Check out the riding tutorial below to learn how!
Stoppies are perhaps not that practical but they are fun and look cool, so hey, might as well learn them!
I’m convinced that stoppie corners are nowhere near as fast or consistent as a proper pump, BUT every once in a blue moon, on a switchback that’s crazy tight or steep, they can end up being beneficial. If you’re a racer, I do think they are great to learn mostly so you can do it in front of your competition simply to psyche them out. Racing is mostly mental!
First up, finding the right switchback is key. There are two things to consider- how steep the trail is and how tight the corner is. Generally, the steeper and tighter, the more a stoppie will be the right tool for the job.
Once you’ve identified the corner you’re going to stoppie through, you’ll have to pick your entrance point. If the corner is wide enough, you want to carry momentum and not simply come to a complete halt.
Every once in a while, a corner will be sooooo tight that all you can do is a nose pivot. If you can practice this, and keep our feet on the pedals, then you can sprint away much faster than if you put a foot down and skid through the turn.
Back to the slightly wider corner- pick an entrance point that’s fairly wide, usually to the outside of the corner. Keep in mind that your rear wheel will overhang a bit, so be sure you have sufficient clearance.
Next up, look through the corner to the exit point. By doing this, you’ll start to turn the bike. Before the front wheel turns more than a degree or two, you’ll need to use the front brake to lift the rear wheel off the ground. Simultaneous to squeezing the brake, swing your hips and legs to the outside of the corner, and also use your lats to push with the outside hand, and slightly pull with the inside hand.
You can’t change the arc of a turning stoppie much once it’s been initiated. More brake will Make the arc tighter, but less brake will usually put the wheel down in the wrong pace and make ya dab your foot, losing any cool points you might have been earning.
As you crest the apex of the turn, and you’re looking down trail, release the brake and put the rear wheel down as soon as you can- ideally, without coming to a halt. Start pedaling and leaning to the inside right away. With any luck, you’ll be able to get your corner done without any stopping at all.
A more advanced move is to pull the front wheel up and complete the turn with a small jump. This is faster and more consistent than relying on the front brake.
Finally, any time you’re doing a stoppie, you can adjust your balance quite a bit by pushing or pulling on the handlebars. Push forwards to lift the rear, pull back to lower. This is more stable than adjusting the braking force, and the muscles that control this are the lats.
Leave a comment below if you have any questions about stoppies!
If you enjoy content like this, check out my page on Patreon. I’ve been posting monthly riding tutorials for my Patreon supporters since December 2018.
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