Flatland Tricks

Manual
 A Manual is a trick when you keep the front end up without pedaling. It might be a little hard to learn but it is one of the most important trick you will ever learn. It is also a very fun trick to do once you have it dialed. To do a manual, stand normally on the pedals and have your arms comfortably on the bars. Have your knees and arms slightly bent. Then, snap your weight backwards and pull up on the bars. Have your butt behind the seat. Do not bend your arms to much or you won't be able to keep it up. Try to keep the bike at a level where you won't case it but you will be able to keep it up. Use your body and your arms for balance. Don't look straight down, try to look at a point ahead of you. To help keep your balance, tap your back brake when your front wheel is too high and you think your gonna fall backwards. Try to learn it on a flat surface. after you can do it pretty good try it on a little downhill. The manual itself is a flatland trick but it can be used for a lot of tricks in street, ramps and dirt. In street you can manual all sort of objects. In ramp you can manuel on to of the deck of a vert ramp and then drop in. In dirt you can manual trought some dirt jumps and throught a rhythm section. It is possible to do one-handed/one-footed manual.Can-can manuals. Bunnyhop-manuals and manual-bunnyhops. Manual to barspin. Manual to grind. It is possible to manual ledges and even rails. Be imaginative.
one footed peg manuals
 First get onto you rear pegs. Now take off one of your feet and pull up on the bars. It is easy to roll in circles like this, using the foot that is off to keep your balance, also use your arms and handlebars.
scuffing
 Just put one of your feet on a wheel and move it backwards or forwards to slowly move the bike. An easy example of this is to turn the bars 90° and then put your left or right feet on the respective front peg. Then put your other foot on the front wheel and scuff it backwards. This will make the front of the bike to go in circles, with the rear wheel staying to the ground.
endo
 To easily do an endo, lean forward and pull the front brake hard. Don't lean to far forward and don't go really fast or you will fly. (In a bad way)
curb endo
 To do a curb endo, roll forward slowly towards a curb. Just as the front tire hits the curb, push forward on the handlebars and unwieght the back end of the bike by jumping up. Once you reach maximum height, let the back wheel drop to the ground. To ride out, let the bike roll backwards a little, then apply the back brake to stop and pedal away. Keep your pedals level while doing the endo position.
can-can endo
 This is a more technical endo. Do and endo. When you are at the highest point, stick your foot over the top tube.
180° endo
 Rolling at a slow pace, turn your handlebars to the right or left a little and do an endo. Use your body to rotate the bike around 180° degrees. Apply your rear brakes before landing and pedal it out.
180° barspin
 Do this trick while rolling in a large circle counter clockwise. Roll slowly forward and take your right hand and put it on the left grip backwards. QUICKLY spin the bar 180°. Keep the pedals level and spread your knees apart so that they clear the bars. Once the bars are backwards resume pedalling. To spin them around so that they are forwards, repeat this procedure.
barspin holding the seat
 To do a barspin easily, put your left foot (or right) grab the seat with your knees and you right hand. (Or left) Next, pull up on the seat and you will do a small wheely. The spin the bars. First try spinning them half way, and then work your way up.
barspin not bolding the seat
 To do this, learn the one above so you can get the feel of spinning the bars. This time, pull up the bars and spin them. Lean back some, to keep the bike up until the bars are all the way down. It is easy after you've learned the one above.
handlebar ride
 Roll forward at a fast walking pace. Put your right foot over the bar and onto the right front peg. Take your left hand and put it on your seat. Put most of your weight on your left hand and bring your left foot around to the front left peg. To keep up your speed, kick the tire with your foot. To ride out, reverse the process.
barhop
 To jump over the bars, keep your pedals level and roll slowly forward. The key to not hanging up on the cross bar is to hold your weight up as you jump over. Keep your arms stiff and bring your knees up to your chest. Once over the bars you can go into a Handlebar Ride. (See trick above)
squeakers
 In order to do squeakers, you must put one foot on the peg, do an endo and put your other foot on the front tire. Once in this position, release your front brakes for a second and kick the tire backwards. Quickly reapply your brake so that you don't flip over forwards. Continue this process for as long as you like. To ride out of it, you can apply the front brakes and ride out like an endo or you can do a roll back or quick infinity roll as I do in the movie.
boomerang
 To do a Boomerang, roll slowly forward with your feet on the back pegs. Swing your right leg forward then backward for momentum and push off of the left peg with your left foot. In the same instance that you push off of your peg, apply the front brake. Jump around the headtube and when you've travelled 180 degrees, release the front brake and start carving in an arc. When you are about 90 degrees from completing the rotation apply the front brake again and put your right foot on the pedal. Then ride away and smile for the cameras. (Note: pre-set your pedals so that they are level and the right pedal are forward.)
tailwhip #1
 To do a Tailwhip, roll forward slowly and put your right foot over the top tube. Apply the front brakes and jam your foot behind the forks. Do an endo and kick the frame around with your left foot. When the frames comes around you can catch it on the top tube with your left foot. Let the back wheel hit the ground, release the brakes, and roll off like the hi-roller you are.
tailwhip #2
 To do this you should learn how to do an endo shown below. Jam your foot into the fork and use your arms to whip the bike around. Now when the bike comes around stick your left foot onto the surf bar or the top tube (in front of the seatpost) and when you have all your balance gained, put your other foot onto the left pedal and roll away!
decade #1
 To pull off a decade, roll forward with your left foot on the back peg and your right foot on the seat post. Do a small front brake endo for momentum. When the back wheel hits the ground, apply the back brake and pull up on the handlebars. Quickly jump over the head tube and land where the top tube meets the seat post with your left foot. It helps if you look where you want your foot to go. Let the front wheel hit the ground, step on your pre-set pedal, and ride away to the nearest 7-11 to celebrate. You can also link a fire hydrant to a decade. This is most useful when you come out of a long link of different tricks.
decade #2
Start rolling forwards with your feet where Amos has his feet.
Pull a small endo to get some momentum to tight. No flailing legs or you'll get yourself too far over the other side of the bike.
As the bike comes up push off the seat post and haul yourself around and over the top of the bike. The trick here is to keep it nice and tight.
hang 5
 Start with your left foot on the left front peg, push the bars forward and now you are riding on the front wheel only, you use the right foot to balance by moving it forward or backwards.
back yard
 In order to do a backyard, you must manoeuvre yourself into a "backwards riding" position. Put both feet on the back pegs, while sitting on the handlebars. Apply the front and back brakes to stop and immediately stand up and takes your right foot off the peg and kicks the back tire forwards. After a good kick, apply the back brake and pull up on the handlebars. From here your foot has to take over for braking. With your foot on the back tire release the back brake and let go of that grip (you use this arm for balance). Kick the back tire forwards and drag your foot on the tire as you bring your foot to the original position. (This technique is called "scuffing") This will keep the front wheel off the ground. Once you're through scuffing, let the front wheel drop to the ground and roll in the same direction for a little bit. Apply the brakes again and step back on to the pedal so that you return to the backward riding position. From there, manoeuvre yourself back to the regular riding position.
front yard
 This yard never needs any mowing or watering. All you need to do is roll along slowly and put your right foot over the handlebars. Instantaneously apply the front brake, step on the tire with your right foot, and move your left foot from the pedal to the peg. Once you're on the front of the bike release the front brakes and start to scuff the front wheel. This trick is usually done with one hand on the handlebars and the other free to swing around in the air for balance. I believe that when the trick is done without any hands it's called a "freak squeak." Once you've had enough, you can allow the back wheel to drop to the ground, move your left feet back to the pedal and pull your right foot over the bars.
Funky Chicken
 This isn't "Sounds of the 70's" and there won't be any disco dancing. All you need to do here is to manoeuvre yourself so that you are rolling backwards and your right foot is over the cross on the top tube and your left foot is on the left front peg. Grab the seat with your right hand and apply the front brake. Pull up on the seat and start scuffing the front wheel. You can take your hand off of the grip if you feel a need to be Paul Osicka. Once you're through with that, you can let the back wheel hit the ground and do a smoothie out of it. You can also stop and pull your leg over the bar and manouvre yourself back to a normal riding position as I do in the movie.
Lard Yard
 If you happen to start layering your yard with animal lard, your neighbours may question you, wondering where your straight jacket is located. However, if you bust a cool lard yard in front of your house, your neighbours might find themselves in a straight jacket as they go crazy because of your radness. To do a lard yard, do a half-lash and when you are in position, apply the back brakes and let go with your left hand. Twist the bar 180 degrees and pull up. At the same time you should be looking at your back wheel and starting to scuff. This trick is usually done in circles and is easier if you tweak your elbow upwards, into the air. To ride out, apply the back brake, grab the grip with your left hand, and let the front wheel hit the ground. Step on the pedal and ride away.
Elephant Glide
 If you travel to India or Africa, you might be fined or even imprisoned for elephant poaching. However, elephant gliding has yet to be banned anywhere in the world and you don't even need an A-K. To do an elephant glide, do a bar hop or just step over your bars to get to the front of your bike. From there, your can sit on the bars and grab the seat with your right hand, then apply the front brake to get the back wheels off the ground. Stand up and pull the frame around to your right side and start to scuff. When you've had enough elephant gliding, you can move the frame so that it's behind you, drop the back wheel, and exit like a handlebar ride. I prefer to start scuffing and spin the frame around to my right side by turning and leaning the bike. I then catch the frame on my right as it comes around. To exit, I let the back wheel hit the ground and roll for a little bit. I put my right hand on the grip and apply the back brakes. I then pull up on the bars let go with my left hand twist around, then returning my left hand to its grip, I ride off.
Dump Truck
 For Dumptrucks, you need to turn your handlebars backwards and roll slowly while standing on the back pegs. Pull up into a wheelie with your right foot behind you for balance. Once you feel solid in that position, tap the front brakes to stop your wheel from spinning. (Fingers don't like to be caught in spokes) Grab on to the right side of the front forks. Once you are solid in this position, let go of the handlebars with your left hand and turn the bar 90 degrees. Balance there long enough to pull your right leg through to the front and put it on the back tire. (This is the hardest part of the trick, The longer you can balance in this "halfway" position, the easier it is to pull your leg through and get it to the tire before you fall backwards It also helps to look down at your back tire so that you are sure to put it in the right place.) Once you are in the dumptruck position, scuff the back tire until you are pleased. There are many ways to exit this trick. I prefer to turn the bars forward while I'm scuffing and switch hands on the pegs so that I can reach back and grab the grip. Once I grab the grip, I stop scuffing and leave my foot on the tire as a brake and lower my front wheel to the ground. I then manoeuvre myself into a regular riding position and ride away.
Cliff Hanger
 First off you should be able to do hang 5's behind the seat so that you are sitting on the tire instead of the seat. Once you get the hang of that, put your free foot on its peg and pinch the frame with your knees. This is how I hold up the bike. (Some people don't pinch the frame and end up holding up the bike with the seat.) Once I have the frame pinched, I can let go of the bars and use my arms for balance. To ride out, grab the bars and let the back wheel fall to the ground. When learning this trick it's a lot better to jump off and let the bike flip over forwards than it is to step backwards. Definitely DON'T step down while in the middle of the trick or you'll get punch in your stomach from your seat that even Rocky couldn't handle.
Forward Death Truck
 To do this trick you should be able to do a forward rope-a-roni. This trick is also called a "forward straddle-roni." To do the forward straddle-roni, do a halflash and pull up on the front wheel exactly like a forward rope-a-roni except throw your leg over the head tube. This trick is a lot easier to do with one hand. When you pull up into it, be sure to get the bike ALMOST vertical. At the almost vertical position you can take your hand off and ease the bike into the vertical position. This is to make sure that you don't go over forwards. To get out of the trick, you put your left hand back on the grip and lean back. Apply your brake so that you can slow down and swing your leg back over your head tube while pivoting. Step on your pedal and ride away knowing that you pulled yet another death-defying trick.

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ]