i think skipping is a great way to stop--maybe more controlled than skidding for a lot of people.

teiaperigosa, you can learn by picking up your rear wheel and scrubbing it into the ground, and when you get coordinated--especially in the rain--and skip repeatedly, you barely need to lift your rear wheel, and the movement of your feet will look a lot like skipping (as in, skipping to one's loo, my darling)