Manual Tutorial

PB Forum :: Beginners
Manual Tutorial
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flag patrickrider
Posted: Sep 22, 2007 at 19:33 Quote
Everyone that's into street riding (And any bike riding as a matter of a fact) wants to learn how to manual, as it's a great and rather easy trick to learn and will improve your balance in general.

Step 1: The hardest part about learning to manual is to find your balance point, most people when they first try to learn either pull to little or to much. This either causes the front end to drop immediatly or the person landing on their back from pulling to hard. A trick that really helped me improve my manualing was always having 1 finger on your brake and when your about to fall back to far give it a light tap.

Step 2: Pumping your legs. When you straighten your legs while manualing your front end will raise, when you bend your legs while manualing your front end will drop. This is a key part of the manual, as this is how you learn to keep balance on your rear wheel. Basically, if your about to go to far back while manualing simply bend your legs in and the front will begin to drop, if your front end is to close to dropping, begin to straighten your legs and it will rise again.

Step 3: No one wants to hear this but the most important part of learning to manual is PRACTICE! It took me around 2 months to get my manual to the point where I can pump my legs to keep control and hold a decent manual and I still have room for ALOT of improvment. Also, when manualing ALWAYS keep your cranks level, parallel to the ground.

I hope this helped, thanks for your time.

Also, a really good thing about learning to manual is you can practice whenever your riding a bike, whether it be on your way to school, work, your job, ect. Even if you have a mission to pull to get to your skatepark or dirt jumps or whatever you ride, manualing is always fun to practice especially once you start getting it Smile
flag EuroBiker
O+ FL
Posted: Sep 22, 2007 at 20:04 Quote
thanks for the guide
flag rusty420
Posted: Sep 23, 2007 at 16:13 Quote
great tutorail... ive never been much as manuals but your tutorial made me go out and try some more Smile


-RuSty
flag
Posted: Sep 23, 2007 at 18:55 Quote
XD

Awesome there man. I couldve used this about a month and a half ago XD

Killer tut. though.
flag patrickrider
Posted: Sep 23, 2007 at 19:58 Quote
Thanks for the positive comments Smile
flag rusty420
Posted: Sep 23, 2007 at 23:36 Quote
also, what do you mean by straightening your legs?

because when you straighten one the other bends, and vice versa... am I missing something Very confused

-RuSty
flag patrickrider
Posted: Sep 24, 2007 at 4:51 Quote
https://youtube.com/watch?v=NDwZcLGekE8

Watch this video, notice how while he is manualing he is bending his legs and then at points he makes them much straighter, that what i'm talking about.
flag dirtjumpingjumper
Posted: Sep 24, 2007 at 6:45 Quote
bigquotesbecause when you straighten one the other bends, and vice versa... am I missing something

When you go up for the manual, your pedals should be parallel to the ground, therefore eliminating that "Other bend" of your legs.
flag rusty420
Posted: Sep 24, 2007 at 14:22 Quote
Thank you for that video i see what you are saying now

-RuSty
flag shortyz
Posted: Sep 28, 2007 at 9:30 Quote
I have a question. You guys are saying that you need to keep your cranks parallel to the ground, but watching the video, the guy has his cranks parallel to the top tube of his frame.
flag karl-burkat
O+ FL
Posted: Sep 28, 2007 at 9:31 Quote
patrickrider wrote:
Everyone that's into street riding (And any bike riding as a matter of a fact) wants to learn how to manual, as it's a great and rather easy trick to learn and will improve your balance in general.

Step 1: The hardest part about learning to manual is to find your balance point, most people when they first try to learn either pull to little or to much. This either causes the front end to drop immediatly or the person landing on their back from pulling to hard. A trick that really helped me improve my manualing was always having 1 finger on your brake and when your about to fall back to far give it a light tap.

Step 2: Pumping your legs. When you straighten your legs while manualing your front end will raise, when you bend your legs while manualing your front end will drop. This is a key part of the manual, as this is how you learn to keep balance on your rear wheel. Basically, if your about to go to far back while manualing simply bend your legs in and the front will begin to drop, if your front end is to close to dropping, begin to straighten your legs and it will rise again.

Step 3: No one wants to hear this but the most important part of learning to manual is PRACTICE! It took me around 2 months to get my manual to the point where I can pump my legs to keep control and hold a decent manual and I still have room for ALOT of improvment. Also, when manualing ALWAYS keep your cranks level, parallel to the ground.

I hope this helped, thanks for your time.

Good advice. You should put together a video tutorial!
flag beaker1
Posted: Sep 28, 2007 at 9:35 Quote
when i manual i do keep my pedals level with the top tube, i basically just keep them where it feels natural

something i can add: when i learned manual, what made it possible was seting goal. i would pick a couple cracks on the ground then try manual from one to the other. once i get that pick a bigger gap. this kept me motivated
flag kaptainkman
Posted: Sep 28, 2007 at 9:43 Quote
thanks for the great tutorial.
i think i was born with the worst balancing ability possible.
my manual is pretty weak, but now i have some tips to work at it.
what i have found really helped improve my balance is riding along curbs. and trying to keep balanced at slow speed and staying on the bike when i come to a stop.
thanks again
flag patrickrider
Posted: Sep 28, 2007 at 19:25 Quote
shortyz wrote:
I have a question. You guys are saying that you need to keep your cranks parallel to the ground, but watching the video, the guy has his cranks parallel to the top tube of his frame.


Well ya while he is manualing because his front end is up but when your getting ready to manual you want your cranks to be straight and level, you don't want to be in the middle of pedaling or something.
flag joshaustin
Posted: Oct 3, 2007 at 9:33 Quote
https://youtube.com/watch?v=QQGHXEPfMcQ

I learned from this vid.
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