| BMX Biking, which is similar to mountain biking, is a | | | | – formed by compacting mud – and is |
| multi-faceted sport with many different disciplines. | | | | sometimes known as “dirty jumping.” In order to |
| There are four major BMX concentrations – park, | | | | do this kind of riding, the biker will need a heavier, more |
| vertical, trails, and flatlands. They each have their own | | | | reinforced bike, and it will usually only have rear brakes, |
| rules and specifics which will be outlined in this article. | | | | as the terrain is very rough and hard on the rider. |
| Park riding is often done in standard skate parks, as | | | | There are a lot of gaps in the mud and dirt that the |
| BMX park riding takes a great amount of inspiration | | | | rider has to deal with, with the gaps ranging anywhere |
| from skateboarding. Skate parks have all kinds of | | | | from three feet to up to 20 feet. On average, the |
| different obstacles and they can be made from wood, | | | | gaps are about 12 feet. |
| metal, or concrete, which makes them the perfect | | | | Flatland BMX is one of the least popular BMX sports. It |
| grounds for BMX riding as well. Depending on the type | | | | is done on any simple flat surface, most commonly, |
| of obstacle, the rider’s style will change. Some of | | | | concrete. The tricks involve balance and spinning tricks |
| the most common obstacles one will see in a park | | | | more than high jumps found in other types of BMX |
| include quarter pipes, spines, flat banks, walls, mini | | | | riding. The bikes are usually equipped with pegs that |
| ramps, boxes, hips, and pyramids. All are used for | | | | the bikers can stand on, enabling them to do even |
| different tricks, and in sanctioned competitions, the | | | | more diverse and strange tricks with their bikes. The |
| speed, skill, and fluidity of the trick is rated and judged | | | | bikes are often short and light, which enables the |
| to determine a points-based winner. | | | | jumping and spinning type tricks that the bikers will be |
| Vertical riding, which is commonly called by its slang | | | | attempting. Some of the popular tricks include the |
| variant, “vert,” is an extreme form of BMX. The | | | | bunnyhop, air, grinding, fakies, manuals, wallrides, endos, |
| standard ramp consists of two half pipes that have | | | | roll-backs, and catwalks. |
| been joined to form what looks like an expanded | | | | As for grinding, the most common tricks include feeble, |
| “u” shape. The record for the biggest ramp is | | | | smith, double-peg, icepick, toothpick, crooked, and pedal |
| the 27-foot tall X-Games “big air” ramp. This is | | | | grinds, though there are many other variations on the |
| the most dangerous form of BMX racing, and there | | | | grind. |
| are very few professionals who go into this discipline, | | | | Air tricks include X-up, one handed riding, no handed |
| or stay at it for a very long time. Matt Hoffman, who is | | | | riding, seat grabs, tire grabs, 180/360/540/720/900/1080 |
| probably one of the best known BMX vertical riders, | | | | spins, backflips, frontflips, flairs, tabletops, lookbacks, |
| has nearly lost his life on several attempts to set new | | | | barspins, can-cans, and many others. |
| records for height and speed. | | | | As you can see, there are many different aspects to |
| Trail riding involves dealing with huge mounds of dirt | | | | BMX biking. |