Do a 5 Minute Wheelie on a Mountain Bike

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Here’s the step by step way to rifle off a mean wheelie on your mountain bike, BMX bike, or any other bike that has hand-activated back brakes .

Steps

  1. Choose the right gear ratio. When most people start off doing wheelies they put their gears into the “easy-to-pedal” mode, which means their chain in on the smallest cog on the front sprockets, and biggest cog on the back sprockets. This is fine when first starting out, but once you get more advanced, you’ll want your chain to be on the middle cog on the front sprockets, and somewhere around the middle cog on the back sprockets. The speed for your wheelie will be about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}, and having the gear ratio set to “easy mode” will make you lose your wheelie due to excessive pedaling.
  2. Check your back brakes. The back brake is the integral part of the long-wheelie, so make sure your brakes are powerful enough to bring you to a skidding stop when used at high speeds. Anything less and you’re liable to “loop it,” which means falling backwards and having a fart shoot out when your back slaps onto the pavement. While doing the wheelie you should have 1-2 fingers on the brake lever.
  3. Adjust your seat as desired. Some people say lower your seat, some say make it higher. It is the most comfortable a little bit lower than your "high" setting of your seat. If it's too low, it will be harder to pedal, and if it's too high, well it's just pretty scary
  4. Lock out your back shocks. Doing wheelies on a hard tail is far easier than on a full suspension, but if you happen to have the latter, see if you can lock out your back shock. A bouncing back end will seriously affect your balance.
  5. Find the proper training area. Try to find a straight flat road that works up a slight incline. Wheeling uphill is far easier than down, and you’ll want conditions set to your advantage as much as possible in the beginning. Also, try to find a place with low wind. Even the slightest breeze can topple you.
  6. Get your front tire airborne. Get your bike lined up as straight as possible while in a slow roll. While pedaling down hard, lift the front tire as hard as you can. Don't pull on your handlebars. Use your weight to shift the bike back.
  7. Continue pedaling. Apply a hard, steady stroke once you're up in wheelie position.
  8. Tap the back brake. When you feel you’re about to flip over backwards (loop it), tap on the back brake to bring the front back down again, then counter the downward fall of your front tire with the force of your pedaling. It’s a delicate balance, but the truth is, you should always be “about to loop it.” As your get better you’ll notice you’ll actually WANT to be right on the edge of that balance point. When you can stick it there, you’ll be applying more breaks and your speed will remain slow and steady. Pedaling hard to try to keep up with a wheelie is the most common way to lose it, so don’t be afraid to lean way back and keep it right on the edge. With a little practice, you’ll find the sweet spot and hold it there longer and longer. Soon enough you’ll be wheeling around town like a champ and dodging flying panties and bra’s from your female admirers.
  9. Increase your hang time. Once you get more advanced you can do wheelies one handed, go off curbs, navigate turns, and even do circles. Nothing feels better than rifling off a sick wheelie, so even if it’s frustrating at first, stick with it!

Video

Tips

  • Practice "looping it" a few times and see if you can land on your feet. This practice will prepare you significantly for when the real thing happens.
  • Use your legs as counter-balances; shooting your knees out to the side when you feel yourself toppling.
  • Avoid clip-in riding shoes while doing a wheelie. Sometimes you have to adjust your foot position mid-wheelie.
  • Keep your head straight and focus directly ahead of you.
  • It's the same as pedaling to go forward but with a good stroke to lift the front up and maintain that speed. Brake if you need to.

Warnings

  • If you "loop it," it's possible you'll hit the back of your head so wear a helmet.
  • If you land on your back and the wind gets knocked out of you it's best to lay flat on your back until you can breath again. Don't sit up or stand up, this makes it worse.

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