# Wheelie & manual set up?



## Chuckie (Dec 26, 2006)

Guys trying to get my street game going...

Could you guys give me some advice on how your bike is set up for wheelies etc

seat height, seat angle, stack height, bar height & angle

I have an STP by the way and I am pretty determined to get this one wheel balance thing going!


Oh yeah, how long did it take you to get wheelies and manuals down pat?


----------



## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

All personal preference and practice. You've just got to find the balance point. Constantly changing the setup could make it even harder for you to find the balance point.


----------



## Matago (Jan 25, 2008)

Dono if its just me but i have seen 3 or 4 topics including the one i made about wheelie and manualling help and it is only STP owners. Iss it somthing about this bike?


----------



## Chuckie (Dec 26, 2006)

Matago said:


> Dono if its just me but i have seen 3 or 4 topics including the one i made about wheelie and manualling help and it is only STP owners. Iss it somthing about this bike?


If it is tell me...and I will sell her!!


----------



## bobbyOCR (Feb 11, 2007)

It is all practice. I've got an STP and I can tell you there is nothing wrong with it. It is a balanced bike. Not as easily manual-able/manoeuvrable as pure street bikes, but it feels better jumping and downhill. 

I have missed out on the fun side of riding (I was pure racer) and after a whopping three days, I can just hit the balance point (or overshoot, but IMO that's even worse). That's with about an hour a day of solid runs down a gentle hill. That nets me about 2 seconds of actual manual. So you can kinda guess that every hour of practice is about 1 second of potential manual. So it's gonna take a long time no matter how you try, no matter what bike, there is no 'set-up'.

Best advice I can give, go find some soft grass (safety measure. coccyx bruises hurt like ****) and roll slowly, push down so your chest is over the bars, then pull back to the magic balance point. If the wheel flops straight down, pull harder/hang lower. If it comes up too far and you either fall back or land on your feet, try it with a bit less power. You're better off with too little power than too much. Then translate it to hard ground. Pedal up or roll down a slope and try to find the balance point. Pushing your feet forwards brings the wheel up, bringing your feet in puts it down.


----------



## PaintPeelinPbody (Feb 3, 2004)

and get your butt over the rear wheel. It can be high over the rear wheel or practically touching it, but it needs to be over the rear axle just abouts.

I've been trying manuals for 3 years and I still can't do them.


----------



## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

Get your butt down over that rear wheel, the further back and down you go the easier it is.

There is nothing wrong with the STP, the first time I hopped on one I manualed it for a whole street.


----------



## Strauss (Apr 27, 2007)

I've always felt that dropping my heels while pulling up helps - for some reason when I do this I feel the magic spot instantly then I just use foot/leg movements to keep the real axle under my butt.


----------



## CripTiK (Oct 21, 2007)

There are a couple posts I made that has a lot of useful information on how to manual. One is a link in my signature and the other is a manual contest/progress report.

I have an STP and a NT and thought I could manual better on the STP.


----------



## Prime8 (Apr 19, 2004)

*practice*

slam the seat all the way down, get your but way back. I like my bars rotated so the rise is vertical to the ground. depends how tall you are, leg to arm length ratio. and how far back you can get your mass. like everyone said, there is no magic set up, just magic practice.

practice,


----------



## sittingduck (Apr 26, 2005)

Higher bars will make it easier to pull up into position. The bars on my STP are pretty low, but once I get the balance point, it's pretty solid. I need a lot more practice to have them dialed though.
Look at it this way. Assuming a decent bike, your setup affects manuals _very slightly_. _Your_ skill at doing them is the other 98% of it.


----------



## bobbyOCR (Feb 11, 2007)

Prime8 said:


> slam the seat all the way down, get your but way back. I like my bars rotated so the rise is vertical to the ground. depends how tall you are, leg to arm length ratio. and how far back you can get your mass. like everyone said, there is no magic set up, just magic practice.
> 
> practice,


You stole my hands


----------



## DJskeet (Oct 19, 2007)

Yeah the STP is terrible bike for wheelies, you should sell it right away!  

But in all seriousness, it has nothing to do with the bike as long as it has a reasonable chain stay length, (which the STP does). Basically what everyone else said.

Ohh and I don't really think using the brake is a good idea; it’s just a bad habit. If you are going to loop out then just push forward.

Also its nice to manual down parking lots to see the white parking space lines to judge your progress. I can only get four


----------



## NoBrakes! (Jun 15, 2007)

Just cuz you cant ride with one finger on the brake doesnt make it a bad habit :madman:  
The finger on the brake is just preference not bad not good just there


----------



## Iggz (Nov 22, 2006)

I'd rather just tap the brake and keep going than jump off going fast, that tends to hurt my ankles.


----------



## daveyburt (Feb 14, 2008)

i'll use this to build up my posts 

everyone who tells you the practice time is the key, is completely right!
I can wheelie pretty ok and that's a mix of three things, balance, pedal power, and breaks. You have to go to that grassy knoll and learn where your balance point is, you WILL go over but you will learn to use the brakes ever so slightly to keep you from doing so. when your pulling up, pull with your shoulders and not your elbows. keep your shoulders square...

once you get wheeling down -know how hard to pull up and know your balance point, you'll be able to pick up the manuals a bit better. learn manuals by staying low and back(cuz again, you will at some point go over -again brakes are key here) but, after you get the hang of it -try standing up a little taller -still staying back) and the front wheel will rise that little bit more and you find your balance point -or flip over point.



practice.

good luck and any bike can manual, except maybe an old racing 10 speed. but, i'm sure someone can manual that too.


----------



## philott (Jan 5, 2006)

I like bars as low as possible. I think it uses less effort to get the bike to balance. Also keep one finger on the brake. on really long manuals you will use a little bit of brake to keep from going over alot. I like to pull up hard and go past the balance point, then modulate the brake to keep the bike in the balance area. Shift your hips alot, practice. STP's wheelie and manual awesome from my expierence. have fun!


----------



## bobbyOCR (Feb 11, 2007)

daveyburt said:


> good luck and any bike can manual, except maybe an old racing 10 speed. but, i'm sure someone can manual that too.


XC race bikes are kinda hard. Manual with pedal kick, sure, but manual without, seat's too high and chainstays long enough to make it a very difficult task.


----------



## crakbot (Nov 5, 2005)

A stock STP should be fine for manuals unless you are really tall or really short. It really does take practice though, some guys get it quickly and some really never nail it. Personally I'm in the middle. I can hit most of manuals but still miss plenty of them. On a BMX/4X track I can manual way better than just on flat ground for no reason.

By the way, as far as being able to manual any set up, check out this guy manual-ing a rhythm section on a 16" bike. Pretty smooth

16" bike manual


----------



## NoBrakes! (Jun 15, 2007)

https://www.sharetheflow.com/flvplayer.swf

Wow that guy is an amazing rider


----------

