All tricks
Manual award, not earned yet
FlatgroundBMX

Manual

Rolling along on the back wheel with no pedalling.

Difficulty
Easy
Can you do it?

The lowdown

Rolling along on the back wheel with no pedalling. You shift your hips back behind the seat and hold the bike at its balance point.

Fun fact

Manuals carry you across flat sections without pedalling, and they are the base of nose manuals and every manual out of a grind.

Tips

Push the bike forward underneath you rather than yanking the bars back. Keep a finger on the rear brake so you can tap out if you go too far.

Why it isn't working4 common mistakes

  1. Standing tall over the bike. Get low with your bottom near the back tyre; the lower you are, the steadier it is.

  2. Locking your arms straight at the start. Keep a little bend as the wheel lifts, then let the arms extend once you find the balance point.

  3. Leaning too far back. Shift your weight back gradually and practise catching a loop-out with one foot on grass first.

  4. Fully straightening your legs. Keep your knees bent so tiny leg movements can raise or drop the front wheel.

What you need

BMX bike, helmet, and pads for ramps and rails

The road to it1 step

The road to it
ManualYou are here · where every road starts
Land this and you unlock

Where to practise

Where to practise

Flatground tricks want smooth flat ground. find spots with flat near you →

Where it sits

1 of 8
Flatground tricks at Easy on BMX
90
In the BMX library
Easy
Difficulty 2 of 5

Why it's Easy: Unlike a wheelie there is no pedalling to hold you up, so the whole trick is a balance point just short of tipping backwards. Finding and holding it is the whole trick.

Same trick, other sports2 other sports

Same trick, other sports
More like this