Flatland BMX
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flatland is a BMX (bicycle moto-cross) riding style performed on smooth flat surfaces, often with flatland-specific frames: front and rear bolt-on axle pegs, a hollow stem bolt for the front brake cable, and a rear brake detangler or "gyro" to allow the bars to rotate endlessy without tangling the brake cables. Also invented specifically for flatland BMX riding was the rear hub mechanism called a "freecoaster", that allows the rear wheel to roll backwards without engaging the hub to make the pedals rotate. Other technical bicycle setup specifics can include narrow handlebars, very high pressure tires, and a very small front sprocket. But in theory, any BMX bike with axle pegs could be used for flatland riding.
[edit] Style
In competition, talent and skill are judged by the ability to maintain coordination and balance while performing a variety of difficult and elegant moves. There are usually several categories for judging purposes which can include:
- number of touches: the number of times a trick is not completed and/or the number of touches of the foot to the ground
- number of tricks completed in the allotted time
- difficulty of the tricks, which can be very subjective, as flatland BMX techniques have in many ways become as refined as those in figure skating or breakdancing
- originality of the tricks performed, which again can be somewhat subjective
- style and flow, or how smoothly and/or stylishly moves are performed during the contest run
Flatland is an involving, time-consuming discipline where the rider learns different balance/counter-balance points and center-of-gravity in motion techniques through repetition and trial-and-error. Some tricks can be learned in hours, while others may take years to master.
Various riders emphasize different aspects of the discipline: the artistic nature of flatland and the originality of tricks, the number and difficulty of tricks, or the simple enjoyment of the activity. Only contest riders need to be concerned with the competitive side of the discipline, as there are many riders who prefer doing shows, taking parts in videos, or simply riding with their friends and enjoying themselves.
Riders usually pedal a few times for speed, and then perform various stunts often involving difficult and/or awkward stances on pegs, mounted to the axles of their front or back wheels. Pegs are hollow metal tubes, which are bolted onto both sides of the front and back axles. When flatland riding first began, most riders would do one trick and then return to the pedals. However, by combining different body and bicycle positions into "combos" and "linking" them together, riders began to do several tricks in a row without stopping between each move. Flatland riding is now usually a combination of many different kinds of moves, often linked together nonstop as the rider goes through as many as 10-12 consecutive moves and position/direction changes before returning to the pedals.
Notable flatland BMX riders include Dakota Wray, Bob Haro, Kevin Jones, Chase Gouin, Ross Smith, Bill Neumann, Brian Chapman, Alexis Desolneux, Effraim Catlow, Pete Brandt, Jesse Puente, Chad Degroot, Andrew Faris, Trevor Meyer, Simon O'Brien, Martti Kuoppa, Michael Steingraber, Matt Wilhelm, Phil Dolan, Lee Musselwhite, Jeff Desroche, Cory Fester, Morisake Hiroya, Stephan Cerra, Terry Adams, Jay Forde and Tanaka Kotaro.
[edit] Flatland tricks
- G-Turn - Whipping the back frame into a spinning backwards rolling endo with feet on the pedals
- Decade - Placing the front frame up and rotating the body around the frame usually by catching the other side of the frame, pedals, or pegs
- Rolaid - Same as a decade, but rolling and without brake tapping. The Decade and Rolaid can be done in multiples
- Whiplash - Pushing the frame around the bike while stepping over the pegs for each rotation while rolling
- Cliffhanger - A rolling endo with no hands, either with the knees pressed into the handlebars or the torso behind the seat for a balance point
- Hang-5 - Placing one foot on one of the front pegs and pulling the frame up until seat meets contact and a balance point is established; a rolling endo
- Hang-10 - Similar to the Hang-5, but without contact with the pegs, just the seat
- Elbow-Glide - Placing one foot on one of the front pegs with one side of the body and the opposite elbow tucked with the seat to control the balance point
- Reverse Elbow-Glide - Same as the Elbow-Glide, but with the frame on the reverse side of the balance point
- Hitch-Hiker - Placing the frame up while rolling; balance point established with the back of the frame
- Back-Packer - Same as the Hitch-Hiker, but with the body positioned forward from the frame
- Cow-Maneuver - Placing the frame up and tucking a rotation on the pegs backwards into the pedals; this trick has many variants and can be performed without brakes (Chase Gouin)
- Surfer - Placing one foot on the seat and one foot on the handlebars while rolling; popular in some videos and commercials
- One-Footed-Surfer - Same as the Surfer, but with only one foot on the handlebars
- The Death Truck - Rolling a back peg wheelie and pulling the body over the handlebars; one of the most feared tricks in Flatland BMX not because of its difficulty, but because of the tangled bail
- Bar-Stand - Placing both feet on the grips of the bars and using only the torso and hands for a balance point while rolling
- Backyard - A sketching trick performed by a foot push and control on the tires, while facing away from the frame on the back pegs
- Frontyard - Same as the Backyard, but in front with legs crossed between bars; a variant is the Elephant Glide which can be linked to Multiple Hand Whiplashed Back-Packers (Kevin Jones)
- Rollo - Placing one side of the body of the frame while up rolling backwards with one foot on one of the back pegs
- Forward-Rollo - Same as the Rollo, but forward
- Fork Glide - placing a foot on the left front peg and doing a 180 along with the wheel
- Fire Hydrant - same as a fork glide, except while rolling you spin the frame around towards you.
- NOTE: These tricks mentioned are a few within the art/sport of Flatland BMX. These tricks and many others have variants and depend on the style of the rider performing them. Also, these tricks can be linked or combined into sequences that could not otherwise be titled.
