# Can you do a wheelie?



## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

Yes this is the dumbest question of the year, but curiousity got me, can one wheelie a road bike? Im sure coming down would bend your wheels, I'd never really try it just curious. In any other sport you win you can do something cool, wheelies, burnouts, flips, club release  On road bikes what the heck do you do?

Kyle


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## haiku d'etat (Apr 28, 2001)

*no*

there was a guy at the chattanooga mountain century in early may who was riding wheelies on the road bike, some while climbing. insane.

floyd landis of us postal fame can ride wheelies on the road bike. there are some (or one) graham watson pics someplace of this.


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## godot (Feb 3, 2004)

*No Chance*

I can barely stay upright on two wheels

Funny you ask this question today. I was on a hard training ride yesterday, passed a guy on an interstate overpass, said hello, he said hi, then he started yelling "do a wheelie, do a wheelie".

Almost forgot about it until you posted your question

The pix of floyd doing the wheelie after the final tour stage is great.


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

*Guilty*

... Well I asked because out of sheer curiosity near some grass I realized it would take INCREDIBLE power, and you would need to be at a high speed to pull it off. Just thought the idea sounded so silly, pics would be AWESOME!

Kyle


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## chbarr (Dec 30, 2002)

J's Haiku Shop said:


> floyd landis of us postal fame can ride wheelies on the road bike. there are some (or one) graham watson pics someplace of this.


GISed, and found <a href="https://www.abbiorca.com/bike/road/road2002/sfgrandprix-9-15-02/image/IMG_5942.jpg" target="_blank">a pic</a>. Looks like he's climbing in SF--insane.

Also, wasn't there a scene of it in like "American Flyers."

Personally, I like my wheels too much. And my bike. And my backside...


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

Whoa, just saw the pic, thats a new desktop, cause that is just the coolest looking thing I have ever seen. Great way to intimidate people huh? Some guy all over you on a hill and you pull on him in a wheelie... yea he is scared.

Kyle


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## deadlegs (Jan 28, 2004)

*I used to. . .*

When I was 13 or 14 a couple of my friends and I decided to see if we could make it across a golf course fairway. My front wheel fell off as soon as I got it off the ground. I was thinking, "HOLY COW, I'm in trouble!" I managed to put hop off the back rather than planting the fork.


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## Bocephus Jones (Feb 3, 2004)

IUbike said:


> Yes this is the dumbest question of the year, but curiousity got me, can one wheelie a road bike? Im sure coming down would bend your wheels, I'd never really try it just curious. In any other sport you win you can do something cool, wheelies, burnouts, flips, club release  On road bikes what the heck do you do?
> 
> Kyle


Sure you can...it's just a bit harder than doing it on your Schwinn Stingray though. I used to be able to ride forever in a wheelie on my old Schwinn LeTour.


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## Kaboom (Jul 18, 2003)

Someone dared me to do this a month ago in school. I know i shouldn't have, but i dont take being challenged very well, so i tried and pull it off. If by doing a wheelie u mean lifting the front wheel and going a couple of meters, then yes, i did succeed, but nothing quite as spectacular as the guy in the pic you posted.
I did it on a 34x23.


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## cmgauch (Oct 11, 2002)

*Why not?*

I’m not a particularly high functioning roadie, and I can do it. I can’t ride very far on a wheelie, but getting the front wheel off the ground is no big deal.

Other cool (to me) roadie tricks would be nose wheelie stops (low speed, unless it’s a panic-stop), track stands and bunny hops. My wheels don’t seem to mind one bit.

The coolest trick to me is peeing while riding. I can’t fathom that one - wouldn’t even consider trying it.

- Chris




IUbike said:


> Yes this is the dumbest question of the year, but curiousity got me, can one wheelie a road bike? Im sure coming down would bend your wheels, I'd never really try it just curious. In any other sport you win you can do something cool, wheelies, burnouts, flips, club release  On road bikes what the heck do you do?
> 
> Kyle


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## lyleseven (Nov 15, 2002)

*For all you testosterone driven wheelie guys out their....*

the neurosurgeons and organ donor organizations really love you!!


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## siguradam (Aug 28, 2003)

Ok, so what about bunny hops? I do them regurlarly. Definitely easier than riding a wheelie on a road bike, but just as thrilling. Today I was descending at about 40 when I saw a cattle gaurd ahead. The first thing I thought was, "I'll have to hop over that." So I sped up and did a little hop when I got there. It's a lot of fun.


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## lonefrontranger (Feb 5, 2004)

*plenty of roadies I know can*

Wheelies on a road bike are neither impossible, nor hard on your equipment if you have proper technique. 

I can pop the front wheel up on the roadie, but can't keep it balanced there. I'm too paranoid of 'looping out' (falling over backward). That has nothing to do with ease of the trick, it's just me being an old conservative female who really hates having to fall down in order to learn a skill. I'm a really crappy MTB'er because of this. What I can tell you is that low speed and the correct gear are key. Something torquey but not too small so you can throw down a good initial power stroke; 39/19 works for me. Going slightly uphill makes it easier. The standard geometry of my crit bike seems easier to wheelie than my compact 'nag roadie, considering neither were designed with circus tricks in mind.

I've known lots of teenage roadies who can wheelie quite impressively because they practise all the time while they are bored messing around between rounds at the local track or crit. Seen quite a few loopouts too, tho, and coming wrong way round off a 700c wheel is a longer way to fall onto pavement than from a BMX or even MTB.

Floyd Landis is a former BMX champion who became a pro MTB'er then got bored with that and switched to road racing. Unsurprising he can pull stunts like this; it is rumoured that he's got some crazy handling skills at speed as well. This is why I always recommend Masters racers who ask me how to get their 8-12 Y.O.s into racing to have them start with BMX first, as it builds great skills, won't break the bank on equipment and is far more appropriate to the attention span of kids that age than having them do 45 minute solo TTs off the back of a all-ages Junior field on the road. Most of the really good crit racers I know started off in the BMX arena.

As far as the "fragile wheels" angle, you would be amazed at what you can dish out to a set of road wheels when you know what you're doing. I've leapt my "crazy light" 303s over cattle guards at close to 100 kph on a descent without knocking them the slightest bit off true, and I'm a healthy woman, not some 110# climbing waif. I frequently train and race on gravel roads that look as tho they've been carpet bombed, too. Watch how a ballet dancer or gymnast lands jumps; they land like a feather by sucking up the impact in their hips / knees / ankles. That's the best tip for keeping wheels from folding up, whether you're catching air on road, singletrack or just riding over RR trax and NYC pavement. It's easier said than done tho, and it takes a fair bit of core strength in your abs and back to "ride light" on rough stuff and/or jumps, so if you're tired of truing wheels and serious about getting good at this you might consider joining your wife / GF at Pilates class once a week.

I could wheelie like a demon on my Klein hardtail. Wish to heck I'd never sold that bike.


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## fasteddie (Jun 20, 2003)

I can wheelie like a mo-fo on my mtn bike. I won't even try it on my road bikes. Would probably go over backwards and/or break my CF frames. Neither is worth it just to be able to answer "yes".


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

IUbike said:


> Yes this is the dumbest question of the year, but curiousity got me, can one wheelie a road bike? Im sure coming down would bend your wheels, I'd never really try it just curious. In any other sport you win you can do something cool, wheelies, burnouts, flips, club release  On road bikes what the heck do you do?
> 
> Kyle


I saw another pic of one of the track sprinters riding a one-handed wheelie. I thought to myself "that can't be TOO hard..."

Tried it. Got the wheel off the ground a little. 
Tried it again, a little higher.

Hey, that's not so bad...

REALLY yanked on the bars, torquing at the same time. 

Missed the balance point by a bit and over the back I went. Whacked my elbow a bit, injured my ego even more!

I've been trying it on the mtn bike again 'cause I used to be VERY good at wheelies as a kid. I found my friend's C-dale does better than my Dean...

M


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## lostrancosrd (Feb 4, 2004)

*kind of funny...*

i remember a kid down the street when i was in high school who could ride a wheelie on his schwin varsity 10sp all the way down the street. i used to be able to do it on my motorcycle (dirt bike) forever -sometimes while standing on the seat, but i don't have much desire to go through the pain of learning how to do it on my road bike.


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## gogogomoveit (Nov 20, 2003)

*Whoa.So many of us can pull a wheelie...!*

The question should be modified: 

Can you do a wheelie on your Colnago/Pinarello/Time/Look/De Rosa/ Seven/ Fondriest/ Litespeed/Serotta.......?


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## firstrax (Nov 13, 2001)

Yeah,with sneakers. No spd or toe clips. But I also unicyle.


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## Spyky (Jun 28, 2003)

lonefrontranger said:


> I've leapt my "crazy light" 303s over cattle guards at close to 100 kph on a descent without knocking them the slightest bit off true, and I'm a healthy woman, not some 110# climbing waif.


Woah, are you serious? Bunny hopping at 60 mph! I think I might have to take exception to you saying that you are an "old conservative female".

I bunny hop all the time over potholes and rough spots. Mostly I do it for fun, but the experience comes in real handy in the situations where I actually need it, like when I come upon a monster pothole that I didn't see, and it is too late to steer around. However, I have never attempted this trick at anything over 50kph or so, when I get close to 100 I'm just hanging on for dear life, not trying to hop things! Not that there are many places I can hit that kind of speed in Western NY.

But yeah I agree about the wheels, they are pretty tough, landing a bunny hop hardly even stresses the wheels if done properly. Hitting the potholes that lurk in my neck of the woods would be a far worse choice. Incidentally, speed isn't going to change how hard you land, but how high you jump will.

-Spyky


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

More than one trackster has taken a victory lap in full wheelie mode.


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## racerx (Jan 29, 2004)

*Tried it for the first time in front of an audience...*

I was on my cyclocross bike riding from work to lunch. Took a shortcut through a shopping center parking lot and was passing a parked activity school bus. Must have been filled with elementary or Jr Highers.

Anyway, someone said "Hey, do a wheelie!" Not one to pass up a challenge (still giving in to peer presure I suppose) I torqued up on the bars and rode one, clipped in, for at least 25 yards. Great response from the kids.

Man, it doesn't take much to make me happy...

Have not tried one since. I considered myself lucky not to have looped it and I don't want to ruin my record. Hmm, today is my day to ride to lunch, maybe I could ride by the daycare...


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## Beantown (Nov 29, 2001)

*Bicycle to Unicycle*

Last time I tried one I was about 13 or 14. I pulled one on my Rollfast and watched in mute horror as the front wheel rolled away down the street. We were on a slight downhill so, as I came down on the forks, I was launched over the bars. I landed full force on my chin, dislocating my jaw. It's a wonder I ride a bike at all now, thinking back on that event.
Of course, I've driven a car into the woods at over 100 mph, but I don't do that anymore either.
No wheelies for me...


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

*Here's a pic.*

Lance seems quite pleased by it.


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## Reynolds531 (Nov 8, 2002)

*LFR, your posts are great*

thanks for taking the time to compose such interesting, well-written posts.


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## mmoose (Apr 2, 2004)

*L'Aple*

Doesn't Floyd wheelie over the finishline of L'Alpe when he rides it in the tour?


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## lonefrontranger (Feb 5, 2004)

*racing makes you crazy*



Spyky said:


> Bunny hopping at 60 mph!


You do stuff in races that you look back on later and wonder "WTH was I thinking?" but at the time it seemed the thing to do. This was on the main descent at the Elam RR (Colorado RBR'ers may know this one, Unaweep Canyon south of Grand Junction). 13K of steep tailwind free fall all the way to the finish line, with no big curves to slow you down and nothing too scary apart from the cattle guards. At the time I'd been working to catch a small group from my field. Right at the start of the descent, the Pro / 1 / 2 men's breakaway caught us. This was in '02, so there were a couple of Mercury guys in that break. I have an 11 cog and got a wild hair to see how long I could keep up with them without drafting (it's illegal to take pace from riders in a different field). Descending something like that requires technique and attitude more than horsepower, and I've got plenty of attitude. I got my mojo on and stuck about 30 meters behind the guys all the way down the descent, one of the better thrill rides I've done tho it was freaky at times.

The pros were the incentive I needed to catch and pass the women's group I'd been chasing for half of forever. When I blew past the gals it was on a steepish bit where they were probably going 20kph slower, so they never even had a chance to hop on. The moto official working the men's break kept watching to see I didn't get too close into the draft, and he gave me the thumbs up a couple of times.

Coming into that cattle guard, I realised that it has about a 10cm "lip" on the uphill side. It's one of the evil kind with a gap in the rails dead centre of the lane, plus the paving had sunk and buckled around the concrete tub the rails are set in. Almost like having a curb in the middle of the road. At the speed I was going, I figured hopping it was the lower risk option; the Pro/1/2 guys all jumped it too.


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## Asiago (Jan 28, 2004)

*Wheelies cool, but look at this sick stunt on a road bike...*

Wheelies are cool, and you won't see me trying one anytime soon, but check out this rediculous stunt on a road bike. This is Mike "So-Pro" Jones. Now this is impressive...


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## Tower (Mar 17, 2003)

This is off subject, but this has to be a victory lap down the Champs? Tennis Shoes?


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## Spyky (Jun 28, 2003)

Asiago said:


> Wheelies are cool, and you won't see me trying one anytime soon, but check out this rediculous stunt on a road bike. This is Mike "So-Pro" Jones. Now this is impressive...


Guess that is a good reason to run tubs 

-Spyky


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## lonefrontranger (Feb 5, 2004)

*de nada*



Continental said:


> thanks for taking the time to compose such interesting, well-written posts.


don't know about that, I'm merely highly opinionated...


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## Bocephus Jones (Feb 3, 2004)

Spyky said:


> Guess that is a good reason to run tubs
> 
> -Spyky


and high spoke count wheels


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## benInMA (Jan 22, 2004)

Road riding & racing is so serious all the time, way TOO serious for recreational/amateur racing IMO most of the time.

Floyd is awesome, if there were more guys like him cycling would be a better spectator sport.

I have to say if someone I was racing against pulled a fat wheelie like that in a race as a gag I would have to give them a big thanks for lightening things up a bit!

Ben


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## rachie (Apr 29, 2003)

*I can't, but...*

I never post, but since this one hits close to home I'll chime in. I'm treated to at least a few wheelies every time I'm out on the roadbike with my boyfriend. Here is a pic of one that turned out quite well


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## bikerb (Oct 7, 2003)

*Weelie & Bunnyhop*



IUbike said:


> Yes this is the dumbest question of the year, but curiousity got me, can one wheelie a road bike? Im sure coming down would bend your wheels, I'd never really try it just curious. In any other sport you win you can do something cool, wheelies, burnouts, flips, club release  On road bikes what the heck do you do?
> 
> Kyle


Well, I am one of those teenagers with too much time on my hands.

A little practice will do one good.


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