I am one of the old guys here (44) that started riding again, and teaching my little one to ride.
About 20 years ago, back when i still couldn't ride well, I had a Mirra pro series and I loved it. It weighed about as much as my car, but I could get it through the trails and pull off a few street trucks. It was stolen years ago.
So when I needed a new bike to get out there again, I bought a cheap Haro complete. For my level, that should be more than enough. Its a Haro Leucadia
.
The problem: my favorite trick that I could always pull off confidently was a bar spin, flatland. Now, on this new bike, present day, I cannot do it to save my life.
I feel like I'm going to smash all my teeth out on the cross bar in front. I can barely get the bars up high enough to start to spin them on flatland. I feel like I can't get my knees far back enough to spin the bar around like I used to. It's a disaster.
Is the bike geometry that much different? Or am I just being a *ussy? Am I just a super old man now? Lol
Suggestions please!
by high0utput
3 Comments
Geo is quite different, and bars are higher and wider. But tbh there’s no reason realistically why this bike can’t be barspun, and you’ve got to remember, what was easy and fearless isn’t so easy 2 decades later! I assume you’re talking a pullback barspin rather than a hop bars.
You were probably riding cut down 8″ bars back then, as opposed to the bars now that are gonna be like an inch taller, two inches wider, and in a top load stem vs a front load. It’s gonna feel weird.
You could pull the mid-school trick and flip the stem so the bars are lower, or run a front load stem. Optionally, you could also switch bars. Realistically – you’re just like me man, you’re in your mid 40s and eating shit has real consequences now, so it’s scary.
Im assuming from your current set-up you ride left foot forward. Try putting another peg on the back right side of your bike and practice pickup barspins with your right heel on right rear peg and your right toe on the pedal all while pinching the seat with your knees. (I call it a cheaterbar) This will help you to better figure out the rear loop/balance point until you can toss em without thinking about it.