BMX Trick Tips and How To's

Dirt
Flat Land
Street/Ramp

BMX Dirt
BACKFLIP hit a jump with a lot of speed and pull up hard on the handlebars, arch your back, lead with your head, and eye the spot you want to land. Land on the front wheel, then the back wheel will come down. Keep your knees bent.
BAR TURN Turn your handlebars 90 degrees to the left or right while in the air.
CAN-CAN Take your left leg and throw it over the top tube of the bike so that the foot is pointing to the right, or vice versa.
CANDYBAR While in the air, take either foot and extend it over your handlebars so that it is pointing in the direction you are traveling. (It should be in between your arms, which are on the grips.) Bring your leg back to its pedal and land.
CLIFF HANGER While in the air, take your feet off the pedals and hook them under the handlebars. Stick your arms up in the air so that it looks like you are hanging from your wrists. Lift up your knees to bring the bike back to you.
FLARE A flare is a back flip 180. Do a back flip, and when you are in the air, turn your handlebars to the right, and push the back of the bike out in the same direction. If you want to see a master flare, check out Dennis McCoy.
FRONT PEG GRAB While in the air, pull up on the handlebars, lean over them, and grab the front pegs. That's it. Land by letting go of the pegs and returning your hands to the grips.
INDIAN AIR Do a no-footed can can (throw both legs over the top tube of the frame while in the air), only twist your body at your hips so that your left leg is on the right side and your right leg is on the left (assuming that you throw your legs to the right side of your bike).
KICKOUT While in the air, swing the back of your bike to the right or left using your legs, then bring it back in quickly. The farther out you can swing it, the better.
LIQUID SWORD Ride toward the jump, and when in the air, jump off your bike to the left side. At the same time, let go of the left grip and grab it with your right hand. Push the front left peg backwards with your right foot, making the bike do a flip. When it is back to its regular position, get on it and land.
LOOKDOWN While in the air, have your left foot forward. Pull up on the handlebars, and lean to the right. Turn the bars to the right, and move your body along with them so that you are in a position where you can see the ramp you took off from. Turn the bars and return to your original position before landing.
NAC-NAC The opposite of a can-can, as the name shows. Swing the back of the bike to the right. Take your right foot and swing it around the back wheel. Your foot should be pointing to the left now. Can be done vice versa.
NO-FOOTER Pull your feet off of the pedals while you are in the air, and put them back on the pedals before landing. Start small!
NO-FOOT CAN-CAN Do a can-can, only throw both of your legs over the top tube.
NO-HANDER When in the air, get your bike as close to vertical as possible. Stick your handlebars in your lap and throw your hands up in the air. When you get them back to the bars, level the bike out and land. A variation would be to throw your arms out to the side, so they are parallel to the ground.
ONE-FOOTER Take one foot off of the pedal, kick it out to the side, place it back on the pedal, and land.
ONE-HANDER A pretty simple trick. Just take a hand off of your handlebars, extend your arm, put it back on your bars, and land.
ROCKET AIR While you are in the air, put both of your feet on the back pegs. The back of the bike will drop. When you return to the pedals to land, make sure you push the front of the bike down to even it out.
SUICIDE Take your hands off of the grips while you are in the air and throw them up and out to the side, parallel to the ground. A suicide-clapper is when you clap your hands behind your back while in the air.
SUPERMAN While in the air, throw your legs out behind the bike, and extend them as far as you can. Keep your hands on the handlebars, and pull yourself back in after extending. The object is to get your body just about parallel to the ground, so you look like you are flying through the air like Superman. A more popular version is the Superman Seat Grab, where you keep one hand on the bars and put one on the seat and do a superman.
TABLETOP To do a tabletop, push your handlebars to the right side of your body and turn them to the left at the same time. Use your legs to push the back of your bike up and to the left. The key is to get the bike into a horizontal position. The trick can be done to the other side too-just reverse everything.
TOBOGGAN While in the air, push down on your front end. While you are doing this, turn your handlebars 90 degrees. Take your left hand off of the handlebars and grab your seat. Make sure you are leaning back so the bike can get in a vertical position. To land, grab the bars with the hand that was on the seat, level out the bike, and land. Can be done vice versa.

BMX Flat Land
BACKWARDS STEAMROLLER Begin with your handlebars turned around. Put yourself at the front of the bike, facing the seat. Hold the seat with one hand. One foot should be on a front peg, the other is used to push off. Use that leg to get yourself rolling. Steer with the handlebars and lift the back wheel off of the ground by pulling up on the seat. Then just roll around!
BACKWARDS TIME MACHINE Roll forward with medium speed, and have both of your feet on the back pegs. Do an endo, then when the back tire sets down, tap the back brake and pull up the front of the bike so that you can do a backwards manual from the pegs. Jump around the front of the bike so that your right foot is on the back left peg, and your left foot is just in the air. Grab the front left peg with your left hand, and pull the bike into a vertical position. Then jump back around so your left foot is again on the left back peg.
BACKYARD Begin by facing backward on your bike. Apply the back brake,and lift up the front of the bike. With either foot on the back peg, push off and use the other foot to scuff the tire. Take one hand off of the handlebars to help balance.
BOOMERANG Roll slowly forward, and put your right foot on your left back peg. Swing your left foot forward, jump off the back peg, apply the front brake, and spin around the head tube on the handlebars. Just before you are halfway around, let go of the brake. Just after you are halfway around, put it on again. Land and ride away.
CABOOSE Put your right foot on the back left peg, or vice versa. Pull up on the handlebars to lift the front of the bike off of the ground. Scuff the back tire, using the back brake for help. That's a caboose.
CHERRY PICKERS Roll forward slowly. Put both of your feet on the back pegs. Do a small endo, and when your back tire hits the ground again, take your right foot and jam it in the space on the left side of the bike where the tire and the seatpost meet. The object is to get the bike straight up and down, balancing on the back wheel. Take your left foot and put it over the head tube and onto the seatpost. Grab the right side of the fork with your left hand an start hopping up and down as if you were doing a pogo. Pull up on the bike so that it will stay under your feet when you jump up. To ride out, just set the front tire down and pedal away.
DECADE Start with your left foot on the left back peg and your right foot on the top tube. Do a tiny endo, then apply your back brake. Throw your weight onto the back wheel and bring the front wheel high in the air. Jump around the head tube, then land back on the pedals.
DUMP TRUCK Start by rolling slowly, with your handlebars turned around and your feet on the back pegs. Pull up on the handlebars so that only your back wheel is on the ground. Grab the right side of the fork with your right hand (make sure the wheel has stopped spinning!). Now take your left hand off of the handlebars, and they should turn 90 degrees. Take your right leg and scuff the back tire with it. To ride out, just set the bike down and return to a normal riding position.
ELBOW GLIDE Roll forward at medium speed with your left foot on the left front peg and your right foot on the left back peg. Turn slightly to the left, shove your weight forward, then pull the front tire underneath your body and lift the back tire off the ground. Push the frame around to the right like you would do in a tailwhip. When the frame comes around, hook your left elbow over the seat. Roll like this as long as you can, and keep your right foot in the air for balance. When you are done, remove your arm from the seat, spin the frame back the way it came, set it down and ride out.
ELEPHANT GLIDE Begin by doing something like a bar-hop, so you are sitting on the front of the handlebars. Grab the seat with your right hand, and use the front brake to get the rear wheel off of the ground. Use the hand on the seat to pull the back of the bike around to the right side of your body, and scuff the front tire. When done, move the back of the bike around behind you, get back on the seat, and ride out.
FLINKY-SUNDER Roll forward slowly, and put both feet on the front pegs. Pull the front brake hard so the back of the bike goes up. At the same time as that, take your feet off the pegs and spin the back of the bike around 180 degrees. While the frame is spinning around to the front, jump over and sit on the handlebars. Catch the bike with your feet, land, and ride off.
FIREHYDRANT Start rolling, and have your right foot on the back left peg and your left foot on the front left peg. Lightly squeeze the front brake for a second and turn the handlebars around, swinging your body to the front of the bike, facing the seat. Squeeze the front brake for a second again, and use your weight to lift up the back of the bike and swing it around.
FOOT PLANT Ride up to a bench or wall, and bunnyhop towards it. When you reach it, take a foot off the pedal and slam it onto the bench or wall, pushing yourself up and away from the object so that you can land.
FREAK SQUEAK Roll forward slowly with both feet on the pedals. Swing your right leg over the handlebars and put it against the front tire. Put your weight on your hands and move your left foot to the left front peg. When it gets there, use your right foot to jam the front tire to a stop and bring the back of the bike off of the ground. Use a hand for balance (it’s coolest if you use both) in the air and scuff your tire with your right foot. The weight of the bike should be pressing against your left leg. To ride out, get your hands back on the handlebars, let the back tire fall to the ground, return your left foot to its pedal, then the same with the right foot, and ride away.
FRONT POGO The same as a regular pogo, except you will bounce on your front pegs. Put one foot on a peg to start out, then hit the front brake. When the back comes up, put your other foot on the other front peg and bounce.
FRONTYARD Put your right foot over the handlebars, then do a small endo, bringing your left foot onto the front left peg. Scuff the front tire with your right foot, balancing on just the front wheel. A hand can be off the bars to use for balance.
FUNKY CHICKEN The same as a front yard, only the bike is in front of you, and you hold it by the seat with one of your hands.
HANG FIVE Roll forward and have your left foot on the left front peg. Throw your weight forward on to the peg, and use your right leg for balance. The seat should come up to your butt. Put your arms straight out in front of you and your head up. That's a hang five.
INFINITY ROLL Put one foot on a back peg (on the same side as the foot). Use the other foot to scuff the tire backwards in a circle. (Scuffing is pushing on a tire with your foot and making it roll in either direction). Go as long as you can. I find it easier to have my foot on my peg on the outside of the circle-that way the tire won't hit your leg.
LARDYARD Do a backyard, only hold the handlebars with one hand, and use the other hand to hold the bike on an angle to the ground. You will be traveling in circles.
LAWN MOWER Roll forward slowly and stand with both feet on the back pegs. Do a small endo, and when the back wheel hits the ground, put your right foot on the back tire and push the bike out to the right while you pull your body to the left. Balance on the front tire now. Twist the handlebars 180 degrees with your right hand-clockwise. In this balancing position, push the bike out away from you, and keep the back tire low to the ground. When you bring the bike back towards you, twist the handlebars back to a normal position and ride out.
NOURIE STAND Ride forward slowly with your left foot on the left front peg and your right foot on the left pedal. Apply the front brake gently and twist the handlebars 90 degrees. Use your right hand to hold the seat and the grip on the bars at the same time. Use your right foot for balance by sticking it in the air now. Note: you are just balancing now, not riding. At this point, put both feet on top of the front tire, on either side of the fork. Trap the left grip between your legs. Now sit on the handlebars and grab the seat and right grip with your left hand. With your feet still on the tire, lean your hips as far over the handlebars as possible. Stick the end of the left grip into your gut. Grab the front tire with your right hand and take your feet off of it. All of your weight will be on your stomach. Now put your feet over your head, as high as they will go. Cool, eh?
OXFORD SPHERE Start off by doing a wheelie. Hold the wheelie position, and do a double barspin. After that, bunnyhop onto the front tire and do a tailwhip. Sound like fun?
POGO Put both of your feet on the back pegs, and ride forward slowly. Take either foot and jam it in the fork to stop the bike, then push down hard on the wheel to get rolling backwards. When your foot is back on the peg, hit the back brake and pull up on the handlebars hard. The bike should be in a vertical position. From there, keep the back brake on and use the bike as if it were a pogo stick-jump up and down, pulling the bike along with you. To ride out, release the brake and set the front down.
PINKY SQUEAKS Begin with your right foot on the left pedal and your left foot on the left front peg. Roll slowly and do a small endo, kicking the frame counter-clockwise with your right foot. Use that foot then to move the front tire backwards while you are jumping over the frame.
RIDING BACKWARDS Roll forward at medium speed. Take your right foot and put it facing backwards on the left pedal. Then put your left foot on the right pedal backwards. Lean your body against the handlebars and switch hands when you are comfortable. You should be facing towards the back of your bike, with your left hand on the right grip and your right hand on the left grip. Don't rest your weight on the handlebars when you ride backwards-it just makes balancing and steering more difficult. To ride out, switch your hands first, then your feet back to their original position.
ROCKWALK Ride in a circular direction, then pull your front brake and swing the back of the bike around 180 degrees. When you land, pull up the front tire and do another 180 degree turn on the back wheel.
SQUEAKER Place your left foot on the left front peg. Do a small endo, and use your right foot to scuff the front tire backwards. Use your brake to stay balanced.
STANDER Get speed and stand with both feet on the standing platform, if your bike has one. Hold the seat by squeezing it between your legs. Stand up all the way as you are riding along, and use your arms to balance.
TAILWHIP Riding along, take your right foot and move it over the top tube to the left side of your bike. Stick your foot into the area where the front tire meets the fork. In an endo-like position, swing the back of the bike around, moving your left foot off of the pedal. When the bike has done a 360 degree rotation, put your left foot on the top tube, return your right foot to the pedal, then put your left foot back on its pedal, and ride out.
TRACK STAND Roll forward slowly with your right foot on the left pedal and your left foot just out to the side in the air. Use your front brakes to stop the bike, and turn the handlebars 90 degrees to the right. Use your right hand to grab the end of the right grip and the seat. Make sure your palm is facing up. As you turn the handlebars, put your left foot on the left front peg. Then put all of your weight on your left foot, and stick your right foot out in the air for balance. Ride out by straightening the handlebars and getting your feet back to the pedals.
UNDERTAKER Roll forward slowly with both feet on the back pegs. Apply both brakes and do a small endo. When the wheel hits the ground, pull the front of the bike up so that the whole thing is vertical. Take your right foot off of the peg and jump around so that it is where your left foot was. It should also be in the opposite direction the left foot was (facing backwards). Just keep your left foot in the air for now, and the bike should still be vertical. Put your left hand on the front tire. You should be facing the back of the bike. Use your left hand to push the tire under your right arm. Also put your left foot on the right peg at this point, and take your right foot off of the left peg. Put your left hand back on the handlebars, untwist them, set the bike down and pedal away.
WHIPLASH While riding, put your left foot on the left front peg, and put your right foot on the left pedal. Throw your weight forward and swing the back of the bike around. Then put your right foot on the right front peg. Use your left foot to catch the bike, put it on the top of the tube, and get your feet back to the pedals.
BMX Street/Ramp
BUNNYHOP The basis for many other tricks, a bunnyhop is getting both tires off the ground without a ramp or anything. Just pull up on the handlebars, get the front tire in the air high, then use your legs to lift up the back wheel. Level the bike out by pushing down on the handlebars.
ENDORoll forward and apply the front brake. As you do so, push forward and down on your handlebars, lifting the back tire off the ground. Set it down and ride away.
WHEELIE Ride forward, pull up on the bars, and pedal along with only the back tire on the ground.
MANUAL The same as a wheelie, only you don't pedal as you ride along on the back tire. You use your body to keep your momentum going until you drop down.
X-UP While in the air, turn your handlebars 180 degrees to either side, then quickly turn them 180 degrees to the other side.
BARSPIN Can be done on flat ground or in the air. Simply spin your handlebars around 360 degrees. Spreading your legs a bit helps so that the bars don't get caught up. Practice first by just doing a 180 degree spin.
360 Obviously a turn of 360 degrees to the left or right. Start turning before the bike is off of the jump. Lead hard with your head and body. It just takes practice.
BUTTERFLY Do a bunnyhop and, while in the air, turn your handlebars 90 degrees to the left then 90 degrees to the right and land. It works better on a ramp since you have more air time.
FUFANU While in the air, pull up on the handlebars and grab your back brake. Slam your back tire against a wall or onto coping. Lean toward your landing area while your tire is hitting the whatever, so that it is easier to land. Land on your front tire, then set the back one down and ride away.
NOSEPICKStart off with a bunnyhop. Hold the front brake on and set your front wheel on whatever you are trying to do the nosepick on (like a curb or bench). Balance there on your wheel for as long as you can, then push off, land, and ride out.
ICEPICK Bunnyhop onto a wall or rail or whatever, and land on your back peg. Hold it for a few seconds, then hop back down. What do you do with the front tire? Keep it in the air. Aim for a vertical position. An icepick grind would just be an icepick with the peg grinding (moving) along.
TOOTHPICK Bunnyhop onto whatever, and land on your front peg. The opposite of an icepick.
FEEBLE GRIND Bunnyhop onto a rail or wall, land on a back peg, and grind along. Your front wheel should rolling along the top of what the peg is grinding on.
DOUBLD PEG GRIND Just like it sounds-bunnyhop onto a surface and grind on the front and back peg.
SMITH GRIND Bunnyhop up to a grinding surface, let the back wheel roll across the top, and have the front peg grinding along the surface.
PEG STALLS Jump up onto some coping with the front and back peg on either side of the bike. Lean into the coping, and just sort of hang there for a while. Hop back in by leading with your front tire when you are done. Like the name says-it is just stalling on the coping.
ALLEY OOP GRIND Ride up to the coping you will grind on, and do a 180 onto it. This will result in you grinding in a backwards direction.
FOOT PLANT Ride up to a bench or wall, and bunnyhop towards it. When you reach it, take a foot off the pedal and slam it onto the bench or wall, pushing yourself up and away from the object so that you can land.

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