Skids and track-stands

Hey all, I've been trying to do skids and trackstands on my mates pista and to be honest I'm not doing too well. The gearing is 48x16 which is pretty long. I'm trying to convince him to change the gearing to something like 48x18 or 48x20 or maybe changing to 46x16 or 44x16. I've looked at some videos and read some stuff about how to do both but just can't seem to do it. Any tips that you guys can impart?

practice...

start on grass, its more slippery and so you'll skid more easily.

I'm working on it too.
Skids- Cycle faster than you think you should, lock a leg - which'll push you off the seat and forward (unweighting the back wheel)
Then when feet are about level- pull up with the front foot and down with the back (ie opposite to cycling)- and you'll skid- or skip- probably.
Its worked for me.
Oh and humping the handlebar helps.
That was thanks to Sheldon Brown's page- also look at http://www.63xc.com.

Trackstand- practice.

skids were hard for me to learn on 48x16, i changed to 48x18 and had em in about an hour. Now i got the technique i can do em on 48x16 easy.

Conan skids were hard for me to learn on 48x16, i changed to 48x18 and had em in about an hour. Now i got the technique i can do em on 48x16 easy.

Exactly the same for me....

Just lock the rear leg and pull up with the front foot.

comitment, I found it was more about the front leg than the back. Givng a flick side ways helps me to slow down better personally. Learning to flick side ways is very useful imo as it alows you to tern quickly whilst slowing down and to go round things e.t.c.

I lernt trackstands years ago on a free wheel by placing the bike on a slight up hill. THat way you can role to a stop with your feet in possition make it a bit easier. That was just me but consider trying it out on a freewheel bike on a slight up hill. Standing is alot easier than sitting as well.

Elvis start on grass, its more slippery and so you'll skid more easily.

Skids: Agreed, grass is great to practise on or find a loose gravel surface. On concrete, they get easier the faster you're going. The key is to lean forward and pull up on the front pedal in one fluid motion.

Trackstands: practise riding real slow in circles. It's just about perfecting your balance. The key is not to over correct yourself when you find yourself loosing balance.

Second Tommy - It is much easier to find the balance point on a freewheel as your body does not have to compensate too much for the wheel wanting to move the pedals back and forth.
I learnt to track stand on my road bike some 12 years ago because I was fed up of unclipping at the lights.

Try learning on a big-tyre MTB.

Oh yeah, ratio is mostly irrelevant for track stands, as for skids that is another matter.

46 x 16 works a peach on my brakeless but I personally would not go much higher than that.

Elvis start on grass, its more slippery and so you'll skid more easily.

Agreed,;fast, straight skids on grass are soooo much fun.

But make sure you don't skid sideways at speed on grass: unlike on tarmac it won't slow you down, it will put you down. I am still nursing a cracked rib from doing just that :-(

as hamster said in a previous thread, nuts to the stem.
that really is it.
and bullhorns make it so much easier to skid. i learned on brakeless, with drops, 47x15 and now have so much more fun with bullhorns and 48x17.
the only reason bullhorns make it more comfortable is that it's less scary to sit your crotch right up on the stem than on drops

I've only had my fixer for two weeks now but I'm getting to grips with trackstanding.. not good enough to try it in traffic while in the clips though!
It'll be my back garden and local school for the time being.

At the beginning when trying to skip-stop I wasn't pushing back with my other foot while bringing the other one up and I kept hurting something in my hand. It was strange. I just need to remember.. backwards cycling!

I only got the hang of trackstanding a few weeks ago after having spent months/years only being able to go really slowly or stopping for a few seconds at a time using the brake - the key for me was to get that first little roll backwards followed by a roll forwards. After that it was a cinch! It helps if yer chain is good and tight.

i just got my 19t cog today running 48x19 feels so good. does anything i want it to. i do find it easier to trackstand with a lighter gear also. though it doesn't seem to be the case with some people.
i do exactly the opposite as natureboy. i roll forwards then backwards but just do whatever fits you really.

i changed from 48 18 to 16 recently and it is trickier to balance whilst seated.

2 years i can track stand :( dont know why!

deepest ever exhumation?

Jurassic

moths flew out of my computer when i clicked this thread

mine too!