Okay, you have popped some wheelies with your bike. It’s thrilling, right! Of course, it is. But then you know that doing stunts with your bicycles places loads of stress on it. Whether you use mountain bikes, fat bikes, or road bikes, the situation remains the same. So now you wonder whether wheelies can damage your MTB. Well, there is a short and long answer to this question.

To get to the answer is not a simple one. The reason is that different facts need to be taken into consideration. But it does create loads of pressure on your front wheel. While specific bikes might get damaged other bicycles do not get damaged.

How Do Wheelies Affect Your Bike?

After doing a wheelie, you need to land the front of your bike. After landing, the first thing that gets hurt is the suspension and the tires. So taking it a bit further:

Causes of Wheelie Damage?

When it comes to doing stunts on a road bike, fat bike, or MTB, the big concern is what will it damage. So here it all comes down to how you do that wheelie, as it will either damage your tires or the suspension a bit later on this.

For one, you need to practice the art of a wheelie, especially on your mountain bike. It is a challenging stunt as you might kiss the earth. So put some time to learn how to do it as they say practice makes perfect. So for a proper wheelie to find out if it damages your new bike, there is a bit of science behind it.

Doing a Rear Wheel Wheelie Landing On The Front Wheel

First, you have to punch your pedal down, creating momentum to lift the wheel, then raise your chest back followed through to unweight your front wheel. Doing this movement makes the front wheel lift into the air. So you need to keep pedaling with your chest up, but never pull your front wheel by bending your arms.

Keep those arms straight to keep a straight line, especially when you want to go over obstacles. Now, the problem is you can get it right, but yes, there is a but. When you come down, the chance is you can break some spokes that have become weak with your mountain trailing. So, yes, there is more.

Issues With Suspension and Shock Loading

 

Okay, the main concern is doing bad wheelies as it can damage the two wheels. But it can also damage the suspension that works related to the tires. For example, when most people perform wheelies, you need to land on the ground. So what happens? The tires and fork get a super bump relative to the total weight of the bike plus the rider. How your tires react to this bump all depends on your bicycle suspension.

If the suspension works, you will have a smooth landing without the stress of using your brakes or damaging the front tire. So whether you’re a pro at wheelies or do bad wheelies, your suspension plays a huge role.

So the front absorbs most of the shock resulting in safe spokes that will not come off. But if there is no suspension and you do frequent wheelies trying to learn to handle wheelies, it can damage the tires. Another thing that gets damaged is the frame, as it is the skeleton to protect the bike parts.

Imagine standing high on something, and you want to reach the ground by jumping. Once you jump, there is stress on your bones and legs. Yes, it is your skeleton, so the same happens when your road bike or MBT gets a super shock.

If there are any weak spots in the frame caused by riding or a cheap frame, it can get damaged. So if you want to keep practicing your stunts, it helps to choose a bike with a carbon fiber frame. The metal is durable to withstand most shock when landing.

On the other hand, some of the equipment on your bike can also get damaged.

Final Thoughts

That does not mean you cannot keep those pedals moving to explore different stunts with your bike. However, there are some things you can do to lighten the damage. So instead of landing to suddenly try to balance your weight when you hit the ground for a smooth touchdown.

Also, please select the right gear from durable spokes to rings as it can take heavy pressure. Still, make sure to check the quality of the thread, allowing it to grip on the ground. Finally, go for something durable that is ready to ride and can handle doing stunts.

Even the frame needs to handle shocks as the pedal, wheels, fork, and more. So go out and have some fun but take it easy.