Bicycle Motocross which is shortly known as BMX is a sport where the racing is performed on bicycles. The race is usually held in tracks and there are obstacles to cover. It was at the end of 19th century that bicycles became a popular transportation and recreational tool.
Many bicycle riders started to experiment with their bicycles and started to perform stunts. Even though most people believe that the BMX was originated in United States, there are evidences that traced the history of Bicycle Motocross to Holland. Schwinn Sting Ray, well known as a stung bicycle was introduced in 1963 and it changed the world of bicycle sports forever.
However, the game achieved popularity in 1970s when a couple of Southern Californian kids started to play on their bicycles and invented a new sport.
The race held by these children drew attention from motocross enthusiasts and the Schwinn Sting Ray bicycles were easily available those days. These bicycles were easily customizable and the customization can be done according to personal preferences. This boosted the popularity of this sport even further.
National Bicycle League was found by George E. Esser and the objective of this organization was to act as a firm that approves bicycle races. American Motocross Association and George sanctioned the first bicycle races.
In 1977, ABA (American Bicycle Association) organized a bicycle racing event which attracted participants from all parts of the country. Due to the popularity of this sport all over the world, International BMX Federation was founded in 1982.
The first BMX frames were seen in the market during 1973 and these frames replaced the regular bicycle frames that got damaged during races.
Mono shock suspension system also made its way to bicycles and this ensured better durability for the rear end suspension. Yamaha, the famous Japanese Motorcycle Manufacturer came up with a Moto bike that had a fully functional suspension system.
Once the sport became famous all over United Sates, Bicycle Motocross News magazine was also born in Orange, California, United Sates.
The editor of this magazine was Elaine Holt. Since Yamaha's bicycles were selling like hot piece of cakes, another Japanese manufacturer, Kawasaki also came up with a bicycle that featured aluminum shock absorber. The game was taken to a new level when professional stunt man and gasoline tank maker Gary Littlejohn came up with some rigid frames for BMX bicycles. This replaced the traditional bicycles with stiffer and lightweight frames.
By 1980 Bob Haro formed a team which is known as BMX Action Trick Team. They held their first demo in 1980. By 1982, BMX started attracting sponsorship from all over the world. Once sponsorship money started to flow in, BMX races became large events with a better organized set up.
The spectators also were increased due to the high importance given to these sports by celebrities and media. The boom was only going up and by 1983; the price money of BMX sports was 5,000 to 15,000 dollars at most parts of the world.
From this time onwards, free style bicycling took over the popularity of BMX. There were many BMX magazines but by 1991, most of them were struggling hard to survive. There were only a couple of events held each year and those events were not sufficient to news.
By 2003, Olympic Committee recognized BMX as a full medal Olympic sport and for the 2008 summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, BMX was held. Considered to other motor sports, BMX is considered as one of the safest sports and this is why many parents suggest this sport to their children.
Most of the training tracks have strict regulations on safety gears and if a rider fails to wear the necessary gears, he will not be allowed to get in the track.
The long sleeve leather jackets and pants used for BMX ensure protection to the rider. One more benefit for BMX is the low expense of these bicycles. They are very affordable and learning to perform stunts is also easier. This sport is primarily catering to the individual riders and every BMX rider has his own place.
This is a great thing about the sport. When you plan to buy a BMX bike for the learning purpose, go for a bike that can be modified in future so that it is easy to repair the bike according to your improvements in riding. You can get a lot of information about this sport on various online sources. There is no doubt that BMX is one of the most enjoyable sports.
