Skills don't pay the bills. Unless you are a pro of course. But they do make you a better biker.
Time for action. Use every spare moment. It doesn't have to be long and you don't always have to go to a bike park. Okay, bike parks are great fun, but you can also do it differently.
Simply in your backyard ... "Uh, my backyard?” I hear you think. Sure! Plenty of possibilities there, believe me.
Maybe it's time to perfect your bunny hops. Higher, faster, better. What do you need for that. Simply a branch or broomstick to start. Step 1: lift the front wheel over the stick. Step 2: lift the back wheel. Step 3: lift the front and rear wheel. ‘Simple come bonjour', you say, ok, level up, place the branch or broomstick higher and try again. Contest? Whoever hits the branch first buys a beer.
Now stretch those arms and pedal
Speaking of competitions, how far do you get on your rear wheel? No, you don't need a slope to improve your wheelie, you can do it in your flat garden. Just lean forward a bit and pull that front wheel in the air, stretch those arms and pedal. Oh, btw, a helmet is no luxury and always keep a finger on the rear brake, to avoid landing on your back. Small tip from a crashing expert.
Talking wheelies, that's a small step to manuals, right. How awesome is your own manual machine, a quick practice after school or work... You can just build the wooden frame yourself, there are plenty of examples on the internet. When I was recovering from wrist surgery last year after hugging a tree, my father built me one as a surprise. I admit, it takes some practice, but once you've got it going, it's really great to do. You place your bike in the frame and fasten the strap around your front wheel. Leave the rope just long enough so that you cannot fall backwards. Take the chain off your bike. 3-2-1, go! Pull that front wheel up and find the sweet spot. Do this a few times in a row and you'll see what a full-body workout it is. No time to build your own? Check the BALANCE.
What about airtime?
And to complete the backyard playground... you also want some airtime off course. But euh, that backyard is as flat as a pool table. There is a solution to everything. After some scrolling I found the MTB Hopper, a range of portable ramps that can be installed anywhere. Easy to set up on all terrain in less than 10 minutes! You can start with the LITE 2021 and then build up and even create a tabletop or gap jump in your own garden. SWEET!
Would love to tell you guys more about my party playground, but gotta go, got to work them skills. Keeping you posted tho!
Want to check my local party playground? Get in touch!