BMX Term
Switch
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.
Updated 2 min read348 words
Switch means doing a trick or riding with the opposite foot forward from your natural stance. A regular rider who rides goofy is riding switch. The word comes from skateboarding, and BMX riders use it more loosely.
Meaning
On a skateboard, switch is clear. A rider with the left foot forward puts the right foot forward instead, and the whole board feels different. On a bike, the pedals are on both sides, so riders can turn the cranks to put the other foot forward. Riding switch changes balance, steering and how a trick starts or finishes.
Typical uses include:
- A manual with the opposite foot forward.
- A 180 or other spin that starts from the unfamiliar stance.
- A grind or jump done from the less natural side.
In BMX the word is used inconsistently. Some riders use switch only for foot position. Others say switch when they mean an unnatural direction, which is closer to oppo. Riders may also combine it with fakie for riding backwards in a switch stance. When it matters, a rider will explain what they mean.
Origin and usage
Switch comes from skateboarding, where switch stance became a standard term. BMX borrowed it, and when that happened is not well documented.
The difference from skateboarding is that a bike is not as clearly left or right. A board has a nose and tail and a rider's feet sit on fixed spots. On a bike, the crank arms can rotate and the rider can change feet freely. This makes switch less strictly defined, and many BMX riders use it more as a general word for unfamiliar riding than as a precise stance.
Even so, being able to ride switch is valued. It shows balance and control and gives a rider more ways to link tricks into a line.
Examples
- "He did a switch manual down the whole ledge."
- "I'm regular, but I can ride switch for short sections."
- "Is that oppo or switch? It looks like both."
Related terms
Frequently asked questions about Switch
What does switch mean in BMX?
It means doing a trick with the opposite foot forward from your normal stance. A regular rider doing a trick goofy is riding switch.
Is switch the same as fakie?
No. Fakie means riding backwards. Switch is about foot position, though the two can be combined, such as a switch fakie manual.
Related articles
Stance
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.
2 min readOppo
Oppo, short for opposite, is BMX slang for doing a trick in the direction opposite to the one a rider finds natural, such as spinning the unfamiliar way.
1 min readFakie
Fakie is a BMX term and trick for riding backwards, with the bike rolling in reverse while the rider stays facing the same direction.
3 min readManual
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.
3 min read180
A 180 is a BMX trick where the rider rotates the bike and body half a turn in the air, usually landing fakie or rolling out via a half-cab.
3 min read360
A 360 is a BMX trick where the rider spins the bike and body one full rotation in the air and lands rolling in the original direction.
3 min read