That was wheelie close! Mountain biker balances on his back wheel to leap across canals – and narrowly escapes falling in
- Eloi Palau, 21, has competed in mountain bike trials across the world
- He asked a friend to film him while he traversed a water feature in Barcelona
- Eloi, from Spain, almost fell in at one point but successfully leapt across
A professional mountain bike trials rider has shown off his skills by leaping over a six-foot wide canal.
Eloi Palau, 21, asked a friend to film him in Barcelona, Spain, as he attempted to jump over various water features in the city centre last week.
During his first trick the trials enthusiast pulled his front wheel off the ground and jumped on his back wheel to gain momentum and propel himself across the water.
Eloi Palau, 21, leaps over a six-foot wide canal in Barcelona, Spain, while riding his trials mountain bike
After a pause of around ten seconds – where Eloi kept balanced while bouncing on one wheel – he leapt into the air.
Pulling his back wheel up to catch against the stone wall that lined the canal, Eloi pulled himself up and landed safely on the other side.
In another video, posted to his Instagram on Friday, Eloi used concrete blocks in the middle of a much wider body of water to traverse across to the other side.
In another video, posted to his Instagram on Friday, Eloi uses concrete blocks in the middle of a much wider body of water to traverse across to the other side
He captioned the post: ‘That was close… (Watch until the end). I know you want to see me falling in the water but you’ll have to wait until next time.’
In the clip he used the same method of bouncing on only his back wheel before leaping across to the first stepping stone.
Staying on only his back wheel, and balancing by bouncing, he moved slowly across the stone to get as close as possible to the edge closest to the next one.
Eloi balances on his back wheel by bouncing before leaping across the body of water and onto a stone slab in the centre
Leaping for a second time he successfully landed on the next block, and the one after that.
It was only when he had to turn to the side and attempt to leap back onto the edge of the pool of water that he ran into difficulty.
Eloi made the jump from the third stone, but didn’t quite gain enough momentum and almost fell back.
During his first trick the trials enthusiast pulls his front wheel off the ground and jumps on his back wheel to gain momentum. He nearly falls in when he leaps from the final slab (right)
He manages to save himself by jumping forward so the back wheel can plant itself safely on the ground
As the video went into slow motion, Eloi’s front wheel made contact with the concrete edge of the water feature.
He managed to save himself by jumping forward so the back wheel could plant itself safely on the ground.
Eloi first started riding in 2012, when he was 11 years old, and it took seven years for him to get to the point where he could start competing across Europe.
He told MailOnline: ‘I love riding because it’s different from other sports. And you can have fun wherever you go.’
Eloi, who is from Barcelona, has taken part in professional competitions in Denmark, Switzerland, France, Italy, Poland and Austria.
He also competed in the world championships in China, where he finished in the top nine ranking elite.