[JFR]

I prefer to do them standing, with no hands.

Standing, so I can give my butt some relief. No handed cause it's fun, I can stand straight up and stretch my back, and I sometimes get positive reactions from peds and cars around me.

The key to my trackstanding is turning the front wheel left into a slight incline. Pedal pressure allows the bike to roll up and down the incline as needed to maintain balance. Flat ground is much more difficult, and pointed down an incline is almost impossible for me. But turned left into an incline (like the crest in the road at a signal) and I can trackstand as long as I want. Seriously. (But I can't ride a good wheelie to save my life, go figure.)

The standing no handed trick requires pressing the toptube and saddle against my left leg to complete a tripod with my feet.

Here's a pic of me doing a seated, no handed trackstand on my mtb. I keep meaning to get a pic of the standing no hander on my road bike for just such occassions as this, but alas I have not yet.

I enjoy trackstanding very very much.

 

[JFR]

I keep meaning to get a pic of the standing no hander on my road bike for just such occassions as this, but alas I have not yet.

Fresh off the press...

I should be ashamed of myself for posting these pics. I feel like a goof. Or is it a clown? Anyway, trackstanding isn't that hard with a few secrets and practice.

1. It's easier if you're right handed. (Therefore left footed.)
2. Point the wheel left into the road crest.
3. Feet basically level, left foot forward.
4. Gentle lean of bike into crest.
5. Adjust pedal pressure to find balance rolling front wheel up and down crest.
6. No brakes.

Seated or standing, try and practice both. It's addictive, and fun.

 

[JFR]

How long did it take you to get to that level of 'standing'?

Well...

I was only so-so at trackstanding after ~10 years of mtbing. But better than some, and I'd always been a good technical rider.

My trackstanding ability suddenly took flight shortly after buying a road bike 3 years ago and tallying up 10k miles of mostly commuting. The crest in the road at signals is where it all came together for me. I just practiced every time I stopped, and sometimes in front of the house for a few minutes post-ride.

After the first year of practice at signals, normal trackstanding suddenly clicked and bar input became less and less necessary. I first developed the seated no hander. Then I saw a pic of a messenger doing a standing no hander and I thought it was impossible. A couple days later I figured it out and they've become standard affair on my commute ever since.

It may seem that trackstanding, even with one's hands on the bars, is a rare talent that only a unicyclist from the circus could perform, but I'm telling ya'll, I think it's a myth. I bet many of the fine folks here could learn by practicing the basic method I shared above in this thread.