sers

I've been practicing trackstanding in my room and after my evening ride. I've gotten to the point where I can hold it for a little over a minute. It's not pretty - I shimmy back and forth a couple of inches here and there.

What's a good functional time to be able to hold a trackstand for?

humancongereel

at least as long as the slayer solos in "angel of death". at least.

that's my rule for what's a trackstand and what isn't, anyway. kind of. i mean, i just came up with it right now, after drinking, but it seems good enough for now.

stendhalian

as long as it takes until the light changes...duh!

r-dub

I'm of the opinion that if you can hold it for 30 seconds, you can hold it forever. You just need to work on quieting your urge to overcorrect. As far as 'functionality', well, the trackstand is lots of fun, but not exactly essential to life. You can always just put your foot down. If you can comfortably and safely (not veering widely back and forth) hold a trackstand for a minute you should be able to outlast the vast majority of red lights in the world if that matters to you. If you want to compete at trackstanding, work your way up to finishing two beers while doing a one-footed, no-handed trackstand.

sers

nah, i'm just looking to keep my feet on the pedals and ready to go in traffic.

stendhalian

learning to look around you while trackstanding helps as well safety-wise. i found at the beginning i was unable to take my eyes off a fixed point. over time you get used to trackstanding in traffic and will eventually open up to things around you (the light changing, cars coming up behind you..that hot girl at the opposite corner...)

* * * * *

35min, thats my hold time on average.

sers

your massive genitals must give you a lower center of gravity

* * * * *

it's not very comfortable.

sers

r-dub, i can't tell you how much this helped me. along with some ideas i got from watching a messenger championship trackstand video, i am now up to about 3 minutes...on the carpet in my room. a small victory, but i'm happy.

edit: exponential learning - i can trackstand one handed just as easily. this is creeping me out.

helvetica

agreeded

Spor

you need to be able to hold it near-indefinitely in controlled situations, because in traffic, things aren't allways so easy. uneven/bumpy pavement can make things difficult, and you want to be able to hold them there for extended periods of time while looking around for cars/traffic lights, etc. keep practicing, it's really quite easy to catch on once you get it.

jayrooney

once you get a good sense of balance with a feel for the most subtle of weight shifts in your body, you can hold the trackstand just by moving your shoulders or a knee left or right.

queerpunk

i've actually found that going very slowly, very smoothely has been a more important skill than trackstanding, actually. when i'm in traffic i'd rather be real smoothe real slow, picking my way around stopped cars and crowds of peds without wobbling.

and usually after a few miles my muscles are quivvering to the point where they don't want to calm down enough to hold a trackstand, and it's more effort than it's worth.

is nice though.

screamingveg

It's also a good idea to learn to do it with either foot forward and roll into it. In traffic you don't get a chance to set up your pedals and stuff like that.

noriel

With two or one-handed stands I can hold for as long as I want, until my feet start cramping. Sers, exponential learning is pretty spot on - you'll be going no handed within a day or two. Definitely start practicing with your other foot forward, as traffic usually doesn't give you many options, like Screamingveg said. Your stands will start to tighten up and you'll stop shimmying. It's kinda like that "balancing a bent paperclip on a knife trick," where the more you think about it, the more you start shaking. Trackstanding for me ends up being pretty meditative if I'm just in a parking lot or have a lot of room. I take deep breaths, unfocus and let the world fall away at times.

I usually just stand in traffic to catch my breath after a real hard sprint, but usually I ride like queerpunk does and acheive more of a fluid riding style through traffic. Be like water, not Plinko.

brooklyn

When Trackstanding are you clipped in or not?

fordfasterr

I am working on this now... I got it down but I'm still not as confident as with the " strong foot ".

I spent about 20 minutes in a parking lot just forcing myself to randomly stop on whatever foot lands first.

I was able to do it perfectly at first, then after 1 beer... i got a little better, then after 2 beers, I started to get a little wobblier and then after the 3rd beer I couldn't even do a regular one.. lol

=)

PS: beer id == Heineken.

noriel

In traffic, clipped in (straps and clips). Messing around in the parking lot, I'm usually not, because I mix up the stands with backwards circles, and I'm not that confident in reverse, yet.

astrx

i saw a messer in san fran stop at a light, track stand then bend over and tie his shoe laces without ever putting a foot on the ground. he's my role model

LóFarkas

^^^ That has to be the best party trick along with the through-the-frame skid and backwards figure 8's. I'd pay to see that isht.

BTW, does anyone do fancy tricks to arrive at the red light with the good foot forward? I often do a small endo and spin my cranks to the right position in the air or do a couple of small hops with the crank horizontal.

fordfasterr

u mah heeerow !!!

humancongereel

i used to do the "small endo" on my road bike so i'd have one pedal up in front, about at the 2 o'clock position like sheldon reccomends and i got in the habit of doing.

sers

rolling into trackstands is something i have to work on. so far i balance on something and then let go.

humancongereel

i actually do a lot better rolling into trackstands. all of a sudden, it's easier if i do that...maybe because i feel more like i can roll out (even if i can't), and i stop overcorrecting?