What bailing out means
Bailing out is the choice to abandon a trick part-way through rather than carrying on and hoping. In practice it usually means letting go of the bike, stepping off, or pushing the bike away from you so that you are not trapped under it or landing on top of it. Riders sometimes say a bail is simply a controlled version of a fall.
It is worth saying clearly at the start that tricks carry real risk, including for experienced riders. A bail does not make an attempt safe, and some tricks, such as front flips, backflips and tailwhips, are for trained riders at skills parks with qualified instruction, not something to learn from an article. This page is about the general habit of having an exit, applied to low, simple skills.
Wear protection and choose the place
Before any bail practice, set things up so a mistake costs as little as possible.
- Wear a properly fitted helmet. Gloves, knee pads and elbow pads are sensible too, and covered shoes with a good grip are better than sandals. The article on protective gear for bike tricks goes into what each item is for.
- Choose a flat, open, traffic-free area with soft ground where possible, such as short grass with no holes or stones. Walk the area first and look for roots, ruts and sprinkler heads.
- Keep other people and pets well clear.
- Do not practise alone if you can help it. A friend nearby can get help if something goes wrong.
- Check the bike. A quick pre-ride bike check for loose bars, tyres and brakes is worth doing, because a part failing mid-trick leaves no time to bail.
Think about the exit before the attempt
Most bails go better when the rider has already decided what they will do. A useful habit is to ask three questions before an attempt: where will I go if this goes wrong, which way will the bike go, and where are my feet?
For small skills such as a low bunny hop basics drill or a slow-speed balance exercise, the exit is often just to put a foot down and step off. For anything that involves leaving the ground, the exit might be to push the bike away so it lands to one side of you.
Stepping off
The simplest bail is a step off. It works best when you are moving slowly and are upright, for example if a balance exercise is going wrong.
- Keep your eyes up and look at the place you want to land.
- Take your weight off the bike by standing on the pedals, then take one foot off and place it down, or step both feet off the side.
- Let go of the bars if the bike is going to keep moving, rather than being dragged with it.
- Walk it out. A small run or step to absorb speed is better than a sudden stop.
If you use clipped-in pedals, the unclipping habit has to be automatic before any trick practice, which is why many riders learning tricks use flat pedals.
Pushing the bike away
When a bike is in the air or at an awkward angle, some riders learn to push it away from them. The idea is that the bike travels in one direction and you travel in another, rather than the bike landing on you or catching your legs.
This is hard to do under pressure, and it is usually practised in a very simplified form. On soft ground, at a walking pace, a rider can practise letting go of the bars and giving the bike a gentle push to one side while stepping the other way. The point is not skill but familiarity. You are teaching your body that letting go is allowed.
The risk of this approach is that a bike pushed away can hit another person or rider, so check your surroundings first. On a slope, a loose bike may also keep rolling.
Practise slowly on grass
A common way to build the reflex is a slow, low-stakes drill on grass. It should feel boring. If it feels exciting, it is too fast.
- Roll slowly in a straight line at roughly walking pace.
- Choose a signal, such as a word from a friend or a point on the grass.
- At the signal, step off to the side and let the bike roll or lean away.
- Repeat on both sides, with a stop in between to reset.
- Build up gradually only if each stage feels easy. Speed should remain low.
Some instructors also use these drills as part of fall practice drills, which look at tucking and rolling in gentler detail. Practice of this kind builds confidence and a basic reflex, but it does not make a bail at speed safe, and it cannot cover every situation.
Common mistakes
- Holding on too long. Clinging to the bars while the bike twists often leads to wrist, shoulder and collarbone injuries.
- Committing to something too hard, then bailing too late. If a progression step feels too big, go back a step.
- Looking at the ground or the bike rather than where you want to land.
- Practising with tired legs or when frustrated. Fatigue makes bailing slower and sloppier.
- Skipping the warm-up. A short trick session warm-up check of your bike and body is better than none.
Know when to stop
If you have a heavy fall, feel dizzy, or have pain, stop riding and get checked. A knock to the head is a reason for caution even if you feel fine. After a crash, the bike needs a look as well. If you are repeatedly bailing from a skill, that is a sign to step back to an easier version, not to try harder. A skills park coach or experienced local rider can often point out the problem far better than a written guide.
Bailing is a mindset as much as a movement. Having a plan makes you calmer, and a calmer rider usually makes better decisions, but it never removes the risk.