BMX
BMX (Bicycle Motorcross) is a form of cycling on specially designed bicycles which usually have 20 inch wheels. The sport includes racing on earthen tracks, known as BMX racing, as well as the performance of tricks on the bikes, called Freestyle BMX.
Freestyle BMX has grown to include five distinct disciplines. These are Street, Park, Vert, Dirt, and Flatland. These usually involve technical movements of the bike in different ways over varied terrain.
A BMX intended for racing can be easily picked out from a freestyle BMX. Freestyle bikes usually have a U Brake instead of a V Brake and a race BMX has longer stays to increase stability when going faster. The shorter wheelbase of a Freestyle bike allows quicker turning.
Some more modern technologies for BMX racing is the wheels addition of a rear disc brake as opposed to having a rimming brake. This increases stopping power and works better in wet weather due to the rubber free brake pads.
Recently, BMX racing's international governing body, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), began sponsoring the UCI BMX World Championships. In 2008, BMX racing will enter the Olympics for the first time in Beijing, The People's Republic of China.[1] (For the schedule, see Cycling at the 2008 Summer Olympics: BMX)
History
BMX originated in the state of California, United States in the early 1970's, when teenagers imitated their motocross heroes on their bicycles. [2] Children were racing standard road bikes off-road, around purpose-built tracks in the Netherlands.[3] 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.
The BMX bike has grown very popular with youth and has been known to be practical as it is rather small and easy to move. There are also BMX Style Helmets which are made specially for the sport.
By 1977, the American Bicycle Association (ABA) was organized as a national sanctioning body for the growing sport.[2] 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.[4]
Over the last decade, the popularity of BMX has grown immensely. It is now one of the staple events at the annual Summer X Games Extreme Sports competition held largely on both coasts of the United States.
References
- ^ "BMX will be added to the 2008 Olympics (UCI press release)". Retrieved 2007-10-15.
- ^ a b "History of BMX". Retrieved 2007-10-14.
- ^ "University of BMX : BMX in Holland". Retrieved 2007-10-14.
- ^ "A Short History of BMX". Retrieved 2007-10-14.
- Bakshi, Amar. "How the World Sees America: BMX in UK v. U.S." Washington Post/Newsweek.
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