Bicycle wheelies?

Jstpssng · Jul 27, 2024

This spring I was sitting on a bench waiting for a friend when a little slip of a girl pedaled past, with the front tire about 4 feet in the air. She said "hi" as she rode by and I watched, amazed, as she turned a 90 degree corner and disappeared behind a building with the front tire still in the air. Don't ask me how she made the corner.
Today I was in town on a 5 lane road and watched several kids on the other side of the road as they all lifted their front tires and started pedaling down the road.
In traffic.

Is this a new fad? We used to be able to pull a wheelie and go a short distance, but these kids made it look easy. Is there a special kind of bike they use, or are they just more talented than I was?

Yander · Jul 27, 2024

I didn't have a bike like this when I was a kid. I could ride a wheelie for a while but not like this. I'm guessing bike and practice combined.

square1 · Jul 28, 2024

Had a buddy (in the mid 1970s) that could ride a wheelie forever on any bicycle, even mine, on which I wasn't able to keep the front wheel up for any distance at all. I'd suggest it's not the bike, it's the rider. Like any skill, some have a predisposition, others work hard to attain results, once it clicks, it clicks.

sandman2234 · Jul 28, 2024

Between 5th and 6th grade, I went to summer school and took metal shop classes. I built a 6ft sissy bar for my Huffy bicycle (6'10" from ground). With that extra ballast I could keep the front end in the air for about as long as i wanted. It has a lot to do with the bike, but even more so with the rider. My brother couldn't keep his or mine up more than a few yards without the front end coming down.
David from jax

Jstpssng · Jul 28, 2024

sandman2234 said:
Between 5th and 6th grade, I went to summer school and took metal shop classes. I built a 6ft sissy bar for my Huffy bicycle (6'10" from ground). With that extra ballast I could keep the front end in the air for about as long as i wanted. It has a lot to do with the bike, but even more so with the rider. My brother couldn't keep his or mine up more than a few yards without the front end coming down.
David from jax

It was rather impressive watching 4 kids ride their bikes on the rear wheels. Also a bit dangerous considering they were riding in traffic.
The kid making a 90 degree turn on the hind wheel was amazing.

ultrarunner · Jul 28, 2024

Yes… every weekend hundreds take over the state highway running through the commercial district not stopping for traffic lights.

It’s part of the critical mass thing started as a bike protest in San Francisco.

Rockbadchild · Jul 28, 2024

That's impressive... There was a guy in my home town that had a old beat up mountain bike and he could wheelie that thing all day long and he did. Some have it some don't, I was never great at it. Some can hold that balance without having to go forward.