See the issue: September 2008

Ben Snowden was kind enough to offer a one-on-one lesson in pulling off one of his favorite balance moves—The Manual. Although basic, the Manual is tough to learn, but it can be worked into any style of riding, from ramps to street.

“A Manual is basically doing a wheelie, [without] pedaling. You get your momentum moving forward first, then you shift your weight back, lift up the front tire and just kind of coast. At first, just pick up the front end and put it right back down. You have to have patience with [this, because], you’re not going to do it on your first try. But as you work on your balance, you can go pretty far. You then can advance to jumping onto a picnic table and doing a Manual across the top. Once you know how to do a Manual, you can work on that all the time and do it pretty much anywhere. It’s also a great way to develop balance for other tricks.”

Ben’s Keys:

Crouch down on your bike heading into it, so you are in a ready position // Shift your weight back and pull up simultaneously // Keep your weight over your back tire, and lock your hands in a straight position // Keep your knees bent // Shift your weight forward and back slightly to counterbalance // Keep equal pressure on both handlebars to prevent turning // If you pull too hard, quickly jump off onto your feet

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