Learn to do some tricks on a BMX bike

• What are BMX bikes?
• BMX racing
• BMX rankings
• Freestyle BMX

Freestyle BMX Freestyle BMX (also known as Bike Stunt), a flat banks - a flat bank set at an angle of name given it by Mat Hoffman is a creative roughly  40  degrees  from  horizontal way  of  riding  20"  wheel-base  bicycles. wall rides - a vertical wall above either In most countries, the popularity of quarter  pipes  or  flat  banks Freestyle BMX has outgrown that of racing. Many of the top-selling magazines have no, or miniramps - two small quarter pipes facing very limited, coverage of racing, while one another, like a halfpipe, but with a extensively covering every aspect of short  flat  area  between. Freestyle with perhaps the notable exception of  Flatland. hips - essentially two quarter pipes or flat banks, each with one edge at a right angle to Freestyle has now been split further into a the  other. number of disciplines with bikes being specialized to cope with the demands of Vert different riding styles and terrains. These disciplines include Street, Flatland, Vert, Perhaps the most extreme of the BMX Park  and  Dirt. disciplines, a Vert ramp consists of two quarter pipes set facing each other (much Street is a form of BMX riding, which boils like a mini ramp), but at around 10-13 feet down to riding anything that isn't meant to tall (around 2.5 to 3 metres) high. Both be ridden; this includes stairs, ledges, 'faces' of the ramp have an extension to the handrails, banks, walls, and just about transition  that is vertical, hence the name. anything else. However, because these obstacles are often on private property, this Riders go up each face, performing tricks in leaves participants of this sport at risk of the air before landing into the same face. A prosecution for trespassing, and possibly typical run involves going from one side to destruction  of  property. the other, airing above the coping each side. Also possible are 'lip tricks' - tricks on Flatland is the art of riding 20" wheel base the platform at the top of the ramps before bicycles on flat ground in various unique and dropping  into  the  ramp. interesting ways. Though Flatland was the basis for almost every other form of modern Mat Hoffman popularised the sport in the Freestyle riding, it has fallen wayside in early 90s, and holds the record for the popularity, yet maintains a very loyal highest jump of 27' out of a 25' ramps (a following  of  dedicated  riders. total of over 15.5 metres from the ground). He achieved this by being dragged along a Vert riding is riding any half pipe that field by a friend with a motorbike and reaches vertical, and is at least 9 feet tall hitting one face of the ramp. On one attempt, or bigger. Aerial tricks are performed above he lost control at the peak of his jump, and the ramp on either side, and peg tricks are the resulting crash caused life-threatening performed on the coping at the top of the injuries such as losing his spleen. ramp. Remarkably, despite his age and injuries in the  past,  he  still  competes  to this day. Park is of course, riding in skateparks; this style of riding pulls elements from all of The danger of the discipline (and scarcity of the other forms, even Flatland. Skateparks, full-size vert ramps) puts most riders off, while traditionally designed for and as such, there are a small number of top skateboarders, are just as well if not better professionals who remain at the top of the suited for BMX riders. There are many sport for many years. Most notable are Dave skateparks all around the world, but Mirra (US) and Jamie Bestwick (UK) who have unfortunately, BMXers are often at risk of won almost all the major international arrest or fine due to restrictive rules set competitions  in  the  past  5  years. by insurance companies or city councils; luckily there is a growing number of BMX Trails specific  or  friendly  facilities. A photo of some trails courtesy of Dirt, also know as Trails riding, is the barendbmx.co.uk Trails are, as the name direct descendant of BMX racing, and involves suggests, lines of jumps built from dirt jumps made almost entirely of dirt or clay (heavily compacted mud). The jumps consist of (sometimes carpeting is layed on top of the a steep take off, called a lip, with an often jumps to protect them and help them hold slightly less steep landing. The lip and their shape). Riders usually take off of one landing are usually built as separate mounds, dirt ramp, perform an aerial trick, and then divided by a gap. The gap is measured from land on another. This combination of a the topmost part of the lip, horizontally to take-off and landing ramp is usually referred the topmost part of the far side of the to as a "double". A series of "doubles" in a landing. Gaps typically range from only a row, make up a "line", which is completed couple of feet to over twenty feet. A (hopefully) in succession. There are also moderate  gap  is  around  twelve  feet. other types of jumps such as tabletop's, camelbacks, step-up's and step-downs. dirt Trails riding is sometimes also referred to riding generally encompasses a lot more style as Dirt Jumping. Many maintain that a subtle and 'flow' than any other discipline, lines difference exists in the approach of the can be very technical and are built to the rider; trails riders focus more on flowing rider's specifications. Jumps range in size smoothly from one jump to the next whilst form very small learner tabletops to big performing more stylish tricks, while dirt double's  that  may have gaps as big as 30ft. jumpers try to perform the craziest tricks they can without much thought to their style Freestyle BMX is a creative way of using or  smoothness. bicycles originally designed for bicycle motocross racing. It can be split into Although many regard trails and street as several disciplines, although riders will being completely opposite, the attraction is generally participate in more than one similar—trails riders build their own discipline. These are Street, (skate)Park, jumps so their riding is limited only by Vert, Trails and Flatland. Rather their  creativity  and  resourcefulness. confusingly, in competitions, park riding is often  referred  to  as  'Street'. Dirt jumping bikes are heavier than bmx racing bikes but lighter than freestyle Street bikes. Often times a bmx jump bike will have only a rear brake and they might also sport a Street riding occurs on public streets or gyro. The gyro will allow them to do airborne private property, typically within cities and tricks  such  as  barspins. towns.BMXFU is a team based in NY with riders such as Charlie Crumlish, Ben Freedman, Brad Flatland Caruana, Peter Rosendahl, Brian Nusstien, and Mike Majaris. Without purpose-made ramps, BMX Flatland rider at Santa Monica riders have to improvise with banks, walls, beach.Flatland BMX occupies a position rails, gaps, etc. In fact, almost anything somewhat removed from the rest of freestyle can be used as an obstacle, and it is bmx. People who ride in the above disciplines precisely this that draws people to street will generally take part in at least one of riding. Riders enjoy street riding because the others, but flatlanders tend to only ride they are not constrained to what a skatepark flatland. They are often very dedicated and designer has planned for them to ride, so it will spend several hours a day perfecting allows a good deal of creativity. Street their  technique. riding relentlessly progresses, with obstacles and tricks that were considered too Flatland also differs from the others in that big or technical to attempt, becoming common the terrain used is nothing but a smooth, place. flat surface (e.g. an asphalt parking lot, basketball courts, etc.). Tricks are Many professional BMXers are street riders performed by spinning and balancing in a who are employed for the exposure they get variety of body and bicycle positions. Riders through video parts and magazines, rather almost always use gnurled aluminum pegs to than for their competition results. However, stand on to manipulate the bike into even these riders generally don't get paid the stranger  positions. huge sums that the big competition riders get, as most of the big money comes from Flatland bikes typically have a shorter placing in events such as the X Games. wheelbase than other freestyle bikes. However, riders like Van Homan, who is a Flatland bikes differ from dirt jumping bikes progressive street rider, often enter the X and freestyle bikes in one way. The frames Games  and  manage  to  place  quite  high. are often more heavily reinforced due to the fact that the people riding flatland often Street bikes are different from those used on stand on the frames. This shorter wheelbase park or dirt. Typically they will have two or requires less effort to make the bike spin or four stunt (axle) pegs for grinding. They are to position the bike on one wheel. One of the usually the heaviest and strongest type of primary reasons flatlanders often ride only BMX bike. A considerable number of street flatland is a result of the decreased riders set up their bikes without hand brakes stability of using a shorter bike on ramps, (popularized by riders such as New York's dirt  and  street. Edwin  DeLaRosa  and  Ben  Freedman). A variety of options are commonly found on Some street riders may also ride park and flatland bikes. The most unifying feature of dirt, but the set up of street bikes can make flatland bikes is the use of four pegs, one the  latter  difficult. on the end of each wheel axle. Flatland riders will choose to run either a front Park brake, a rear brake, both brakes, or no brakes at all, depending on stylistic Skateparks are used by BMXers as well as preference. skateboarders, and both draw inspiration from the other. Skateparks themselves can be made History  of  freestyle of wood or concrete, or in the case of local council-supplied  parks,  metal. Freestyle BMX was pioneered by in the late 1970's and early 1980's. early pioneers of Styles of riding will differ between wood and freestyle BMX included william (Crazy concrete parks - wood lends itself to Lacy)Furmage, R.L. Osborne, Mike Buff, Haro, technical tricks, while concrete is more Pat Romano, Stu Thompson, Woody Itson, suited to a fast, flowing style, with riders Jonathan Capozzi and Tinker Juarez. The searching for gaps, and aiming to air higher 1980's saw a major level of growth in from the coping.Concrete parks usualy tend to freestyle popularity, but the 1990's brought contain bowls and pools. However, it is not a general decline in the interest on the unusual for riders to merge the two styles in sport. This brought the so-called either  type  of  park. "rider-owned" bicycle companies to the sport, which allowed for more freedom in designing, Concrete parks are commonly built outdoors producing and building bicycle parts and due to their ability to withstand years of accesories than the traditional corporate exposure to the elements. Concrete parks are companies  would  allow. also often publicly funded due to their permanent and costly nature. Parks made from Some of freestyle's major innovators in the wood are popular with commercial skateparks 1980s and 1990s included:William (Crazy due to ease of construction, availability of Lacy)Furmage, Eddie Fiola, Mike Dominguez, materials, cost, and the relative safety Brian Blyther, Ron Wilkerson, Dave Voelker, associated with falling on wood instead of Rick Moliterno, Vic Murphy, Pete Agustin, Mat concrete. Parks designed with BMX use in mind Hoffman, Dave Mirra, Kevin Jones, Ryan will typically have steel coping that is less Nyquist, Dennis McCoy, Ruben Alcantara, Jamie prone to damage than concrete or pool coping. Bestwick, Jay Miron, Joe Rich, and Taj Mihelich. Common  obstacles  include: The first freestyle World Championships were quarter pipes - literally, quarter of a pipe held in Vancouver, Canada during Expo86 in - riders air from it and perform tricks on a 1986. At present many freestyle contests are platform  above  the  ramp held year-round around the world, being the X-Games, the Metro Jams, the Backyard Jams, spines  -  two  quarter  pipes  back to back and the BMX Freestyle Worlds among the more notorious. 1 A B C D E F 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128