One of the best parts about riding BMX is that you have a small enough bike to add in a load of fun tricks. Some of the most impressive riders out there that can really throw the bike around in the air started out by learning the basics to ensure that they had the fundamentals down to do more advanced tricks. If you’re a new BMX rider, you feel comfortable on the bike, and you want to add some easy tricks to your riding sessions, you’re in the right spot. In this post, we’ll discuss 10 easy BMX tricks that will help beginners rise to the next level.
Whenever you’re learning new tricks, be sure that you are wearing all of your safety gear and helmet to ensure you avoid injury. Find an open space to practice so that when you do fall off your bike, you limit the risk of getting injured as well. Keep your practice sessions short and frequent to encourage progression. Let’s get started!
The Hop
One of the most fundamental tricks you can do as a rider is hopping on your bike. Start by rolling forward slowly. Once you’ve got some forward momentum, bend your arms and knees to lower your body on your bike. When you’re ready, explode upwards with your arms and legs to pick your wheels up off the ground. The more explosive your upward movement, the higher you’ll get the bike off the ground!
The Drop
A fun trick that will help you get down off of tall obstacles is the drop. The key to dropping is to keep your weight back over your rear tire as you go over the ledge. Find a short ledge like a curb to begin on. Get a bit of forward momentum towards the curb and as your front tire approaches the edge, push the bike forward with your legs as you send your butt over your back tire. You’ll know you’ve done it correctly when you land both tires on the ground simultaneously.
Bunny Hop
In order to get onto taller ledges, you’ll want to get your front wheel higher than your back wheel. This is where knowing how to bunny hop will be critical. Start by getting a bit of forward momentum and stand straight legged on your pedals. Then, pull your handlebars into your stomach as you lean backwards. Finally, jump up to get your rear wheel off the ground while pushing your handlebars forward to get your wheels level in the air. Land with your back wheel first and roll away.
BMX slang for newbies – https://www.the-house.com/portal/bmx-slang-for-newbies/
X-Ride
Start this move with a little forward momentum before you lift your handlebars up in the air. With your front wheel up, twist the handlebars so that you rotate the front wheel 180°. Then, come down on the ground with your arms still twisted on the bars. To get back to riding normally, pick your front wheel back up and untwist your arms in the air before coming back down to roll away.
360 Barspin
After you’ve gotten comfortable with the X-ride, it’s time to turn the handlebars a full 360° with your front wheel in the air. Start with forward momentum and your legs and arms straight. Then, slightly bend your knees to pull your body backwards to pull the front wheel up. With the front wheel in the air, push one side of your handlebars down to spin your front wheel before grabbing it with your hand that didn’t start the spin once your handlebars have turned a full 360°.
Nollie
A fun variation of the bunny hop is the nollie. Think of it as a reverse bunny hop. Start with a little forward momentum with your body weight forward over the front wheel to lift the rear wheel. Once you’ve felt your rear wheel get as high as it will go, jump up while pulling your handlebars up to pull your front wheel level with your rear wheel in the air. Land evenly and roll away.
Drop In
One of the best places to progress your riding is at the skatepark. A fundamental skill to riding quarter pipes, half pipes, and bowls is the drop in. Before you begin this skill, make sure you feel comfortable bunny hopping since dropping in is an adaptation of bunny hopping. Start by slowing approaching the edge of a quarter pipe with your cranks level and your toes slightly pointed up. Once you’ve gotten to the edge, slightly move your chest towards the front of the bike as you do a small bunny hop to get your wheels to land level with the slope of the pipe. Bend your knees slightly to absorb the shock and roll away.
180 Hop
Another great addition to the bunny hop is the 180 hop. Start with some forward momentum and begin to carve left and right. The more aggressive you turn, the easier it will be to turn in the air. At the end of the apex of one of your turns, bunny hop and twist 180° in the air to land going backwards and roll away.
Fakie
Riding fakie basically means to ride backwards. This is a great skill to learn as you practice the 180 hop since you’ll be landing backwards at the end of a successful 180 hop. Practice riding fakie by slowly riding towards a wall. Let your front wheel hit the wall as you shift your weight forward to lift your rear wheel. Then, push off the wall with your handlebars and let the momentum you’ve created send you backwards as you pedal in reverse to maintain balance.
Manual
To improve your balance on the bike, you should feel comfortable riding on one wheel. Enter the manual. Start by getting some forward momentum. Once you’re at a comfortable speed, straighten your arms and send your butt over the back wheel while trying to keep your chest parallel with the top tube of your frame to pick your front wheel up. Maintain balance by shifting your hips forwards and backwards. Challenge yourself to hold a manual for as long as you can.
Final Thoughts
Learning these tricks is a great way to progress as a BMX rider. Remember to start off slowly and master each skill before moving onto the next trick. By doing this, you’ll ensure that your body learns how to do each movement correctly so that when you go to review, you’ll have an easier time nailing each trick. Additionally, some tricks like the bunny hop and dropping in are complimentary to each other. By mastering tricks along this progression, you’ll be able to master other tricks faster. Now get out there and practice!
