Can’t Lift Your Front Wheel? Here's Why.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks for watching! Here's a link to all of the MTB Skills Tutorials if you want to learn more: kzbin.info/aero/PLycZkTUrZFP60I20UyJTf_FwzFQXz7CK6

[@D6save]

No wonder I'm knackered every time I try and get my front wheel up. I'm doing it wrong. Love this channel. I'm late to mountain biking, and generally do it alone. My learning curve definitely goes up after watching your videos.

[@SuperRiderTV]

That's the best compliment I could get - so glad to hear that these videos are helpful!

[@yndrill]

Oh my goodness... this is such an amazing explanation on how to lift my front wheel. I've been trying to learn how to wheelie on my new mountain bike but I just kept only using my arms to lift it. Thank you so much I can now wheelie efficiently. You've earned a sub keep it up!

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome, thanks so much!! Have fun!

[@berdysz9390]

Thats a manual nit a wheelie

[@ReaM____]

hows that a wheelie?

[@tehwulf4291]

Yup, wow, this is exactly what I needed! I'm just beginning at 33 and living in NH everything local is rocks n roots and constant undulation and I've been struggling getting the front wheel up n over lots of it. Gonna practice this a bunch and I bet itll help!

[@tehwulf4291]

Also watching you hop around on those logs was wild! Major goals.

[@SuperRiderTV]

You're in the right place!

[@thejenster7890]

Great breakdown for troubleshooting my movement and struggles. Timely because I'm focused on moving FW now. Super helpful! Thanks.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome! So glad it was helpful, have fun with it!

[@onatic8058]

So this is what I've been doing wrong the whole time, thank you!

[@SuperRiderTV]

Glad this was helpful - have fun!

[@Brian2124]

Great videos man. Really enjoying everything you're putting out there. Straight forward, clear, and to the point. Thanks for the time and effort.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks so much for saying so 🙏

[@alexgoriatchenkov]

This IS Fantastical theoretical explanation... Thank you SOOOOO MUCH Super Rider! And I see why I couldn't doing this ---- my high position seat don't let me. Tomorrow will trying and update results.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome, thank you!! Good luck, I hope this helps!

[@_telly8456]

The rowing motion fixed everything for me thank you so much

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome! I’m so glad to hear it!

[@joncov]

great tutorial, providing 100% useful hints I would adjust the physics model presented at the beginning slightly: - it is the rear axle that is most important, NOT bottom bracket, the rotation is around the rear axle and the relative position of a rider to the rear axle is crucial - rider's center of gravity is NOT between her hips when bent/leaned forward - it is moved forward, and is actually outside her body - the compound COG = rider + bike plays a major role, but only the rider's COG can be influenced at the begining - with both wheels on the ground (the suspension travel changes bike COG, but so slightly that it can be neglected)

[@ryandavies1731]

Since we're talking physics, just to be further pedantic, it is actually the centre of the rear tire's contact patch that forms the pivot of the front wheel lift, not the rear axle. It just so happens that the contact patch and the axle are often perpendicular to the ground, so the rotation can conveniently occur around the axle and the distinction happens to be moot. Not sure? The front wheel can be lifted, with similar technique, even if the rear brakes are locked. Try it! It's actually more complicated than either of these explanations. The pivot is not trivial, as it can shift in constrained but complex ways during a manoeuvre.

[@joncov]

@@ryandavies1731 this is a very interesting input :) I dare to disagree to some extend at least. And it is not to prove my point, My ultimate goal is to learn the phenomenon, so I expect this discussion to continue. Your point with front wheel lift with rear brake applied: it changes the condition of "the free rotation of the rear wheel". Moreover the bike&rider rotate around the rear axle then. The contact point rear wheel - ground remains the same when brake is applied. The rear brake does not lock the rotation around the rear axle. It locks the rotation of the rear wheel. Second example is very simple to follow: Sit on the seat, both feet on the ground, apply the rear brake and pull the bars - the frame will rotate around the rear axle lifting the front wheel - this is the same movement besides the rear wheel is stationary, what makes lifting the front so easy. EDIT: if rear brake is applied, then the rotation of the rear wheel is locked, and bike&rider "rock" on the rear tire (cradle like movement) but is a different case than front wheel lift when rear wheel rotates freely. If the rear wheel is hold by hand, no brake applied. then bike&rider rotate around the rear axle (as in case of manual machine). One more remark - the rotation of bike&rider is in the opposite direction of wheels rotation direction. The contact patch moves in the direction opposite to the frame rotation at the lift.

[@ms.karihart2983]

I’ve seen you content a few days ago, now I’ve saved your channel Thank you for the basics

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome, thanks so much for watching - I hope it's helpful!

[@RubenRC94]

Great video. I always ridden a xc bike with low travel (80-100mm) when I got a new bike with 160mm travel I was only unloading the fork and pulling the sag out lol

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thank you!

[@BLUENINJAGAMING-1k]

ty man I will try this, What happens to me is that every time I try sometimes the wheel goes upwards and sometimes it doesn't

[@mattmorrison9379]

The fox fork has such a great look. Love the good colored stanchions.

[@MartinAtanasu]

Simply the best breakdown in the Biz. The shown simplicity of action leads to the Ah Hah moment of understanding.All your tutorials are Gold

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thank you so much! Glad it was helpful!

[@RiderDon]

I’m so GLAD I found your channel I feel like I’m gonna learn a lot from you. Thank you so much! 🙏🏼

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome!! Thanks so much for watching - I hope all the videos are helpful!

[@jessemaxwellfields827]

Your content is super. You explain things well and speak clearly. You don't over saturate the videos with comedy (when re-watching a tutorial multiple times listening to bad jokes, funny faces, and goofy editing can be annoying). The previous channel name of Lutze was good in that when typed in the search bar is was the top hit but I see the benefit of Super Rider; very slick looking logo, you might want to recenter it for the profile bubble though. Suggestions: More slo-mo, more PIP (maybe during a face shot explanation put you mug in the PIP and slo-mo the action in the main body, could add text of the play by play action); create an intro (I hate intros but maybe it's what the algorithm wants); summary at the end; timestamps; more POV or overhead shots when applicable; remind people to rewatch videos every couple of months (if there's 10 things to unlock in a move then by the time you have muscle memory for some steps you might have forgotten what else you needed to work on). Video ideas: Fakie, wheelie, physical fitness to avoid injuries, GoPro settings/editing/how to make videos, speed through berms, application of trial skills on popular trails (instead of bombing down the downhill MTB trail employ trial skills to get through features), product reviews. If you start doing the "like-subscribe-comment" maybe do it as outro (nothing more annoying than "welcome back to my channel and if you haven't already..." when it's a persons first time to a channel. TL;DR thanks for the free lessons.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks for the input and thanks for watching, I’ll give this some thought for sure! 👊

[@captainjellyfish1791]

I've been trying to learn to wheelie and manual for about a week now. Progress is slow and I expected that. I knew before hand to pull back not up, and to lean back. I never even thought to go down though. A very good point. Thanks for making this video

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks for watching - hopefully it was helpful!

[@sky_kbrookes]

Amazing, i am new to riding and was practising bunny hops until i realised i could not even get my wheel off the ground, gonna try this put and ill lyk how it gelps

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome! I hope this helps!

[@GameplayerSolCley]

Gracias hermano, eres un buen maestro. Entiendo todo lo que dices a la perfecciòn.

[@KyleD-lr5ht]

Front wheel movement section was gold.. chefs kiss

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thank you! Glad you found it useful!

[@alainpc23]

Great teacher. You’re a natural, man! 👍

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks so much!

[@SirTubeALotMore]

I have no problem lifting the front wheel on my medium sized short travel xc bike but definitely more difficult on my large enduro bike 😅

[@SuperRiderTV]

Makes sense - you’ll have to exaggerate your movement a bit more on the bigger bike!

[@FlyingFun.]

Liked thanks, I'm having trouble on my big heavy ebike so will try exaggerating and rowing, On my smaller bikes I can do it but I've always been scared to wheely properly for fear of falling off the back.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks, hope this helps! Ebikes are definitely a bit harder, but you’re spot on to exaggerate the motion. I’ve found that you have to get your body weight much further back on those bikes - I did a full length video on eBikes a while ago. Fun ride for sure!

[@FlyingFun.]

@@SuperRiderTV I'll look for that one. Ebikes are addictive, especially my latest one, frey ex with bafang ultra motor, it eats up the hills and the miles but weighs 35kg so limited to routes with no gates to lift over lol.

[@tobyeglesfield4403]

I need to practice this more, I can do it but it's a heft. I know most of this stuff should be easy on most bikes but I feel my rigid fork 29er might be one of the most challenging! Pedal lifts are fine for me but I want to manual eventually, so this is in my practice repertoire.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Practice makes progress! You'll definitely get it soon, this skill unlocks manuals and bunnyhops once you get acquainted with that balance point.

[@tobyeglesfield4403]

@@SuperRiderTV Practice makes progress! - so true. I got these going last night after this vid inspired me. I just need to get in quite a high position up front before I come back low during the lift. Satisfied to find that it's not all that bar yanking or back wrenching I was experiencing that's gonna get that wheel up high! - cheers!

[@lidarman2]

An issue here is that although you might think your center of mass is on the BB, but in order to rotate the bike up, you have to have a force that makes a torque around the rear wheel. The pivot point is the rear axle and not the bottom bracket. This is pronounced with heavy bikes, especially ebikes with a downtube battery.

[@heimizhou450]

so good to teach the key technique! Thanks

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful!

[@BelowAverageRazzleDazzle]

Higher rise handlebars with a nice back sweep helps..... alot....

[@kevinlim81010]

Thanks for your advice!! I going to give it a try!

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome! Have fun!

[@manpyuuy665]

I never knew about the rowing action

[@chenrushan219]

thanks for great explanation

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks for watching, glad it was helpful!

[@tobyeglesfield4403]

I notice that before you initiate the knee out it goes counter-wise a little and touches the frame - gonna try that :)

[@SuperRiderTV]

Good catch - let me know if it works!

[@Crazycool-s7k]

Thx so much

[@TitanMain12]

Duuuude!!!! Row!!!! It makes so much sense thank you.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Happy to help! 🙌

[@Techboiiiii]

Oh yeah can you tell us how to loosen up the fork and tell us if we need to put oil?

[@fungchewy5729]

Great video. I dig your riser handlebars; I bought some that are similar to hopefully help me out a bit. Gonna keep grinding till I get it 👍

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome! You got this!

[@gflow1851]

What a fantastic video! I've been riding mountain bikes for years and have always relied on my arms rather than moving my weight back and down, as instructed. Is the shown movement the first step of a manual? Or do you start the manual in a different way? Greeting from the middle east :)

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome! Yes, you can use this same movement to get into a manual - this is the first step for that as well. Thanks for watching - have fun riding!

[@gflow1851]

@@SuperRiderTV Thank you! It seems like before you make the pivot you are making a straight trackstand, without pointing the wheel to any direction. Do you happen to have a tip how to do it? I Trackstand before pivoting, but keep on changing the wheel to point from one side to the other, and that makes the leap more complicated.

[@SuperRiderTV]

That quick front wheel pivot helps me get a little extra momentum with the turn, but it also helps me keep the bike straightforward when I land. Sort of like setting an intention for where I want to go!

[@mzj2998]

Wow I'm glad I found this video and your channel!

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome! I hope it helped!

[@mzj2998]

@@SuperRiderTV it did! and starting on your tracks stand tutorial. One thing I was wondering, once I master the steps in the tutorial...is the next progression to repeat all these steps with the wheel pointed in other direction? (Wheel pointed to rider's right?

[@Wy1234hs]

I have problem lifting up my front tire for a wheelie

[@SuperRiderTV]

This same movement should help with that, too!

[@brush_popper]

May I ask the rise height of your handle bar. Thanks for this video I got some difficulty lifting my front wheel. Now I guess i can manage now thru this nice tutorial. Cheers.😊

[@SuperRiderTV]

I have an 80mm rise bar in this video, but have since put a "normal" rise bar on the bike. :)

[@ralphsaintalbord8087]

No one's explained it as well as you, thank you

[@SuperRiderTV]

Awesome, so glad it was helpful!

[@captjerski4165]

thanks for the tips

[@SuperRiderTV]

Happy to help!

[@jennyp2049]

What about riding uphill and needing to lift your tire. I feel fatigued and tired and it is so hard to think about having to stand, lower my seat, and pull up. I want to be able to stay seated, continue pedaling, and lift the tire. Am I asking too much, lol. Thank you for your video!

[@captainjellyfish1791]

its been 9 months and I hope you've not given up and have figured it out but you gotta pedal to get the wheel in the air. You do this guy's "row motion" and on the pulling up part pedal as hard as you can.

[@Hunterthepunter126]

Great vlog 👍

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thank you!!

[@harisankar1317]

You are good teacher

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks so much!

[@Edeljokaa]

Great video! I've been watching a lot of your stuff over the last couple of days and went practicing twice as well. I noticed that despite being able to trackstand for several minutes I just can't pivot on my backwheel because as soon as I straighten my handlebars I feel unstable and instinctively turn them again. How can I get past this? It's something I've struggled with for years but until I started watching your videos never bothered to improve. Greetings from Germany.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks so much! I remember being in the exact same spot with my progression. I have a few different suggestions - the first is to try to do the smallest possible pivot without too much of a front wheel twist. Sometimes riders overexaggerate the movement and things get scary, but maybe try to get a "little win" with a tiny pivot and then expand your comfort zone from there? The other thing I would suggest is redirecting your mental energy into the other elements of the pivot. Focus your attention on your back foot, your hips, or your balance point. Redirecting attention can be a huge help - basically distracting yourself from the scary stuff. Once you get past this hurdle, the whole skill will open up for you. You're almost there - practice makes progress!

[@Edeljokaa]

@@SuperRiderTVThanks, I really appreciate that :)

[@leonunes9788]

Great vid , thanks!

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[@YonatanShippin]

Hey I love your videos! I have a question if you can help- I ride a trek fuel ex7 size Medi7m, and it's a little too large for me. I feel that both that and the 29 size wheel limit me when trying to wheelie/manual. I want to get a new bike that will help me learn this and other skills. Do you think it's enough for me to get a size Small or I better get a 27.5 wheel bike too?

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks so much! The answer is always more bikes. :) The frame size depends on how tall you are, and in some cases you can modify the handlebar/stem setup to shorten it up - but a smaller size wheel can certainly help you become more nimble and precise with your skills. I always find it easiest to learn with the most simple setup, then move to more complicated (larger wheels, suspension, etc).

[@geoffreyalmvig3806]

What handlebars are you using on your Santa Cruz

[@SuperRiderTV]

Deity High Side 80mm handlebars - here's a link if you want to check them out: bit.ly/3CJdLtf

[@oregonphototrekker8894]

Maybe I’m putting myself into the deep end of the pool while trying to swim, so to speak, but trying this on my SB140 29er is really hard. I can get my front tire up for a half second with the big shift back row method but it’s nowhere close to staying there.

[@marksierra3522]

But it's scary... what if I fall?

[@Jokypond]

you jump off the bike with your pedals

[@mhilde7744]

THISISGOLD!

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thank you!!

[@awodako1799]

I still cant pull the bar high enought to for example do a manual, btw my bike is preety damn close to fit me perfectly (my RAD is -+ 73 and the bike is 75). I make a good pull up motion and still can't do it. Any tips ?

[@SuperRiderTV]

Try filming yourself doing it with your phone - check your hips and see if you're getting them back far enough. Usually the problem most people struggle with is getting behind the bike to unweight that front wheel. Overexaggerate your movement one time and see how much of a difference that makes - once you get past that balance point, it should come up a lot easier.

[@awodako1799]

@@SuperRiderTV ok, thanks

[@dudeonbike800]

Hit they gym! Work on your upper body strength AND flexibility. You need to both get your weight back over the rear wheel AND have the strength to lift the front end while doing this. Can you wheelie? Can you lift up the front wheel and flip the bike over and land on your feet? If not, then you need to learn this technique before the manual. The manual doesn't rely on rear wheel input, so it requires more body language and upper body strength to compress your fork, pre-load your arms & shoulders, and then lift the bars once you "explode."

[@ridesafealways4929]

I always thought i cant lift the bike that high because it is a 19kg downhill bike with a 3.5kg coil 888 fork and that I am not strong/fit (being fat 95kg 5'6'') enough to carry the weight of the bike nimbly.

[@alimantado373]

Does crank length make a difference for pedal kicking? Im using 170 length cranks. and Im on a converted DJ bike.

[@SuperRiderTV]

170mm is perfect - there is some discussion when it comes to cranks and power between pedal kicks and pedal ups/wheelie gaps, but ultimately 170mm is in the middle ground and exactly what I ride on my bike.

[@0clu4]

I know this is from a while ago but I got a bmx bike, will I be able to do a wheelie on it?

[@SuperRiderTV]

Definitely possible!

[@lachz_528]

I feel like its got something to do with my bike alot, i have a merida big nine 20 and i cant pop it up well but if i get on another bike its alot better

[@mattgies]

One little critique: If you want to film yourself (or anybody else) riding a bike, you should probably be filming in landscape (horizontally), since the bike and rider are moving horizontally across the screen. Exceptions granted for riding down a chute directly towards the camera.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Totally - my camera stand didn’t work for that, so I just put it in there vertical to show what I meant - but absolutely agree. Thanks for this!

[@mattgies]

@@SuperRiderTV Cheers!

[@SuperRiderTV]

🙏

[@voidempty1125]

Question: how strong do my arms need to be in order to lift the front wheel? I've read somewhere that it should be an explosive motion, like a clapping push-up... Only I'm a girl and I can't even do a single normal pushup. Is this a critical skill that I should develop, otherwise I'm never gonna lift the wheel?

[@SuperRiderTV]

Great question - if you're doing the unweighting correctly, your arms should only be guiding the front wheel up. I've seen some people teach a version of this where they push down on the handlebars super hard to "bounce" the front wheel up, but I prefer teaching the unweighting motion with your hips - that quick movement will leverage your bodyweight to lift the front wheel, which is a lot more reliable (and less physical effort). There's also a "newer" version of this video on my channel if you want to see an updated version.

[@adammoffett6935]

Hi I saw in one of your old videos the cranks on your four play are impossible to get off The same came on my new mtb do you have any tips to get them off

[@SuperRiderTV]

True - we had a rough time getting them off. Best option is to get to a bike shop and have them use a long pole as leverage to get the crank bolt to break free. It makes a loud popping sound. Took three of us (two holding the bike in the stand) to get it free. Good luck!

[@adammoffett6935]

@@SuperRiderTV thanks for responding!

[@SuperRiderTV]

Of course! I hope it goes easier for you than it did for me!

[@gearup3910]

I'm quite a light person would this effect how high I can get it because I only get it half a foot up and my shoulder hurt after

[@SuperRiderTV]

Definitely will - you outweigh your bike and that’s all that counts :)

[@gearup3910]

@@SuperRiderTV thanks

[@GiorgioHouse]

Hi. I do it by using the front brake. I pre -load, I press the Front Brake and I lock the wheel then I pedal and I leave the front brake. The Front wheel "explodes" high and I can pass the obstacles. Is it wrong? Cheers

[@SuperRiderTV]

Interesting! I would be slightly nervous to be riding at speed with a locked up front wheel, but if it’s working for you…go for it!

[@GiorgioHouse]

@@SuperRiderTV Thanks...I forgot to say that I do it when my speed is quite low. Same speed you have in your video . Thanks.

[@kaneda4102]

Having a hard time getting it up

[@hansonwang2121]

Rear wheel lifts next?

[@SuperRiderTV]

Definitely - working on that video now!

[@rodrigocampoy1502]

Excelente!!!!!

[@SuperRiderTV]

🙏🙏

[@gaminnstuff3792]

BRO PLEASE TELL ME WHAT TYPE YOUR ORANGE BIKE IS ITS THE SAME AS MINE AND I DONT KNOW WHAT TYPE IT IS

[@SuperRiderTV]

Santa Cruz Chameleon

[@beefjenkyn5780]

Hi there! What is the frame size of your bike? And what hubs do you use? Does hub engagement plays an important role in building those skills?

[@SuperRiderTV]

Hi! I’m riding a medium sized frame and currently using Onyx hubs on the bike. Industry Nine or Chris King hubs are also great for engagement as well. Hub engagement is a big help for more of the advanced skills where pedal pressure is required, but probably won’t make too much of a difference for front wheel lifts. Hope this helps!

[@hahaxolotl]

@@SuperRiderTV medium ? are you 2m tall or what

[@SuperRiderTV]

I’m 5’11” (1.8m)

[@official_zalent]

I’m light, my bike is too heavy for me, and it’s too big. When I ride it my arms are almost already straight, especially when sitting. I do the motion and it barely goes up for like 1/2 a second. Howww??? pls help

[@21pzxy]

What if I’m to weak to life it because I’m small and skinny

[@manpyuuy665]

Best video

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks!!

[@nicolasgoosen5142]

Surely it's "un-weighting" not "un-waiting"?

[@SuperRiderTV]

True - automatic captioning 😬

[@pablosbiking]

Your bike has a lot of cables 😳

[@SuperRiderTV]

I fixed it shortly after I filmed this :)

[@ductrungnguyen4816]

3:46

[@aayushpandey6839]

Day 4 of manual practice. I'm unable to get it to my balance point, it just lifts a small height :( Should I try learning pedal kicks? Also I'm really confused, what should I practice everyday, I want to be able to bunnyhop. I have started practicing manuals and endos daily for 40 minutes. Should I learn one thing one day or both side by side?

[@SuperRiderTV]

It takes time for sure, but practicing your pedal kicks and wheel placement drills will surely help. Practice makes progress!

[@MrRandomhero07]

Are you using your knees to help move the bike, when moving the front wheel left and right?

[@xcx8646]

I can't lift my front wheel because my bike has a Suntour XCR32 fork

[@patrickkatzmair]

Good Tips! But please shorten your cables 😧

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks! Bleed kit just arrived today - we’ll have it sorted ASAP 🙏

[@StevenStGelais]

Guess I can't film myself since I don't have an iPhone

[@FeGolf]

Im just scared haha

[@SuperRiderTV]

Practice makes progress!

[@arose62]

What a pity the chapter is titled "Un Waiting", rather than the more helpful, correct "Unweighting".

[@SuperRiderTV]

Ah, looks like KZbin tried to help with the chapter listing here. Thanks for calling this out - I'll update now!

[@dongilatorlv]

Let’s be real sometimes I don’t have front but I still able to lift front wheel😂😅

[@louisdiaz19]

About 15.5K people who watched this video forgot to hit the like button! 😡

[@SuperRiderTV]

🙏🙏🙏

[@iliapopovich]

A lot of talking, but anyway there are some good points. He could make the video 2mis instead of 10.

[@SuperRiderTV]

Thanks for watching!