BMX Trick
Icepick grind
An icepick grind is a BMX grind where the rider slides only the rear peg along a ledge or rail while the front wheel stays in the air.
Updated 3 min read604 words
An icepick grind is a BMX grind where the rider slides only the rear peg along a ledge or rail while the front wheel stays in the air. It is a pure balance trick with a single point of contact.
Overview
On an icepick, the bike points up and away from the obstacle at an angle, with only one rear peg touching the edge. The rider's weight sits low and back to keep the front wheel up, and small adjustments hold the grind in line. It is similar to a manual on the edge of a ledge.
The icepick suits ledges, rails and coping. You need a peg on the rear axle on the side you will grind. It is much easier on a smooth, waxed edge.
How to do it
Learn the feeble grind and a steady manual first. Practise on a low ledge with a clear run.
- Check your pegs. Tighten the rear axle so the peg cannot spin. Pegs on both sides of the bike give you more options.
- Wax the ledge. A waxed edge reduces friction and makes the peg slide.
- Approach at a shallow angle. Roll in nearly parallel to the ledge, with steady, moderate speed.
- Lift the front wheel. As you near the ledge, hop and pull the front wheel up so the bike points upward, like a short manual.
- Land the rear peg. Place the rear peg on the edge, not further along the frame. Keep the front wheel lifted.
- Find your balance point. Keep your weight back and your arms loose. Small adjustments with the bars and hips keep the front wheel up and the bike straight.
- Look along the ledge. Watch the end of the obstacle, not your peg.
- Come out cleanly. When the ledge ends, drop the front wheel and land on both wheels, or hop off. Roll away.
Start with short grinds and build up to longer ones as your balance improves.
Variations
- Icepick to fakie: the rider stops the grind and rolls back the way they came, riding fakie.
- Icepick 180 out: the rider leaves the ledge with a 180.
- Long icepick: the same grind over a longer ledge or a rail. It needs more balance and speed control.
- Switch-side icepick: grinding on the rider's weaker side, with the peg on the opposite side of the bike.
- Related single peg grinds: the smith grind and toothpick use the front peg, which changes the balance and angle.
Common mistakes
- Dropping the front wheel too early. The bike falls onto the obstacle and you lose the grind. Keep the front end lifted.
- Leaning too far back. If your weight is too far back, the bike tips over the rear.
- Wrong peg position. The peg must land on the edge, not past it.
- Too slow. The peg sticks and you stall.
- Too fast. You run out of ledge before you settle.
- Loose pegs. A spinning peg throws you off at once.
- Looking down. Eyes down usually means the bike drifts off the line.
History
Peg grinds became a core part of BMX street riding as riders took pegs onto ledges and rails in the 1990s. The icepick grew out of the single peg grinds that followed the double peg grind. Because it asks for a lot of balance, it became a mark of skilled ledge riding.
The name is borrowed from the shape of the bike on the obstacle, which points up like a tool. The first rider to land one on a bike is not clear, so this page does not name one.
Related tricks
Frequently asked questions about Icepick grind
How is an icepick different from a feeble?
In a feeble, the rear peg grinds and the front wheel rolls along the top of the obstacle. In an icepick, only the rear peg touches the obstacle and the front wheel stays in the air.
Why is the icepick so hard?
There is one point of contact and the rest of the bike is balanced in the air. Small changes in weight or angle push the bike off the edge.
Do I need to be good at manuals first?
It helps a lot. Holding the front wheel up while the rear peg slides is similar to holding a manual, so strong manual balance makes the icepick easier.
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