manual63
08-23-2005, 02:51 PM
This is something that is fun to do and can come in handy at stoplights or when the rider in front of you on the trail suddenly stops.
To track stand, turn your bars about 30 degrees to one side or the other as you come to a stop, for me I like to have my right foot forward and cranks slightly down a few freewheel clicks from parallel to the ground.....so I turn my bars towards the foot I have forward. Now lean the bike just a slight bit towards the way you have the bars turned. I like to mostly use my back brake, but sometimes I use my front. But the front brake stops the front wheel from rolling, which is how to keep the track stand balanced. But I will use the front brake if I start leaning too far over so I can counter lean with my body and get the bike back upright......otherwise the bike will shoot out from under me if I lean too far over and don't hit the front brake. Anyway, now all you need to do is gently rock the bike back in forth a little, sometimes not at all if you get the balance point just right. If you lean to far upright and start falling the other way, steer into the way you are falling and try to catch it on the other side of the bike.
So basically, I come to a stop, slightly turn the bars to the right, right foot forward and down, and then I rock the bike back, tap the rear brake if needed and push forward on the pedel to rock forward again....tap brake if needed......rock back....rock forward.....and so on. Sometimes I get the right balance point and just sit there.......that's cool when you can do that.
Give it a try....it takes lots of practice. I suggest not being clipped in when learning this one. But it's useful when you get good at it and you are clipped in. That way, you don't have to clip out when you stop......:)
I will usually track stand a lot on group rides when I am waiting for the person in front of me to clear a tight or tough section of trail. This comes in handy so I don't have to get clipped in before I get to the section of trail that need to be navigated.
To track stand, turn your bars about 30 degrees to one side or the other as you come to a stop, for me I like to have my right foot forward and cranks slightly down a few freewheel clicks from parallel to the ground.....so I turn my bars towards the foot I have forward. Now lean the bike just a slight bit towards the way you have the bars turned. I like to mostly use my back brake, but sometimes I use my front. But the front brake stops the front wheel from rolling, which is how to keep the track stand balanced. But I will use the front brake if I start leaning too far over so I can counter lean with my body and get the bike back upright......otherwise the bike will shoot out from under me if I lean too far over and don't hit the front brake. Anyway, now all you need to do is gently rock the bike back in forth a little, sometimes not at all if you get the balance point just right. If you lean to far upright and start falling the other way, steer into the way you are falling and try to catch it on the other side of the bike.
So basically, I come to a stop, slightly turn the bars to the right, right foot forward and down, and then I rock the bike back, tap the rear brake if needed and push forward on the pedel to rock forward again....tap brake if needed......rock back....rock forward.....and so on. Sometimes I get the right balance point and just sit there.......that's cool when you can do that.
Give it a try....it takes lots of practice. I suggest not being clipped in when learning this one. But it's useful when you get good at it and you are clipped in. That way, you don't have to clip out when you stop......:)
I will usually track stand a lot on group rides when I am waiting for the person in front of me to clear a tight or tough section of trail. This comes in handy so I don't have to get clipped in before I get to the section of trail that need to be navigated.