Hitting the big up!

Ok, this is mostly a timing move. Remember, start on something small and work your way up.


1. Get into a good gear. You should be in a gear that will allow you to do a power stroke down and lift your front wheel. (A low gear dumb asses, not your big ring in the front Mike!) If you just try and pull up on the handlebars, you’ll die. You need to have a powerful pedal stroke AND pull up on the bars to lift the front wheel. You can actually practice that before you try to do an “up”. Just practice pulling a wheelie.
2. Find a “small up”. A curb or something that size will do for now. Ride toward it somewhat slow. The bigger the up, the more speed you’ll need, but a curb can be done fairly slowly.
3. As you approach the curb, lean back a C-hair. Do your power pedal stroke and pull your front wheel up. (Here comes the tricky part)
4. The front wheel should come down on top of the curb (or whatever you’re trying to get up) before your back wheel hits it. That way, once the front wheel is down you can start to transfer your weight. This is the part that always scares the shite out of me. If you put the front wheel down too soon and don’t clear the obstacle, you go over the bars. If you put it down too late, you don’t make the up.
5. Ok, so you’ve leaned back, pedaled, pulled a wheelie, and set your front wheel down on top of the obstacle. Now you need to shift your weight quickly over the front wheel. Almost like you’re trying to dive over the bars. Once about 80 to 90 percent of your weight is off the back wheel and over the front, you pull the rest of the bike up to where you are and that should put you on top of the obstacle. It’s almost like you are hanging out way over the front of the bars, and rather than sitting back into the seat, you’re pulling the bike forward to put it back underneath you.

Again, make sure that front wheel comes down first, dive out over the bars, and pull the rear wheel up over the edge. Don’t do what Mike used to do and just pull a wheelie and slam your chain ring or back wheel into the obstacle (a rock ring does not make you invincible.) If you’re back wheel is hitting hard, you’re not doing it right and you’ll end up with a pinch flat.