Wallride

A wallride is a BMX trick where the rider rides up and along a vertical or near vertical wall, using speed to keep both wheels on the surface. The rider then drops back to the ground or turns away from the wall.

Overview

A wallride turns a wall into a short stretch of riding surface. The rider approaches at an angle, rides up so the tyres touch the wall, travels along it, and then returns to the ground. Speed and angle hold the bike in place against gravity.

Wallrides are common in street and park riding. Street riders use walls beside stairs, banks and buildings. Park riders use purpose built walls, quarter pipes and spines. Many skate parks have a wall near a bank for practising.

How to do it

Start on a low wall with a smooth surface and a flat landing. Wear a helmet and gloves. A bank beside the wall makes the first tries easier.

1. Pick a wall. Choose a clean, solid wall with a smooth surface and a clear runout. Avoid any wall that is wet, dusty or broken.
2. Approach at an angle. Come at the wall at a gentle angle, around 30 to 45 degrees, instead of straight on. A flatter angle lets you ride along it.
3. Hold steady speed. Pedal enough to carry speed to the wall, then keep rolling. Do not brake.
4. Lift the front wheel. As you reach the wall, lift the front wheel slightly and place it on the surface. Treat it like a small bunny hop sideways.
5. Let the rear wheel follow. Push your hips toward the wall and bring the rear wheel up so both tyres meet the surface.
6. Keep your weight low and forward. Stay centred on the bike, with arms and knees loose. Your weight should press into the wall.
7. Look ahead. Look along the wall, not down at the surface.
8. Exit. To finish, turn the front wheel away from the wall, drop down and land on both wheels. Stay straight and roll out.

Add height and length as the trick feels natural.

Variations

• Wallride to fakie: the rider rides up, stalls near the top and rolls back down tail first, riding fakie.
• Wallride 180 out: the rider leaves the wall with a 180.
• Wallride barspin out: a barspin as the rider leaves the wall.
• Wallride transfer: the rider rides along one wall and moves to another surface, such as a bank or another wall.
• Long wallride: the same trick along a longer wall. It needs more speed and a steady line.
• Wallride drop in: the rider rides along the wall and drops into a transition or bank.

Common mistakes

• Approaching too straight. A steep angle sends you up the wall, not along it.
• Too slow. The tyres lose grip and the bike slides down.
• Braking. Braking against the wall kills your speed and your grip.
• Looking down. Looking at the surface takes your weight off line.
• Leaning away from the wall. Your weight needs to press into the wall to keep the tyres on it.
• Slippery surface. Wet, dusty or polished walls reduce grip. Check the surface first.
• Late exit. Leaving the wall at the last moment leaves little room to land.

History

Riding on walls is as old as street riding itself. Riders in the 1980s and 1990s used walls beside banks and stairs as extra lines, and the wallride became a standard street trick. It grew in park riding as skate parks added purpose built walls and wall to bank features.

Wallrides also appear in BMX videos as part of larger lines. Riders often link them to banks, quarter pipes and gaps, and add spins on the way out. The first rider to wallride is not clear, so this page does not name one.

Related tricks

• Fakie
• 180
• Barspin
• Bunny hop
• Tabletop