Toothpick

A toothpick is a BMX grind where the rider slides only the front peg along a ledge or rail while the rear wheel stays in the air. It is a precise, difficult grind that tests balance and bar control.

Overview

On a toothpick, the bike tilts forward with the rear end lifted off the obstacle. Only the front peg touches the edge. The rider balances over the front wheel and keeps the bars straight, much like holding a nose manual on a ledge.

Because the contact point sits next to the steering, the rider has very little margin. A small twist of the bars or a shift in weight pushes the peg off the edge. This makes the toothpick one of the harder single peg grinds, and riders often learn it after the smith grind.

You need a peg on the front axle, on the side you plan to grind. A smooth, waxed ledge makes the trick far easier.

How to do it

Learn the smith grind and a steady nose manual first. Practise on a low ledge with a clear run.

1. Check the front peg. Tighten the front axle so the peg cannot spin. Check that the peg is not cracked or worn.
2. Wax the ledge. A waxed edge helps the front peg slide.
3. Approach at a shallow angle. Roll in nearly parallel to the ledge, at a steady, moderate speed.
4. Hop toward the edge. Do a small bunny hop and aim the front peg at the edge.
5. Land the front peg. Drop the front peg on the edge. At the same time, let the rear end rise so the bike points downward.
6. Hold the bars still. Keep your arms firm and the bars pointed along the ledge. Do not twist them.
7. Balance forward. Keep your weight over the front of the bike. Keep your hips low and your knees loose.
8. Look ahead. Watch the end of the ledge, not your peg.
9. Come out. Near the end, shift your weight back and lower the rear wheel. Hop off and land on both wheels. Roll away.

Start with short grinds, then build up to longer ledges.

Variations

• Toothpick to fakie: the rider stops and rolls back the way they came, riding fakie.
• Toothpick 180 out: the rider exits with a 180.
• Long toothpick: the same grind on a longer ledge or rail. It needs steady balance and speed control.
• Switch-side toothpick: grinding with the peg on the weaker side of the bike.
• Related grinds: the icepick grind is the same idea at the rear, with the front wheel lifted.

Common mistakes

• Turning the bars. A small twist knocks the peg off the edge.
• Rear end too high. Too much rise tips you over the front. Keep the bike level enough to stay on the line.
• Rear end too low. The rear wheel touches the ledge and the grind turns into a smith.
• Entering at a steep angle. The peg kicks off.
• Too slow. The peg sticks and you stall.
• Too fast. You run out of ledge.
• Loose peg. A spinning peg ends the grind at once.

History

Grinds on pegs became a core part of BMX street riding as riders took them to ledges and rails in the 1990s. The toothpick followed the single peg grinds such as the feeble and smith. Because it asks for so much precision, it has stayed a trick for more experienced riders. The first rider to land one is not clear, so this page does not name one.

The name describes the way the bike sits on the edge, balanced on a single thin point.

Related tricks

• Smith grind
• Icepick grind
• Feeble grind
• Nose manual
• Double peg grind