Moves To Learn For Street 24''?

[Spektrum]

Hey everyone, I bought a fourplay a while back because I thought I was looking for a more street/ bmx'y bike. Later, however, I became more interested in trials trials and became a huge fan of doing things from the rear wheel. Now I'd like to go back and give street a try but I have no idea where to start. Learning to manual and bunny hop are probably the highest on my list, I was just wondering if there are any other bread and butter moves that I should try and learn, or even moves that people think are fun/ look cool. cheers!

also if anyone has advice on how to manual, that would be great. The past few times i've tried I just busted my ass on the concrete

[Skoze]

Take it you've ridden "real" trials before? Getting all that dialled in first will help a lot. The moves most streety things seem to come out of are, as said, manuals, bunnyhops and 180s (which you can turn into 360s with practice and spinning a bit faster). Just get out and play really, see what you can do and watch videos for indpiration. Obviously there's Danny Mac, Ali C and co but i find most inspiration from people like Joel Bennett, Phil Feeney, Mark W of this parish, Ben Rowlands, Boon and Rowan. All got a nice creative style and definitely gives you a few ideas!

As for manuals, concentrate on finding your balance point. Intentionally loop out a few times and you'll get to feel where the bike will sit comfortably and where it's gonna throw you off - just remember to be ready to step off the back! Get your weight right over the back wheel and you effectively sit into it, getting your arse right down low. Imagine leaning back and sitting down in a chair, you're doing that motion just without letting go of the bars. Arms straight, and use your legs control it. One thing that really helped me was consciously forcing yourself not to give up, i always used to get scared and pull my back brake mid-manual, but instead of that, i now think to myself "bend your legs!" and it'll bring the front end down and carry on rolling. Trya nd keep the front wheel quite low too, if you want to manual brakeless, it's a lot easier to control and helps you progress onto bunnyhopping from a manual, using the preload you've got going on to give you the pop but not being so high you come off the back of it. That's another thing actually, try doing a bunnyhop to rear wheel, but never hopping out of that first pre-loaded position, just before you would launch your body upwards.

Just get out and ride, have fun and see what happens

Edited July 20, 2011 by Skoze

[Ali C]

yep, good advice for manuals.

I don't have much to add other than spins are well worth learning, but it's handy to know which way to spin as trials riding usually makes people goofy as hell. If you are right foot forward then is best to spin to the left and vice-versa.

You could always take your brakes off for a while too, that will really help hone your bunnyhops and manuals as you can't rely on a brake to correct any mistakes.

[Mark W]

I learnt to manual using a brake, and it's taken a fair while for me to get used to manuals riding brakeless. Definite improvement though, means longer manuals are better (in that you're not scrubbing your speed off).

Other than that, just watch loads of videos, remember stuff that looks like it'd be fun, then just go out and give it a pop. The good thing about street riding is that there's no set "Learn to backhop, learn to sidehop, sidehop more" sort of 'route' for progression, there's loads of different things you can do. Just try things out

[Simpson]

I learnt to manual using a brake, and it's taken a fair while for me to get used to manuals riding brakeless. Definite improvement though, means longer manuals are better (in that you're not scrubbing your speed off).

Death grip manuals are the only way to learn, practice by not even covering your brake or you get sloppy and lame. My personal opinion.

[Spektrum]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. I took my rear brake off today so hopefully that will force me to rely on balance more. Mark, it was actually your 1:18 clean video that really turned me more towards street, your style is great. You and ali make brakeless look so easy ;_;

[eskimo]

Watch some bmx street videos. The ones that aren't so mainstream and the long term front brake users are good inspiration. Shame there aren't more 24" streetier riders. I think most people have the trouble of letting go of trials when still riding a quite trials like bike.