In the process of learning both of these methods, it is helpful to ride on a smooth, relatively flat surface such as a parking lot or driveway. Another helpful tip is to start your balancing by slowly rolling forward then locking the brakes. If you feel as if you are going to fall over, simply let off the brakes and roll forward a few more inches to regain your balance. It's much better to roll forward a bit instead of putting your foot down.

Another key point to mention here is determining what your "good foot" is. Your good foot is simply the one you would leave in the forward position while coasting, or going down a steep hill. While balancing, hopping, etc., one should try to keep the pedals level, and the good foot forward. Get used to having that foot forward, pick a foot and stick with it.

Trackstanding is when you turn the front wheel to the side, usually away from your forward foot. For example, if your right foot is forward and you are looking down at your bars, you will turn your wheel counterclockwise. From this position, with your body generally centered over the bike, you will make subtle tilting and pedal adjustments to maintain your center of gravity Trackstanding is generally most useful on stable, flat surfaces such as the ground or the top of picnic tables. It's ideal for giving yourself a breather, since you do not expend as much energy.

The other method, Rocking in place, is better suited to balancing on smaller, less stable, or uneven objects. Rocking is accomplished by small weight shifts and lifting the front and rear wheels in succession, making small adjustments to keep the bike balanced. Note that these adjustments should not be large or exaggerated. Concentrate on lifting and moving in small increments of an inch or so. Larger movements will only make it harder to maintain your position. As with trackstanding, this is much more difficult to explain in words.

Related to these skills would be hopping in place, which you can view in the hopping section.