Tricks are risky, and advanced tricks more so
Bicycle tricks leave the bike off balance, in the air or on one wheel, and the usual outcome of a mistake is a fall. The more advanced the trick, the higher the speed, height or rotation, and the more severe a fall can be. Experienced riding does not remove that risk. It only means you may know your own limits better.
This is general information, not coaching. It cannot promise that anyone will land a trick or avoid injury, and a written description is no substitute for being watched and corrected by a qualified instructor.
A rough sorting of advanced tricks
“Advanced” covers a wide range. A rough way to sort tricks is by what happens if the rider gets it wrong.
Ground-level control tricks. These keep both wheels near the ground and the rider close to a safe stop. A track stand (balancing almost still), riding very slowly, or hopping a front wheel a few centimetres can be learned in small steps on flat, empty ground. Falls tend to be low-speed tumbles.
Single-wheel and lift tricks. Wheelies, manuals and bunny hops put the bike’s weight over one wheel or in the air. They rely on balance and timing, and falls can be backwards or over the bars. They are realistic goals for many experienced riders when approached slowly, with a helmet and a clear, flat space. A reliable bunny hop is a sensible foundation, and the manual progression is slow by nature.
Jumps and drops. These add speed, height and a landing. A small, well-built, well-maintained jump or a low drop is a different matter from a big one. Misjudging speed or landing short can cause serious injury. These are best learned on features at a skills park or bike park, where the shapes are built for learning and trail users can see what you are doing.
Spins and rotations. A bike 180 or bike 360 on the ground or off a small feature involves turning the bike or the rider while committed. These are advanced and are far better learned with someone who can teach the order of progression.
Flips and tailwhips. A front flip, a backflip and a tailwhip are not for learning from an article, a video or a friend’s tip. They carry a high risk of serious injury if misjudged, and the margin for error is tiny. They are for trained riders at skills parks with qualified instruction, safe landings and, often, foam pits or similar training aids.
What a skills park offers
A skills park or bike park is not just a place with ramps. It offers features sized for progression, surfaces and landings that are built and checked, other riders who understand trick riding, and often coaching. Knowing the basics of how a bike park works helps you go in prepared, and so does knowing how skills park etiquette works, such as waiting your turn and keeping clear of a landing.
If you want to try anything involving rotation or big air, a lesson is the sensible route. A good instructor will usually see problems in your technique that you cannot, and will limit the size of what you attempt. What to expect from a skills lesson is worth reading before you book.
Protective gear and bike condition
For trick riding, a properly fitted helmet is the minimum. Many riders also choose gloves, knee and elbow protection, and sometimes more, depending on the trick and the terrain. The right trick protective gear depends on what you are practising and how hard you may fall, and no gear makes a trick safe.
The bike matters as well. Loose bars, a worn tyre or a failing brake turn a manageable trick into a hazard. A short check before every session is a habit worth building, and anything you are unsure of should go to a bike shop.
Choosing whether a trick is for you
Some honest questions to ask before trying a trick:
- Can I already do the easier version of it, slowly and cleanly, many times in a row?
- Do I know exactly how I will bail out if it goes wrong?
- Is the space flat, clear of traffic and free of hard edges, and is someone nearby?
- Am I rested, calm and in no hurry?
- Would I be doing this for the trick itself, or because someone is watching?
If any answer is a clear “no”, wait. There is no deadline on learning a trick, and many experienced riders spend years on ones that others consider basic.
Progress slowly, and accept “not for me”
For the tricks that are realistic, such as small hops and balance work, the pattern is the same: slow, small, repeated and on soft or flat ground. Practise the parts before the whole, and never move to the next step because a friend did.
For the ones that are not, accept that skipping them is a perfectly reasonable choice. Plenty of excellent riders never attempt a flip. The aim of advanced skills is a rider who is capable, in control and still riding in ten years, not one with the most dramatic video.