How To Wheelie On A Mountain Bike For Beginners

Wheeling is the act of balancing on your bike while riding up a steep incline. It can be done on any bike, but it’s easier to do on a mountain bike because there are more gears and suspension.

This article will teach you how to wheelie for beginners.

How do you do a wheelie on a beginner bike?

Put the bike into a medium or low gear and begin at rolling speed. Crouch your upper body so your weight is over the handlebars. Turn the cranks to the 11:00 position. Pedal down and pull up on the handlebars simultaneously. Immediately lean back – as if you were in a rocking chair – and continue pedaling.^[1]

Is it hard to wheelie a mountain bike?

The pedal wheelie is usually done as a trick, and should be learned first. The manual wheelie or “coaster” wheelie is generally considered more difficult. It can be useful on the trail for whenever you’ll need to lift your front wheel over obstacles in your path, such as rocks or tree roots.^[2]

What gear should I be in to do a wheelie on mountain bike?

Select an easy gear, but not the easiest gear. Usually 2 or 3 from the easiest is a good place to start. Begin your wheelie at about 5–10 mph. Using a gear that’s too easy will result in too fast of a cadence which will result in you loosing your wheelie because of excessive pedaling.^[3]

Is a wheelie hard to do?

Although it’s one of the easiest tricks to learn, if you don’t have your balance right it can be a difficult one to master. By accelerating quickly, pulling up on your handlebars and knowing how to position your weight for balance, you can learn to pull off a wheelie on almost anything with two wheels.^[4]

What is the best gear ratio for wheelies?

“Avoid using too hard of a gear (you won’t be able to pop the front wheel up) or too easy of a gear (you won’t be able to pedal fast enough to keep the front wheel up).” Try to get as close to the 1:1 ratio as possible.^[5]

Why do wheelies happen?

Wheelies are common in auto- or motorcycle drag racing, where they represent torque wasted lifting the front end, rather than moving the vehicle forward. They also usually result in raising the center of mass, which limits the maximum acceleration.^[6]

Should I practice wheelies on grass?

Dirt or grass are great options for softer crash pads but can be a little more difficult to control the bike with the front wheel off the ground. Pro Tip: A slight uphill is ideal and makes it much easier to learn how to wheelie.^[7]

Are wheelies easy?

Doing a wheelie on your motorcycle might seem like the most difficult stunt to do, but if you keep practicing it step by step, you will master it in no time. Popping wheelies are extremely fun and you will want to continue doing them once you master them!^[8]

What is a power wheelie?

Power wheelies are wheelies for people who dont know how to wheelie. They are too fast, uncontrollable, and dangerous. Learn the clutch up. This allows teaches you control and will allow you to basically wheelie any bike at any speed, preferably a slow, safe speed. 1.^[9]

What kind of bike is best for wheelies?

BMX Bikes. BMX bikes are one of the most popular types of bikes for wheelies. After all, BMX bicycles are specifically designed for tricks — meaning you can trust that one of the bikes will be able to handle the pressures and demands of performing wheelies.^[10]

What are wheelie bikes called?

A wheelie bike, also called a dragster, muscle bike, high-riser, spyder bike or banana bike, is a type of stylized children’s bicycle designed in the 1960s to resemble a chopper motorcycle and characterized by ape hanger handlebars, a banana seat with sissy bar, and small (16-to-20-inch (410 to 510 mm)) wheels.^[11]

What is the easiest bike trick?

The Slide. Sliding can be the most basic yet really fun bike trick you can show off. The Trackstand. Trackstand is one of the basic yet fantastic bike tricks you can learn in general, even if you don’t ride trials and are just a beginner. The Wheelie. The Bump Jump. The Endo. The Bunny Hop. The J-Hop. The Manual.^[12]