Ty
Eats Squid
for all of those who are keen to try a bit of big wheeled action at the park heres some things to note before going. it's in reference to bmx bikes but it all applies to 26 inch bikes aswell.
"stolen from feeblebmx.com"
skatepark etiquette
when you hit the local skatepark for the first time there are some things to remember that will help you avoid any tense moments. normally if you're at a public park you end up riding with other bikers, skaters, rollerbladers and kids on scooters. sometimes the skateboarders will try to give you attitude but don't let them get you down. if the local skaters don't like bmx it might be because the last bmxer there cut them off or was a jerk.
understand the lines: don't just show up and start riding, watch for a while untill you know where people are going. if you understand where people are going when they drop in then you will know if you are going to be in the way. sometimes people like to transfer from ramp to ramp and will have to bail if you drop into the ramp that they want to land on. try to start where everyone else starts, it's a lot easier for people to tell if you are going to take a run if you're not all the way on the other side of the park.
bikes are silent: don't expect skaters to know that you've dropped in, they are used to being able to hear other skaters coming by the sound of their wheels. remember that you have brakes and they do not.
DON'T BE A SNAKE: people riding at the skatepark usually line up somehow and drop in one after another. if you drop in, cutting someone else off or you are taking every second run when there are 8 people trying to ride, you are being a snake. some people will snake by not checking to see who's going to drop in next, they just drop in. these people usually suffer the head on collisions because they didn't see the 200lb skater drop into the other side of the ramp.
DON'T BLOCK A LINE: if you wipe out, don't lay there in the bottom of the bowl for 5 minutes, get out immediately. if you are going to lay there on the flat bottom and make everyone wait for you you'd better have a broken bone or something.
don't ride around in circles: some people will go to the skatepark and instead of stopping in between runs they circle, endlessly carving around waiting to drop in again. it's like they start riding and they never stop. it is next to impossible to tell if someone like that is going to keep carving around or if they are going to suddenly start sprinting towards the same ramp as you.
DON'T STAND THERE DOING NOTHING: if you aren't riding go to the side and sit down somewhere out of the way. there's nothing more annoying that waiting to drop in while two people stand on the funbox talking. a skatepark is for riding and a ledge is not a bench, if you are not riding get out of the way.
KEEP LIQUIDS OFF OF THE RAMPS: this is pretty obvious. if i crash because i rode through a puddle of pepsi i'm going to be pretty pissed off.
Keep your tires clean: if you've never skated then you don't know the pleasure of coming to a dead stop instantly because your wheel hit a pebble or having your wheels wash out because you hit a bunch of sand on a landing. don't be the bmxer that rides in the mud and then tracks all that dirt into the skatepark.
the next time you go to the skatepark try not to be the reason that bikes get banned, if you have respect for other riders then they will have respect for you too.
thanks to: 'dodgy URL'
"stolen from feeblebmx.com"
skatepark etiquette
when you hit the local skatepark for the first time there are some things to remember that will help you avoid any tense moments. normally if you're at a public park you end up riding with other bikers, skaters, rollerbladers and kids on scooters. sometimes the skateboarders will try to give you attitude but don't let them get you down. if the local skaters don't like bmx it might be because the last bmxer there cut them off or was a jerk.
understand the lines: don't just show up and start riding, watch for a while untill you know where people are going. if you understand where people are going when they drop in then you will know if you are going to be in the way. sometimes people like to transfer from ramp to ramp and will have to bail if you drop into the ramp that they want to land on. try to start where everyone else starts, it's a lot easier for people to tell if you are going to take a run if you're not all the way on the other side of the park.
bikes are silent: don't expect skaters to know that you've dropped in, they are used to being able to hear other skaters coming by the sound of their wheels. remember that you have brakes and they do not.
DON'T BE A SNAKE: people riding at the skatepark usually line up somehow and drop in one after another. if you drop in, cutting someone else off or you are taking every second run when there are 8 people trying to ride, you are being a snake. some people will snake by not checking to see who's going to drop in next, they just drop in. these people usually suffer the head on collisions because they didn't see the 200lb skater drop into the other side of the ramp.
DON'T BLOCK A LINE: if you wipe out, don't lay there in the bottom of the bowl for 5 minutes, get out immediately. if you are going to lay there on the flat bottom and make everyone wait for you you'd better have a broken bone or something.
don't ride around in circles: some people will go to the skatepark and instead of stopping in between runs they circle, endlessly carving around waiting to drop in again. it's like they start riding and they never stop. it is next to impossible to tell if someone like that is going to keep carving around or if they are going to suddenly start sprinting towards the same ramp as you.
DON'T STAND THERE DOING NOTHING: if you aren't riding go to the side and sit down somewhere out of the way. there's nothing more annoying that waiting to drop in while two people stand on the funbox talking. a skatepark is for riding and a ledge is not a bench, if you are not riding get out of the way.
KEEP LIQUIDS OFF OF THE RAMPS: this is pretty obvious. if i crash because i rode through a puddle of pepsi i'm going to be pretty pissed off.
Keep your tires clean: if you've never skated then you don't know the pleasure of coming to a dead stop instantly because your wheel hit a pebble or having your wheels wash out because you hit a bunch of sand on a landing. don't be the bmxer that rides in the mud and then tracks all that dirt into the skatepark.
the next time you go to the skatepark try not to be the reason that bikes get banned, if you have respect for other riders then they will have respect for you too.
thanks to: 'dodgy URL'
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