# Tips on riding fakie?



## azn (Jan 30, 2008)

Do any of you have any pointers for riding backwards?
I've been practicing, but am not getting anywhere. Its pretty much been rolling slowly to a hill stopping, rolling back maybe half a foot and then losing my balance.

Its like im learning to ride all over again:madman: 
....i guess it sorta is.

But, can you guys help?
Thanks


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## the_godfather (Jan 19, 2007)

go faster


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

Go faster, for one, rolling up a hill and coming from a near complete stop usually ends up in not having enough speed for most people.

Stay centered over the bike, like, right over the seat or slightly in front of it.

Find a small quarterpipe, those work best for learning, just go up it, make your front wheel reach the coping(without going over) and roll back down.

For turning around just twist your front wheel in the opposite direction while applying pedal pressure, look where you're going.


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## A Grove (Nov 12, 2006)

I am getting the hang of it.. slightly. Having a front brake is good for practicing, just come up at a "decent" speed, endo, and push back which will transfer your momentum. Even with a freecoaster, fakie is still hard to learn.

Then again, people are telling me its best to learn on a cassett hub then switch to a freecoaster... idk why though. Its easier for me to think strictly about keeping my weight centered and turning the wheels, etc without having to worry about backpedaling.


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## Minden (Mar 15, 2008)

try sitting on your bike and pushing off with your feet to roll backwards and coast like that... just keep your feet a few inches above the ground once you get momentum

it will help you get used to having to turn the bars the opposite way you naturally would to keep your balance, so it will come more naturally when you do an actual rollback

practice every day whenever you have a free 5 minutes just to get used to how it feels.... haha

good luck man


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## A Grove (Nov 12, 2006)

Thats a GREAT idea, actually.


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## DJskeet (Oct 19, 2007)

A Grove said:


> I am getting the hang of it.. slightly. Having a front brake is good for practicing, just come up at a "decent" speed, endo, and push back which will transfer your momentum. Even with a freecoaster, fakie is still hard to learn.
> 
> Then again, people are telling me its best to learn on a cassett hub then switch to a freecoaster... idk why though. Its easier for me to think strictly about keeping my weight centered and turning the wheels, etc without having to worry about backpedaling.


Pedaling backwards helps me keep my ballance because I am moving rather then standing still. Its like the same as if you were about to fall off of a railing or something and you swing your arm around to gain your ballance back.


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## azn (Jan 30, 2008)

thanks for all the pointers.
gotta put a front brake on and try this again.


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## sittingduck (Apr 26, 2005)

Minden said:


> try sitting on your bike and pushing off with your feet to roll backwards and coast like that... just keep your feet a few inches above the ground once you get momentum
> 
> it will help you get used to having to turn the bars the opposite way you naturally would to keep your balance, so it will come more naturally when you do an actual rollback


Great advice, I think I did that when I first learned. Use your feet as training wheels... eventually you'll be able to put them on the pedals and still balance.


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## Minden (Mar 15, 2008)

haha i think when i first started learning to ride fakie i rode up my kicker and coasted back... alot... wish i'd known my other method then...

once you get riding fakie dialed you should learn to 180... its really fun once your able to link it together into a combo in my opinion  

i just got 180s off my kicker on my chainless bmx, i've been having lots of fun with em... lol i had it as a tramp bike for a while and just clipped it off because i couldnt find a chain tool :madman: 

also i'm missing the back brake.... got a front one though


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## azn (Jan 30, 2008)

yea. i've been trying to learn both of them right now.
I can get like 90 degrees around. ah well. more practice.


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## aznguy (Mar 15, 2007)

i find it a bit easier if i'm not putting all my focus on going backwards cause then i have a tendency to over think about what i'm actually supposed to do. a bit weird but i focus more on the pivoting out and the fakie comes more easily when im not directly thinking about it. 

with the 180's as well, learn them on a quarter pipe first, really helped me with getting the feel for them. once you've got them on a quarter, you just really need to get a high enough hop.


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## cmc4130 (Jan 30, 2008)

Minden said:


> try sitting on your bike and pushing off with your feet to roll backwards and coast like that... just keep your feet a few inches above the ground once you get momentum
> 
> it will help you get used to having to turn the bars the opposite way you naturally would to keep your balance, so it will come more naturally when you do an actual rollback
> 
> ...


he's right. learn it sitting down, rolling backwards on a mellow hill, with your feet off the pedals. then put your feet on the pedals and freewheel back. you have to get the opposite steering down.

when you do fakies standing up with a non-freecoaster, you cant be leaning on your hands, you have to center your weight at or behind your bottom bracket.


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## A Grove (Nov 12, 2006)

Honestly... I went for a little ride yesterday and was practicing abubs/fakie, etc. and snaky's (i think?) advice was the best thus far... And that was leaning to where you *WANT* to go... I was constantly loosing my balance trying to get turned back around, as soon as I started to think more about what I was doing, the bike just came right around. What a great feeling to finally nail abubs


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