Before you start this list
This list assumes you can already start, stop, brake smoothly, turn in a controlled way and ride slowly in a straight line. If any of that feels shaky, return to the basics first. Intermediate skills put more of your weight and speed into the bike, and mistakes cost more.
Every trick here carries a real chance of falling. Wear a well-fitting helmet, and add gloves, knee pads and elbow pads, and wrist protection if you wish. Practise on flat, quiet, traffic-free ground first, and try each skill in the smallest possible version. Nothing here is guaranteed safe, and a qualified instructor or skills park coach can check your technique far better than a written description can. Flips, spins and tailwhips are not on the list, because they are for trained riders with proper instruction.
The ten tricks
1. The manual
A manual lifts the front wheel and balances on the back wheel without pedalling. It is mainly a balance exercise. Start by rolling slowly and shifting your hips back while keeping your arms soft, only until the front wheel feels light. A sensible manual progression is to hold a light front wheel for a moment before trying anything longer. Falling backwards is the main risk, so practise on grass or a smooth surface, keep a finger near the rear brake, and be ready to step off.
2. The bunny hop
If you already know the weight shift from the basics, the next step is lifting the front wheel and then the rear wheel in sequence. Bunny hop technique builds slowly: first a small front lift, then a small hop over a flat line painted on the ground, and only later a low object. Clipless pedals and flat pedals handle differently here, and flat pedals with proper shoes are often a calmer place to learn.
3. Small drops
A drop is rolling off a ledge and landing on the lower surface. Start with a kerb-height step that you can roll off at a walking pace, keep your pedals level and arms bent, and let the bike drop under you. Look at the landing, not the edge. Falling forward over the bars is the main risk, so keep your weight slightly back and your hands relaxed. Walk the feature first and check what is below it.
4. Pumping
Pumping is using small up-and-down movements of your body to gain speed over rolls and bumps without pedalling. It is a lower-risk skill that teaches smoothness and weight timing. A pump track is the usual place to learn it, though a gentle rolling path can do the same job. Keep your speed modest and stay clear of other riders.
5. Faster, planned cornering
Intermediate cornering is about carrying a little more speed through a bend. Look through the exit, keep your outside pedal down and your weight on it, and brake before the turn rather than in it. Practise on a wide, clean surface, since gravel and wet patches reduce grip a lot.
6. A longer track stand
If you have a basic track stand, practise holding it for longer, then try with a slight uphill roll-back. It builds fine balance and stillness. It is a low-risk skill, but low-speed tip-overs still happen, so practise away from traffic.
7. Riding up and down kerbs
A smooth kerb ride-up means lifting the front wheel just enough to meet the edge at an angle, then unweighting the back wheel as it arrives. Start with the lowest, flattest kerb you can find, at a gentle angle, and slow speed. Hitting a kerb square-on at speed is a common way to fall.
8. Riding in reverse
Riding backwards means rolling in reverse while keeping control of the steering. On a bike with a freewheel you cannot pedal backwards to move, so the skill is mostly a slow roll back down a very gentle slope with your hands on the bars and your brakes ready. Some fixed-gear bikes can be pedalled backwards, which is a different matter. Check behind you first, use a flat or barely sloped empty space, and keep it very slow.
9. Separating the bike from your body
Letting the bike tilt or move beneath you while your upper body stays steady is the idea of bike-body separation. It underpins cornering, jumping and landing. Practise by rolling slowly and leaning the bike side to side with your hips centred.
10. Rolling over small obstacles
Rolling over a small log, a rope on the ground or a speed bump teaches you to unweight the wheels. Approach straight on at slow speed, with level pedals and soft elbows, and let your arms and legs absorb it. Gradually raise the height only if the lower one feels easy.
Choosing and sequencing
You do not need to learn all ten. Pick two or three that suit your bike and your riding, practise them for a few weeks, and let confidence build. Skills that need a lot of lift (the manual, bunny hop and drops) are more demanding than those that need balance (pumping, a longer track stand).
The same protective gear for bike tricks is sensible across the list. If a trick feels beyond you, bailing out early is a skill in itself: learn how to step off, tuck an arm in and roll rather than reaching to break a fall.
Check your bike before each session, especially the brakes, wheels and loose parts, and see a bike shop for repairs. If you are injured, stop and see a doctor.