Intro - BMX Biking
Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Bikes called 20-inchers introduce something new to a sport that's been around the track. Go vertical, work the dirt circuit. Welcome to BMX Biking.
The 20-Inch Revolution
Thing of flying off ramps, hairpin curves, double and triple jumps, mud holes, wheelies, and edging out riders in a mad dash to the finish line. Think of doing it all with small wheels and a single gear, and you're thinking BMX biking.
BMW, or bicycle motocross, owes its origins to dirt motorcycle racing enthusiasts. Kids got pumped up to ride their bicycles on courses that let them imitate their favorite motorcycle heroes. In 1970, 13-year-old Scot Breihaupt organized the first neighborhood BMX races in Long Beach, California, USA. Thirty-five riders came for the first race and paid 25 US Dollar Cents to enter. The next weekend, 150 kids showed up. Within a few years, BMX racing had become a American nationally sanctioned sport.
Moto Feel Good
t all starts on the dirt track. A pack of riders line up behind the starting gate, wait for the signal, and then tear through a winding course filled with jumps, dips, berms, and turns. The first racer to cross the finish line wins the heat, or moto. Riders compete in three motos; the rider with best two out of three is the winner.
Racers generally compete against other riders in the same skill category (beginner, novice, expert) and age group (5 to 19, 19-and-up). Once riders win eight races within a calendar year, they can advance to the next skill level. Since the early days, parents and friends have volunteered to help organize and sponsor the races. Now the love for BMX riding has gone beyond racing motos. Dirt riders have taken their jumps, tricks, and styles to the street and onto vertical ramps, mini courses, and flatland.
Not your average bike
With all the pounding on dirt courses and vertical ramps, BMX bikes need to be built tough enough to withstand serious abuse. BMX bikes are smaller than other kind of bicycles, with wheels 20 inches in diameter. The smaller bikes became standard mostly because the craze started out as a sport geared toward young riders. Keeping the bikes small was a way to even the playing field for kids of different sizes. BMX bikes are also free from extras that can add unwanted weight or slow a rider down, such as mudguards, reflectors, chain guards, and kick-stand.
Because BMX riders don't need to climb hills or sprint for long distances, there's no need for multiple gears. A single gear keeps the bike lighter and helps the rider focus on handling instead of shifting.
Not year average rider
One thing that goes hand in hand with BMX riding is falling. A good rider will learn how to tumble out of a fall with a shoulder roll or forward roll. That may help absorb some of the shock of falling, but it still doesn't take the place of good protective gear. Whatever your style of BMX riding, you'll minimize injuries if you have a helmet, gloves, eye protection, and wrist, knee, and elbow guards. If you're going to be on the race tracks, you might be required and stem of the handlebars.
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