Cycling backwards

[citoyen]

Who here can do it? How hard is it to learn?

I'm toying with the idea of trying to teach myself. I'm quite good at trackstanding, if I say so myself, and from that position I can creep backwards a few inches, but I've never really had the confidence to push it more than that.

Are there any specific techniques that can help?

d.

[Charlotte]

Are there any specific techniques that can help?

From watching LFGSS members attempt this, I'm given to understand that the following can help:

• Willing suspension of disbelief
• A small gear (polo bike stylee)
• A six pack of strong lager.  Not dead drunk - just nicely pissed 

[citoyen]

 

Low gearing makes sense.

d.

[red marley]

To add to Charlotte's list

• Being German

I was talking to a German living in London who was saying that plenty of kids back home are taught how to balance and do trick cycling from a very early age, so cycling backwards becomes second nature. As for me, I still can't trackstand or ride no-handed, so I won't be attempting to learn any time soon.

[citoyen]

I've been able to ride no-handed almost as long as I've been able to ride a bike. I'm just toooo cool. 

I wonder if being able to ride a unicycle helps. That's another skill I'm keen to learn.

d.

[marcusjb]

One 'gateway' trick might be to learn to ride backwards, forwards - I.e. Sitting on the handlebars and facing towards the back on the bike.

I think my chances of mastering that are slim,I've lost many of the mad skillz stupidity I had as a kid.  Could ride no handed for ever, track stands the lot. The though of jumping off Walls, home built ramps etc would now terrify me.

[Jamie]

Riding backwards is quite a common skill on a Unicycle, I could manage a few backward revolutions myself, on the couple of times I tried.   

[Deano]

http://63xc.com/gonterian/reverse.htm

and

http://63xc.com/gonterian/sonofreverse.htm

I can do it for about a yard. On a good day. Best of luck!

[Kim]

Easier than cycling forwards on three wheels...

[arabella]

I've been able to ride no-handed almost as long as I've been able to ride a bike.

Reckon it's partly about the bike myself. 
the 24" wheeled Elswich Hopper Thubderflash (mmm) I had ages 10-15 (approx) I could do no hands on no problem whatsoever, steer round corners and all*.
Never been able to do it on any subsequent bike.
Yet when I retrieve that from the back of my parents' garage, I can do look no hands all over again.

*I was very kind to my parents.  I only did it when they weren't looking.  Younger guy, oon the other hand ...

(No hands on the back of a tandem trike is cheating).  But fun.

[IanDG]

One 'gateway' trick might be to learn to ride backwards, forwards - I.e. Sitting on the handlebars and facing towards the back on the bike.

When I were a lad there was a guy in the Walsall Roads who was very good at it . He used to sit on the bars and ride for 100yds or more down the road.

I remember watching Willy Debosscher at the skol six at Wembley doing all kinds of crazy things and seeing pics of him riding around the track with one foot on a pedal the other on the bars whilst reading a magazine. I remember him sprinting the wrong way around the track, but not cycling backwards 

[citoyen]

http://63xc.com/gonterian/reverse.htm

and

http://63xc.com/gonterian/sonofreverse.htm

I can do it for about a yard. On a good day. Best of luck!

Excellent! Great reading. Thanks for that.

d.

[citoyen]

Reckon it's partly about the bike myself.

It's definitely easier on some bikes than others, but as long as the road is smooth and flat, I can even ride my Brompton no-handed, which I've heard some people say is impossible.

d.

[αdαmsκι]

as long as the road is smooth and flat, I can even ride my Brompton no-handed, which I've heard some people say is impossible.

Can you trackstand on it?

I need more practice before I can do it no-handed.

[IanDG]

I can trackstand on a freewheel bike as long as the bike is pointing up a gentle incline.

[citoyen]

Can you trackstand on it?

Of course! 

As per Windy's comment, trackstanding on a Brompton isn't really any harder than on any other freewheel bike. In fact, because of its low centre of gravity, it might even be easier.

d.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Start with a trackstand and roll backwards in a circle.  Once you get comfortable with reverse circles in both directions (the difficult part is getting past top dead centre), it is pretty easy to ride backwards in a straight-ish line.

[marcusjb]

So, should we start a sweepstake on when the 'I tried cycling backwards and broke my collar bone' thread will be started?

 

[Moultonaught]

as a unicyclist  (on and off) for  31 years   I reackon riding a unicycle would be a great help, but the benfit of a unicycle (apart from the whole balance thing) is that it doesn't have 2 wheels that have to be kept in line when riding it backwards.

I can ride a unicyvcle backwards quite confortably but I reackon riding a two wheeler backwards would be much harder - from a unicylist's perspective!! -  although i've never tried on a  two wheeler....

[Deano]

Both trackstanding and going backwards, I find easier with flat pedals, as if/when it goes wrong, I can just put a foot down. Obviously only an issue if you need to build up your confidence.

[kcass]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/-S26C17ZXlA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/-S26C17ZXlA&rel=1</a>

These guys make it look pretty simple, although as has been said earlier it's obviously much  easier with only  one wheel on the ground.

[citoyen]

So, should we start a sweepstake on when the 'I tried cycling backwards and broke my collar bone' thread will be started?

I had a little go last weekend, trying to use the technique described in Deano's link. It's bloody hard. That 12-6 position really is more of a killer than you imagine. But I chickened out rather than take a tumble.

I'm going to try again when I find somewhere suitable to practice, somewhere I don't mind falling off.

Love the vid, kcass. That's what I aspire to. 

d.

[Biggsy]

I prefer 2 Girls 1 Bike
http://youtu.be/DeCG_c4PHOs?t=18s

[Biggsy]

Cycling backwards with two wheels on the ground:
http://youtu.be/dMfVJvZWRxw?t=5m10s

...with someone else on the bike as well, of course!

[Cudzoziemiec]

Well that beats synchronised swimming!