Endo Meaning in Cycling

An endo is a bike trick or crash where the rear wheel lifts completely off the ground. It is short for “end-over-end,” describing the motion the bike makes when it flips forward. To do it as a trick, you apply the front brake and shift your weight forward to balance on the front wheel. In a crash, it usually happens if you hit a large obstacle or pull the front brake too hard by mistake. This often results in the rider being thrown over the handlebars, which can be quite dangerous. Mountain bikers use a controlled endo to swing the back of the bike around very tight trail corners. Mastering this balance helps improve your overall bike handling and braking skills. For example, a trials rider performs a perfect endo to pivot their bike 180 degrees on a narrow ledge. By lifting the rear wheel and rotating, they can face the opposite direction without ever putting a foot down. It is a fundamental skill for technical balance.