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Bike Trials Dictionary

A glossary of trials moves, by Stephen Maeder and Chris Pascucci

Bike trials has a language all its own. Here are the moves and terms you'll hear at a competition — from the bunnyhop and endo to the nosepick, pedal-kick and toc. See also the rules glossary for competition terms and the Japanese names for moves.

Bunnyhop

Jumping into the air while coasting forward.

Bunnyhop up

Using a bunnyhop to get up an obstacle. You can land on bashguard, rear wheel, front wheel, or both wheels and still call it a bunnyhop up.

Bronco

While balancing on either your bashguard or both wheels, you throw your bike forward all the way over an obstacle, usually lunging at least a bike length away. This is used when it's too slippery or technical to go to rear wheel. You can also use it to drop off of something. (extra help from Rob Kastelic, thanks!)

Correction hop

Any time you hop to correct a previous hop.

Drop-off or drop-in

Any manner in which you come off an obstacle and become airborne.

Endo

Locking up the front brake while rolling forward and thrusting your weight forward onto the front wheel. This is how you get into the correct position for front-wheel hops.
In use: "To get on the rear wheel easier, do an endo first." "I endoed while going down that steep hill section" — went over the handlebars.

Gap

The space between two obstacles. Also used as a verb meaning to clear (or cross) a gap.
In use: "I gapped that" — meaning you cleared the gap.

Helicopter (nosepick 360)

When you spin on your front tire off of a drop-off and land rear tire after spinning 360 degrees.

Lunge

With or without the use of a pedal-kick, from a standstill and using exaggerated body language, you lunge forward.

Nosepick

Locking up the front brake and moving your weight forward so that only the front wheel is on the ground (similar to an endo). It can be used for sidehopping onto or off of objects.
In use: "I nosepick sidehopped onto the picnic table!" — the front wheel landed first, then I swung the rear wheel on.

Pedal-kick

A quick stroke of the pedal, a quarter revolution or less, with the release of power usually controlled by the rear brake. Pressure is applied to the pedal while the rear brake is locked, then the brake is released and the quick stroke begins. You can pedal-kick a gap: rear-wheel hopping on one side, then pedal-kicking and landing rear-wheel, bashguard, or both wheels on the other side.

Pedal-up (2-pedal, 3-pedal, or surge)

Getting up an obstacle while driving the rear wheel with the pedals. A 2-pedal uses two pedal strokes (one with each foot) together to launch onto an object or across a gap.
In use: "I pedal-upped that ledge" or "I 2-pedalled that ledge".

Pivot

A front-wheel pivot is where you lock the front brake and move the rear wheel to either side (pivot on the front wheel); a rear pivot is the opposite.
In use: "I pivoted up those stairs" — pivoted my front wheel up one stair, then the rear wheel up one stair.

Pogoing

Small hops made with both tires for balance.

Sidehop

Jumping with the bike sideways — onto an obstacle, off one, or across a gap.
In use: "I sidehopped that gap."

Static hop

A large jump in the air that looks just like a sidehop, but without the sideways part — just for show. Also: little hops on both wheels to maintain balance where a trackstand is impractical.

Surge

See Pedal-up.

Trackstand

Balancing in place with little movement of the wheels.

Wheelbase

Axle to axle, or a little longer, depending on context. A "wheelbase" gap is one in which you can just barely fit the rear wheel on one side and the front wheel on the other.