Dammit’s adventures in mountain biking

How's your manual coming along?

I very nearly ordered one of the manual machine things you have a while ago. I decided against it in the end.
But I feel like I broke through a barrier today.
Theres a pub car park a few minutes away from the house, since lock down I've been going round most evenings with my 6 year old daughter. We race around it... its actually quite good fun.
Had the idea about a week ago to go back round on my lonesome and try make an attempt at manuals. I can pop and sustain a wheelie for a reasonable distance but I started off last week refining wheelies at very low speed and working on balance a bit more then started trying the manual motion.
Fast forward to today and I only bloody went and popped a manual and held it for about 3 seconds! I feel like I've finally got past a stage that I once thought I'd never get. Kinda felt like I'd just never be able to manual because my balance is so shit.
So I feel quite pleased that I got the hang of bending my knees to control it. I'm of course still very very shit at it but a new door has been opened.

There was a video on youtube I found after watching the Jeff Lenosky video above. I'll try find it.
But the chap gave a tip that I think was what helped me crack it today.
It was about the leaning back movement and how its like the way you would throw your self back onto a big comfy couch! Trying it on the bike was a revelation.

Annoyingly I cant find the couch manual video right now.

But this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cUTakfZT00

I found useful, the point about getting comfortable with looping out, then once you can loop out, practice using your knees to bring the wheel down instead of using the back brake.

Anyway this is getting a bit wordy now but thought I'd say since it was really seeing your manual machine clips that motivated me to give it a proper bash.

May your long smooth manuals prosper.