by far, of all the videos on MTB manual balance trainers this one is the best overall description, pros and cons. Well done! i'll be buying one for strength training
You have given excellent smart points on the use of these manual practice machines. I've seen them being used by many people on social media, but rarely see people who use them show real progression transferring practice to real application. I think your points are very valid. Thank you for sharing!
My fella made me one out of some wood from a guide on youtube. I havent totally mastered the manual yet as it takes a lot of practice, but I can say that having a manual machine it did help me with having a safe way to find the balance point. I got him to hold me in the right position first just to get that feeling. Another thing it helped me with was learning how to unweight the front end to go over small obstacles and also helped with my wheelies.
I agree with your points. It helps with parts of the manual, but in the end you are going to have to fully learn the manual outside of the manual trainer. I recently bought a new bike in 2021 and it came in the winter. I built a manual machine to learn this bikes balance point and to fine tune it. I also couldn't ride much because it was winter. It helped a lot with that, but I needed to practice out on the street to get better.
Ich benutze den Balance schon seit einiger Zeit im Nachwuchstraining. Was mich bei diesem Gerät neben der geringen Packmass und der simplen, aber haltbaren Konstruktion überzeugt hat, ist die Möglichkeit aufgrund des seitlich flexibel gehaltenen Hinterrades die Position für Kurvenfahrt einzuüben bzw. zu verbessern. Man kann das im Balance fixierte Bike trotzdem noch ausreichend weit zur Seite neigen, um damit eine Kurvenfahrt im Stand zu simulieren und dem Sportler auf dem Bike die optimale Position einnehmen zu lassen. Der Balance funktioniert übrigens auch bei CX- bzw. Gravel-Bikes.
You are right on, once more? Learning what the hang feels like, how far back it needs to be (a surprise to me) and going off the back all felt safe . It helped knock down some mental barriers. I have the Hopper, too, and like it a lot, for many if the reasons you mention. Because it is portable It can be taken to NICA practices, which is a nice Bonus. I have one question- how do I keep the manual machine from lifting up on one side? It happened to me and some of our young riders, which was a little scary. When I load to go back, that happens. But you do need TO load, right?
Hi Flo, no, you don't need to load on the balance, because you don't need to compress the suspension, as you are not rotating around a spinning wheel. That's why I say in the video that you will NOT learn how to initiate the manual on the balance, it feels totally different... All you need to to on the balance is bring your weight back far enough dynamically.
Hi Roxie. You must have read my mind. I have been considering the MTB Hopper Balance lately. I was going to build a manual trainer out of wood, as many online videos show, but the way the rear wheel sits in the grove makes me wonder if it can lead to wheel damage. Also, the homemade manual machines don't help your muscle memory to learn sideward balance. You have brilliantly answered any question I had about the Balance that no other video has adequately addressed. I do have one related question. I ride a Haibike emtb. With an e-bike do I still take off the chain? Thank you. After watching your videos I have been practicing learning to track stand and to ratchet at slow speeds. One thing that I find annoying is the amount of wasted travel at the cranks. I would like to know your opinion of hubs that have a high point of engagement? Thanks. Hope you have a wonderful day.
Hi Martin, so happy to hear. Oh yes, wheels with many points of engagement are definitely worth the price. They make a huge change to your riding. I have nobl wheels with industry nine hubs and I love them! And to tell you the truth - I’d always recommend buying a cheaper bike/frame and then upgrading the wheel set and hubs and suspension - because these are the things that really make a difference.
@@Roxybike_Ride.and.Inspire I'm also running I9 Hydra hubs. Depending on your suspension design you might experience more pedal kickback with "fast" hubs. This is especially pronounced if you're in a big cog and hop on your bikes with brakes loccked. I'm pretty sure that you'll notice this on downhills as well. You get used to it but hubs with high engagement have their downsides too... Still I love my I9s ;)
Hi Roxy! Danke für das Video! Bin jetzt nach 1.5 Jahren und dem RLC Kurs recht sicher geworden, was den Manual angeht. Zumindest auf der Strasse. Der Move ist wirklich anspruchsvoll und bei mir hat der Teil mit dem Balancieren via Hüfte (Finger weg von der Bremse...) sicher am längsten gedauert. Ich frage mich, ob's mit einer Manual Machine schneller gegangen wäre. Der Punkt "Sicherheit" spielte bei mir nicht so eine Rolle, da ich den "Brems-Automatismus" durch den Wheelie bereits gut drin hatte.
Ach ja, dem Teil mit dem Krafttraining kann ich nur bestätigen! Mir hat das Yoga "Training" von Jeff Mah und das Training von James Wilson (beide ebenfalls bei RLC) sehr geholfen... und das nicht nur beim Manual :)
The easiest way to fully avoid it is to attach the front wheel with a loose string or elastic band to something. You can’t really easily flip though, as the frame is stopped by the machine. So it does give you time to put down your feet.
@@gisho9 hi Gisho, I recommend watching the entire video and also listening to what I say 😊 I say in the video for what and why I recommend it and for what I don’t recommend it. That’s the whole point of the video 😊 Which country are you in? Maybe I can Organise a discount Code.
@@Roxybike_Ride.and.Inspire so sorry somehow when I started the video it started in the German portion so I could not understand. I went back and listened to the first half in English. Fantastic explanation! Thank you! I live in the United States
another excelent video! i have the same experience, it did help exactly in the way you mentioned! actually i think learning a wheelie where you learn to modulate your rear brake in the combination with the manual machine can really help! i recommend not to focus only on the manual machine.
Wenn du zuhören würdest, könntest du was lernen 😊 Meine Videos sind nicht nur zum schauen - da gibt es beim Zuhören viel Mehrwert ☺️🙃 und PS - ich teste ihn im Video auch 😅
