Practical road riding skids and skips
10-25-08, 07:33 PM
#26
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From my limited experience, tyre choice is a big deal when trying to slide out/fishtail a bit - when I ran a Conti ultra sport I found it pretty hard to fishtail properly, it just gripped too well even with my balls to the stem.
I have a Vittoria Rubino Pro on the back now, and this thing feels as though it'll slip and slide everywhere for me - not in an unsafe/making me nervous way - just when it breaks traction, it's more noticeable.
More weight off the back (for unweighting, but also for ease of getting your weight into a slide) is what I've found.
I can't hold a seated skid, I just do seated skips on every, or every other revolution until I can really crank on it - depends how fast I'm going.
I have a Vittoria Rubino Pro on the back now, and this thing feels as though it'll slip and slide everywhere for me - not in an unsafe/making me nervous way - just when it breaks traction, it's more noticeable.
More weight off the back (for unweighting, but also for ease of getting your weight into a slide) is what I've found.
I can't hold a seated skid, I just do seated skips on every, or every other revolution until I can really crank on it - depends how fast I'm going.
10-25-08, 07:58 PM
#27
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make sure you have your tires inflated properly.... and the tire choice shouldn't effect it too much.
I tend to do a combo of skipping and seated skids to stop quickly. I tend to start with a few quick skips then go into a seated skid. I find this slows me down pretty well.
I tend to do a combo of skipping and seated skids to stop quickly. I tend to start with a few quick skips then go into a seated skid. I find this slows me down pretty well.
10-25-08, 08:21 PM
#28
me la cavo
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Can anyone that weighs more than 120lbs do completely seated skids? I gotta lift my ass up at least six inches off the seat to get enough leverage. In order to get sideways, and disengage the wheel from the surface, you use your seat for leverage by bracing it against your inner thigh and kind of twisting your lower body to whichever side your whipping out. For example, if you're turning right (or whipping the tail left) and you want your tail to go left you're going to brace the seat against your right inner thigh and twist your lower body clockwise. Your left foot will need to be forward and your right foot back. If you only do the "dominant foot forward, push down, pull up" thing then you're not effectively using all the tools in your bag, imho. You should to the push down pull up thing in conjunction with the above. I'm sure most of the people who are skidding are doing this, but it's not something they consciously know they're doing so describing it doesn't cross their mind... or they don't... who knows?
10-25-08, 08:34 PM
#30
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I'd recommend the NYC brakeless quick stop technique. Ride about 1 foot from the side of the road and wait for a taxi door to open in front of you. A dead stop without brakes every time! Kind of expensive in terms of frames and wheels though....
10-25-08, 08:50 PM
#31
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Moving sideways in the road lane also mitigates distance traveled, so you can use more lateral space to slow up giving you more effective braking distance.
OP: You seem to know the technique, just practice - skip on both sides (left foot forward, left foot back, etc.) and learn how to resist with both feet as well - pull up HARD as well as push the back foot down - that'll take a metric ton of speed off.
What I find is when hauling ass, I usually end up skipping a bit before finally taking the speed off with resistance, or a mixture thereafter of skips/resistance - a) it's easier on my legs/knees b) it's an effective speed scrubber before being able to resist at Xrpm
I run a front brake and am glad I do - I "missed" a seated skip the other day (didn't unweight fully, I didn't skip and ended up just resisting - didn't take off nearly enough speed due to unexpectedly screwing up the skip and almost went into the back of a car - gladly I was able to pinch a few MPH off with the brake lever.
Learn the technique, for sure - it's very useful and works well. Never forget where your brake lever is though, just in case
OP: You seem to know the technique, just practice - skip on both sides (left foot forward, left foot back, etc.) and learn how to resist with both feet as well - pull up HARD as well as push the back foot down - that'll take a metric ton of speed off.
What I find is when hauling ass, I usually end up skipping a bit before finally taking the speed off with resistance, or a mixture thereafter of skips/resistance - a) it's easier on my legs/knees b) it's an effective speed scrubber before being able to resist at Xrpm
I run a front brake and am glad I do - I "missed" a seated skip the other day (didn't unweight fully, I didn't skip and ended up just resisting - didn't take off nearly enough speed due to unexpectedly screwing up the skip and almost went into the back of a car - gladly I was able to pinch a few MPH off with the brake lever.
Learn the technique, for sure - it's very useful and works well. Never forget where your brake lever is though, just in case
i see most riders sort of swinging the rear wheel in a really fast movement. is this done with the same technique only swinging the rear wheel at the same time?
thanks for the reply by the way!
10-25-08, 08:53 PM
#32
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10-25-08, 09:01 PM
#33
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This is actually a lot of it. I rarely come to full stops messengering in NYC.
Learning how to look for openings is more important. If you want to come to full stops, than you should probably run a break.
Don't be afraid to wave your arms at cars, use your voice, or whatever to let people know that your NOT stopping. Worst your gonna do is make a car slow down for a fraction of a second, or get a pedestrian to look up from their ipod/phone/ect.
Your a dick.
I hope you get doored.
Learning how to look for openings is more important. If you want to come to full stops, than you should probably run a break.
Don't be afraid to wave your arms at cars, use your voice, or whatever to let people know that your NOT stopping. Worst your gonna do is make a car slow down for a fraction of a second, or get a pedestrian to look up from their ipod/phone/ect.
I hope you get doored.
10-25-08, 09:23 PM
#34
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I have to say, ridding in a town with a lot of people on brakeless fixed gears, it's kind of an assholish thing to do. If there is a pedestrian crossing in a crosswalk, your two choices are to a, dart around them, which is not only assholish, but also illegal and dangerous, even if you see a gap... or b, come to a screeching skid as you pull closer and closer to them, which frightens most people, with due cause.
If you ride in the city, and you don't want to be a dick, or break the law, you really need brakes... er break...
If you ride in the city, and you don't want to be a dick, or break the law, you really need brakes... er break...
10-26-08, 04:23 AM
#35
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Hey,
Just a thought, but can't you able to mix skidding with front-braking? I have to learn fish-tailing, but this "seems" effective. I need wiser wo/men's knowledge.
Thanks,
T
Just a thought, but can't you able to mix skidding with front-braking? I have to learn fish-tailing, but this "seems" effective. I need wiser wo/men's knowledge.
Thanks,
T
10-26-08, 05:47 AM
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Yes, of course you can. The front brake actually makes skidding easier since it aids you loading weight onto the front. But honestly, if you're going to use the front brake already, why bother even skidding? I know now many people see fixies as a sign of the hipster counterculture and all that ****, but to use the front brake to assist in "more practical skidding," seems very much like a desperate cry for attention rather than a practical way to stop a bike whilst seated.
10-26-08, 08:10 AM
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10-26-08, 01:12 PM
#38
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just the fact that the words "practical" and "skids and skips" are used in the same sentence baffles me.
10-26-08, 01:56 PM
#39
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They need to ban you from giving advice. You`re going to get someone seriously hurt because you`re spouting bull**** while pretending to know what you`re talking about. Stop being an idiot.
10-26-08, 02:00 PM
#40
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I am agreeing with bigbris more and more as time goes on. Skips/skids are for SLOWING DOWN much more so than stopping. I still dont understand why everyone hypes up skips so much, they scrub speed but all of my personal experience relates to a skid being just if not more efficient than 4 or 5 skips.
10-26-08, 02:10 PM
#41
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learn how to do seated skids...it's similar to skips but you've gotta use more muscle power to lock your cranks
10-27-08, 07:41 AM
#42
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Yes, of course you can. The front brake actually makes skidding easier since it aids you loading weight onto the front. But honestly, if you're going to use the front brake already, why bother even skidding? I know now many people see fixies as a sign of the hipster counterculture and all that ****, but to use the front brake to assist in "more practical skidding," seems very much like a desperate cry for attention rather than a practical way to stop a bike whilst seated.
By the way, it's kinda easy to play counter-culture where I am. All I need to do is show up to work with no tie. No kidding! I mean you would be a total rebel if you get on the subways with a Steinbeck.
T
10-27-08, 08:45 AM
#43
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lift off the seat an inch or two. slam whatever you foot you use to skid downward and back(like doing a skid) and lift the other one up. it usually pulls the rear wheel up a little off the ground and the comes back down and skips a little. loose almost 90% of my speed depending on the situation.
you have to really want to do it. can half ass it, the bike will kick your ass if you dont show its whos boss
you have to really want to do it. can half ass it, the bike will kick your ass if you dont show its whos boss
10-28-08, 10:41 AM
#44
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I agree. If I need to slow down quick I usually go for a series of short skids. Skid left foot forward, half rotation, skid right food forward, etc.
