Sure, almost everyone can ride a seat on two wheels. If you have a taste for flair and find nothing spectacular with simply sitting on a mountain bike and pedaling away across the dirt paths, perhaps it’s time to learn a few tips and tricks.
A word of caution, though: it’s highly recommended to try out these tricks for the first time on safe grounds like soft grass, wearing protective gear. It’s no fun getting hurt early on.
Wheelie
This trick shows off your balancing skill by making you ride on the rear wheel alone. To do this, pull hard and upwards on the handlebars. At the same time push down on the pedals. This lifts the front wheel off the ground. While the front wheel is up, you’ll have to do a delicate balancing act to keep the front wheel in mid-air while still riding forward on the bike.
To get the front wheel back on the ground, simply lean your weight forward on the handlebars. Make sure to land with both wheels aligned, or you risk getting thrown off the bike.
Endo or Stoppie
If the wheelie brings the front wheel up, the endo brings the rear wheel up. o do an endo, you have to abruptly put on the front brakes while running on a normal pace. When you apply the front brake, lean forward and shift your weight forward to bring the rear wheel up. Try to hold this position as long as you can. When you start feeling out of balance, lean backwards and land the rear wheel then pedal off and try again. Like with the wheelie, land the rear wheel aligned with the front wheel so you won’t be thrown off by landing the rear wheel in an angle.
When you get this basic endo nailed down, you can try an advanced endo. Instead of holding the front brakes all throughout, let it go as soon as the rear wheel comes up. This allows the bike to roll forward on the front wheel while the rear wheel is held in the air. Remember that your forward motion will last only as long as the bike’s momentum so better be ready with the landing.
If you want to roll forward in an endo longer, start off with a faster running head start. Pedaling while the rear wheel is pointless since the pedal is connected to the rear wheel. Be careful though because ‘endoing’ a faster head start creates a stronger forward jerk once you apply the front brakes. This can easily throw off a novice rider, resulting in possible uncool injury.
Bunny Hop
This trick gets both wheels off the ground. You are practically making the mountain bike jump. For this trick, you need a running head start. When you are riding fast enough, jerk the handlebars upward to lift the front wheel up. Leaning backwards helps in getting the front wheel off the ground. Next, get the rear wheel off the ground. To do this, shift your weight off the back end of the bike by pushing back and up the pedals. Of course these movements are executed in a swift, flowing manner. You now have the bike in the air so prepare for landing. What you have to watch out for when landing is landing too hard on the front wheel.
If you are bunny hopping from an elevated spot to a lower one, try to land on the rear wheel first. It’s not advisable to land on both wheels when you bunny hop from higher ground. The pressure when you land on both wheels puts too much stress on the bike and the rider.
With these tips and tricks, mountain biking is so much more exciting. Go ahead and try these out. But practice first before doing the tricks on rough terrain.
