If you can bunny hop, a bar spin is your next win. It’s when you pop off the ground, let the handlebars spin a full circle, then catch and ride away. The trick is keeping your weight centered while the bars rotate freely.
To bar spin on a BMX, dial the headset, tires, and roll at a jogging pace. Preload and hop. At peak, pinch the seat. Throw the bars flat with one hand, hover the other to catch early. Clamp, elbows out, chest over headset. Absorb with soft knees, roll straight. Low height? Pop harder. Short rotation? Throw flatter.
In this article, you’ll learn a simple, step-by-step plan to land your first bar spin: setup, takeoff, the spin, the catch, landing, plus quick fixes for common mistakes.
The BMX Bar Spin Playbook
1. Getting Started
Before you throw the bars, set yourself up to win. A clean, dialed bike and basic safety gear make practice smoother and less scary.
You want a headset that spins freely, a bar setup you can control, and shoes that grip your pedals. Spend five minutes checking bolts, air pressure, and bar spin clearance.
I skipped this once, and my cable snagged mid-spin. Not fun. Do this prep now so you can focus on height, timing, and catches instead of fighting your bike.
1.1 Choosing the Right BMX
Pick a street or park BMX with a 20″ wheel and a frame that fits. Most riders go 20.5″ to 21″ top tube for stability. Shorter riders can try 20.25″.
Aim for a sealed integrated headset that spins smoothly, a top-load stem for a little extra rise, and bars around 9″ rise at 27″ to 29″ width. Wider bars give leverage, which helps the spin feel lighter.
Run 2.1″ to 2.4″ tires. Keep them firm so the bike pops and stays predictable on takeoff. Cranks in the 170 mm to 175 mm range work great.
Plastic pedals with fresh pins bite your shoes without shredding shins every miss.
Brakes are your call. If you run a rear brake, use a gyro or a long cable so the bars can spin clean. Many riders go brakeless for simplicity. Either way, make sure nothing snags when you whip the bars.
Set the seat a touch higher than slammed. It gives your knees something to hug in the air, which keeps the bike centered. Keep the bike light but not fragile.
A reliable front wheel and tight spokes beat flashy parts that rattle loose.
A beginner-friendly BMX builds confidence, control, and good habits from day one. Dive into my article on the best entry level BMX bikes.
1.2 Safety Gear Essentials
Helmet first. Get a skate-style lid with proper certifications and a snug fit. Gloves save your palms from missed catches. I learned this the hard way. One slip felt like slapping sandpaper.
Add shin guards if you’re new to hops and catch slips. Ankle guards help when cranks bite. Wear sturdy flat shoes with grippy soles.
Think BMX or skate shoes with a stiff midsole so landings don’t bruise your feet.
Round it out with bar ends installed, bar caps tight, and no sharp edges on levers or pegs. Bring a small multi-tool and pump to every session. Safe, dialed, and ready means more reps and faster progress.
2. Learning the Basics
Think of bar spins as timing plus trust. Before you try the full trick, get comfy with a strong bunny hop, a small flyout, and clean bar control.
Set your stance with your cranks level and your weight centered over the bottom bracket. Keep your eyes up, not glued to the front wheel.
Learn to pinch the seat lightly with your knees during hops so the bike stays with you.
Your headset should spin freely, your bars should be square with the wheel, and your brake lever (if you run one) should not catch your fingers. Goal for this stage: make the bike feel like an extension of you.
When that clicks, the bar spins stop feeling scary and start feeling possible.
2.1 Gripping the Handlebars Correctly
Use a relaxed, neutral grip. Thumbs wrap, wrists straight, elbows slightly out. If you run a rear brake, rest only your index finger on the lever and keep it close to the grip.
Angle the bars slightly back so they sit naturally when you catch. For the throw, think one hand throws, the other hand catches. Your throw hand gives a firm, level push across your body, not down.
Your catch hand hovers open above the stem, ready to snag the grip as it comes around. Keep your hands soft so the bars can spin, then clamp down at the catch.
Quick drills help: stand over the bike on flat ground, front wheel against a wall, and practice light spins and catches without hopping. Do 30 clean, quiet rotations.
The focus is a flat, level spin, eyes up, shoulders square. Smooth in, smooth out.
2.2 Practice Balancing and Maneuvering
Balance is the hidden sauce. Start with slow rolls and tiny carves to feel bike lean. Add track stands for 10 to 20 seconds to sharpen stability.
Build a consistent bunny hop: preload by dipping, then pop up through your legs and bring the bars to your hips. Pinch the seat with your knees at peak height to steady the bike.
Mix in front wheel lifts and two to three bike-length manuals to train core control. If you can, use a mellow flyout or curb cut to practice easy, repeatable hops.
Run a five-minute warmup loop: 10 track stands, 10 front wheel lifts, 10 clean hops. You will feel calmer in the air, which makes the throw and catch feel natural.
3. Mastering the Bar Spin
You’re past the warmup. Now it’s about clean height, a flat throw, and a confident catch. Think rhythm. Pop, spin, catch, roll away. If you keep the bike stable and your eyes up, the bars will feel light.
The first time I fully committed to the throw, I laughed mid-air. You’ll get there.
3.1 Step-by-Step Guide to Bar Spinning
Run this in small sets. Three focused attempts, a short reset, then repeat. Film a few tries so you can spot what to tweak.
- Preparing for Takeoff
Find a mellow flyout, curb cut, or smooth flat spot. Roll at jogging speed. Cranks level, shoulders square, eyes on a point ahead. Preload by dipping slightly, then explode up. Bring the bars toward your hips.
At peak, pinch the seat with your knees to lock the bike in. Stay tall in your chest so the front wheel stays level. Breathe out to stay loose.
- Initiating the Spin
At the top of your hop, freeze your core and let your hands work. Your throw hand gives a quick, level push across your body. Your catch hand opens and hovers over the grip that will return first.
Keep the bars flat. No scooping down. Keep your gaze forward.
- Tucking and Turning
As the bars rotate, pull your knees up and keep that light knee pinch on the seat. This keeps the frame from wandering. Stay centered over the stem. Wrists relaxed so the bars spin freely.
If you feel tilted, correct with tiny shoulder adjustments, not big leans.
- Catching the Bars
As your grip comes back around, clamp it with your catch hand first, then meet it with the throw hand. Thumbs wrap. Elbows out. Squeeze gently to kill the spin.
Keep your chest over the headset so the front wheel stays straight.
- Landing Smoothly
Spot the ground. Relax your legs and absorb with your knees. Land with level cranks and even feet. Roll out straight for a bike length before turning. If you tag a foot, reset and try again.
Commit, stay loose, and the catches stack up fast.
4. Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Everyone hits the same roadblocks on bar spins. The good news is each one has a clean fix. Think of this section like a pit stop. You diagnose the issue, run a quick drill, then get back to stacking clean attempts.
Film a few tries from the side so you can check height, bar path, and body position. Aim for three focused reps per tweak. If something works, keep it. If it does not, swap the drill and try again.
Small gains add up fast, and once the pieces click, the trick feels light and repeatable. Let’s break down the three big problems and turn them into easy wins.
4.1 Problem: Not Enough Height
What it looks like: Your front wheel barely leaves the ground. The bars feel heavy. You rush the throw and clip a foot on the way down.
Why it happens: Weak preload, soft legs, late tuck, or rolling too slow. Sometimes, tire pressure is low or your seat is slammed, so the bike floats around.
Quick fixes:
- Preload and pop: Dip, then explode up. Think nose up first, then bring the back wheel with you. Bars to hips.
- Speed check: Roll at a relaxed jogging pace. Too slow kills pop. Too fast kills control.
- Knee pinch: At peak height, squeeze the seat lightly with your knees to lock the bike in.
- Bike check: Pump tires firm, tighten headset so it is smooth, and raise the seat a touch so your knees can pinch.
Drills that work:
- Ten high bunny hops where the front axle reaches your knee.
- Five flyout pops from the same lip, trying to freeze at peak for a split second.
- Hop over a flat line, then a shoe, then a small brick. Ladder up slowly.
4.2 Problem: Bars Not Fully Rotated
What it looks like: You throw, get half to three quarters around, then the bars die. You land with the wheel sideways or slap a foot.
Why it happens: You scoop down instead of pushing flat. Your catch hand stays glued to the grip. The headset drags or a cable snags. Sometimes eyes drop to the front wheel and your shoulders follow.
Quick fixes:
- Flat throw: Push straight across your body, not down. Imagine sliding the bars across a table.
- Free the catch hand: Open it and hover over the incoming grip. Let the bars pass through space, then clamp.
- Eyes up: Look ahead. Square shoulders keep the spin level.
- Hardware: Lube bearings, center your stem, check cable length, or use a gyro.
Drills that work:
- Front wheel against a wall. Spin the bars twenty times without hopping. Quiet, flat rotations.
- One throw and catch on a flat. Throw hand pushes, catch hand snags, then reset. Do sets of ten.
- Quarter bars. Throw to 90 or 180 and regrab. Builds trust without full commitment.
4.3 Problem: Awkward Landings
What it looks like: You catch the bars, then swerve, stomp a foot, or bounce off balance. Sometimes the front wheel dives and you nose tap.
Why it happens: Late catch, stiff legs, or turning your head on the way down. Cranks are not level. Weight drifts behind the rear axle, so the bike yanks you.
Quick fixes:
- Early catch: Aim to grab just before the bars finish the circle. That tiny head start settles the bike.
- Chest over headset: Keep your torso stacked above the stem. It keeps the front wheel straight.
- Soft knees: Absorb the landing with your legs. Think quiet tires.
- Level feet: Cranks level on takeoff and landing for balance.
Drills that work:
- Pop to a catch without a full spin. Throw a small quarter turn, catch early, and focus only on a straight roll out.
- Ten silent landings. Hop, land, and try to make the tires whisper.
- Cone rollouts. Land and coast straight for two bike lengths before you turn.
Stick with these fixes. Solve one issue at a time, and your bar spins will go from sketchy to smooth in a few sessions. Commit, stay loose, and keep the camera rolling. Progress loves receipts.
5. Advanced Tips and Tricks
You’ve got clean pops and catches. Now make your bar spins look smooth and stack them into lines. Style is about choices you repeat on purpose. Combos are about timing and speed.
Treat both like mini projects. Pick one idea, drill it for ten minutes, then film a clip. Small tweaks change everything.
5.1 Adding Style to Your Spins
Start with posture. Keep your chest over the headset and your elbows out. Hold your gaze ahead, not at the wheel. That alone makes the spin look calmer.
Play with spin speed. Quick throw, early catch gives a snappy pop. Slightly slower throw with a longer float reads more relaxed. Try both and see what fits your riding.
Add micro tweaks:
- Bar height: Catch a hair higher than usual for a “hang time” look.
- Head check: Keep your chin level. No nodding on the catch.
- Knee pinch: Light squeeze at peak makes the bike look glued to you.
- Grips: Land with thumbs wrapped and elbows open. It reads confident.
If you like flavor, try these safe style adds:
- Tiny nose lift right as you catch.
- Slight table as the bars come around.
- Silent tires on landing. Quiet equals clean.
Drills:
- Ten “silent” hops where the tires barely speak.
- Five slow-motion throws on a mellow flyout, focusing on a high, easy catch.
- Film two angles and copy your favorite frame.
5.2 Combining with Other Tricks
Build a ladder. Start with easy links, then step up.
Phase 1: Low-risk links
- Bar to manual: Hop bar, soft catch, set the front just past the bolts, then lean back.
- Bar to fakie on a bank: Roll up, bar at the top, catch early, backpedal out.
- Hop bar to 180 out: Bar first, quick carve, then a small 180 to exit.
Phase 2: Street basics
- Feeble to bar out: Lock the grind, small hop, flat throw, land straight.
- Smith to bar: Same idea, but keep shoulders square so the spin stays level.
- Bump jump bar over a cone: Teaches pop and aim.
Phase 3: Park flow
- Flyout bar to manual to 180: Three clean beats. Pop, balance, turn.
- Fakie bar out of a quarter: Come in slow, bar at midpoint, roll away straight.
- Bar to tire tap on a quarter: Tap, compress, throw, catch, in.
Pro tips: Land with level cranks so combos stay stable. Keep your speed consistent between pieces. If the catch feels late in combos, start the throw a split second earlier.
Film everything. Two clean links today will become a full line next week.