How to Build an Awesome Launch Ramp

An awesome launch ramp is a sturdy ramp that will send a BMX enthusiast flying several feet in the air. They are not large ramps and are often constructed out of plywood and yard lumber. They are constructed with a curve that causes the user to get more of an upward motion than he would on a ramp that has a constant incline. Building a launch ramp with these specifications will not require much time and can give any BMX cyclist hours of entertainment.

Things You'll Need

  • Safety glasses
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • String, 40-inches
  • Plywood, 3/4-inch, 18-by-41-inches
  • 7 pine boards, 2-by-6-by-30-inches
  • Plywood, 3/8-inch, 31½-by-50-inches
  • Jig saw
  • Screw gun
  • 42 wood screws, 3-inch
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Instructions

    • 1

      Draw a line from corner to corner on the 41-inch plywood. Tie the string around your pencil and draw an arc that starts and ends with the line, but rises two inches above it. Repeat this process on the other side of the line so you have two arcs that mirror each other.

    • 2

      Cut along both arcs with your jigsaw. These are the sides to your launch ramp.

    • 3

      Set the sides to your launch ramp on their 41-inch edges, parallel, 30 inches apart and so the arcs are aligned. Position six 30-inch boards perpendicularly between them so their edges are flush with the edges of the arcs. Space them 6½ inches apart. Screw through the plywood and into the boards. Use four screws for each board.

    • 4

      Set the last 30-inch board on its edge and perpendicularly between the sides of your ramp. It should be flush with the 18-inch edges and with the bottom 41-inch edges. Screw through the sides and into the board using four screws.

    • 5

      Lay your 50-inch plywood over the curve on the ramp so its 31½-inch edge is flush with the top edge of the top 30-inch board. Screw the plywood to the 30-inch boards using two screws for each board. The 50-inch edges of the plywood should be flush with the sides of the ramp. The screws should be three inches away from the 50-inch edges of the plywood on both sides.