In this guide
- What it is: Style over speed: tricks on park ramps, street spots or flat ground.
- What you need first: A BMX and a helmet. Go-Ride clubs run BMX freestyle sessions for children.
- How long it takes: In Olympic Freestyle Park, riders get 60 seconds to show their best tricks.
- Cost: British Cycling Core membership is £52 a year (checked October 2026). A one-hour private lesson is usually £32 to £60 on our price list.
- What's next: Riding track: the Lloyds National BMX Freestyle Series and Championships. Coaching track: Introduction to Coaching BMX Freestyle. Racing track: BMX racing.
What it is
Welsh Cycling says freestyle is less about speed and more about style, using your street, the local skatepark or any urban space. It lists three competition disciplines:
- park, ridden on a purpose-built park of bowls, half-pipes and spines;
- street;
- flatland.
How it's judged
Welsh Cycling says riders are rated on the difficulty of their tricks, the height of their jumps, creativity and style. Freestyle Park has been in the Olympics since Tokyo.
British competitions
British Cycling runs the Lloyds National BMX Freestyle Series and Championships. The 2026 calendar came out in December 2025, so keep an eye on its freestyle page for 2027 dates.
Great Britain
British Cycling selects the Great Britain BMX Freestyle Park team for the UCI Urban World Championships, and GB riders have won European titles and medals.
The tricks coaches teach
British Cycling's freestyle coaching starts with stance, carving, jumping, and one-hander, one-footer and no-footer tricks. The next course moves on to manuals, fakies, airing quarter pipes, transfers, hips, spines, wall rides, grinds, stalls and lip tricks.
In Scotland
Scottish Cycling says its BMX Freestyle performance pathway is under review.
Source: Freestyle, BMX news, Introduction to Coaching BMX Freestyle, Coaching in Context BMX Freestyle, Go-Ride and Membership, British Cycling; BMX, Welsh Cycling; Performance BMX, Scottish Cycling; Head injury and concussion, NHS; checked October 2026.
Governing body: British Cycling. It sets the UK safety standards and training awards for BMX, so it's the official place to find out more.
The club map lists some of the UK clubs for this sport. It is a starting point, so check with the club before you travel. To have a coach found for you, use the enquiry form.
