The BMX glossary. Slang, jargon and technical terms used by riders, filmers and commentators, each defined in plain English with examples of how it is used.
45 articles
To bail in BMX is to abandon a trick mid-air or to crash, and a bail is the act of dropping the attempt, often by jumping off the bike.
A bonk in BMX is a quick tap of an obstacle with a wheel, tyre or peg, often used mid-air to push off or add style to a trick.
To boost in BMX is to go much higher than a jump, quarter pipe or obstacle needs, adding extra air by popping and pulling hard off the lip.
A bowl is a concave, pool-like concrete structure with transitions on every side, ridden by carving around the walls and airing out over the coping.
A box jump is a BMX jump with a flat-topped box between the takeoff and the landing, so a rider who comes up short lands on the deck, not in a gap.
Brakeless means riding a BMX bike with no brakes fitted, a common setup in street and park riding that frees the bars to spin without cables.
To case a jump in BMX is to land short so the rear wheel or bike hits the lip or knuckle of the landing instead of rolling down the slope.
Coping is the rounded metal or concrete edge along the top of a ramp or bowl, used by BMX riders to grind, stall and transfer between surfaces.
A deck is the flat platform at the top of a ramp, quarter pipe or box jump, where riders stand to drop in, stall, plant or land tricks.
Dialed in BMX describes a trick that a rider lands consistently, or a bike that is perfectly set up, tuned and ready to ride.
A drop-in is the move of entering a ramp or bowl from the deck by tipping over the coping into the transition, or a drop from a ledge down to flat.
An ender is the final and usually best trick of a BMX video part, saved for the end to leave the strongest impression on the viewer.
A euro gap is a park obstacle where a bank runs up towards a deck but stops short, leaving a gap that riders jump up onto the deck or back down to the bank.
Flow is smooth, linked riding that carries speed through a park, bowl or trail line with few stops, pedal strokes or breaks in rhythm.
A flyout is a BMX ramp that riders roll up and launch off, flying out from the top of the curve and landing on a deck or flat area beyond it.
A hammer in BMX is slang for a very hard or impressive trick, and throwing a hammer means landing one in a session or on camera.
A hang-up in BMX is when the rear wheel, peg or pedal catches on the coping or lip of a ramp during a trick, stopping the bike and often causing a crash.
A hip is a BMX obstacle where two ramp faces meet at an angle, forming a ridge that riders cross diagonally in a trick known as a hip transfer.
A hubba is a long ledge that runs down beside a set of stairs, giving BMX riders a sloped edge to grind from the top of the steps to the bottom.
A ledge is a raised, flat-topped obstacle with a hard edge, usually concrete or metal, that BMX riders grind, manual and hop onto in street and park.
A line in BMX is a connected sequence of tricks or obstacles ridden in one run without stopping, often filmed as part of a video.
A manual pad is a low, flat-topped box or block in a skatepark or street spot that BMX riders use for manuals, nose manuals and other balance tricks.
A mini ramp is a small halfpipe, usually under about 2 metres (6 ft) high, with two curved walls, a flat bottom and no vertical section at the top.
Pegless means riding a BMX bike with no pegs fitted, a common setup in dirt, park and some street riding that favours air tricks over grinds.
Pump is the technique of building speed on a bike by pushing the body and bike through bumps and transitions rather than by pedalling.
A rail is a metal bar, either a handrail running down stairs or a flat rail at a constant height, that BMX riders grind along with their pegs.
A resi is a ramp or landing covered in a soft, padded resilient surface that lets BMX riders practise flips and big tricks with less risk of injury.
A roll-in is a sloped ramp or start platform that lets BMX riders roll into a park, ramp or jump line to build speed, or the act of rolling in itself.
To scuff in BMX is to press or brush a foot against a tyre to control speed or balance, a core skill in flatland and for riding a freecoaster hub.
A sender is a BMX rider who commits fully to big, risky tricks, drops or gaps, the kind of rider who will "send it" when others hold back.
A session in BMX is a ride or meetup where riders gather at a spot, park or trail to ride together, practise tricks and push each other.
Sketchy is BMX slang for anything unstable, unclean or risky, such as a messy landing, a shaky run-up to a trick or a worn out bike part.
A spine is a BMX ramp made of two quarter pipes placed back to back and sharing one coping, so riders jump from one side to the other.
A spot in BMX is any location worth riding, such as a ledge, stair set, plaza or gap, and spot hunting is the search for new places to ride.
Stance in BMX is which foot a rider puts forward on the pedals, either regular (left foot forward) or goofy (right foot forward), and it shapes spin direction.
Steezy is slang for riding with obvious style and apparent ease, so tricks look smooth, relaxed and effortless rather than forced or sketchy.
Switch in BMX means doing a trick with your feet in the opposite stance to normal, a term borrowed from skateboarding but used less strictly on bikes.
Wax is a block of candle wax or skate wax that BMX riders rub on ledges, coping and rails so their pegs slide further and faster during grinds.
A web edit is a short BMX video, usually a few minutes long, posted online as the main way riders share their riding instead of a full-length film.