BMX Trick
Disaster
A disaster is a BMX transition trick where the rider sets the bike across the coping on its sprocket or frame, one wheel each side, then drops back in.
Updated 3 min read717 words
A disaster is a BMX transition trick where the rider sets the bike across the coping so that it rests on the sprocket, bottom bracket area or frame, with one wheel on each side of the coping, then rocks or hops back into the ramp. It is usually entered with a 180 at the top of a ramp, and the name is borrowed from skateboarding.
Overview
In the most common version, the rider rides up a quarter pipe, turns 180 degrees near the top, and comes down so the back wheel hangs up on the deck and the middle of the bike lands on the coping. The front wheel hangs over the transition, pointing back into the ramp. The rider then pushes the front end down and rolls back in forwards.
Riders describe the trick in slightly different ways. Some set the back wheel or the rear of the frame on the coping. Others hang the bike from the sprocket or bottom bracket. A forward version also exists, where the front wheel rolls over the coping onto the deck and the bike rocks on the coping before coming back in. Some riders call that a disaster and others give it another name. In every version, the bike sits across the coping for a moment before returning to the ramp.
How to do it
Learn the 180 on a quarter pipe first, and be comfortable dropping back into a ramp. Start on a mini ramp or small quarter with a wide deck and round metal coping.
- Protect your sprocket. Fit a guard sprocket or a sprocket guard if you have one. The coping will press against the drive side.
- Ride up with moderate speed. Enough to get the back wheel above the coping, not so much that you fly over.
- Start the 180. Near the top, turn your head and shoulders and pull the bike round.
- Bring the bike down across the coping. Aim to put the back wheel on the deck and the middle of the bike on the coping. The front wheel should hang over the transition.
- Settle your weight. Stay centred. Too far back and you stay on the deck. Too far forward and you fall in before the stall.
- Push the front down. Lean forward, push the bars down and let the bike roll off the coping.
- Ride back in. Keep your weight over the bars and your knees soft as both wheels come down the transition.
Disaster versus nearby tricks
| Trick | What sits on the coping | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|
| Disaster | Sprocket, bottom bracket or frame | 180 at the top, or forward over the lip |
| Abubaca | Back tyre | Ride up, front wheel lifted, back in fakie |
| Fufanu | Back tyre | Ride up, front wheel lifted, hop 180 back in |
| Hang-up | Usually a wheel, by accident | A mistake, not a trick |
Variations
- Disaster to fakie. Instead of rolling in forwards, roll back in fakie.
- Forward disaster. Roll the front wheel over the coping, rock the bike on the coping, then come back in.
- Barspin in. Add a barspin as you drop back into the ramp.
- Air disaster. Air above the coping before coming down into the disaster. This needs good control and a forgiving ramp.
- Bowl and hip disasters. The same idea on bowl edges, extensions or the coping of a hip.
Common mistakes
- Too much speed. You clear the coping and land fully on the deck.
- Too little rotation. If the bike is not square to the coping, it slides along it and you fall sideways.
- Leaning back. The bike stays stuck on the deck and the front never drops in.
- Hesitating. A slow, nervous push back in often ends as a hang-up. Commit once you are on the coping.
- No protection on the sprocket. Bent teeth cause chain problems later.
History
The disaster came to BMX from skateboarding, where the name is used for a similar coping trick with the board resting on the coping. Ramp riders adopted many skate lip tricks during the 1980s freestyle boom, and the disaster became a standard part of mini ramp and vert riding. There is no clear record of the first BMX rider to do one, so this page does not name anyone. See freestyle BMX boom 1980s and vert.
Related tricks
Frequently asked questions about Disaster
Why is it called a disaster?
The name comes from skateboarding, where a disaster is a similar move with the board hung on the coping. Setting a bike on the coping looks like a crash about to happen, which is the usual explanation, but there is no firm record of who named it.
Will a disaster damage my sprocket?
It can. The coping presses on the sprocket, bottom bracket area or frame. Many riders use a guard sprocket or a sprocket guard so the teeth do not take the hit.
Is a disaster the same as a hang-up?
No. A disaster is done on purpose and the rider rides away. A hang-up is when a wheel or the bike catches on the coping by mistake, often ending in a fall.
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An abubaca is a BMX ramp trick where the rider stalls the back wheel on the coping or lip, front wheel up, then hops back in and rolls away fakie.
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A fufanu is a BMX ramp trick where the rider stalls the back tyre on the coping or lip, front wheel up, then hops 180 degrees back into the ramp forwards.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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