How to Wheelie A Road Bike – Learn It in Easy Steps
Cycling is one of the most exciting things to do in your leisure. Also, this is the cheapest way to get some thrilling experience in different tracks.
Notably, with road bikes, expert riders can show good skills by doing stunts. You may not be able to do all stunts but can do a wheelie with your road bike.
Learning to perform a wheelie is beneficial for the rider in two different ways. You can avoid the obstacles when riding, and at the same time, you look cool to others.
To do this impressive technique, you must have to know how to wheelie a road bike. This article will tell you the steps that you need to follow when wanting to do a wheelie.
What Do You Need?
To perform the wheelie, you need some essential arrangements. First of all, you need a good road bike which is not bulky. You can check good wheelie bikes buying guide to buy best bicycle.
Also, find out a large area where you can practice the trick without any obstacles.
And finally, gather the safety equipment such as helmet, bicycling gloves, goggles, etc.
Step by Step Way to Do a Wheelie
Set the Seat Position
To keep yourself more stable and get a comfortable sitting position, it is essential to set the seat position in the right place.
Make sure that the seat is in a height where you feel comfortable. Also, the distance between the seat and the handle grip shouldn’t be too much, which can cause back pain.
The proper sitting position is important to maintain the center of gravity and keep your balance. The middle position is always better to perform a wheelie.
Go for An Open Space
No matter how good you are in riding a bicycle, if you are new to wheelie, you need to find an open place to practice it.
It could be a field or any other place with a good area. You can even choose a local park as your practice ground.
Whichever place you select, it should be flat and grassy. Thus, you can avoid accidental issues.
However, you can also choose an uphill incline surface to practice a wheelie.
Set the Gear
Setting the gear in the right position is essential. If you don’t set it properly, there is no point in trying to do a wheelie with the bike.
Most of the experts suggest setting the gear as lower as possible. But from my experience, I can say that middle gear also works better.
Yet, you can always do a wheelie in any gear, but low gear gives some added advantage for the beginners. It is actually easy to learn a wheelie when the bike is in the lower gear.
Start Cycling in a Slow Pace
Once you have set the gear in the right position, you can start the ride. However, you don’t have to ride the bike at the top speed.
Rather, the pace should be slow enough so that you can keep sufficient control of your bike. Slow to medium pace is suitable for a wheelie.
Make sure that you are feeling confident and have good control over the speed.
Hold the Pedal in 2 O’clock Position
The most important thing to perform a wheelie is placing the pedal in the right position.
You will get the best performance when the pedal is set at 2 o’clock position. This allows giving enough force on the pedal when necessary.
You will have to push the pedal, and this will lift the front wheel up. Remember that you should place your dominant foot at the position so that you can keep control.
Related resource: Top flat pedals for road bike
Push Down the Pedal
Push the pedal with your dominant foot and accelerate the bike. You will notice the front wheel is lifting.
Now hold this position of the wheel and grip the handlebar. Keep your body lean back to pull the front of the bike off the ground.
If you have done each of these things, you have done your first wheelie. However, this could be for a very short moment.
But the thing is, this gives the confidence that you can do it. Practice in the same style again and again.
Find Your Balance Point
When practicing a wheelie in the above style, you will have to find the balance point for your body weight and the bike’s weight.
Finding the proper balance point is important to become a pro in a wheelie. It may require so many practice sessions.
But once you know where is the proper balance position, you will be able to do a wheelie wherever you want.
No matter whether you are on a flat surface or a sloppy surface, it wouldn’t be an issue anymore.
Some Safety Tips
- If your weight is too much, don’t force yourself for a wheelie
- Wear safety goggle, knee guard, helmet, and the gloves
- Choose a soft or grassy surface instead of a hard one
- Don’t be hurry to perform a perfect wheelie; it may take time
- If possible, keep someone with you for emergency support
- Choose a lightweight and durable road bike
No matter if you have never tried to do a wheelie, follow the above steps and you will be successful for sure. It is not that difficult as most people think. Just try for the first time, and it will be a great experience.