# Learn How To Track Stand in one day!



## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

Want to learn how to track-stand, but can't get started? Here is an easy track-stand 101 lesson that will have you doing track-stands in one day.
1. Attach a simple tie-down strap to your bike until you learn to balance.
2. TRACK STAND!!! That's all there is to it!!!
SEE THE VIDEO... 
Learn How To Track Stand in one day! - YouTube


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## Colo Springs E (Dec 20, 2009)

Actually, that's not a bad idea


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## fell_brook (Mar 14, 2011)

doh! Why haven't I thought of that?


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

fell_brook said:


> doh! Why haven't i thought of that?


lol!


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## Phillycore (Apr 4, 2009)

nice!


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## Haligan78 (Jun 13, 2011)

That is a GREAT idea. I never even knew what that track standing was but I can think of countless situations where it would come in handy.


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## CarolinaLL6 (Apr 12, 2010)

Good suggestion.


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks all!


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

Great article on power and balance (see link below). Also some information on why track standing is an important skill...
Is More Power Making You Mountain Bike Slower?!


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## JStrube (Aug 25, 2011)

I tried to learn yesterday on my own & ended up with sore nuts when I slipped off the pedals & on the concrete when I landed... I'm going to try this way tonight!


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

ah so the key is no shirt and flip-flops


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## reignrider (Apr 11, 2006)

dundundata said:


> ah so the key is no shirt and flip-flops


:thumbsup: That is a key element... Haha!!!


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

dundundata said:


> ah so the key is no shirt and flip-flops


Not at all... I can do it with a shirt and clipless shoes... I swear! 
...But it was 93 degrees that day.


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

jstrube said:


> i tried to learn yesterday on my own & ended up with sore nuts when i slipped off the pedals & on the concrete when i landed... I'm going to try this way tonight!


lol


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## markaitch (Feb 17, 2010)

doing it with no shirt & flip-flops is cool, i gotta try that
& using a strap may be helpful to get started but...
the better way to trackstand is with your front wheel turned toward your front foot


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## agentorangemen (Aug 5, 2005)

Ya bro. Suns out; guns out!

Just kidding. 

Great idea that I will suggest the fiance use, and even myself.


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

markaitch said:


> doing it with no shirt & flip-flops is cool, i gotta try that
> & using a strap may be helpful to get started but...
> the better way to trackstand is with your front wheel turned toward your front foot


Well, I can trackstand with my wheel turned either way (and for maybe a 1/2 minute even with it not turned at all), but everyone is different and more comfortable in one position or another.

Can't say that "the better way" make much sense though. What happens if you get used to "the better way" and then you are forced into a switchback that necessitates a trackstand in the opposite direction?

So my question is, what makes "the better way" better?


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

agentorangemen said:


> Ya bro. Suns out; guns out!
> 
> Just kidding.
> 
> Great idea that I will suggest the fiance use, and even myself.


LOL
Hey! I'm 49 years old. Can't a guy get a break?!


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## WOZN1AK (Sep 12, 2011)

Great video. I didn't even know what a track stand was lol. This def could be useful in a lot of situations! Thanks


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## gigerrider (Sep 9, 2011)

Genious!


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

wozn1ak said:


> great video. I didn't even know what a track stand was lol. This def could be useful in a lot of situations! Thanks


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## ziscwg (May 18, 2007)

anthonyi said:


> Well,
> 
> Can't say that "the better way" make much sense though. What happens if you get used to "the better way" and *then you are forced into a switchback that necessitates a trackstand in the opposite direction*?


Like dahhhhhhhhh,
You don't do switchbacks in your "bad" direction.


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

ziscwg said:


> Like dahhhhhhhhh,
> You don't do switchbacks in your "bad" direction.


Yep. I just fall down.


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## smoothie7 (May 18, 2011)

great tip. thanks for sharing


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

smoothie7 said:


> great tip. Thanks for sharing


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## flylyy (Sep 22, 2011)

nice


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks!


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## BR1GHTMAN (Dec 2, 2011)

im going to have to try that!


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## was98strat (Jul 10, 2007)

Close guys, but in a track stand, the front wheel stays inline with the rest of the bike. I've been trying to get that last part down for years on and off!!!


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## kan3 (Nov 11, 2009)

was98strat said:


> Close guys, but in a track stand, the front wheel stays inline with the rest of the bike.


I bet I can post more references stating a turned wheel than you can inline


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

was98strat said:


> Close guys, but in a track stand, the front wheel stays inline with the rest of the bike. I've been trying to get that last part down for years on and off!!!


Every book I own (mostly written by pros) mentions turning your wheel as a method of balance. If you can keep your wheel straight, then you are in a class above most of the rest of us. In either case, it is known as a track stand.


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## thrasher_s (Oct 5, 2009)

Ok, come up with a gimmick for learning to manual.

I've been thinking about blocking the rear wheel (leaving some room for some front/rear movement) and leaning back against a wall to find the balance point.

Kind of like an Indo board.


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## Airman8 (Dec 1, 2011)

Smart man, I struggle to stay balanced when moving. Need to come up with a mobile system for those of us who are less coordinated.


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## StuLax18 (Sep 27, 2011)

anthonyi said:


> Every book I own (mostly written by pros) mentions turning your wheel as a method of balance. If you can keep your wheel straight, then you are in a class above most of the rest of us. In either case, it is known as a track stand.


Well that explains why I could never balance. I always kept the front wheel straight. :madman:

I couldn't do this 10 years ago, and I can't do it now. It seems so simple, too. Although I'll have to try out the turning the wheel method now.


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## Goatkeeper (Jul 14, 2011)

Nice idea! It is a frustrating skill to learn, the strap can really make practice more efficient. I notice you look forward rather than down at your wheel, do you find that that helps?


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## eekabug (Dec 4, 2011)

thanks great addition


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

thrasher_s said:


> Ok, come up with a gimmick for learning to manual.
> 
> I've been thinking about blocking the rear wheel (leaving some room for some front/rear movement) and leaning back against a wall to find the balance point.
> 
> Kind of like an Indo board.


I love my INDO board! 
I was actually working on a method. I am a rock climber also so I was thinking about a setup in a climbing harness / rope (so I wouldn't fall back). Can't figure out the distance issue though.
Keep me posted if you try your idea!


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

StuLax18 said:


> Well that explains why I could never balance. I always kept the front wheel straight. :madman:
> 
> I couldn't do this 10 years ago, and I can't do it now. It seems so simple, too. Although I'll have to try out the turning the wheel method now.


Try my idea. I couldn't figure out how to start either. The strap sped up the learning curve tremendously as you don't just keep falling and starting over.


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

Goatkeeper said:


> Nice idea! It is a frustrating skill to learn, the strap can really make practice more efficient. I notice you look forward rather than down at your wheel, do you find that that helps?


Thanks again everyone!
I don't know if I learned looking forward or down, but I know that balance in general is easier while looking at the horizon. Try walking along a curb while looking striaght down.


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## was98strat (Jul 10, 2007)

All I can say is when I was racing BMX back in the day, track stands were the first thing you learned people who turned their front wheel ended up at the back of the race, you pretty much needed to keep your front wheel as straight ass possible to get a good jump, and no we weren't allowed to be in contact with the starting gate!!!

Turning the wheel does make track stands almost simple.


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## wyatt79m (Mar 3, 2007)

great idea


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## tjchad (Aug 15, 2009)

jjjjjjjjjjjj


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

thrasher_s said:


> Ok, come up with a gimmick for learning to manual.
> 
> I've been thinking about blocking the rear wheel (leaving some room for some front/rear movement) and leaning back against a wall to find the balance point.
> 
> Kind of like an Indo board.


You have me thinking again. Maybe a wheelie-bar made from one of those bike / child trailers?


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## kfjohnso (Dec 22, 2011)

This is awesome!!


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

kfjohnso said:


> this is awesome!!


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## HardRk2011 (Dec 18, 2011)

I'm going to give this a try.......


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## anthonyi (Nov 26, 2008)

HardRk2011 said:


> I'm going to give this a try.......


Cool! Let me know how it goes!


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## wisch (Jan 30, 2012)

smart..


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## boardreader (May 11, 2012)

*trackstand*

OP: you learned track stand in your 49? 
cool, gives me a hope that my trackstand days will come, someday


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## SADDLE TRAMP (Aug 26, 2010)

Its all about balance, and your trick made it easy to grasp the balance point!

Reminds me of when my son at 4 began to ride, took him over to the high school track, grabbed him by the coat collar and ran beside him. First lap, held on most of the time, second lap, about half, by the third he was on his own.

Humm, wonder if a strap might work for doing wheelies?


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## boardreader (May 11, 2012)

WOOOOW, I see my track stand days are really coming 
this garage trick was real eye-opener for what corrections one needs to apply for balance.

have read lot, but never really felt what balancing by pedal-back-and-forth movement was instead of bar swinging.

:thumbsup:


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## jsalas2 (Nov 29, 2008)

Thanks, Anthonyi, will be trying this, I'm 60 so there is hope for everyone.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## someoldfart (Mar 14, 2013)

tjchad said:


> It just takes practice. Easiest way I've heard, and how I did it, is to point your front wheel up a slight incline with your bike a 45*-is angle turned AWAY from your chocolate/front foot. That was easy. Then progress to other foot forward, bars turned either way and straight. Ideally you should be able to trackstand in any combination of foot and bar combination.


The reason you turn the front wheel into an incline is so that gravity can pull you backwards and you push a bit against that. Watch track sprinters and you will see where the term come from. I never get off the saddle to track stand though. I think that is more difficult, more wobbly.


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## tjchad (Aug 15, 2009)

dfhwdfh


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## Cheesecakeslash (Oct 16, 2013)

For my practice of manuals I do not have some fancy machinery I just go in a long straight line and continually progress to more pull up/back on my bike till I get a good one then try to memorize the balance point, so far it has had me from barely letting my wheel stay up, to manualing for about 5-6 seconds. Within the short amount of time I have been doing it I feel I have improved. My biggest problem is being afraid of pulling too hard and having to hop of the bike.

Best of luck!


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## JayTee (May 10, 2009)

So I just started this method today, thanks anthonyi! This is so cool, I keep walking out to the garage every 20-30 minutes or so to practice for a bit. It's actually a bit more tiring than I thought, but way better than falling off the bike and starting over every time. Pretty fun too! I don't think I'll have track standing mastered in one day but if this speeds up the process I'll be happy.


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