How To Track Stand | GCN's Pro Tips

The ability to track stand will mean that you've got more balance and therefore more control over your bike. You won't be clipping in and out as much at junctions. And you can also then show off to your mates. Coming up we show you exactly how to do a track stand as well as some advanced techniques.

First up, let's recommend a location. Unlike me, you don't want to choose asphalt or tarmac, but instead, something slightly softer just in case you do lose your balance. You also want to find a very slight incline, more on the reasons behind that a little bit later on. And in terms of equipment, you want to possibly swap out your clipless pedals for some flat pedals, that way at least you'll be able to put your foot down quickly if things do go wrong.

Once you've chosen your location, ride slowly towards it and then point your front wheel one side or the other but pointing up the gradient. Now the gradient is important because it's going to give you some resistance, that when you push on the pedals, you will move up, and when you let go, you'll go gradually back down. So you can get that rocking motion which gives you your balance.

I personally find it easiest being out of the saddle with my legs slightly bent, arms reasonably straight but not completely locked out. And a quietly relaxed grip, with a finger or two hovering over the front brake. However if you want to go to the next step and go no handed which is what we're going to do next. You're going to need to learn how to do this sat down.

Now the technique of track standing in the saddle versus out of the saddle is almost identical, it's just ever so slightly harder I find personally, to keep your balance. But keep that front wheel against the gradient and roll it forwards and backwards. And from there, once you're confident in the saddle, it's simply a case of gradually loosening up your grip on the hoods or the bars. Until eventually, you're going no handed. Now the other alternative is to just take one hand off at a time, controlling it with the other one, then lifting that one off.

Then, the ultimate and the hardest track stand to do in my book at least, is the out of the saddle, no hander. You want to rest the top tube against the inside of your thigh, just above the knee to give you a bit of stability. Again, on the same gradient. This, as you can see, is very difficult indeed.

Now you're probably thinking to yourself, I haven't got many junctions near my house where there's a gradient for me to push my wheel against and that is where this next advanced technique comes into play. So I'm now facing in the other direction on a downhill gradient and what I'm doing is rolling forward, putting my brake on, moving my body weight slightly back and that's enough to roll the wheel then backwards.

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Photos: © Bettiniphoto / http://www.bettiniphoto.net/ & ©Tim De Waele / http://www.tdwsport.com

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