BMX Term
Manual Pad
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.
Updated 2 min read343 words
A manual pad is a low, flat-topped box or block built for manual tricks. Riders hop onto it, balance on one wheel across the top, and ride off the far end. Its common slang name is a manny pad.
Meaning
A manual pad is usually a concrete or wooden block with a flat top and hard edges. It is low, so a rider can bunny hop up onto it, and long enough to hold a manual for a short distance. Some pads have ledge-style edges that can also be ground.
The basic idea is simple: get up, balance across, get down. That leaves a lot of room for variation.
- Manual: across the pad on the back wheel.
- Nose manual: across the pad on the front wheel.
- Combos: switching from a manual to a nose manual, adding a 180 or barspin off the end.
- Gaps: hopping from one pad to another, or manualling across one pad and onto a second.
Manual pads are a staple of street-style parks and plazas. A street spot like a low planter or kerb block often gets used the same way. Some funboxes include a manual pad section on top.
Origin
The name is descriptive: a pad for manuals. "Manny" as slang for manual is shared with skateboarding, where manual pads are also a common park feature. A first use of the term in BMX is not documented.
Usage examples
- "Let's session the manny pad."
- "He nose manualled the whole pad and barspun off."
- "This pad is long, you need a lot of speed."
Tips
Learn steady manuals on flat ground first. Pick a short pad, carry enough speed, and keep a finger over the rear brake if you have one, so you can tap it if you loop out.
Related terms
- Manual: balancing on the back wheel without pedalling.
- Nose manual: balancing on the front wheel.
- Ledge: a raised, flat-topped obstacle with a hard edge.
- Line: a run of tricks or obstacles linked together.
- Box jump: a jump with a flat top, sometimes with a pad on it.
Frequently asked questions about Manual Pad
What is a manny pad?
Manny pad is the slang name for a manual pad. Manny is short for manual, the trick where the rider balances on the back wheel without pedalling.
How high is a manual pad?
There is no standard size. Most are low enough to bunny hop onto easily, and lengths vary from short blocks to long pads for extended manuals.
Related articles
Manual
A manual is a BMX trick where the rider balances and rolls on the rear wheel alone, with the front wheel in the air, without pedalling.
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A nose manual is a BMX trick where the rider balances and rolls on the front wheel only, with the rear wheel lifted off the ground.
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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.
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