How to Do a BMX Bar Spin

The BMX bar spin has become a staple in BMX circles. Watch any professional BMX competition, and you will see the bar spin in the half-pipe (vert), on the street and in dirt jumps. The bar spin adds some extra flair to any trick you perform. Although the BMX bar spin looks simple enough from a spectator's viewpoint, incredible crashes do happen if it is not properly performed. With several hours of intense practice, you should be able to master a bar spin.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Protective gear

1. Find an open, flat area to learn the bar spin on the ground. You need plenty of room to fall without running into other objects.
2. Pedal the bike for some speed. Do not go full speed--you need just enough speed to make it easy to keep your balance on the bike.
3. Lean back on the bike to bring the front wheel off the ground.
4. Pinch the seat of your bike between your knees or thighs. Holding the seat of the bike between your legs helps the front of the bike stay in the air. Practice lifting the front wheel off the ground and holding the bike up by the seat with your legs until you can do this without fail.
5. Let go of the handlebar with one hand. You can use whichever hand you prefer. Decide which hand you will let go and which you will leave on the handlebar grip before you do it. A moment of hesitation can put you on the ground.
6. Spin the handlebars with one hand still on the handlebars. Try to spin the handlebars with speed, but remain in control.
7. Keep your eyes on the handlebars and the grips during the spin.
8. Catch the spinning handlebars with your hands so the front tire is in alignment with the back tire.
9. Drop the front tire back to the ground, and keep pedaling to practice the bar spin again.
10. Move onto a small jump after you can perform the bar spin successfully and repeatedly on the ground. Use a small jump with a flat landing as you begin using the bar spin off jumps.

Tips & Warnings

• Raise the seat of your BMX bike when your first learn the bar spin. After you get used to holding the seat between your legs, you can move the seat back to its normal riding position.
• Make sure you have on all of your protective gear, because you will fall a number of times while learning the bar spin trick.