January 01, 2007
This month, we will up the difficulty of our moves a bit and look into a few useful skills borrowed from BMX freestyle. While you might not need these skills directly when you are riding a trail, the improved bike control and confidence they impart will pay off. Also, they're just a lot of fun. Expect that these skills might take a little longer to master than some of the ones I've discussed in past months.
A manual is basically a standing, coasting wheelie. In fact, that is the distinction: if you pedal, it is a wheelie; if you coast, it is a manual. Besides greatly improving your balance and control on your bike, the manual, once perfected, can be used to ride more smoothly through rough terrain. You can also combine it with a bunny hop, hopping onto an object, landing on just the back wheel in a manual, and coasting across it and off without ever setting your front wheel down. Riders have even done manuals down handrails! and sizes of bikes to see the difference.
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