Anyone have tips for Forward Karl Kruzers and Pinky Squeaks? Options

[Larryboy]

I could NEVER get these 2 down. Drives me nuts. Could do harder stuff, but not these.

Any tips?

I have the best luck (which isn't much) on forward Karl Kruzers with the bars backwards, and usually by getting into it with a 3/4 whiplash that I let swing back the other way and then grab for the seat.

Pinky squeaks...lucky to get 3. And that's not common.

[Axlepeg]

Wish I could help ya Matt, but that's one of those things where I'd have to be there. (Or you be here, take your pick). There's so many ways to do those, ways to get into them, etc...so many opportunities to go wrong in so many different places. And like, I'd have to see what you're doing, ya know?

Pinky Squeaks: These are easiest for me with the frame going Counterclock, and using the left peg with the right foot doing a squeak. Minimal or no foot contact with the toptube. Can do as many as I want. Easy to control, this variety, with lot's of stuff to go into (Loco, Gyrator, Smith Decade...). Bill Neuman did them like this. Usually there are two little foot squeaks and two little brake squeezes for each frame rotation.

The next version is basically multiple Fire-hydrants. I used to be able to regularly rip off ten of these. Frame goes clockwise. Again I use the left peg, and squeak just once with the right foot as the frame travels around, and only one brakepull. On this version, my right foot "lands on and/or grabs" the toptube as it comes around and gives it a kick as it passes underneath me. This are good for getting into standard Decades or Undertakers or Swivels or Blenders or Karl Kruzers or whatever. These are quite a bit faster and a little more unpredictable than the previously mentioned version. A bit more fluid, though, whereas the former tends to look a wee bit slow choppy.

The third, and hardest version, are probably the "truest" kind of Pinky Squeaks. Like (I'm kinda guessing) Gary P. invented them. Like Molinterno and McCoy and Chris Day and Huddleston and Reuban did them. Basically, multiple tailwhips, without using a peg. Left foot grabs the toptube as it travels around Counterclock, and right foot does a squeak. No peg. This way is very hard, and I doubt I ever did more than 3 consecutive whips on my best day. Even the aforementioned guys, I don't think I ever saw any of them do more than four at a clip. This are just really damn fast and even harder to control. More often than not, when guys would bust out more than two of these they'd kinda be traveling all over the place, and not necessarily in a straight line. I personally think this version is the coolest looking, but WAY harder to dial than the other ways. For the sake of consistency, I always preferred to do one of the other methods I mentioned.

All I can say for tips on ANY method you attempt, is that excellent brakes, well-juiced tires with a low-profile, yet grippy tires are your friend. Fully functional and practical shoes are a bigtime must.

Forward Karls: See about maybe just popping up into this one. Once in position, the bike will naturally want to G-turn and go into a regular Karl, or at least the bars are going to want to turn and get you into a forkglide situation (like a rollback steam). I personally enjoy just popping into a F. Karl and making it go straight for 60 feet or so (or riding out of a Hitch Hiker into a straight F. Karl). It's really quite a powermove-like-situation to keep these going straight, I find. Totally works the forearms, mainly the left. To do a F. Karl in a nice big cirular arc, I like to really tweak the bike forward. Pushing the back of the seat with my hand and my right elbow hitting the back tire. Right grip almost scraping the ground (I used to deliberately scrape, and ride out). I like to pop-up into this, or sometimes go from a big circular Steam.

Is there something specific you're trying to link into?

Any which way; good luck. Any riding is good so long as we don't get hurt, these days. Have fun, Matt.

[Larryboy]

I've tried just popping up on the KK and every once in awhile get it, but I agree you have to muscle that one to keep it straight. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I just need to let it go in a circle. I can hold it straight, but forcing the straight line gets me off-balance for some reason.

The Pinky Squeaks. I am trying the last method you mentioned. Riding with Moliterno all those years, that's the only "true" Pinky Squeaks in my mind, so that's what I always try. Like I said, 3 is my best. And that's rare. I've seen Rick hit a dozen or more, so I figured I should be able to get it figured out. But I need to remember I'm not Rick Moliterno.

I've tried the first method and that's pretty easy, but I want to learn the REAL ones.

The multiple fire hydrant whips... I can do a few sometimes. But those are sooooo wicked fast after the first one that I tend to trip or smack the old shin on the TT. Doubles are fine, but triples or more get tricky. Rick got me doing what he always called a "double double". Double fire hydrant into a double decade. That was a staple of my show routines for years. That and pedal picker into double decade out. Loved that one too, but I digress...

I'll keep at it.

Thanks for the in-depth advice Josh. I respect your skills and I'll try your KK tips.

[Larryboy]

Hey Josh. One more question on the KK. Do you do bars forward or backwards, or both?

I was just setting up in them tonight and messing around trying to find and hold the balance point and I think I discovered part of my problem. I found I wasn't keeping my left arm locked out, but was bending my elbow. Totally throwing me off. Once I locked it out and pushed the bars forward more, it seemed more comfortable.

[Axlepeg]

OK; real quick before I got to start working.

Something that would have been evident if I could have demonstrated a F. Karl for you, and what I really should have mentioned yesterday if you're trying to get them to go straight:

Your front wheel has to be straight up-and-down, with the bars even (or level), if you want to make sure you stay kruising in a straight line. If the front wheel is not straight up, you're gonna carve no matter what. ALSO, unlike a regular Karl, you can't be off to the side of the bike. You want your body centered right behind the stem...which means that the frame cannot be in-line with the front wheel, which is somewhat customary for Karls. The frame is going to be cocked over to the side. Not quite a Side Glide, but nearly. At least a forty-five degree angle on the frame/bars. It is a very awkward and "unnatural" position that really requires upper body strength. Not only the forearms, but wrists, shoulders, lats, traps, too. It's goofy because your balance leg won't (can't) be off behind you and to your LEFT, going away from the frame, but rather behind and to the RIGHT side of the body (where, conveniently enough, it's attached). It's like the bulk of you're body weight is over on the side where the bike is, and you're really lifting UP with the hand on the SEAT, and REALLY pushing DOWN with the left hand on the GRIP. Hard to explain.

I'll make sure I do one in my next video for ya! :-)

[Axlepeg]

Oh, and to answer your question, I usually do them with the bars regular, but can also do them Xed up (and yeah, they might even be a little easier Xed, going straight). And as far as 'locking out' your left arm; once you find the balance point, yes, you don't need to make your arm "straight" necessarily, but you do want to maintain a rigidity in whatever bend you've found that is working.
Only when I shove the bike forward and carve in circles do I really straighten out my left arm:

(IMG:http://www.bmxhosting.com/is.php?i=483&img=Tweak.jpg)

To go in a straight line with these, I'm more upright and in an altogether different position, but this is the only pic I've got until I get a bike together.

[rad_dad_67]

It took me a life time to pop into Karl but its worth while to learn. I like to ride into Karl from Steamroller. As I ride into steamroller I bring it into the Karl position. The way I learned Karl was to scoot along the ground. One day I stopped scooting and started rolling. There was no magic with that one it was much hard work. How as it been coming for you. If i have the opportunity I will do some video for you.

Keep on Riding!

Mark

[DemonGT]

i could use a video and or tips on a funky chicken..one of the tricks i never did learn back in the day...id like to try to get it down this summer

i can get into it..but once i get the frame up i cant get it to hold

[Axlepeg]

Here's a link to a page with some good video how-to's. The F. Karl is essentially just like the way I do them when going in a straight line.

Alas, the Pinky Squeak vid is merely double Fire Hydrants.

There's also one of a Funky Chicken that may help you, Demon.

http://www.global-flat.com/tricks/