# How to pull off ultimate wheelie



## ^vindicator! (Aug 30, 2006)

Hello guys, I am a DH guy, but since the last year I've been trying to pull off a good wheelie. Sadly enough, after a year I can ride the 40+lbs bike for maybe 40feet and then fall to a side. Now, I would like you guys to help me out. Do I just need more practice or is it simply impossible to ride your DownHill bike on real wheel as long as you want because of the geometry and rear suspension? If it is possible though, how should I practice the most efficiently? Some say that it is a great idea to start manual wheelie downhill and find you point of balance that way.
Thank you guys
Wheelies and skids!


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## free rider (Nov 14, 2005)

whats whith the motor bke helmet?


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

My guess is that it's warmer. BTW: You can wheelie anything if you try, a friend of mine has a downhill bike with 7inches of travel up front and 8 or 9 out back, and I can wheelie his rig forever. A seated wheelie is the way to go on a dualy.


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## zerossix (Jul 25, 2004)

practice, thats it. you'll find your balance point eventually.


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## TXhucker (Jul 7, 2006)

In my opinion, it's easier to ride a wheelie standing up. Everything else you do on the bike, besides just pedalling, you do standing up so it's only natural to wheelie while standing. It is just practice practice and more practice. Find a slight incline and ride your wheelie up the hill. Set your pedals, give it a good strong kick to get the wheel up, and then just keep pedalling. Pull the bar towards your chest and increase or decrease your pedalling speed to keep it upright. Gear selection helps as well. Too low and you'll spin really fast. Too high and you won't be able to pedal enough. I usually use 3rd of 9. Flat pedals are a must.


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## rocpyro (Feb 7, 2005)

I love when the word "ultimate" is thrown into a title.


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

A standing wheelie isn't nearly as effective or cool looking, but that's my take on it.


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## ^vindicator! (Aug 30, 2006)

hehe, thanks for responses. yeah, i know its all about practice, but i am certain that its easier to do a wheelie on a ruckus or chucker or bmx than on DH team. Well, will keep trying, thanks guys


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## derfernerf (Jun 25, 2006)

for DJ bikes should you still do them sitting down even tho the seat is way lower?


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## rocpyro (Feb 7, 2005)

snaky69 said:


> A standing wheelie isn't nearly as effective or cool looking, but that's my take on it.


As far as "effectiveness", a standingf wheelie is always best(Were talkin racing), but for showin off, sittin it out is always sweet.


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

Check out my bike's picture in my while riding with my camera thread, I wheelie with the seat at that height.


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## ^vindicator! (Aug 30, 2006)

where is that picture?


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## aznsap (Jul 7, 2006)

40ft? i wish i could wheelie that far. i'm still struggling to keep my front end up.


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## BikeSATORI (Mar 20, 2004)

standing wheelies take more skill and balance than seated. If you are standing, you may as well conquer the manual, or like rocpyro said, as a method of crankin' out the speed on a track or flow section...
I cannot really wheelie my street bike since the seat is so low and the gear ratio is so tall, but I never really desire to wheelie it, I'd just manual. and BMX bikes and wheelies are pretty horrible. 
wheelies with a hefty DH rig aren't that bad, if you find the correct gear ratio and speed for your legs. sometimes faster is better, and very stable on a DH/FR bike, you just have to have a feel for when and how your susp. will react to different input, then just work with it.
well, maybe not so easy in the snow, haha
and, with a wheelie, if you hit a downhill section, you can coast it in a manual, either seated or standing, then, once you feel momentum dropping back to the speed of your current gear ratio, just resume pedaling and keep the wheelie up. 
it is obviously all about the practice and experience though. I can write all the info in my head on here, books upon books, I can write or tell you how to become enlightened, or how to feel love, but you will never know what it is or how to do it until it comes to you from inside in your own experience.


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

There is the thread vindicator. http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=223521


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## ^vindicator! (Aug 30, 2006)

thx snakie 
btw.. bikeSATOR thanks for comprehensive story  pretty cool gues ur smart.. where u from anyways?


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## weatherbee_16 (Jul 29, 2006)

also when yoyur moving start ina lower gear and then whenu get going faster changes gears so u can keep the bikes up and i keep its for about 50 yerds if im luckey i have be for


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

Pedal steadily as much as you can, keeping the same speed helps a lot with balance, If you're always accelerating, you'll end up spinning out and dropping the front wheel anyway. If you're going too fast either tap the rear brake or slow down your pedaling.


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## M0µN741N B|K3R 13 (Jun 23, 2006)

Yea, the biggest thing is finding the balance point for your bike. sitting or standing depends on your bike geometry. On my friend's hardtail bike i have to stand to wheelie it, but on my FS i sit down. Sit down if you can, because its a lot less tiring and you can ride the wheelie for a lot longer. My record is about 1500 ft. If you want to wheelie, try going slightly uphill, thatll keep your speed under control. I dont know much about manualing but i heard going slightly downhill works better, using your rear brake as your speed control. Im with weatherbee_16 wen he sed start in a lower gear and work your way up. Theres a fine balance with your speed; if your going too slow, you'll have more trouble balancing the bike side to side, and if your going too fast, you'll have more trouble keeping the bike vertical, especially if your falling foward since you wont have as much torque in the higher gear. If you have any more questions there's somebody here that can answer them.


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## derfernerf (Jun 25, 2006)

nobody answered my question


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## zaefod (Apr 8, 2005)

I was practicing the "wheelie" on my Heckler before I finished my DJ bike. On the Heckler it was easier for me to do a wheelie sitting down. Standing my body movement was adding yet another element to be controlled. 

Now I'm only riding my DJ rig and it's so compact that I can't get the bike into wheelie position sitting down so I've switched to practicing the manual. 

A friend who's tons better than me recommended that I keep my butt as low and back and I could while learning and it seems to help. Before I was doing them a little more upright which makes it want to loop out and reduces the amount of correction I have with my arse.


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## ^vindicator! (Aug 30, 2006)

that is right. if u put the weight more towards the back, it will igve you more control. the seat issue, tyr ot either pull it up or leave it as it is. if its not possible to pedal while sitting, stand up. that is though very much more harder than sitting- i do not know what you guys think but wheeling and standing up- wow, by far harder and more PERILOUS/ have already contused my ankle while trying to avoid bruising my fookin azz. (im gonna show you guys soon my new power armor ) anyways, dont try to stand the fook up if your not having the bike under control while sitting. and yeah, the thing about wheeling is NOT to pedal constantly faster, but steadily. gonna post some pics soon.


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## SDHucker858 (Jul 10, 2006)

try standing up when getting your front up then sitting and pedaling. that way you dont need as to be in as high of a gear and when you do go faster your not pedaling out of control. i have a fully 6 in front and back. i can wheelie just as far standing up as sitting but go much slower sitting. when i manual i move my weight back as far as i can go then pass balance point and stand up tall to come back to the balance point. that way im standing up with legs and arms straight with weight shifted back.


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## ^vindicator! (Aug 30, 2006)

yeah there is nothing to disagree on, the only thing that i said is that its harder - which, admit that, is. and, more to it, when you flip over while sitting, well, just slide off the seat and get on your feet, but when you are standing up.. there is not that much time to do so and there is seat that will rip something off you often..


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## rideak (Jul 24, 2006)

i ride a chase(dj bike) and wheelies sitting down are the way to go. standing up u cant keep a wheelie going i sit down and just get my weight set if u tend to fall off to one side try turning ur seat a bit its crazy what a couple millimeters will do personnally i can only wheelie standing up for about 40 feet just becasue its so tiring it is easier at first but once u learn how to do it sitting down you can go forever ive riddin a few times from my house t o work which is about a mile and a half with like a half mile uphill in there. but keep trying try your seat at diff heights higher is easier to keep it balanced up and down lower seat makes it easier to turn.


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## BikeSATORI (Mar 20, 2004)

anybody ever mess around in a wheelchair? can manual on slight downhills pretty easy, and do spins, etc... very fun and easy way to get the basic ideas down for what a balance point feels like.


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## ^vindicator! (Aug 30, 2006)

Yo rideak i think you know what ur talking about, i also consider, like i said, sitting down the way to go.
ANd another thing about wheeling, its makes your balance so perfect that then u will be able of doing things you could not do before - perfect for urban, but great for overall balance - jumping -downhill and so on


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## ^vindicator! (Aug 30, 2006)

ouch ouch every time i get back on thee ground after wheelin i dont feel like wasting all that velocity by just braking so i try to refine up stoppies. the last one was a pretty fast- about 15mph and ended up in a pretty sharp endo. ****en bad to fly over the handlebars in your tshirt right onto concrete that is just about as smooth as your girfriends but. ****en hurts and im bloody all over. my bikes screwed, the cranks are twisted, seat torn, rear swinger fork scratched, rear brake cracked and handlebar's grip torn. F*** that. well at least it wasnt my new bike.. after all, it takes some sacrifice to get refined.. and when i think about it when i was trying to ride the bike on the front wheel at speeds of 25mph+ i feel like i ended up pretty good.


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## zaefod (Apr 8, 2005)

Uh, if you say so. sounds like you ate it pretty hard.


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## ^vindicator! (Aug 30, 2006)

now i took it to a bike shop and they said it will be around $120 to get it back on track. pretty bad for a bike that is worth $500 new...
anyways, just paid for a new Giant DH Team.. now that is a ultimate ride. It drained my budget, I cant even buy lunch now ($5500). Guess Im freaky outta my mind but whaever, once I get it I will post it.
Bytheway, its fun riding your bike with twisted cranks, it feels funny at first but then you get used to it and dont even notice it any more


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## Michael Samuel (May 18, 2013)

^vindicator! said:


> Hello guys, I am a DH guy, but since the last year I've been trying to pull off a good wheelie. Sadly enough, after a year I can ride the 40+lbs bike for maybe 40feet and then fall to a side. Now, I would like you guys to help me out. Do I just need more practice or is it simply impossible to ride your DownHill bike on real wheel as long as you want because of the geometry and rear suspension? If it is possible though, how should I practice the most efficiently? Some say that it is a great idea to start manual wheelie downhill and find you point of balance that way.
> Thank you guys
> Wheelies and skids!


I have the same problem, my bike is 46 pounds and i can barely get it up by an inch


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