Thursday, September 23, 2010

Update

Just got my snowboard, a rome artifact, repaired, looking forward to the season starting in a few months. Anyone else going snowboarding or skiing?

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Finally back

Hey everyone, sorry I havn't been posting lately, its a been a really busy last few days.

But anyways to get right back into it, this post is about how to manual.

Manuals are interesting, because some people get them down within a few days, and for others it takes months or even years of practice. The whole move is about balance and distributing your body weight.  The faster you go, the easier it is to do at first.  So go at a moderate speed and pull back on the handlebars while simultaneously moving your butt over the back tire.  You may feel like youre going back to far and about to fall off.  Simply jump off the pedals if this happens.  Keep doing this until you find the spot that feels just right, your balance point.  Once you find this you can pump the bike to keep your manual going longer (it almost looks like your humping the air when you do this). Remember, with this move practice makes perfect.
Good luck!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Riding backwards (on ur handlebars)

A cool and easy to learn trick is how to ride while sitting on your handlebars, facing backwards.  To learn it at first start at a stand still and sit on ur handlebars, putting ur hands the same way you normally would around the handles, and place one foot on a pedal.  Push off gently and get your pushing foot on the other pedal.  The key to this trick is balance, but if you keep practicing youll get it in no time. Good luck!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Dirt Riding?

Some friends of mine have been asking me to go out to some dirt jumps in a nearby town lately, and I'm not too sure what to expect as ive never ridden dirt before.  Have any of you guys ever rode dirt? leave a comment and let me know what it was like and stuff

Sunday, September 12, 2010

How To Do A 180 (BMX)

The first thing you want to have dialed down is a bunnyhop.  A 180 is basically a bunnyhop with a half twist in it so that first part is very important.  You dont have to be able to get the height of a pro but the more comfortable you are with it the more it helps.

A good way to learn it at first, and get comfortable with spinning, is doing it on a ramp or a slope.  This way when you do get the full 180 degrees you are facing down the slope, and can ride straight forward.  Otherwise, you going to have to fakie out of it, meaning your going to be riding backwards for a second or two, and this can be tricky to get the hang of.

Now when you go to do the 180 you want to pull up on your handlebars and push off with your legs, just like a bunnyhop, except what your going to do is push to the side a little bit, and kind of get a twisting motion started with your legs.  Now you want to look around with your head and spot your landing, this will help you land and also help to give you the twisting motion necessary to complete the move.

When I first started trying 180s I did so on flatland, but I would slow down to almost nothing and then do it, that way I wouldn't have momentum pushing me backwards and forcing me to fakie out or die.  Then when I got more comfortable with it I went at faster speeds and started getting comfortable with the fakie.

If you guys have any questions or comments feel free to post :)
gl everyone

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Hey everone

I havn't been on the last few days because I've been caught up in some air force stuff...today was the Airshow in Pittsburgh and me and my girlfriend got to see the thunderbirds and a bunch of other planes doing their stuff, and mid-day i was in the ceremony for new recruits so that was some pretty cool stuff too.
Anyways Ill be getting back to some more BMX posts soon and also now that Winter is coming around I might be switching back and forth between snowboarding and BMX

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Basic Tricks of BMX

When people first enter the world of BMX, their first question is often "What tricks to I start out with?"

First of all, the main trick you want to get down, as discussed in an earlier post of mine, is the bunnyhop, that is, using your bodies strength and momentum to lift the bike, and yourself, into the air.  This leads to many other tricks that you'll be learning.

One of these is the 180, which is when you bunnyhop and turn, while in the air, your body 180 degrees and land backwards from the direction you were facing.  Depending on if you're on an incline or a flat surface, you will have to either fakie out of it (ride backwards and turn the bike back around using your handlebars) or just ride foward, if your on something such as a ramp.

Another trick is the 360, one that gives a lot of people trouble.  To do this trick you essentially do a 180 but put a lot more force into your spin to get yourself all the way around and facing the same direction you started in.

Later on ill make some posts with more in-depth descriptions on how to perform these, and other, tricks.

Until then thanks for supporting! :)


BTW you may have noticed another ad at the top of the screen, sorry if it annoys anyone, I hope it doesnt get in the way but theres some cool stuff thats advertised there so be sure to check it out if you like it :)

Imperial Update

Hey everyone I didnt get a chance to update on how Imperial went yesterday.
I drove about an hour, hauling my bike and a bunch of people, and when I finally got there they were closed for maintnence or something along those lines :(  I'm going to head out again sometime soon to really check it out though.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Late night update--

Im going to a skatepark near me called Imperia tomorrowl, its a lot bigger than the one i normally ride so im pretty pumped up about it :)
Ill post tomorrow and to update on how it went, and maybe ill have some pics.

Just some pics

Just some cool looking pics of some not so cool tricks haha

Monday, September 6, 2010

Disappointing day

So today I was at my local skatepark, and the typical amount of 10 year olds were riding around on scooters and ripsticks.  Being use to them throwing their crap all over the place, i rode into the halfpipe and threw a shirt out of the way that was laying in the center, not paying any attention to what was under it.  And so I was riding around in it for around 20 minutes when some older guys came to the park and starting riding the pipe too.  After a while i started talking to them and the guy says "Thats really disgusting over there in the halfpipe," and being confused i asked what he was talking about.  Apparently some kid shit in the middle of the halfpipe.  I mustve not realized this because it wasnt a big steamy pile of little kid shit, but rather smeared all over and spread out over it.  I left the park pissed off and sprayed myself, and my bike, off with a hose when i got home

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Flatland vs. Street Bikes

Many people don't realize that there is a difference between not only the riding style of flatland bmx and street/park bmx, but also between the bikes.  A flatland bike has a few very noticeable differences.  For one, the handlebars have a greater length between the cross bar and the handles themselves.  This allows for more room to jump between or stand on them.  Another big difference is the length of the top tube.  Flatland bikes also normally have a front brake and a back brake with a gyro to allow the handlebars to spin freely without getting tangled up.  A shorter top tube on a flatland bikes allows the rider to manipulate the bike easier and do spin tricks easier.  There are also some more subtle differences such as the space between the forks and the tire, allowing the rider to grab the fork easier for some tricks.

A street bike, on the other hand, has a frame that is normally longer.  It can have pegs but they are often only on one side to save weight.  Some riders will go brakeless for park and street, but it is smart to have a back brake on it.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

One of the first tricks that everyone should start out with when it comes to BMX is the simple bunnyhop.  This trick involves picking up the front end of your bike using your legs and upper body strength and then in one fast, smooth motion, distributing your weight so that the rear end also comes up.  It is the basis to much of BMX and so it should be practiced often.  A good height for a bunnyhop is 3 feet plus

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Flatland bikes

For the riders that are into Flatland BMX, you might want to check out this bike.  Its a bit costly, but the peformance and durability of it is outstanding and something you wont find very often.  I do not personally own one but my friend does and he has had nothing but good things to say about it.
KHE ParisIII LT
This is one good bike.

BMX vs. Mountain Biking

First actual post here :) So a lot of people getting into the biking community have a hard time deciding between BMX and Mountain Biking.  When it comes to BMX, the sport revolves a lot around technique and practice.  To bust out the trick associated with BMX one must really strive to push through the pain of getting hurt and the cuts and bruises to really dial down some tricks.  In the end a lot of pushing turns into some cool moves that can impress almost anyone.

Mountain Biking, although still requiring practice and hard work, is less about actual technique in doing tricks.  A lot of Mountain Biking revolves around balance and endurance.  Blazing through the woods, desert, or almost any other type of terrain on a mountain bike is a rush that won't be forgotten.

Either way, both sports are fun hobbies that can help keep you in shape.