Manual machine – learning BMX Racing Skills!

We gave our toddler a manual machine to put his bike on and mess about on… straight away he was trying to lift the front wheel – but his technique was all wrong (and he just wasnt strong enough either)

But as time went on he figured out how to lift the front wheel… and he went on to use the skills on the bmx race track (he also pulls wheelies and manuals on his other bikes… esp his mx bike!)

Learning bike skills doesn’t have to be boring – it can be fun too!! Harley loves to jump onto his manual machine and try a few manuals out – it’s why we just leave it set up in the front room most of the time!! With practice he’s starting to get the hang of the ‘squash and pop’ technique and now isn’t using the brakes to control his height – he’s just using the sofa behind him to land on instead :p

When he was little he had on a number of occasions managed to hold the bike up at the balance point for a few seconds… something he got overly excited about when it happened!!! So cute 🥹

For those wandering:
Why we do this? It’s because he enjoys it!!
What is he training for? Nothing at all… he’s just happily learning some bike skills on his terms and in his own time.
What is the point in a manual machine? Well… it’s actually taught Harley a much better technique on the BMX racing track when he’s attempting to manual there and it’s improved his ability to jump – he can now clear doubles/gap jumps riding on his MTB and dirt jump bike thanks to this!!

Videos recorded as a 2 year old riding a @CultCrew ​⁠ Juvenile 12inch BMX (first clip and in his PJs!) and as a 3 year old (nearly 4… a week before his birthday) on a @Spawncycles ​⁠ Yoji 16inch MTB (that he uses as his BMX because he prefers the geometry!) and the final clips filmed as a 7 year old riding a Staystrong race bmx in the 2027 @Oneal-europe kit at Redditch BMX track 🤟

#enjoytheride #biketricks #bmxlife #manualmachine #wheelie #bike