# how did you learn to track stand



## bobg (12 Nov 2008)

I just wondered if there was a best method in learning this. I didnt realise how handy it was till I started using the fixed wheel. My googling suggested feet at 3 and 9 oclock, leading foot forward, wheel lurned to wards the leading foot and into a slight camber. Is that a good starting point. BTw Like many others all my other bikes remain unused now - cant get enough of it - even overtook a couple of cyclists the other day... that nver happens


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## fossyant (12 Nov 2008)

That's basically how you do it - I can just about hold it long enough on a road bike for the lights to change - easier on a fixed as you can roll back to help balance.


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## ChrisKH (12 Nov 2008)

I never have. Should I?


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## Andy Pandy (12 Nov 2008)

I only ever managed to master the very slow crawl forward track stand. Its hard to learn when you have clipless pedals (that's my excuse anyway)


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## bobg (12 Nov 2008)

I felt really daft this morning, old bloke like me, wobbling about in the local park (after the kids had gone into to school) I should have more sense.... but I dont give a toss anymore  I gonna try going backwards next 
Mrs BG said I ought not be allowed out without my carer. Maybe she's right


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## bobg (12 Nov 2008)

User1314 said:


> Always good to learn new skills - keep the grey cells ticking over.
> 
> Next - Breakdancing!



Nah, thats one step too far - brittle bones an all that... I'm dreading agreeing to go to Salsa lessons though... maybe she'll forget


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## numbnuts (12 Nov 2008)

I can't


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## bobg (12 Nov 2008)

numbnuts said:


> I can't


What Numbnuts, breakdance or trackstand ..


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## Rab (12 Nov 2008)

Just sussed this over the last few weeks

Can now track stand at the lights and usually(about 75%) of the time manage to balance it until the lights change


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## bobg (12 Nov 2008)

Did you actually spend time on it Rab or was it a case of immaculate conception or similar


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## fossyant (12 Nov 2008)

I had a couple of mates who were fantastic at track standing on a road bike, but both had track bike backgrounds though....cheats....


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## Joe24 (12 Nov 2008)

I learn it by having a free afternoon and an empty patio. I saw somone do it on a freewheel bike and after trying a few times when i first got the fixed thought i would try again. Got it pretty much spot on, then kept practicing. Can now be sat at traffic lights, level crossings and most things trackstanding no problem. Do it facing uphill, downill, sideways onto a hill(unless really steep) no problem. 
Improved it more by taking my bike into school and using the flat smooth floor to practice. Went from standing up to sitting down, then one handed, then no handed, then abit of a backward circle. Not practiced the backways circles more yet, but i can also have one foot through the frame and still be track standing
Way too much time practicing.


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## bobg (12 Nov 2008)

Joe24 said:


> I learn it by having a free afternoon and an empty patio. I saw somone do it on a freewheel bike and after trying a few times when i first got the fixed thought i would try again. Got it pretty much spot on, then kept practicing. Can now be sat at traffic lights, level crossings and most things trackstanding no problem. Do it facing uphill, downill, sideways onto a hill(unless really steep) no problem.
> Improved it more by taking my bike into school and using the flat smooth floor to practice. Went from standing up to sitting down, then one handed, then no handed, then abit of a backward circle. Not practiced the backways circles more yet, but i can also have one foot through the frame and still be track standing
> Way too much time practicing.



I'm deeply impressed Joe, that's me tomorrow, all other jobs ar going on hold


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## gratts (12 Nov 2008)

Saw some guy at uni doing it t'other day. He looked a bit of a muppet doing it if I'm honest, some strange technique 
I guess it's only of great use if you're using clipless?


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## col (13 Nov 2008)

I can manage a couple of seconds before i have to creep forward a little to keep it,but dont go out of my way to do it,having normal pedals makes it easy to stop and start anyway.


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## Rab (13 Nov 2008)

bobg said:


> Did you actually spend time on it Rab or was it a case of immaculate conception or similar




Spent ages trying it at lights, (unclipped, I hasten to add) balancing for as long as possible and then putting foot down when I over balanced

Then when I brought out the fixie for winter commuting, it all seemed to slot into place over a couple of weeks, took a few hints from forums about pedal positioning etc and hey presto most of the time it works.

Don't know if I can do it on non fixie bike - must try methinks


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## Joe24 (14 Nov 2008)

I found that when i had been practicing on a freewheel bike, to doing it on a fixed, it got harder on the fixed. Then when i had been practicing on the fixed it got garder on the freewheel. 
What i find makes it easier on the fixed is you dont use your brakes, but on freewheel you sort of have to, which i always find hard. But when i do it on a slight slope i can be trackstanding the freewheel bike there all day.
Way too much time


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## bobg (14 Nov 2008)

At last , its stoped raining, I'm off to practice what y'all said.


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## Joe24 (14 Nov 2008)

Have fun. 
Didnt go out today so i ended up trackstanding in my shed. One foot on the pedal other on the front wheel no handed, still need some practice but its not too bad.
Too much spare time? yes


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## bobg (15 Nov 2008)

Joe24 said:


> Have fun.
> Didnt go out today so i ended up trackstanding in my shed. One foot on the pedal other on the front wheel no handed, still need some practice but its not too bad.
> Too much spare time? yes



Tried it in grass and fell off twice - couldnt be bothered to change out of SPD shoes - big mistake - went for a ride instead!


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## Joe24 (15 Nov 2008)

Nooooooo dont do it on grass. Its harder. Just wear normal shoes on the pedals and do it on your patio. If you start to fall you can put your foot down easy, no problem. 
Much much much harder on grass, you cant get your front wheel moving as freely.
Dont use your bike shoes till your confident, and when you do, just go for it and give yourself enough room at the front to move forward till you get confident.


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## bobg (15 Nov 2008)

Joe24 said:


> Nooooooo dont do it on grass. Its harder. Just wear normal shoes on the pedals and do it on your patio. If you start to fall you can put your foot down easy, no problem.
> Much much much harder on grass, you cant get your front wheel moving as freely.
> Dont use your bike shoes till your confident, and when you do, just go for it and give yourself enough room at the front to move forward till you get confident.



Yeah, I realise that now Joe  Still at least the landing was soft! Couple of other things need some getting used
to-not taking the strain off the back wheel by standing up and freewheeling over bumps and getting round sharp corners at the bottom of steep hills...


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## Joe24 (15 Nov 2008)

bobg said:


> Yeah, I realise that now Joe  Still at least the landing was soft! Couple of other things need some getting used
> to-not taking the strain off the back wheel by standing up and freewheeling over bumps and getting round sharp corners at the bottom of steep hills...



I still wimp out abit on the courners, but im pushing it more. The freewheeling over bumps didnt last long/didnt do it at all. I just stand up and keep pedling(not so easy at fast speeds) or time it right so you sort of come off the seat as you take the bump, or man up and hope it dont hurt that much
I go around courners, and end up lifting my toes up in my shoes because i think that will help make my feet further away from the floor


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## EasyTom (17 Nov 2008)

I found it quite easy to learn - the main thing I did to help at first was to 'rock' back and forth rather than just try to balance as still as possible. I found that if you get used to moving back and forth it helps and you adjust your balance/compensate in each movement. I learnt in clipless pedals and never fell off - couple of close calls though - but you've just got to be confident.

Now I can stay pretty still or no handed etc it gets pretty easy the more you do it. I impress my wife by track standing in the kitchen while eating toast, oh actually no, she calls me a kn0b


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## leedslad (22 Nov 2008)

I learned waaaay back in the day, when you had to hope your toestraps weren't too tight in case you fell off! I can still do it now although i find that lighter weight bikes and obscure geometries make it harder. it does have good pose value at traffic lights! the other thing is that it means in inner city areas you do have an added advantage over the car that has decided to park its front bumper right up to your back wheel.


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## e-rider (22 Nov 2008)

I got the technique perfected as a kid on my BMX - 25 years on and I've never looked back - track stands on 'fixed' are even easier; although I've never needed to do one racing at my local track league! Clipless pedals are a 'No' if you're learning though.


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## bobg (22 Nov 2008)

Getting better but fwiw I found it really helpful to start off with he front wheel hard up against the garage wall then rocking back and forward onto it.. that bit of help keeping upright when in pushing forward mode is a useful confidence booster for beginners at it like me.


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