Manualling/Bunny hopping on Dual sussers

[PhilipV]

That doesn't help, though. I want to be able to manual on my current bike to improve my rides. It's not just that I want to manual on a bike for fun. Thanks, though

Use your regular bike, the reasoning behind why you want to use it is sound.

 

I learnt to manual, wheelie and bunny hop on a grass field with normal shoes instead of clipped in. You will fall, and you don't to want to fall hard. When you are confident, practice doing it clipped in.

 

The only tips I can give you is to not focus on using your arms to get the front wheel up, but to shift your weight far back (go hard, you'll learn where the balance point is) and push forward with your legs.

Start in a near crouch position, shift your body weight back using your arms, and push with your legs.

Drop your saddle for the beginning, one you have the technique down do it with the saddle up.

Once you learn where the balance point is, and you get near it, move your assistance forward again by bending your legs. This will provide the pump action.

 

But it is all practice, practice and practice. To motivate yourself, put markers down, so that you can measure improvement. Layer you'll measure your manual by how many parking bays you clear with the front wheel in the air.

 

Oh, and enjoy it.

[ThePubSA]

This technique will speed up your learning process.... land or slam

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb8315246/p5pb8315246.jpg

[ThePubSA]

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10752560/p5pb10752560.jpg

everyones technique is slightly diff,its a trial and error thing, what works for you might not for me,have to find your sweetspot,just like when you learnt to stay upright on 2 wheels..note the guiding knee but mcgarry is a giant

Its alot more driving force through the crank/bb with your legs then you think,.. kind of like rockclimbing.. its more your legs then arms ... initially push with the KNEES and ankles.. but thats just me

[AlanD]

I have been practicing my wheelie when I get a chance and want to share my experience.

 

It's been a long time practicing but I don't often get get a chance to practice but this week I was on leave and praticed everyday. I was beginning to think that a wheelie is is a genetic thing where you either have or don't have that gene as I could not get it right.

 

This week I made as small break through where I can now wheelie for 4-5 pedal stokes but run out of space in the garden. I can feel, when I get it right that weightless feel of the bike add the wheelie seems easier when you hit that spot.

 

I just now need to practice in a more open space so I can practice getting in more pedals stokes.

 

This is what I have learnt from practicing:

 

1) Anyone can do it with praticed and proper technique.

2) I first praticed getting the front wheel off the ground.

3) Timing, one of two important lessons I learnt. If you time the pedal stoke, handle bar "pull" and leaning back perfectly, you find that weightless feeling.

4) The second most important lesson I learnt which gave me the breakthrough is to push down hard on the handlebar to compress the suspension, this then helps in not really pulling up on the bars as the rebound of the front suspension is helping a lot in this regard.

 

These things, whether right or wrong seem to have worked for me so far but mentioned, I can only manage a few pedal strokes but if I practice more in an open space I am confident the number od pedals strokes will increase.

[GrahamS2]

Interesting topic. I've been wheelie'ing and manualing bikes for so long I really had to think what it is I do to get it right. Preloading definitely doesn't come into it, since I learned to wheelie on BMX's and mtb's before suspension existed (showing my age here!). The most important thing is to pull on the bars with straight arms, and to sync your pedal stroke with the pull. Then you need to push your butt into the saddle, hard - that's where the balance comes from. Balancing simply takes practice, and a good few wipe outs so learning on grass makes the learning curve a little easier.

 

When I manual a bike I sync the bar pull with a pull on the saddle with my upper thighs. The front wheel lift, and balance, is actually generated by the force on the saddle, not by pulling the heck out of the bars. If your saddle height is wrong it makes it quite tricky to get right.

[AlanD]

Timing, this is crucial. If you time all the parts perfectly then you get it right.

 

I honestly do feel that preloading the front helps me get to wheel up further. Its really all about practice and doing what works for you