RIDING BACKWARDS
(sitting on the handlebars)

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Riding backwards is one of the EASIEST tricks to learn in freestyle and usually takes less than a few hours if you are practicing hard.  There are many ways to ride into riding backwards and I will go with what I think is easiest and let you pick your own way from there.

• Traveling at a medium speed, lift your right foot off of the pedal.  You will now be riding with only your left foot on the pedal and, of course, the left pedal will be down.  Now the HARD part...  switch feet on the left pedal and have your right foot be facing backwards on the left pedal.  This is easiest to do by putting most of your weight on your hands and arms for a moment and hopping from your left foot to your right foot with your right foot landing backwards.
• Once you have switched feet and are still rolling at a decent speed it is time to turn around.  Lean your left hip against the center of the handlebars- twisting your body around backwards as much as you can.  You still haven't let go of the grips so you should be steering the whole time you do this.  Once your hip and half your butt is against the handlebars and you are comfortable SWITCH HANDS on the handlebars.  This is not as tough as it sounds because...
• LEARN TO RIDE BACKWARDS FIRST!-  Riding in and out of riding backwards is the hardest part of the trick.  Riding backwards itself is just like riding forwards, except you steer differently.  You already know how to balance from riding a bike for so many years!  While your butt is up against the handlebars, and your pedals are set so one of them is halfway up, put your weight onto the pedal to get some speed and lift your other foot to the other pedal.  SIT DOWN!  Pedal.   No weight should be on your hands, they are just used to steer.  If you are on a slight hill it will help you keep your speed.  This can take anywhere from 1 to 10 hours to learn depending on natural ability to learn balance.
• Since you learned to ride backwards first and are now doing so your must now ride out.   Put your left foot (right pedal) down and as much weight on that foot as you can without lifting yourself from the bars.  Twist as far as you can to the left and then SWITCH hands to their normal position.  As soon as your hands are on the grips you should be able to put some weight on your hands and twist yourself the rest of the way around.  Put your right foot on the right rear peg and swtich your left foot to the left side and go back to the pedals.

That is it!  You have just ridden into and out of riding backwards!  Now try to think of other ways to ride into and out of riding backwards.  There are HUNDREDS of ways to do it!

If you have a question about this trick please feel free to e-mail it in...