BMX tricks can get complicated if you've ever been to a skate park or watched the X-games.
But before launching yourself off ramps, you need to master a few basic maneuvers upon which virtually every other trick is based.
When learning how to ride a bike off the ground and over obstacles, the "bunny hop" is the technique to master first.
The majority of future flat tricks you learn will require you to know this one first. Once you've got the dull tricks and landing methods, it's time to learn the manual, which involves balancing on one back wheel.
To safely turn around at the bottom of a ramp, you need to know how to fakie during a ride.
Once you've mastered the basics, learn a more advanced trick, such as the barspin.
Step By Step Guide To Doing A 180 On A BMX Bike
A bunny hop 180 is a flipping leap—one of the best tricks to learn as a beginner rider. To perform a fakie, you must first jump, rotate your head and torso, bike 180 degrees towards your rear leg upon landing, and ride backward by spinning the pedals in reverse.
If your right leg is in front, you must move to the left if you want to change the direction of your body. The best place to practice this move is to ride on a flat or slightly slanted surface.
See Related - Best Beginner BMX Tricks To Learn
Step 1: Get Some Speed
Like most beginner-level trick, this one benefits from a bit of speed to keep the scheme going.
Even a brisk walk won't cut it; you'll get further and more quickly if you can. This image shows how you should begin carving or rotating slightly in the direction you'll spin as you approach the jump.
It would help if you always aimed to have your rear foot inside the carve.
See Related - Best Beginner BMX Bikes
Step 2: Start A Bunny Hop
Begin your regular hopping motion as you lean into the carve. Your carving across the floor ought to set you in a twirl.
Step 3: Begin Turning Your Head
Tilt your head into the turn as you lift off, as shown in the second and third images. Look behind you; you can see what's going on without craning your neck.
Step 4: Put Pressure On Handlebars
The same forward pressure on the handlebars used in a regular hop is required when the bike comes up and around. The bike can be tucked up and made level by doing this.
So, there you have it. Once you've mastered the fundamental 180, you may progress to doing them on obstacles like curbs, stairs, water gaps, and more.
Practice your 180s by putting empty cardboard boxes on the curb and doing them from there.
You'll gain self-assurance and learn how to appropriately absorb the force of a rearward landing from somewhat greater heights.
Go to the parking lot with your bike after hours and practice 180s over the empty parking spots to increase your distance.
And if you want to get used to doing them downstairs, keep doing them, but add more and more stairs as you go.
There is a plethora of opportunities and places to perform a 180. There's a reason this trick has been around for almost 25 years: it never gets old. It's straightforward, attractive, and, most importantly, enjoyable even after all these years.
Tips To Getting Your First 180 On A BMX Bike
Mastering The Bunny Hop (Must Know Tips For BMX 180)
Ride Standing Up With Bent Elbows
Stand up on the pedals to avoid having your butt rest on the saddle, which prevents you from performing a bunny hop.
You don't have to sit perfectly erect in the saddle; as long as your rear end can move forward by at least 6 inches (15 centimeters), you're good to go. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and your knees and elbows bent slightly.
Moving slowly but steadily across a flat surface will make practicing more effortless, but speed is irrelevant here.
When riding a BMX, the bunny hop is the equivalent of the ollie. A wheelie is when both BMX' wheels are off the ground at once.
Remember that getting airborne off a ramp is a flyout, not a bunny hop. Many BMX schemes are built on the foundation of the bunny hop.
The ability to bunny hop proficiently will open up possibilities for your future stunts.
Related Article - Easy Steps To A BMX Bunny Hop
Press Feet Firmly Against Crank Legs & Pedals
As a form of bike bracing, you can tuck the sides of your shoes up against the crank arms if your pedals are perpendicular to each other.
If your feet aren't flat on the ground, you can prevent the lowest pedal from spinning by pressing the crank arm inward with your ankle.
There are two aims at play here. First, make sure your feet stay on the pedals. You'll have difficulty landing safely if you lose control of the bike mid-air and take your feet off the pedals.
Second, you'll use your lower body to raise the rear wheel off the ground. Raising the back wheel requires using your upper body strength, which will be taxed if you don't brace the pedals with your feet.
There are numerous approaches to this problem. Some cyclists prefer to keep their pedals in place by tucking the toes of their shoes under the crank arms.
It should work fine if you can brace the pedals another way and keep your feet from slipping off to land.
Also Check Out - Best BMX Training For Beginners
Push Front Tire Down Before Lifting It In The Air
To compress the front wheel slightly, keep your feet tucked against the crank legs and push down into the ground with your handlebars.
Quickly pull up on the handlebar while bringing your arms above your head to lift the front wheel a further 1-3 feet (0.30-0.61 m) into the air.
It would help if you fought the urge to recline while doing this. Lifting safely is essential because you don't want to hurt your back.
Lift Back Tire With Feet To Catch More Air
The best time to move the front tire forward is when it reaches its highest point. In unison, use your legs to lift the BMX rear end.
When you're about a foot or two (0.61-0.91 m) in the air, adjust the height of your front tire so that you land with your wheels parallel.
A good deal of practice may be required for this. Be patient if you can only lift yourself 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) at first.
Focus on mastering the fundamentals before worrying about generating insane air. Keep your bottom on the seat while working on this.
Land Your Front Tire First & Keep Pointing Forward
Landing on two wheels at once will cause your bike to crash to the ground with great force, making it difficult to maintain control.
If you can push the front wheel down first to help you stabilize the bike as you land. Keep your butt off the seat as you land to prevent injury to your tailbone.
Don't lose control of your bike by letting the BMX tires drift out of line; keep pedaling.
After mastering the bunny hop, you can focus on increasing your vertical leap from a lying posture.
To perform impressive air tricks, BMX riders need to increase the height of their bunny hops.
Conclusion
Doing BMX tricks is fun and exciting to flaunt your abilities and amaze your peers. They may be challenging to master at first, but with enough exercise, you'll soon be an expert.
We've shown you in this post how to hop 180. So, get out and start working on your skills. It will be soon that you're consistently getting perfect scores.
Suggested Equipment - Best BMX Bikes For Adults
