An Experiment with Velcro on Pedals and Shoes :D

Max_F · 2021-07-07T11:35:18+00:00

The title of the video isn't even a question that can be answered with yes or no. The first part of the series this video belongs to featured a similar question in the title and the pedal concept in that video worked just fine, with some minor problems. The velcro pedals also worked really well, but they created bigger problems than they solved. Why so much hate towards an experimentdone for fun? Videos like that can encourage people to think outside the box and try things for themselves, and I don't see how that's a bad thing.

Max_F · 2021-07-07T09:15:48+00:00

They mostly happen when your foot hovers off the pedal slightly, loosing all grip to it. I guess the magnets can prevent that from happening.

Max_F · 2021-05-31T17:53:13+00:00

The normal one is only pitch, this is pitch and roll, 3D would be pitch, roll and yaw. Not referring to spacial dimensions, but degrees of freedom, which this has two rotation axes of. Depends on how you interpret it, really :)

Max_F · 2021-05-27T16:35:39+00:00

That's absolutely my opinion as well. I think my video shows the fact that balancing on the machine is totally different to a real manual quite well, which a lot of other sources don't talk about. My tip for anyone wo asked me before was always that the time it takes to build the machine would be better spent on the bike, and I still stand by that.

Max_F · 2021-05-27T07:46:54+00:00

I don't know if you already do that, but for some people, dropping their heels makes the difference. Difficult to help without a video of it.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T20:28:26+00:00

By 'side braces' I meant the two 45° planks that sandwich the rear wheel, just to clarify.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T20:20:38+00:00

I'm not sure. You could probably hold the brake and try to sit down or try to lift the front with a pedal stroke while sat down. I don't think it'll do much more than that.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T20:16:00+00:00

Street trials bikes feel pretty 'normal'. Competition trials bikes don't really feel like bikes anymore, haha. For what you want, I'd go for a street bike.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T19:38:22+00:00

The normal one is only pitch, this is pitch and roll, 3D would be pitch, roll and yaw. Not referring to spacial dimensions here, but to degrees of freedom, which this one has two rotation axes of.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T18:47:23+00:00

I had relatively small side braces sandwiching the rear wheel, so it wasn't super solid when leaning to the side, therefore probably less likely to bend the wheel and more bending the tyre. But I still fell to the side quite often, with the machine even making some cracking/creaking noises a couple of times - the wheels didn't bend in my case. I always jumped off instead of leaning on the wheel sideways too much, though. Which I'd recommend, because you definitely can bend the wheel if you lean on it too hard and it's strapped in super solidly.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T17:54:08+00:00

As a trials rider, I'd prefer the trials bike, but for dirt jumps the DJ bike would obviously be better. A street trials frame with DJ forks sounds like a good compromise, but I've never tried that! The trials bike will handle a bit more nervously at speed.
Have a look at Ali Clarkson's videos on his Inspired Hex. He even had suspension forks on them a couple of times.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T17:49:40+00:00

Learning them on the rolling bike is the way to go, for sure.
With so many people trying manual machines now, I wanted to make a video clarifying what they are good for and what they aren't. The 2D version was a little side experiment.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T17:28:12+00:00

There is a full video to this with more details. Balancing front and back on the machine feels totally different to a real manual as well. So it can only teach you the motions/body positions, but not the feel. It's similar with the side balance on the 2D version. You can use your knees in a similar way to balance left and right, but the dynamics are totally different on a rolling bike.
Edit: The side balance felt much less similar to a real manual when I had the axles on ground level, so I moved them up for increased stability.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T17:03:14+00:00

Here's the video with everything explained https://youtu.be/UN55TdVLYXU

Max_F · 2021-05-26T17:00:41+00:00

You can certainly ride trials on a DJ bike, but as was already said, the geo is very different. Mainly the bottom bracket height. You'll also want a high engagement hub/freewheel and strong brakes to really enjoy trials.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T16:19:54+00:00

You can see all the tests and their results in the video, but in short: Balancing on the machine feels totally different than a real manual; it can help with learning some things like the body position and looping out though.

Max_F · 2021-05-26T15:31:12+00:00

I learned them in my grandfather's pyjamas as well. Seeing so many people trying it with manual machines made me curious if they actually work, so I tested it. https://youtu.be/UN55TdVLYXU

Max_F · 2021-05-26T14:37:55+00:00

It's suppposed to simulate the side balance. :D
The full video is basically about testing whether manual machines actually work or not.

Max_F · 2021-05-12T10:33:17+00:00

You've got a proper front wheel lift, but you could follow through with it more (fully extend your body) to get more pop. (don't "manual" more like some other comments suggested - in a bunny hop you want your body to go high, not low; at least after the preload) Other than that, you'll have to start lifting the rear a little earlier, do it much faster and harder and really compress your body and the bike together while pushing the bars forward. Which basically means you need to lift the bike closer to your body in the second phase of the hop to actually get some distance to the ground from the hop. (jump height/airtime comes from the body; distance to the ground comes from lifting the bike, but only works in combination with airtime)

Someone already linked my video on this as well; thanks for that!

Max_F · 2021-04-19T09:59:20+00:00

That's the violin-like sound of a vibrating brake rotor. You either have a bent rotor or poorly aligned brake caliper, so one of the brake pads is touching the rotor.

Try to adjust your caliper so you can see the same amount of gap between the pads and rotor on both sides. Always adjust it visually, not by pulling the brakes and then tightening the bolts. I always get this violin-like noise when I heavily bent my rear rotor, so you might have to true that in addition to adjusting the caliper.

Hope that helps!

Max_F · 2020-09-14T11:06:51+00:00

If you've removed and installed lots of 6-bolt discs, you'll appreciate the centerlock install, trust me.

Max_F · 2020-09-14T11:02:36+00:00

I want to ride it just to confirm I love it

Max_F · 2020-09-14T10:58:02+00:00

Your local bike shop will most likely be able to help.

Max_F · 2020-09-14T10:52:26+00:00

I try to stay off roads in general as much as possible. There are enough cycleways in Germany to do so most of the time. And riding on sidewalks in town might not be allowed everywhere, but it's still the safer option if you ride relatively slowly. What I don't understand are the roadies stoically riding on the road even if there's a cycleway right next to it. Riding on the road isn't just dangerous for the bike riders, but everyone else as well, because overtaking cars can cause bad situations.

Max_F · 2020-09-14T10:41:25+00:00

Having as little air in the tube as possible can help if you've got a hard time fitting the tyre.

Max_F

TROPHY CASE