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About BMX - History & More              Presented By:

 

 

For those of you that are new to the sport of BMX... Welcome!  This section is dedicated to giving you the history and evolution of BMX.  Even if you know a thing or two about the sport, look at this section as a refresher.

The History

BMX originated in the state of California, United States in the early 1970s, when teenagers imitated their motocross heroes on their bicycles.  Children were racing standard road bikes off-road, around purpose-built tracks in the Netherlands. The 1971 motorcycle racing documentary On Any Sunday is generally credited with inspiring the movement nationally in the US. In the opening scene, kids are shown riding their Schwinn Stingrays off-road. It was not until the middle of that decade that the sport achieved critical mass, and manufacturers began creating bicycles designed specially for the sport.

By 1977, the American Bicycle Association (ABA) was organized as a national sanctioning body for the growing sport.BMX was introduced in Europe in 1978. In April 1981, the International BMX Federation was founded, and the first world championships were held in 1982. Since January 1993 BMX has been integrated into the Union Cycliste Internationale.

Over the last decade, the popularity of BMX has grown immensely. On the freestyle side of the sport, growth has been fueld by the X Games and AST Dew Tour, where the racing side has been growing steadily under the management of the American Bicycle Association and the National Bicycle League.

For a more detailed view of the BMX heritage, look no further than our friends at BMXultra.com who put together an interview with Scot Breithaupt, the undisputed founding father of BMX.  Here's an excerpt:

Scot Breithaupt was responsible for running the first 'Official' BMX race in California way back in 1970. He's also the founder of the legendary, long time BMX manufacturer, SE Racing. Dubbed "The OM of BMX" in his racing days...even in the late 90's SE still had a cruiser named after him, the "OM Flyer". He is an ABA Hall of Famer, a living legend.

BMXUltra.com hooked up with Scot to find out about his story

"BMXUltra.com: Let's get straight to the point, how did BMX begin?
Scot: I used to race motorcross, when I practiced local kids would come out and imitate my jumps. One day I went home got some of my motorcycle trophies and had the 35 kids there each pitch in a quarter. Broke them down into skill classes; beginner, novice and expert. It was kewl, the next week 150 kids showed up!

Read more of the BMXUltra Interview with Scot >

BMX Glossary

Special thanks to Emery Park BMX, check them out at www.emeryparkbmx.com

ABA: American Bicycle Association

AMATEUR:
Any non-pro rider.

BERM: 
An embankment on a track built up on the outside of a turn to create a banked curve.

BMX: 
Abbreviation for bicycle motocross.  BMX indicates a style of bike and kind of race or competition.

BOTTOM BRACKET: 
The mechanism at the bottom of the bicycle frame, which holds the spindle and crank.

CAGED PEDALS:
Pedals that have an aluminum cages around the outside of the pedal with spikes that grip your shoe.

CHAIN STAYS: 
The part of the bicycle frame that runs parallel to the chain.  It connects the bottom bracket to the rear dropouts.

CHAIN WHEEL: 
A one-piece front gear.  The chain wheel is attached to the bottom bracket and crank.

CHAIN RING:
Chain rings are lighter than full sprockets, but are not nearly as sturdy.  They require a spider that is either built into the crank arm, or an additional part.

CLASS BICYCLE:
A bicycle with 20"wheels

CLASSIFICATION: 
Skill level at which a rider competes.

CLIP LESS PEDALS:
actually hook or “clip” to your clip less shoes.  They are the new technology that replaced toe clips on pedals.  Some clip less pedals have a cage around the outside of the pedals. 

CRANK: 
The L-shaped metal arm to which the pedals are attached.

CRUISER:
A Bicycle  with 24 " wheel diameter.

DOWN TUBE: 
Part of the bicycle frame, which slants downward at an angle.  It runs from the head tube to the bottom bracket.


DNS: 
Destination on a moto sheet that a rider "Did Not Start" in any particular moto or main.


DROPOUTS: 
Small, slotted openings, which hold the front and rear wheel axles.  On many bikes the dropouts do not appear to be separate parts.  They are merely the opening at the ends of two other frame sections: the seat stays and the front fork


ENDO: 
When the front wheel of a bike is stopped and rider falls over the front handlebars.  (something you'd like to avoid!)


EXPERT:
Highest level of amateur competition.


FORK: 
The double-pronged section of the frame, which holds the front wheel in place.


GEAR RATIO: 
A number, which indicates the relationship between the two gears and tells you how much work a particular combination of gears will do.  (Something you probably won't ever figure out! LOL)  Click here to a link to a gear chart to help you


GRIPS:
Plastic cover who goes on the handle bars at the end , to aid in gripping handle bars.


HEAD SET:
Bearing set for which your front end  rotates on and your fork/handle bars slide into.


HEAD TUBE: 
A short vertical tube at the very front or head of the bike.  The front fork fits inside the head tube.


HOLESHOT: 
Taking the lead position out of the starting gate and going into the first turn.


HUB: 
Cylinder, which holds the axle of each wheel.


INTERMEDIATE:
Skill level for riders with limited experience and ability.


LANE:
Position 1 thru 8 on the starting gate.


LOOP OUT:
When the rider on a bike is on back wheel only, flips off the bike backwards.


MAIN EVENT:
Final class race, after all qualifying has taken place, to determine class placing.


MANUAL: 
The act of riding a wheelie without pedaling typically over the top section of various jumps.


MOTO:  
a.) A single racing heat. b.) Any riders specific race.


NAG National Age Group:
National Points ranking by specific age only.


NATIONAL EVENT:
Any race offering national points.


NOVICE:
New rider to the sport.


NUMBER PLATE:
Displays riders earned or temporary number for identification purposes


OPEN :
Non points class available to any rider regardless of amateur skill level.


PLATFORM PEDALS:
are the most commonly used pedals for trails, street, and ramps. They have a platform that your foot rests on with little pegs that stick to your shoe.


RHYTHM SECTION: 
A series of jumps or rollers back to back on a track that pose as an obstacle.


RIMS:
Round part of the wheel, that the tires attach onto.


ROLLER: 
An obstacle on a track that is rolled over as opposed to being jumped.


SEAT STAYS: 
Section of the frame, which runs from the seat tube to the rear wheel dropouts.


SEMI MAIN:
An additional qualifying race for classes with multiply groups.( Follows quarters)


SEAT POST: 
The tube, which holds the seat and goes into the frame.


STAGING AREA: 
The area where the riders gather or are place in ?chutes? for loading into the gate.


STARTING GATE:
Platformed area with a hinged portion. This is where each race commences.
 

STEM: 
The part connected to the forks that hold the handlebars.  Sometimes referred to as a gooseneck.


STEP-UP: 
A jump in which the landing is elevated about the launch.

SPROCKET: 
Same as a chain wheel or either the front or rear gear assembly.


TABLE TOP: 
A jump on a track that is completely level or flat all the way across it from the lip to the landing.


TOP TUBE:
The top horizontal tube on a bicycle frame, between your head tube and seat tube.


X UP:
When you turn your handle bars half way around in the air on your bike.

BMX Racing Organizations

If you want to race BMX in the United States, you have to be a part of a sanctioning organization.  The ABA (American Bicycle Assocation - www.ababmx.com ) and NBL (National BIcycle League - www.nbl.org ) are the two U.S. based organizations.  Check out their Loop'd profiles below or visit their websites to learn more information on how to get started.

Websites

A great way to keep up on the current events, here are some bmx websites for you to check out:

www.loopd.com
www.bmxmania.com
www.bmxultra.com
www.fatbmx.com
www.bmxnews.com
www.vintagebmx.com
www.bmx2day.com
www.cyclingnews.com

BMX Magazines

Magazines are some of the best resources to get into a sport.  Here are the BMX Magazines...

BMX World //   World wide and racing focused
BMX Plus //  Covering both racing and freestyle
BMXer //  The official magazine of the ABA
BMX Today // The offical magazine of the NBL
Ride BMX // Dedicated to the freestyle aspect of BMX

BMX Companies

There are some great companies in the bmx industry that make some great products.  Below are a couple on the Loop'd Network, check out their profiles by clicking on their logo.  For more bmx companies on Click Here
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