Even after years of practice, I'm ever-amazed at the number of skills and limitless creativity that can be done using a piece of fabric!
For your week's tip, I'm sharing one of my favorite non-inverted climbs - the Bicycle. This crafty climb looks neat, but it can be tricky to get the hang of. It can also be a smooth and sneaky pathway to take a single-foot lock off, which is well worth the effort!
Click below for a Bicycle Climb breakdown & tips.
1) Your placement is important. Begin from a Classic Climb. Place your hands at forehead height. Drop your hips back and straighten your arms, forming an L shape.
2) Lift your top leg up and begin to circle your foot around the pole from the outside in (the opposite way you would put a single foot lock on). Externally rotate your leg and flex your foot placing the fabric on your arch.
3) Begin to stand up, transferring your weight on your flexed foot as you bend your elbows, drawing the fabric toward your chest. Simultaneously bend your back knee, aiming your heel toward your bum while keeping the tail draped over it.
4) Reach hands up to head height again, drop hips back, release the tail from your heel, and repeat on the opposite side.
Mistake #1 - Starting with your hands too high & not dropping your hips back into an L. Having your hands too high doesn't allow for enough space to crochet your top leg around. It usually results in you bending your bottom knee to get your foot in place, which can appear sloppy.
Mistake #2 - Meeting ankles together and bringing knee forward instead of meeting knees together with your heel toward your bum. If your feet feel trapped, allow your heel to scoop up and back instead of trying to pull your foot through the slack.
Mistake #3 - Missing your arch & the fabric slides up around your ankle. This typically happens due to not flexing the foot or turning out enough (not in the video).
Applying all the tips and it's still not a smooth climb? It may mean you have sticky feet! Towel them off right before you climb, or wear socks! My fave socks are available in our online shop - click here to check them out.