oldfixguy

Hey, wanted to pass on a little technique that absolutely improved my pathetic track standing capability. I was having trouble doing any sort of track stand. I could pull it off for a short while but certainly could not sit nor even do a standing track stand with any real confidence. So, today while I was practicing I essentially by accident came across a great technique. If you are trying to either gain the skill or improve it this really helped me. DON'T try to actually track stand. Come to a stop and then pedal backwards a bit - forward a bit - backwards a bit - forward a bit. Keep doing that. It's actually pretty easy to do standing with about 2 feet of motion in either direction. You'll get it in a snap. Within about 90 minutes I was sitting doing a track stand. It works. I guess you could call it easing into a track stand.

lattanzio

that's how you do it. maybe not a whole 2 feet but that added vector of movement keeps the balance. eventually you can get it down to just rolling forward and reverse to correct yourself, but you need to move. use your knees on the nose of your saddle, or top tube, as well.

drainyoo

Do you keep the front wheel straight or do you turn it? I can't track stand for the life of me, I'm going to try this technique and see if it comes easier. Thanks!

Syncmaster

You mean don't try to actually trackstand as in stand perfectly still in one place? Your technique of using both forward and backward movement was how I learned too. But I guess on the actually track, you aren't allowed to move backwards correct? or else the race is started over? When I learned I just spent a lot of time in my apartment, in my kitchen and in my room just trying over and over, and I when I started getting it down, I moved out to the street and tried rolling into it. Now I'm learning it all over again with my wheel turned the other way....

Yo!

I think you've got to keep the wheel turned in to kind of "snub" your bike into position, otherwise you'll just fall over.

TejanoTrackie 

In a match sprint race on the track, you are allowed up to 20 cm (8 inches) or about a 1/4 wheel rotation backward motion during a track stand.

bicycleptic

Another trick that worked well for me was resting the heal of one foot on the chainstay. Where that was most helpful was that I can now do a trackstand with either pedal forward.

And like syncmaster said, going forward and backward is not technically a trackstand. However one starts out rolling forward and back a matter of a foot each way and within an hour or so at practice it should be down to millimeters each way.

chevy42083

I learned doing similar by putting forward heal on the crank.

Bars turned at 45deg. (ish)
Knee against top tube.

Still can't sit, but can stand till I get bored.

BTW, the real interesting part comes when the ground is either not level, rough, or you roll into the perfect crank position... on top of a seam between pavements.

Syncmaster

Also helps if you've been unicycling, slacklining, surfing, and skateboarding, your whole life too... Balance sports tend to add up.

ianjk

now practice it while lighting cigs, slamming beers, and texting

time bandit

this.

Mcarter24

I'm sure this goes without saying, but having the wheel turned in the direction as whatever foot is forward on the pedals makes a world of difference. Also reduces the number of unnecessary dismounts.

dsh

Yeah I found the heel-on-the-chainstay thing to help too. Gives a much finer degree of precision to your adjustments.

Not so practical when you are riding and roll into it, though.

hairnet

I can track stand better on my road bike, I don't understand why.

Perumal

How do you move backwards? Do you do it on a uphill slope? I'm alright at the trackstand but am having a hard time to move backwards once stopped (lean forward front brake on, lean back release front brake and move back)
Maybe this could help on an incline

diff

You would move backwards by pedaling backwards.

Come up to a slow stopping roll, then right when you come to the stopping point start to pedal backwards. And then the same motion to start going forward again.

Turning your tire helps. Keep it around 20 - 25 degrees while going back and forth. I would recommend to practice both directions as learning to ride backwards will come easier.

Philasteve

I think doing it on flat would help you more. But you just balance and lightly put backpedal pressure then forward pressure with your wheel turned on an angle, either to the right or left. You're only doing it as a balance point to stay steady. Tracking standing or riding backwards becomes stupid easy and just clicks after practicing for long enough daily.

Broctoon

Maybe the new forum member who resurrected this ten year old thread is not aware he's posting in the fixed gear forum, or that with a fixed gear you can pedal backwards to move backwards. It makes track stands quite easy with a little practice. They're possible with a freewheel as well, but as mentioned above, it's helpful to stop on a little bit of an incline.


I'm not good at trackstanding with a freewheel, but I can pretty much stand as long as I wish on a fixed gear. Here's how I do it:


- Stop with my left foot forward (left crank arm positioned around 9:00, viewed from the non-drive side)*

- Turn the handlebar left roughly 30 to 60 degrees

- Stand on the pedals and lean forward slightly

- Balance using a combination of left/right weight shift, handlebar movement, and moving the bike forward and back using the pedals

- Sometimes I cheat by holding the front brake. This isn't really necessary, but it's sometimes helpful when initiating the track stand.


* I happen to be right handed, but I may be left foot dominant. I'm not sure. I kick a ball with my right foot, but I ride a skateboard "goofy" (right foot on the board, left foot kicking).

BicycleBicycle

There is another way to think of it.
You turn your wheels because it gives something for you to lean against "forwards", so your forward balancing "push" doesn't also push the bike forwards. You also turn the wheel to prevent moving.
You can probably try practicing on a small incline so that you only have to think about leaning forward and finding the right balance point.
Once you can do it on an incline, it would be easier to learn the rear foot dynamics.
Just a thought.