Brian O. said:While wheel walking you should be leaning backwards, not forwards, other
than that trials_uni's advice is sound.
No, you don't actually lean backwards when wheel walking. It only
feels like you do.
Look at pictures and video of people wheel walking. Most people are
bent slightly forward at the hips. Some people do a slight weight
shift by slightly rolling the hips forward (in effect pushing your butt
out). There is no actual physical leaning back.
Hold on to a fence or wall. Get in the wheel walking position with one
foot in front of the other on the tire. Adjust your upper body
position so you're stable. That's going to be approximately your body
position for wheel walking. Note that you are NOT leaning backwards.
If you lean backwards you will fall flat on your back.
When you wheel walk you have the weight of both of your lower legs out
in front of the axle. That causes a slight weight distribution problem
compared to regular riding. That weight out in front of the axle needs
to be countered, but you do not counter it by leaning back. You
counter it by slightly rolling your hips forward to push your butt out.
You actually end up leaning slightly forwards at the hips. Once you
learn to wheel walk you'll notice that the weight distribution change
is fairly subtle and nothing dramatic. Certainly nothing that requires
an actual leaning back.
Another tip is to go toe, heel, toe, heel, toe, heel... ... ... ...
Start with the toe on the tire next to the crown. Roll the foot
forward till the back of the heel is in contact with the tire. At that
point you put the toe of the other foot up by the crown and you'll have
the heel of one foot and the toe of the other foot on the tire. At
that point it is safe to take the heel off the tire and prepare to get
that foot in position to take another push.
Toe, heel, toe, heel...
--
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