Introduction

Bicycle Motocross (better known as BMX) is where cycling takes place using unconventional bicycles which has 20-inch wheels, as compared to the normal bicycles which has 27-inch wheels. BMX comprises of races on rough terrain such as hilly or sandy tracks (BMX racing) and also showing off tricks on plain ground, wooden ramps or obstacles found along the streets (BMX freestyle).

BMX was first started in California, United States in the late 1960s. Scot Breithaupt is credited as the founder of BMX. However, it was only in the mid 1970s did BMX go prominently into the spotlight and attract people to it. Thus, manufacturers started creating bicycles specially designed for BMX.When Bob Haro came onto the BMX scene, he brought in tricks used in skateboarding and merged them with BMX freestyling, bringing about the BMX that we know today.

There are many types of BMX, the most popular being freestyle. Here, riders are allowed to display their creativeness in the disciplines of:

1) Street

Bikers are allowed to express their creativity on banks, walls, rails, gaps and any other obstacles that can be found on the street. Although there is no restriction in this area of riding, the riders here are not able to achieve big in the area of BMX.

2) Park

Here, bikers compete in skateparks designed with obstacle such as quarter pipes, spine, flat banks, wall rides and miniramps.

3) Vert

This type has two quarter pipes facing each other at about 2.5 to 3 metres high. After the transition on each pipe is a vertical section whereby riders can leap of and perform tricks in the air or stay at the tip and perform tricks before falling back. However, this is a dangerous type of BMX and few dare to take up the challenge.

4) Trails

In this aspect, riders try to carry out stylish tricks smoothly. The rider takes off from the lip (a steep take off) and lands on a slightly less steep mound, about 12 feet away. Here riders try to make their tricks on compacted mud smooth and swift.

5) Flatland

As the name suggests, riders perform tricks by varying their bicycle and body positions on a smooth, flat surface. The bikes used here tend to have shorter wheelbase to allow the bike to spin or balance on one wheel more easily.