How to track stand

Once you have mastered the track stand you will be able to do it anywhere. However, whilst you are learning, finding a good section of road will massively help your progress. A road with a slight gradient and a slight camber from the centre or the crown of the road down to the gutters at the sides is what you want to look for. Track standing is a lot easier to master with a slight gradient as it allows you to rock the bike backwards and forwards to find the balance point.

This one is not compulsory, however, one of the biggest limiting factors for riders' learning is the fear of toppling over whilst clipped into your pedals. When learning to track stand, the key is to be relaxed and fit some flat pedals means that you can easily dab a foot if you lose your balance. Once you feel comfortable with the track stand you can then return to your clipless set-up.

The first step in the track stand is controlling your stop with the track stand in mind. This means that your body position needs to allow maximum control over the bike. To do this you want to be out of the saddle with your pedals level in a gear that you would want to be in when it comes to pulling away from a standstill. As you get to a stop, stay relaxed and try and hold your balance.

When you are at a stop you will need to quickly find the balance point on the bike. To do this you can use a combination of the gradient of the road, your body position and your brakes. Track standing is considerably easier if, when stationary, you turn your bars so that your wheel is pointing towards the centre of the road. It can be useful to rock forwards and backwards ever so slightly using the pressure on your pedals to drive you forwards and relaxing on the pedals to let the bike roll back underneath you.

The track stand is all about balance and one of the best ways to immediately improve your balance on the bike is to lift your head up and look ahead. If you find yourself looking down at your front wheel it can be very difficult to find your balance as you do not have a fixed point of reference. By looking ahead you will find that your balance naturally improves, you are more relaxed and you can also see when you can proceed at a junction or traffic light.

Once you feel like you have mastered the track stand, it is time to get creative and step up the difficulty further. Try removing one hand from the bars or try track standing whilst seated. These will have you testing your balance further and keep your skills sharp.