| BMX Biking, which is similar to mountain biking, is a | | | | dirt - formed by compacting mud - and is |
| multi-faceted sport with many different disciplines. | | | | sometimes known as "dirty jumping." In order to |
| There are four major BMX concentrations - park, | | | | do this kind of riding, the biker will need a heavier, |
| vertical, trails, and flatlands. They each have their | | | | more reinforced bike, and it will usually only have |
| own rules and specifics which will be outlined in this | | | | rear brakes, as the terrain is very rough and hard |
| article. | | | | on the rider. There are a lot of gaps in the mud |
| Park riding is often done in standard skate parks, | | | | and dirt that the rider has to deal with, with the |
| as BMX park riding takes a great amount of | | | | gaps ranging anywhere from three feet to up to |
| inspiration from skateboarding. Skate parks have | | | | 20 feet. On average, the gaps are about 12 feet. |
| all kinds of different obstacles and they can be | | | | Flatland BMX is one of the least popular BMX |
| made from wood, metal, or concrete, which | | | | sports. It is done on any simple flat surface, most |
| makes them the perfect grounds for BMX riding | | | | commonly, concrete. The tricks involve balance |
| as well. Depending on the type of obstacle, the | | | | and spinning tricks more than high jumps found in |
| rider's style will change. Some of the most | | | | other types of BMX riding. The bikes are usually |
| common obstacles one will see in a park include | | | | equipped with pegs that the bikers can stand on, |
| quarter pipes, spines, flat banks, walls, mini ramps, | | | | enabling them to do even more diverse and |
| boxes, hips, and pyramids. All are used for | | | | strange tricks with their bikes. The bikes are |
| different tricks, and in sanctioned competitions, | | | | often short and light, which enables the jumping |
| the speed, skill, and fluidity of the trick is rated | | | | and spinning type tricks that the bikers will be |
| and judged to determine a points-based winner. | | | | attempting. Some of the popular tricks include the |
| Vertical riding, which is commonly called by its | | | | bunnyhop, air, grinding, fakies, manuals, wallrides, |
| slang variant, "vert," is an extreme form of BMX. | | | | endos, roll-backs, and catwalks. |
| The standard ramp consists of two half pipes | | | | As for grinding, the most common tricks include |
| that have been joined to form what looks like an | | | | feeble, smith, double-peg, icepick, toothpick, |
| expanded "u" shape. The record for the biggest | | | | crooked, and pedal grinds, though there are many |
| ramp is the 27-foot tall X-Games "big air" ramp. | | | | other variations on the grind. |
| This is the most dangerous form of BMX racing, | | | | Air tricks include X-up, one handed riding, no |
| and there are very few professionals who go into | | | | handed riding, seat grabs, tire grabs, 180/360/540 |
| this discipline, or stay at it for a very long time. | | | | 720/900/1080 spins, backflips, frontflips, flairs, |
| Matt Hoffman, who is probably one of the best | | | | tabletops, lookbacks, barspins, can-cans, and many |
| known BMX vertical riders, has nearly lost his life | | | | others. |
| on several attempts to set new records for | | | | As you can see, there are many different |
| height and speed. | | | | aspects to BMX biking. |
| Trail riding involves dealing with huge mounds of | | | | |