As far back as 1963, a bicycle company called Schwinn brought out a new model called the Sting Ray, a slightly smaller bike allowing children safely to mimic motorcross riding.
Scott Breithaupt is probably the founder of BMX and in 1970, he organised the first bike race in southern CA. A film documentary was made there shortly afterwards, called 'On Any Given Sunday' and it featured dirt-track racing with the kids riding bikes on a home-made course and it led to a real uptake in this 'new'
sport, the name BMX being a contraction of 'Bicycle Motocross'.
Since its early days BMX has moved on at quite a speed, going from a bunch of kids in a car park to specially made bike parks and the popularity has gone worldwide with over 1100 tracks available to the fans of the sport - adults too are keen advocates and participants since they have grown up from being the kids who were there at the start. It has wide appeal and has taken on a creativity of its own.
Since there was a need to make a better bike to withstand the rigours of the track racing and jumps, a partnership was set up in 1975 by Gary Turner and Richard Long who improved manufacturing with stronger welding and better materials. GT Bicycles was launched in 1979 which resulted in them sponsoring the best riders. Around this time the ABA was started - American Bicycle Association - this was the sanctioning body for the races
In 1981 the International BMX Federation was formed, the first world championships happened in 1982 and further developments in design and materials took the BMX bike forward. The film "E.T." pushed BMX bikes into the spotlight. The popularity waned a bit more in the 90's with the advent of the Mountain Bike but the design of that is a quite different from the BMX bike so they retain an individuality.
Practice!
Enthusiastic BMX-ers, children and teenagers often attend BMX and skate parks and sometimes compete in organised competitions. It's a hot pursuit in hobby circles.
BMX Freestyle is now one of the staple events at the Summer X Games Extreme Sports competition and the ETNIES backyard jam, held mainly on both coasts of the United States. The popularity of the sport has increased due to its relative ease and availability of riding locations plus the price of bikes, being pedal-powered is way below the expense of motorbikes.
Since so many tricks and acrobatics are performed on a BMX bike this could lead to injuries being sustained by riders. To attempt to alleviate this a tramp bike is a useful training aid.
This is a bike whose wheels, drive train and extras have been removed leaving just the frame, handlebars and saddle. The frame's sharp parts and edges are then wrapped with foam and taped up to prevent damage and the whole unit is then used on a trampoline. This way the rider can get used to the feel of the moves as he practices in a safer environment than on hard ground or over jumps etc.
Buying a BMX Bike
Choosing a BMX bike can be quite a task. There are 4 main styles of bike:
Race (The basic machine)
Freestyle (Built for doing tricks - styles being Park, Street, Vert)
Dirt jumping (Intended for the off-roading, ramp jumping, basically getting dirty!)
Flatland (For the experts only - a specially modded frame and a LOT of time and dedication needed)
Here's a video from Youtube giving some tips on choosing your BMX bike.
The British Bike Association has an extensive website giving details of all types of biking and is well worth a visit for more information.
Have fun and take care! Redfox
Richard Long, co-founder of GT Bicycles, was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in 1994, and GT would ultimately experience a period of decline in the late 90s. By 2001, GT was committed to reclaiming their spot as a premier BMX bicycle brand, and they invested heavily in product innovation and marketing. They would eventually accomplish their goal, and as of 2008, they are again regarded as a superior manufacturer of BMX bikes.
Olympics
The sport of BMX racing received a great honor in 2003, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to add BMX racing to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. The competition included 32 male riders and 16 female riders. The racers competed in groups of eight, racing on dirt tracks covered in jumps, banked corners and obstacles. Maris Strombergs of Latvia won the men's gold medal, and Anne-Caroline Chausson of France won gold for the women.
Richard Long, co-founder of GT Bicycles, was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in 1994, and GT would ultimately experience a period of decline in the late 90s. By 2001, GT was committed to reclaiming their spot as a premier BMX bicycle brand, and they invested heavily in product innovation and marketing. They would eventually accomplish their goal, and as of 2008, they are again regarded as a superior manufacturer of BMX bikes.
Olympics
The sport of BMX racing received a great honor in 2003, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to add BMX racing to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. The competition included 32 male riders and 16 female riders. The racers competed in groups of eight, racing on dirt tracks covered in jumps, banked corners and obstacles. Maris Strombergs of Latvia won the men's gold medal, and Anne-Caroline Chausson of France won gold for the women.
Richard Long, co-founder of GT Bicycles, was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in 1994, and GT would ultimately experience a period of decline in the late 90s. By 2001, GT was committed to reclaiming their spot as a premier BMX bicycle brand, and they invested heavily in product innovation and marketing. They would eventually accomplish their goal, and as of 2008, they are again regarded as a superior manufacturer of BMX bikes.
Olympics
The sport of BMX racing received a great honor in 2003, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to add BMX racing to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. The competition included 32 male riders and 16 female riders. The racers competed in groups of eight, racing on dirt tracks covered in jumps, banked corners and obstacles. Maris Strombergs of Latvia won the men's gold medal, and Anne-Caroline Chausson of France won gold for the women.
Richard Long, co-founder of GT Bicycles, was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in 1994, and GT would ultimately experience a period of decline in the late 90s. By 2001, GT was committed to reclaiming their spot as a premier BMX bicycle brand, and they invested heavily in product innovation and marketing. They would eventually accomplish their goal, and as of 2008, they are again regarded as a superior manufacturer of BMX bikes.
Olympics
The sport of BMX racing received a great honor in 2003, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to add BMX racing to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. The competition included 32 male riders and 16 female riders. The racers competed in groups of eight, racing on dirt tracks covered in jumps, banked corners and obstacles. Maris Strombergs of Latvia won the men's gold medal, and Anne-Caroline Chausson of France won gold for the women.
Richard Long, co-founder of GT Bicycles, was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in 1994, and GT would ultimately experience a period of decline in the late 90s. By 2001, GT was committed to reclaiming their spot as a premier BMX bicycle brand, and they invested heavily in product innovation and marketing. They would eventually accomplish their goal, and as of 2008, they are again regarded as a superior manufacturer of BMX bikes.
Olympics
The sport of BMX racing received a great honor in 2003, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to add BMX racing to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. The competition included 32 male riders and 16 female riders. The racers competed in groups of eight, racing on dirt tracks covered in jumps, banked corners and obstacles. Maris Strombergs of Latvia won the men's gold medal, and Anne-Caroline Chausson of France won gold for the women.
Richard Long, co-founder of GT Bicycles, was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in 1994, and GT would ultimately experience a period of decline in the late 90s. By 2001, GT was committed to reclaiming their spot as a premier BMX bicycle brand, and they invested heavily in product innovation and marketing. They would eventually accomplish their goal, and as of 2008, they are again regarded as a superior manufacturer of BMX bikes.
Olympics
The sport of BMX racing received a great honor in 2003, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to add BMX racing to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. The competition included 32 male riders and 16 female riders. The racers competed in groups of eight, racing on dirt tracks covered in jumps, banked corners and obstacles. Maris Strombergs of Latvia won the men's gold medal, and Anne-Caroline Chausson of France won gold for the women.
Richard Long, co-founder of GT Bicycles, was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in 1994, and GT would ultimately experience a period of decline in the late 90s. By 2001, GT was committed to reclaiming their spot as a premier BMX bicycle brand, and they invested heavily in product innovation and marketing. They would eventually accomplish their goal, and as of 2008, they are again regarded as a superior manufacturer of BMX bikes.
Olympics
The sport of BMX racing received a great honor in 2003, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to add BMX racing to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. The competition included 32 male riders and 16 female riders. The racers competed in groups of eight, racing on dirt tracks covered in jumps, banked corners and obstacles. Maris Strombergs of Latvia won the men's gold medal, and Anne-Caroline Chausson of France won gold for the women.
