Freestyle BMX , Drive Yourself To The Limits

Freestyle BMX otherwise also known as Bike Stunt is actually the trick of maneuvering bicycles. Well, these bicycles are not your ordinary ones and they come with 20inch wheelbase that are originally meant for races.

Started in the late 70s and the early 80s, bike stunt reached the pinnacle of its popularity in the 80s decade but was soon robbed of it in the 90s. However, this temporary decline in popularity brought to the market rider-owned bicycle companies, which gave a fresh lease of life to the bicycles.

The Bike Stunt is divided into five major genres, namely Street, Skateparks, Vert, Trails and Flatland riding.

Street riding is exactly what it sounds like, the players use anything on the street to show their skills. Be it walls, banks, rails, gaps or anything that forms an obstacle, the best thing about being a street freestyler is that there are no limits and no stopping. However, those who try BMX Street have a different bike than the other types like Park or Dirt.

Firstly, they are the heaviest and strongest types of bikes for these tricks, and secondly, they have two or four stunt pegs for grinding. In fact, these features make it hard to do Park or Dirt with the same bike.

Skateparks is the name derived from the parks that are meant for skateboarders, but due to scarcity of space, the BMX bikers are forced to practice there. Hence, much of the Saktepark tricks are influenced by the tricks that skateboarders do.

In Vert riding, two players ride on a Vert ramp that consists of two quarter pipes that face each other. It is around 10 to 13 feet high and both faces of the ramp have an extended vertical transition.

Trails consist of a series of jumps built from dirt that is usually compact mud. The trick usually consists of taking a steep jump and landing at a slightly plainer ground.

Flatland is almost a lost form of art which has seen no popularity in recent years but has a loyal fan following. Flatland is usually performed on smooth ground and the tricks are usually spinning and balancing.

Different types of tricks

The basics of the freestyling tricks have always been the same and whatever new tricks that are found are usually based on these ones.

1. Air seems to be the most common and most preferred one. It basically consists of jumping in the air and landing with both legs on the pedal.
2. Bunny hop- making the bike jump off the ground without actually performing a jump.
3. Manual, where freestylers ride with the front wheel in the air, without pedaling.
4. Fakie, It simply consists of riding backwards
5. Grind, Slithering down any object without using the wheels.
6. Endo, where the bike is stopped with the front wheel and raining the back wheel in the air.
7. Wallride, riding along a vertical wall or anything similar to it.

There are sub divisions to these tricks, but these remain to be the foundation of all freestyling BMX tricks.