This article will teach you how to track stand on a fixed gear bike. A track stand is the act of balancing on your bicycle at a stop without putting either of your feet on the ground. This article will explain the basics of how to preform this with both feet remaining on the pedals.
Steps
- Get a helmet and proper footwear. Although specific cycling footwear isn't required, a shoe that keeps your foot close to the pedal will allow for a more intuitive experience.
- Get your fixed gear bike. You can perform a track stand on different types of bikes as well, but these instructions are for a fixed gear bike, and additionally, it will be easier to perform with this type of bicycle.
- Make sure you have proper handlebars for learning how to perform a track stand. While there is no one set of bars that is required to perform a track stand, if your bars are too narrow it will make it more difficult to balance. I find that bullhorns or pursuit bars provide the greatest amount of control.
- Make sure that your fixed gear bike is working properly. Make sure that the chain tension is correct, otherwise, it will make executing a track stand more difficult.
- Take your fixed gear bike somewhere with a smooth riding surface and a lot of room, preferably with a slight incline (but this is not required).
- Mount your bicycle and take a couple laps to get a good feel for it. Focus especially on the amount of pressure you put on the pedals and how that translates to starting/speeding up/slowing/stopping your momentum (this will depend on your gear ratio)
- When you are ready to begin learning how to execute a track stand, start by removing your feet from the straps and placing them back on the pedals with the straps facing the ground. This is crucial because when you inevitably lose your balance, you will be able to quickly support yourself with a foot on the ground.
- Ride your bike slowly. At the point, if you're on a slope, make sure that the front of the bike is facing up the incline.
- Rise out of your saddle and begin to slow your bicycle and attempt to stop when your pedals are horizontal (or almost horizontal) to the ground and your dominant foot is forward.
- As you approach (or when you get to) the point where your pedals are horizontal to the ground, also turn your front wheel about 45 degrees in the direction of your dominant foot. This will make balancing a lot easier.
- Find the balancing point not only with the pedals but also with the weight of your whole body. It may take some time to get an instinctive feel for how to correct your balance when in a track stand, but with enough practice, it will become second nature.
- When you begin to lose your balance, ride forward. There will be times when you will have to put a foot down to keep yourself from topping over, but in general, it will be easier to simply push forward out of the track stand.
Tips
- Practice looking forward and up while entering into/pulling out of and performing a track stand. You will want to be confident enough to track stand at red lights (for example) and it is good to get into the habit of being able to observe your surroundings (or the traffic light).
- Don't get discouraged. The more you practice, the better you will be. Additionally, the more that you get a feel for your bike's gearing and individual controlling the more intuitive performing a track stand will be (even without practice!).
Warnings
- Wear a helmet and be careful. When balancing at a stand-still on a pair of thin bicycle tires, it is not unlikely that you will simply topple over.
- Make sure that your straps are properly fitted. When you will be performing track stands in the real world (e.g. at red lights) you will have your feet in the straps. It is important that they fit snugly, but that you can also still quickly slip your foot out in a pinch. If you lose your balance AND can't remove your foot from the straps quickly, there is a 100% chance that you will fall over. Adjust your straps until they are correct and remember to adjust them again if you have different footwear on than the last time you rode the bike. Practice getting your feet in and out of the straps quickly before performing a track stand with your feet in the straps.
