Glossary of BMX Terms

Axle:  The shaft on which the wheel revolves.
Bar Spin:  A popular trick in the BMX world where the rider spins the handlebars around one full rotation while in the air.
Bead:  The outside edge of the tire, which is stiffened by a wire.
Berm:  An embankment on a track built up on the outside of a turn to create a banked curve.
BMX:  Abbreviation for Bicycle Motocross. BMX indicates a style of bike and a kind of race or competition.
Bottom Bracket:  The mechanism at the bottom of the bicycle frame, which uses bearings to hold and rotate the spindle and cranks.
Box Jump:  A type of jump typically with a specified take off and landing.
Brake Shoe:  A rubber pad, which stops the bike by pressing on the rims, creating friction.
Brakes:  Any bicycle braking system which works by opening and closing two brake shoes on the rim in a clamping motion, like jaws.
Brake Lever:  A lever mounted on the handlebars used for activating the brake by pulling a cable.
Cable:  Steel wire braided into cables and sometimes with plastic coiling. Cables are used to connect the brake lever to the brake.
Caliper Brakes:  A more “old-school” braking system that is centrally mounted on the frame. Two arms with a spring mechanism to provide the movement at the brake pads to the rim.
Can-Can:  A trick in which one foot is taken and crossed over the top tube of the frame.
Cantilever Brakes:  A dual-mounted brake where the brake spring is connected to the post.
Chainstays:  The part of the bicycle frame that runs parallel to the chain. It connects the bottom bracket to the rear dropouts.
Chainwheel:  A one-piece front gear. The chainwheel is attached to the cranks.
Crank:  The metal arm to which the pedals are attached.
Decade:  Basically the opposite of a tailwhip. This is a trick where the rider, while holding on to the handlebars, does a 360° rotation around the headtube while the frame stays in place.
Downtube:  The part of the bicycle frame which slants downward at an angle. It connects the head tube to the bottom bracket.
Dropouts:  Small slotted openings, which holds the front and rear wheel axles. On many bikes, the dropouts do not appear to be separate parts. They connect the chainstays to the seatstays and are also welded to the ends of the front forks.
Feeble Grind:  The front wheel of the bike is on top of an obstacle such as a ledge, while one back peg grinds along the top of the obstacle.
Flair:  A backflip and 180-degree rotation in the same motion. This is typically done on a quarter pipe, allowing the rider to land still going forwards, however, it can be done over a jump leading the rider to land backwards, or, “fakie”.
Flatspin:  The rider spins on a horizontal axis.
Foot Jam:  A trick where the rider stalls on the front wheel by placing their foot on the front tire to act as a front brake.
Fork:  The double-pronged section of the bike, which holds the front wheel.
Freewheel:  A one-piece rear gear that allows the rider to backpedal. Bearings are built-in.
Gear Ratio:  A number, which indicates the relationship between the two gears and tells how much work a particular combination of gears will do.
Gusset: A triangle of reinforcing steel located between the top tube and down tubes. A brace that reinforces frame tubing junctions.
Gyro/Detangler:  A device that enables you to spin the handlebars without brake cable interference.
Headtube:  Short vertical tube at the very front or “head” of the bike. The front fork and headset fit inside the head tube.
Holeshot:  A racing term where a rider obtains the lead position out of the starting gate and going into the first turn.
Hub:  Cylinder that holds the axle of each wheel.
Linear Brake:  A particular type of brake that utilizes a side or linear pull system in which requires a v-type or linear lever. This system offers the most braking force available. Generally used by racers.
Manual:  The act of riding on the back wheel without pedaling. Manuals are common as tricks in the freestyle world and as a technique to smoothly get over jumps on a racetrack.
Moto:  A single race heat.
Nac-Nac:  A trick where the bike is swung 90° in one direction while the front-facing foot is swung over the back wheel to the other side of the bike. This trick was made famous by motocross king Jeremy McGrath but is common in the BMX world.
No Footer:  Both feet are taken off the pedals and stuck out to the side.
No Footed Can-Can:  Both feet are taken off the pedals and stuck out to the same side.
Nothing:  While in the air, the rider takes hands and feet off the bike at the same time.
One Footer:  The rider takes one foot off the pedal and kicks it out to the side.
One Hander:  One hand is taken off the handlebar.
Rhythm Section:  A series of jumps or rollers back to back on a track that pose as an obstacle.
Roller:  An obstacle on a track that is rolled over as opposed to being jumped.
Saddle:  Another name for a bicycle seat.
Seatstays:  Section of the frame, which runs from the top of the seattube to the rear dropouts.
Sew-Ups:  A type of tire, which is actually sewn around the tube. Also called a tubular tire.
Seat Post:  The tube, which holds the seat and goes into the frame.
Smith Grind:  A type of grind where the front peg is sliding on the obstacle, like a ledge or rail, while the back wheel is on top of the obstacle.
Stem:  The part connected to the fork that holds the handlebars. Formerly referred to as a Gooseneck.
Step-Up:  A jump in which the landing is elevated above the launch.
Step-Down:  A jump in which the landing is lower than the launch.
Sprocket:  Same as a chainwheel.
Tabletop:  A jump on a track that is completely level or flat all the way across it from the lip to the landing. A tabletop is also the name of a trick where the bike is laid perfectly flat, much like a table.
Tailtap:  The rider lands on the deck of a ramp or obstacle on just the back wheel, typically while holding the breaks, then falls back into the transition and rides away.
Tailwhip:  A trick where the frame of the bike makes a full rotation around the headtube. Basically the frame and back wheel does a 360° spin while the rider and the handlebars stay in place.
Toboggan:  The front of the bike is pointed straight down, the rider leans back, one hand grabs the nose of the seat, and the other hand turns the handlebars 90 degrees.
Turndown:  The front of the bike is pulled up so it is almost vertical, turned sideways, and the bars are crossed nearly 180 degrees.
Top-Tube:  The top horizontal tube on a bicycle frame, between your headtube and seat tube.
U-brake:  A U-shaped center pull brake that uses a ratcheting spring tension system.
Un-Turndown:  The same as a Turndown, but without crossing the bars.
X-Up:  The handle bars are turned a full 180 degrees, causing the riders arms to cross and create an X.
180, 360, 540, 720, 900:  Refers to the number of degrees spun in the air.
360 Tailwhip:  A 360-degree rotation while spinning the frame a full rotation as well.