Learn to do some tricks on a BMX bike

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• Freestyle BMX

Freestyle BMX Freestyle BMX (also known as Bike tricks on a platform above the ramp Stunt), a name given it by Mat Hoffman spines - two quarter pipes back to back is a creative way of riding 20" flat banks - a flat bank set at an angle wheel-base bicycles. of roughly 40 degrees from horizontal In most countries, the popularity of wall rides - a vertical wall above Freestyle BMX has outgrown that of either quarter pipes or flat banks racing. Many of the top-selling miniramps - two small quarter pipes magazines have no, or very limited, facing one another, like a halfpipe, but coverage of racing, while extensively with a short flat area between. covering every aspect of Freestyle with hips - essentially two quarter pipes or perhaps the notable exception of flat banks, each with one edge at a Flatland. right angle to the other. Freestyle has now been split further Vert into a number of disciplines with bikes Perhaps the most extreme of the BMX being specialized to cope with the disciplines, a Vert ramp consists of two demands of different riding styles and quarter pipes set facing each other terrains. These disciplines include (much like a mini ramp), but at around Street, Flatland, Vert, Park and Dirt. 10-13 feet tall (around 2.5 to 3 metres) Street is a form of BMX riding, which high. Both 'faces' of the ramp have an boils down to riding anything that isn't extension to the transition that is meant to be ridden; this includes vertical, hence the name. stairs, ledges, handrails, banks, walls, Riders go up each face, performing and just about anything else. However, tricks in the air before landing into because these obstacles are often on the same face. A typical run involves private property, this leaves going from one side to the other, airing participants of this sport at risk of above the coping each side. Also prosecution for trespassing, and possible are 'lip tricks' - tricks on possibly destruction of property. the platform at the top of the ramps Flatland is the art of riding 20" wheel before dropping into the ramp. base bicycles on flat ground in various Mat Hoffman popularised the sport in the unique and interesting ways. Though early 90s, and holds the record for the Flatland was the basis for almost every highest jump of 27' out of a 25' ramps other form of modern Freestyle riding, (a total of over 15.5 metres from the it has fallen wayside in popularity, yet ground). He achieved this by being maintains a very loyal following of dragged along a field by a friend with a dedicated riders. motorbike and hitting one face of the Vert riding is riding any half pipe that ramp. On one attempt, he lost control at reaches vertical, and is at least 9 feet the peak of his jump, and the resulting tall or bigger. Aerial tricks are crash caused life-threatening injuries performed above the ramp on either side, such as losing his spleen. Remarkably, and peg tricks are performed on the despite his age and injuries in the coping at the top of the ramp. past, he still competes to this day. Park is of course, riding in skateparks; The danger of the discipline (and this style of riding pulls elements from scarcity of full-size vert ramps) puts all of the other forms, even Flatland. most riders off, and as such, there are Skateparks, while traditionally designed a small number of top professionals who for skateboarders, are just as well if remain at the top of the sport for many not better suited for BMX riders. There years. Most notable are Dave Mirra (US) are many skateparks all around the and Jamie Bestwick (UK) who have won world, but unfortunately, BMXers are almost all the major international often at risk of arrest or fine due to competitions in the past 5 years. restrictive rules set by insurance Trails companies or city councils; luckily A photo of some trails courtesy of there is a growing number of BMX barendbmx.co.uk Trails are, as the name specific or friendly facilities. suggests, lines of jumps built from dirt Dirt, also know as Trails riding, is the (heavily compacted mud). The jumps direct descendant of BMX racing, and consist of a steep take off, called a involves jumps made almost entirely of lip, with an often slightly less steep dirt or clay (sometimes carpeting is landing. The lip and landing are usually layed on top of the jumps to protect built as separate mounds, divided by a them and help them hold their shape). gap. The gap is measured from the Riders usually take off of one dirt topmost part of the lip, horizontally to ramp, perform an aerial trick, and then the topmost part of the far side of the land on another. This combination of a landing. Gaps typically range from only take-off and landing ramp is usually a couple of feet to over twenty feet. A referred to as a "double". A series of moderate gap is around twelve feet. "doubles" in a row, make up a "line", Trails riding is sometimes also referred which is completed (hopefully) in to as Dirt Jumping. Many maintain that a succession. There are also other types subtle difference exists in the approach of jumps such as tabletop's, camelbacks, of the rider; trails riders focus more step-up's and step-downs. dirt riding on flowing smoothly from one jump to the generally encompasses a lot more style next whilst performing more stylish and 'flow' than any other discipline, tricks, while dirt jumpers try to lines can be very technical and are perform the craziest tricks they can built to the rider's specifications. without much thought to their style or Jumps range in size form very small smoothness. learner tabletops to big double's that Although many regard trails and street may have gaps as big as 30ft. as being completely opposite, the Freestyle BMX is a creative way of using attraction is similar—trails riders bicycles originally designed for bicycle build their own jumps so their riding is motocross racing. It can be split into limited only by their creativity and several disciplines, although riders resourcefulness. will generally participate in more than Dirt jumping bikes are heavier than bmx one discipline. These are Street, racing bikes but lighter than freestyle (skate)Park, Vert, Trails and Flatland. bikes. Often times a bmx jump bike will Rather confusingly, in competitions, have only a rear brake and they might park riding is often referred to as also sport a gyro. The gyro will allow 'Street'. them to do airborne tricks such as Street barspins. Street riding occurs on public streets Flatland or private property, typically within BMX Flatland rider at Santa Monica cities and towns.BMXFU is a team based beach.Flatland BMX occupies a position in NY with riders such as Charlie somewhat removed from the rest of Crumlish, Ben Freedman, Brad Caruana, freestyle bmx. People who ride in the Peter Rosendahl, Brian Nusstien, and above disciplines will generally take Mike Majaris. Without purpose-made part in at least one of the others, but ramps, riders have to improvise with flatlanders tend to only ride flatland. banks, walls, rails, gaps, etc. In fact, They are often very dedicated and will almost anything can be used as an spend several hours a day perfecting obstacle, and it is precisely this that their technique. draws people to street riding. Riders Flatland also differs from the others in enjoy street riding because they are not that the terrain used is nothing but a constrained to what a skatepark designer smooth, flat surface (e.g. an asphalt has planned for them to ride, so it parking lot, basketball courts, etc.). allows a good deal of creativity. Street Tricks are performed by spinning and riding relentlessly progresses, with balancing in a variety of body and obstacles and tricks that were bicycle positions. Riders almost always considered too big or technical to use gnurled aluminum pegs to stand on to attempt, becoming common place. manipulate the bike into even stranger Many professional BMXers are street positions. riders who are employed for the exposure Flatland bikes typically have a shorter they get through video parts and wheelbase than other freestyle bikes. magazines, rather than for their Flatland bikes differ from dirt jumping competition results. However, these bikes and freestyle bikes in one way. riders generally don't get paid the huge The frames are often more heavily sums that the big competition riders reinforced due to the fact that the get, as most of the big money comes from people riding flatland often stand on placing in events such as the X Games. the frames. This shorter wheelbase However, riders like Van Homan, who is a requires less effort to make the bike progressive street rider, often enter spin or to position the bike on one the X Games and manage to place quite wheel. One of the primary reasons high. flatlanders often ride only flatland is Street bikes are different from those a result of the decreased stability of used on park or dirt. Typically they using a shorter bike on ramps, dirt and will have two or four stunt (axle) pegs street. for grinding. They are usually the A variety of options are commonly found heaviest and strongest type of BMX bike. on flatland bikes. The most unifying A considerable number of street riders feature of flatland bikes is the use of set up their bikes without hand brakes four pegs, one on the end of each wheel (popularized by riders such as New axle. Flatland riders will choose to run York's Edwin DeLaRosa and Ben Freedman). either a front brake, a rear brake, both Some street riders may also ride park brakes, or no brakes at all, depending and dirt, but the set up of street bikes on stylistic preference. can make the latter difficult. History of freestyle Park Freestyle BMX was pioneered by in the Skateparks are used by BMXers as well as late 1970's and early 1980's. early skateboarders, and both draw inspiration pioneers of freestyle BMX included from the other. Skateparks themselves william (Crazy Lacy)Furmage, R.L. can be made of wood or concrete, or in Osborne, Mike Buff, Haro, Pat Romano, the case of local council-supplied Stu Thompson, Woody Itson, Jonathan parks, metal. Capozzi and Tinker Juarez. The 1980's Styles of riding will differ between saw a major level of growth in freestyle wood and concrete parks - wood lends popularity, but the 1990's brought a itself to technical tricks, while general decline in the interest on the concrete is more suited to a fast, sport. This brought the so-called flowing style, with riders searching for "rider-owned" bicycle companies to the gaps, and aiming to air higher from the sport, which allowed for more freedom in coping.Concrete parks usualy tend to designing, producing and building contain bowls and pools. However, it is bicycle parts and accesories than the not unusual for riders to merge the two traditional corporate companies would styles in either type of park. allow. Concrete parks are commonly built Some of freestyle's major innovators in outdoors due to their ability to the 1980s and 1990s included:William withstand years of exposure to the (Crazy Lacy)Furmage, Eddie Fiola, Mike elements. Concrete parks are also often Dominguez, Brian Blyther, Ron Wilkerson, publicly funded due to their permanent Dave Voelker, Rick Moliterno, Vic and costly nature. Parks made from wood Murphy, Pete Agustin, Mat Hoffman, Dave are popular with commercial skateparks Mirra, Kevin Jones, Ryan Nyquist, Dennis due to ease of construction, McCoy, Ruben Alcantara, Jamie Bestwick, availability of materials, cost, and the Jay Miron, Joe Rich, and Taj Mihelich. relative safety associated with falling The first freestyle World Championships on wood instead of concrete. Parks were held in Vancouver, Canada during designed with BMX use in mind will Expo86 in 1986. At present many typically have steel coping that is less freestyle contests are held year-round prone to damage than concrete or pool around the world, being the X-Games, the coping. Metro Jams, the Backyard Jams, and the Common obstacles include: BMX Freestyle Worlds among the more quarter pipes - literally, quarter of a notorious. pipe - riders air from it and perform 1 A B C D E F 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128