BMX Trick
Tabletop
A tabletop is a BMX air trick where the rider lays the bike flat and level with the ground in mid-air, then pulls it back under them to land.
Updated 3 min read655 words
A tabletop is a BMX air trick where the rider lays the bike flat and level with the ground in mid-air, then pulls it back under them before landing. The bike sits sideways like a tabletop, which is where the name comes from. It is a style trick and a classic of ramp and jump riding.
Overview
Tabletops are about shape, not rotation. The bike lays out to the side while the rider stays over it, usually still gripping the bars. A bigger lay-out reads as more style, but height matters too, because a flat bike needs air time to come back under you.
The trick is common on dirt jumps, quarter-pipes, hips and spines, and it works on both small and large jumps. See quarter-pipe, hip and dirt jumping.
How to do it
Start on a small jump with a good landing and build up. A foam pit or soft transition makes the first attempts easier.
- Ride in with steady speed. Keep your weight centred.
- Pop off the lip. Get lift with a clean, level takeoff.
- Push the bike over. Using your legs and hips, tilt the bike to the side. Your arms stay on the bars.
- Lay it out. Extend your arms and push the bars to the side until the bike is flat, parallel to the ground.
- Hold the pose. Look at your landing, not at the bike.
- Pull it back. Bring the bike back under you by pulling the bars and pushing with your legs.
- Land. Both wheels touch down together, knees bent.
Where the shape comes from
Your legs and hips do the work of tilting the bike. Your arms keep the bars close enough to control the bike. Think of pushing the bike away with your legs while pulling the bars up to keep them near your chest.
Variations
- Tabletop x-up. Combine with an x-up for extra shape.
- Tabletop can-can. One leg over the frame in a table pose. See can-can.
- No-hander tabletop. Let go in the lay-out. See no-hander.
- Tabletop 360 / 540. Add a spin to the pose. See 360 and 540.
- Tabletop to barspin. Come out of the table with a barspin.
- Partial tabletop. A lower lay-out that stops short of fully flat.
Learning progression
Build the tabletop in small steps. Each stage teaches one part of the movement.
- Practise a small lean in the air. Off a tiny jump, tilt the bike a few degrees and bring it back. Check that you can control the return.
- Increase the angle. Push further each session until the bike is close to level.
- Add a hold. Pause for a moment in the pose before pulling the bike back.
- Move to a bigger jump. More air time lets you lay the bike out fully and still return it in time.
Wear a helmet and pads. A bike that is still on its side at touchdown is a hard fall, so bail early if the return feels late.
Common mistakes
- Not enough height. A low jump leaves no time to pull the bike back.
- Pushing the bike too late. Start the lay out right after takeoff.
- Letting go of the bars. Keep both hands on the grips unless you are doing a variation.
- Pulling the bike back too late. You will land with the bike still sideways. Start returning it at the peak.
- Looking at the bike. Your head and eyes should stay on the landing.
- Landing on one wheel. Level the bike before touchdown.
History
The tabletop is closely linked with the 1980s freestyle boom, when ramp riding and aerial style were taking off. Riders such as Bob Haro and the brands around him, including Haro, were prominent in that era, but the exact origin of the tabletop is debated and not credited to one person. Tabletops stayed a core pose in dirt and park riding after that. See freestyle BMX boom 1980s.
Related tricks
Frequently asked questions about Tabletop
Why is it called a tabletop?
At full extension the bike sits flat and level, like a tabletop, with the rider above or beside it. The shape is what gives the trick its name.
How do I practise a tabletop safely?
Start on a small jump or a quarter-pipe with a soft or forgiving landing. Go for a partial lay out first and add more each time. Expect to bail a few times.
Is a tabletop the same as a flat air?
Riders often use the two terms loosely. A tabletop usually means the bike is laid out fully flat. A partial lay-out is sometimes called a flat air, though usage varies between riders.
Related articles
X-Up
An x-up is a BMX trick where the rider turns the handlebars 180 degrees in the air while keeping both hands on the grips, so the arms cross in an X.
3 min readCan-Can
A can-can is a BMX air trick where the rider takes one foot off the pedal and swings that leg over the frame to the other side while airborne.
3 min readNo-Hander
A no-hander is a BMX air trick where the rider takes both hands off the handlebars in mid-air, then regrips the bars before landing.
3 min read540
A 540 is a BMX trick where the rider spins one and a half rotations in the air, so they take off facing one way and land facing the opposite way.
3 min readHaro
Haro is an American BMX brand founded by Bob Haro in 1978 that grew from number plates into one of the first companies to build bikes made for freestyle.
3 min readBob Haro
Bob Haro is an American rider and designer who helped invent freestyle BMX in the late 1970s and founded the Haro bike brand.
4 min read