How to Skid Stop on a Fixed Gear Bike

Fixed geared bikes are interesting because they don't have the coasting ability that most other bikes do. This leads to a few different pros and cons. For instance, the pedals of the bike must continually be moving. They're often used as track bikes or racing bikes in outdoor races on road or tracks. They're cheaper than other bikes and are beginning to grow in popularity around the world.

Stopping these bikes can be an issue and there are a couple ways to accomplish this task. Front brakes help, although for whatever reason some folks like to steer away from brake support. Holding the pedals with your legs so that they cannot rotate is the other way, and this in part is what is called skid stopping. The goal of a skid stop is to stop the wheels from turning while balancing on the front wheel. It can be a scary experience at first, you'll feel like you're going to tumble off the bike, but with some practice, preferably on grass first, you'll be just fine. Here are the steps to skid stopping on a fixed gear bike:

1) At normal speed, lean over the handle bars with your whole body and get the back wheel off the ground slightly. You want your crotch essentially right over the top of the handles. This will shift your weight from the being over both tires to being just over the front tire and you'll perform a front wheelie of sorts.

2) Lock the pedals with your legs so they cannot rotate. This is normally best done when the both pedals are parallel but, as long as your back leg can hold strong, the pedals don't need to be in a specific position.

3) Now lean back to a normal position so that the back wheel hits the ground. Since the pedals are locked by your knees, the wheel won't spin and the friction will slow you down.

Depending on your speed, you may have to repeat the skid stop a couple times before reaching a full stop. I suggest practicing on grass first as falling from a screw-up won't hurt so badly. You can than graduate to flat surfaces and wet pavement until you feel comfortable enough to do the move wherever you'd like. If you have a front brake, you can use it to help you get onto the front tire, although, be careful as this can also toss you from the bike. Good luck learning to skid stop, and be sure to wear a helmet trying the move out on your own.