6 Tricks with BMX Bicycles #CyKol

Its simple to tell different cars apart. Their body makes it easy to distinguish them from each other. When it comes to cycles, to the untrained eye most of them look alike. This may sound like blasphemy to someone who’s an enthusiast about cycles. To the rest of us, we feel like only the mother of the bikes could tell them apart.

A car’s body leaves more room for design and modification. A cycle’s body has a frame and two wheels as its biggest components and they don’t look all that different. There are different types of cycles. Trial bike, BMX, mountain bike, road bikes etc. BMX stands for bicycle motocross. BMX cycles are used for motocross races, for park and ramp tricks and for flatland tricks.

Avon Rotobike BMX

Flatland BMX bikes have stunt pegs attached to the front and rear axles, allowing the rider to perform even more tricks. Another way a BMX differs from a regular bike is that its handlebars can spin a full 360 degrees without having the brake wire getting entangled in the handlebar. This lets the rider do barspins and tricks involving spinning the frame around, such as a tailwhip. Their frames are also heavier and more durable. Their tires are usually 20 inches and for a freestyle BMX their width ought to be at least 1.75.

A BMX for flatland tricks lets one perform tricks on flat ground. The obvious advantage being that unlike mountain/trial/ramp rides, one can perform flatland tricks anywhere with a flat surface. All you need is open space.

Flatland BMX is a great expression of physical creativity. It’s about balance and having the bike become an extension of your body. It’s a great way to enjoy the thrill of doing stunts on a cycle without using ramps and getting air which may result in having the air knocked out of you, along with your teeth. Flatland riding is probably the safest way to perform stunts on a cycle as you aren’t getting a lot of air.

Here are some of the many tricks one can do on a BMX:

1- Scuffing: This is done by keeping one foot on the tire and rolling the tire by pushing down on the tire. The other foot can be on a peg if you are standing or on the pedal if you are seated. While scuffing, you need to hold the brakes when your foot comes off the tire so as to maintain balance.

2. Barspin: Done by spinning the handlebars. It helps to put the weight on the rear wheels while doing this trick.

3: Endo: An endo is done by pressing the front breaks and lifting the rear wheel in the process.

4: Footjam endo: Sometimes the breaks aren’t strong enough to let you lift your cycle. You can still do an endo by jamming your foot in between the front fork and the front tire.

5: Footjam Tailwhip: This is done by balancing on the front tire with a footjam and kicking the frame so that it spins a full 360 degrees while the rear tire is in the air.

6: Decade: This is one of the most impressive BMX tricks. You can do this by lifting your front tire, keeping one foot on the frame, and jumping off with a barspin. But with the barspin, your body spins around too. You have to jump in the air and spin around with the bar while the bike is on its rear wheel, and then land after doing a 360.

The Avon India Cyclothon- Kolkata 2012 will be held on 18 March. Let’s see if we can spot a few BMXs on the roads.

Details below:

Email (General): [email protected] (For Corporates): [email protected] – http://www.facebook.com/indiacyclothonTwitter – http://www.twitter.com/indiacyclothonSMS Short Code – CYCLO – 51818