BMX

BMX was my favorite activity to do as a younger child, but due to my current height, I am unable to continue this sport. I now enjoy mountain biking, but BMX is more variable; you can ride on the street, bmx track and skate parks. BMX bikes are also designed for their individual purposes, but they are more similar to each other than mountain bikes.

Riding a BMX bike on a skate park is known as vert. The main different between these types of BMX bikes and dirt BMX bikes is the tires and sprocket size. When riding on a skate park, the smaller the front sprocket the better, because it is less likely to get hit, and it enables faster acceleration, which is what you need. The tires on a vert BMX bike are slicks, because they have more surface area to grip on a smooth timber or concrete ramp.

BMX is known mainly for its racing side, on BMX tracks. These are usually gravel tracks, with multiple jumps. The aim of BMX racing is to get to the finish line as fast as possible. This is done by minimizing the time spent in the air (unless for show). Scootering is a technique where the back wheel stays on the ground, and the front wheel is in the air. The idea of this BMX technique is to balance on the back wheel, while still being able to peddle, and increase your momentum.

There are several types of BMX jumps, known as doubles, triples, singles, step ups, step downs, tabletops and canyons. The corners in a BMX track are known as a berm; which is a sloped corner. BMX tracks are often made of blue gravel, with concrete berms. The gravel is quite painful when you fall off, so ensure that any wounds are cleaned thoroughly.

BMX bikes only have one gear, but adjusting the sprocket will allow for faster acceleration and less top speed if you drop down size, or faster top speed and slower acceleration if you increase the sprocket size. BMX racing bikes are made out of lighter material, to decrease the effort to get around the track. A larger BMX bike is known as a cruiser, which is pretty much the same thing, just larger.

An addition to a BMX bike which many people do is put ‘pegs’ on their bikes. These are simply bits of metal which stick out from the axle, and allow for the BMX bike to grind along a rail. BMX is an awesome sport for many people, particularly for younger kids and teenagers. It is healthy, and fun for everyone.