trackstand

How do you do it? Sometimes I can maintain upright while being almost motionless (muscle twitching
to compensate) on my MTB... maybe a little less on my road bike. Is it simply getting out of the
saddle and shifting weight to keep balance? Occasional forward pedaling/braking-backwards kinda
stuff? Kinda like oscillating to get an average center position?

Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[email protected] (Phil) wrote in news:[email protected]:
> How do you do it? Sometimes I can maintain upright while being almost motionless (muscle twitching
> to compensate) on my MTB... maybe a little less on my road bike.

Most roads tilt slightly from the center to the edge. Aim your front wheel uphill and pedal
slightly. Back pedal and brake a little and roll back slowly. Repeat.

 

l would think that it is a little easier on a track bike with no freewheel more practice is what you
need and like the last post said point your bike uphill

 

If you do a Google search you'll find some good sites. I did earlier this winter to learn
how myself.

Dan

 

"Phil" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> How do you do it? Sometimes I can maintain upright while being almost motionless (muscle twitching
> to compensate) on my MTB... maybe a little less on my road bike. Is it simply getting out of the
> saddle and shifting weight to keep balance? Occasional forward pedaling/braking-backwards kinda
> stuff? Kinda like oscillating to get an average center position?
>
> Phil, Squid-in-Training

To add to the others fine comments, it's also kind of a 'zen' thing. If you think about it too much
it is more difficult to do. My friend rode up to me once and stopped to talk. Nearly a minute of
conversation went by when we both suddenly realized he was trackstanding the whole time without
thinking about it. He can't do one to save his ass if he thinks about it. I guess the point of this
is to keep from over-correcting. Kind of like carrying a full cup of coffee, if you don't look at
the cup you won't spill as much.

Mike

 

>From: [email protected] (Phil)

>How do you do it?

I've been trying to learn this myself. Didn't know about pointing uphill. I have learned that
turning your wheel into the direction of fall will bring you upright again. But I tend to
overcompensate and often rapidly turn left and right which gets you moving forward. Can do it for
about 30 seconds, but I look like a spaz. Keeps the cars away!

Sig Chicago

 

On 2 Feb 2003 16:31:43 -0800, [email protected] (Phil) wrote:

>How do you do it?

Phil:

I did a writeup last winter.. describing how I learned how to trackstand.. maybe it will be
helpful to you.

http://pages.prodigy.com/CharlieB/trackstands.html

charlie

 

[email protected] (Charles Beristain) wrote in news:[email protected]:

> I did a writeup last winter.. describing how I learned how to trackstand.. maybe it will be
> helpful to you.
>
> http://pages.prodigy.com/CharlieB/trackstands.html
>
> charlie
>

Fine, but the other one, "bouncing in place", seems to utilize a very kinky crankset. To quote:
"Stand on the pedals ( 3 and 6 o'clock) with powerfoot forward..." Can you please post a picture of
said crankset?

 

Ivo <[email protected]> writes:

> [email protected] (Charles Beristain) wrote in news:[email protected]:
>
> > I did a writeup last winter.. describing how I learned how to trackstand.. maybe it will be
> > helpful to you.
> >
> > http://pages.prodigy.com/CharlieB/trackstands.html
> >
> > charlie
> >
>
> Fine, but the other one, "bouncing in place", seems to utilize a very kinky crankset. To quote:
> "Stand on the pedals ( 3 and 6 o'clock) with powerfoot forward..." Can you please post a picture
> of said crankset?

Here's one such crankset:

http://www.samhuffman.com/biking/11_02_2002/Images/8.jpg

I haven't tried a track-stand on it though.

Sam

 

I have watched people perform a trackstand and it's like observing Jesse Jackson speaking when
you're sure he's going to get the words so balled up that it becomes incomprehensable (and yet he
never does). The trackstander is on the verge of falling the whole time, it seems impossible that he
won't, and yet he never does.

Bob Taylor

 

sorry about that... as you probably figured out from looking at the pictures, I should have written
3 and 9 o'clock.. I'll make that fix. thanks charlie

On Mon, 03 Feb 2003 23:29:38 -0000, Ivo <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Stand on the pedals ( 3 and 6 o'clock) with powerfoot forward..." Can you please post a picture of
>said crankset?

 

Phil <[email protected]> wrote:
> How do you do it?

On my track bike, I get my cranks horizontal or the front one facing upwards a bit. Then I stay
motionless, occasionally pedaling forwards and backwards (I have the backwards luxury on this bike).
I keep my right foot forwards and my front wheel turned to the right. I find that it is helpful if I
rest a leg against my top tube. I agree that it is somethin of a Zen thing. On my track bike, it
took about two months to learn this. I highly recommend staying in your driveway or wherever after
(or before) each ride and practice trackstanding for a couple minutes.

On my mountain bike, it's a different story. I've had this bike for several months, but can't
trackstand very well yet. I guess I need to hit the driveway and practice some. I need to get more
into my Zen groove, I suspect, because I'm too used to pedaling forwards and back. Now I need to
just be still. Good Luck!
--
Alexander Kahn