Danny MacAskill is back with an ode to the wheelie, in another eye-popping and uplifting video that is guaranteed to make you smile (then go practice your one-wheeled riding skills)
The wheelie. Tricky to master, it always impresses, and it’s a great fundamental bike skill to boot. Of course if you’re Danny MacAskill, you’re going to take it to a whole new level. MacAskill is joined by a whole host of amazing riders who take the humble wheelie and do things that will blow your mind.
And one of the great things about popping a wheelie is you don’t need an expensive bike to do it or access to trails to do it. Pretty much any bike with two wheels will do, and it’s a whole load of fun whatever your age.
Wanna see some seriously impressive wheelie skills? Watch this crew in action
Back in the depths of 2021, MacAskill put out a call to his social media followers asking them to #WheelieWithDanny and from the incredible response (just check out the hashtag to see some truly mad riding skills) a select few were chosen to join him for this edit. So you’ll see the full range of the riding spectrum from the legendary Hans Rey bouncing about on the back wheel with MacAskill to the truly balletic Viola Brand, the famed fixed gear artistic cyclist.
If someone picks up a bike and has a big grin trying to wheelie, then job done
“My sport is definitely not as well-known as mountain biking, but when I got a call from Danny I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down,” shares Brand. “Danny is an incredibly talented athlete, and to feature alongside him and show the world how I embrace the wheelie was special, and we have more in common than not. We love bikes!”
Some riders have turned the wheelie into an art form and sport all of itself, such as the likes of @SendItBrad and @Nay_Whaaat who also both feature in the film.
If this film doesn’t make you want to wheelie, nothing will
“I’ve followed Danny on Instagram and his riding is insane,” comments SendItBrad. “When I saw the #WheelieWithDanny competition I had to get involved. I’m not a trials rider but we are all about pushing the limits of what we can do on the back wheel and reckoned we could even teach Danny a thing or two!”
As for the man himself, you can of course expect some seriously impressive trials action, made all the more impressive by the fact that it’s all rear-wheel only. But for MacAskill the film is more than just a chance to show what he’s capable of; it’s about a shared love of bikes and what they can do for us.
Wheelies: fun, whatever your age
“I have seen first hand the popularity of bike riding explode of the last few years and it puts a smile on my face to see so many people loving getting outside on their bikes. Working with adidas Five Ten, we wanted to make a film that included as many types of riding as possible and let other riders become the star of the film. The wheelie was the best place to start. If you can ride a bike, you can have a good go at doing a wheelie and from there the opportunities are endless,” says MacAskill.
“We wanted to celebrate the wheelie, show how accessible riding bikes can be, and put a smile on people’s faces. If someone picks up a bike and has a big grin trying to wheelie, then job done.”
Great things can start with a wheelie; it did for Hans Rey, after all. “Danny MacAskill has pushed the boundaries of the sport beyond what I could have ever imagined possible, but just like him, it started with that first wheelie for me too,” he says.
So if you want to experience that feeling, and you’re motivated to learn how to do the most classic bike trick of all time, adidas Five Ten and Danny MacAskill have just the thing. Hop on over to the Five Ten website to check out MacAskill’s how-to info, get practicing, then upload it to Instagram with the hashtag #DoAWheelie and challenge two friends. Let’s spread a little wheelie joy.