finally, a rational voice.

ps. i do run a front brake. but heres the thing: theres NOTHING practical about running a track bike on the street but 99% of us here do (and love it). that being said, theres nothing any less practical about learning tricks on a track bike ridden on the street whether it be skids or barspins...you can have an opinion, but berating the OP for wanting to skid undermines the first impractical given: we all ride track bikes off the track.

+1

if i have to stop i don't ride my track bike:lol:

What ratio are people using that allows them to skid while in the saddle or close to sitting in the saddle? I've searched the forums, and I'm sure I did it poorly because I could not find anything about ratio/inches while skidding in saddle. Leg strength and technique must also be part of it, but Im sure ratio is an important part to. I currently run a 48x16 (78.8 inches?) and I am wondering what you would recommend as a good ratio? I'm a smaller guy 5-8 and about 155, not sure if this matters. Thanks.

To those "high gear" questions: there's not much you can do to make normal skidding easier. But you can change your skidding style. I run 50/17, on 27" wheels, with 1 1/4" tires. It's great for getting around, but just locking up my legs alone (the way most dudes skid in MASH) will get me, at most, a tiny, short skid. BUT, if I do that and also whip the bike out, I can skid longer, and a ton easier.

I'm trying to learn how to skid like the guy in Macaframa. (edit: the very first dude.) He can pull out great skids despite the fact that he never really locks the wheel up for a long time. It's all in the whip.

I can do it seated on a 50/17 (77gi). Strength plays a part in it but technique is always 1st. Getting to a 73gi is a nice one to get it on w/o any issues. I'm 185lbs and 5'11" and I have a muscular build so maybe that has a part to play with me not having too many issues on doing it?

technique matters way more than g/r.

so much so that it's safe to say that it's ALL in the technique. shifting your weight and controlling the dynamics of the bike over the tires is what enables the skid under any gear ratio.

I'm 140, 145 maybe? I actually find it easier to skid close to seated, because I can push down with my entire body weight on my back foot. Doing it standing up (or sinking forward into the bike, like some people skid) is much harder. Fishtailing has been the key for me; im sure from practice I'll eventually get more brute force, but for now the proper technique is gettin me sliding.

but what's your wheel setup? I'm thinkin 700 x 23's would skid a lot easier than beastly 27s. I can't go any narrower than 1 and a quarter because my rim is at least an inch wide...and 27" wheels just make the gear feel bigger anyway. I love my bike, but trying to skid on it has made me want a track frame that much more.

you guys have it down to a science...

ever just unclip and throw your foot onto the back tire, that will stop you faster than you think.

(this post isn't a joke.)

Clipless helps your seatskids a lot.

^ orly?

That's Colin.

Yeah, I could never skid in my seat/just getting up a little (a la that MASH link) before going clipless. Even in SPDs I could do them effortlessly.

So much skid hate. Skidding is a lot of fun, and I still ride a brake for emergencies, but I'd rather just control my speed by not using brakes. I like to see how many days I can go without using my brake. Not for any particular reason, but its just more fun.

i know everyone is rolling their eyes, but applying a foot to the rear wheel offers the most dramatic decrease in speed. >breaks>skidding.

if anyone wants a step-by-step tutorial just ask!

ted shredding eats the craps out of soles though. I did them on one pair of my sneakers and it ate 1/4 of my sole just that once. DEFINITELY a great move to get acquainted with though.

yikes!

i've been doing it a lot lately solely because i find it amusing. it hasn't started killing my shoes though (and i only ride in vans), just do it against the sidewall of the tyre.

it must be the shoes I had though. It def seems like Vans are the choice shoes if you do it a lot. Of course I ride clipless now so that's be no fun to make Mtb shoes lopsided

I ride clipless and rode winter with platforms. It was really hard work to skid with platforms, I just used my back leg (I didn't think/know of the under-pedal pull up trick) - it worked, but was hella hard on regular pavement. That was running 42/17.

I can pretty well skip stop seated with clipless now, I run 46/17 but I think it's definitely down to technique.

Someone posted what I do already: Use the leading/weak foot to start the "jolt" for the weight transfer, then lock your back/strong leg - a skip stop is VERY different to balls to stem skidding, you'll probably not be able to hold a seated skid for long, as it's intended to scrub speed off, not for an actual skid. I usually skip/rotate to the next leg/skip/rotate, etc. etc. or skip/backpedal depending on the distance. Skip stopping as well as using a front brake is kinda fun too, little hairy as the back comes off the ground a lot more/easier :p

Proper skidding in rain scares the heebeejeebees out of me still, when going balls to stem it feels so loose/slippery back there - but it's still lots of fun :)

I just wore a nice little dot and consequent flat spot in my back tyre last week from skidding on some really rough road - other than tyre wear, it's still hella fun :)

I admit I skid purely for the feeling/looks whereas skip-stopping is a useful technique used in every day riding for me.

I should follow up saying that:

seat skidding + rainy pavement + clipless == ^____^

i hate to pull the "physics" card, but skidding does not work as well to stop as just resisting.

the point in which you slow down the fastest, is the point just before you skid. Skidding is over coming friction, as soon as you overcome it the force of friction, the friction on your tire is reduced.. If you sit in the seat, and resist as much as possible, you will slow down faster then if you over come friction, and skid.

in other terms, skidding = cool, but not practical. resistance = way more effective


i might not have described it well, but think car. ASB is put in place let you stop fast WITHOUT skidding.



i didn't read the whole thread, so if someone covered this, oops.






I know some old couriers, (people who started courier companies in towns in canada) and these guys started running fixed gears way back when (20ish years ago) because there was less to maintain, and riding in the winter they a) less to fix/clean, b) felt safer on the ice and snow)... so i guess it is practical for some people :D (not me, i just love the feeling)

for me the big breakthrough when learning to skid was not so much leaning over the bars with my trailing leg locked straight, but more placing my crotch close to the stem/top tube joint, legs bent or straight (locking your leg straight implies that you need a ton of resistance when you really dont), lots of weight on my hands...dropping into that position as my trailing leg is at about 6 o'clock then resisting (resisting back leg and pulling up front leg) as it comes up. thats how i did my first skid. it can actually be done using this method at fairly slow speeds.

skip stopping (im sure its been covered) is basically "jumping" while in the clips. keep the front wheel on the ground always, but pop up your back wheel by basically jumping then resisting the pedals (usually with your feet in their trackstanding positions) when you hit back down again. super easy once you master popping it up. its all about timing...use the upward motion of your trailing foot as it comes up to jump or pop it right at about the 9 oclock position. in the air, keep your feet at the 9 oclock/ 3 oclock spots and resist as much as you want to when you land. keep repeating the process to scrub more speed off.