Bicycle motocross - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Bicycle motocross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bicycle motocross or BMX is a bicycle designed for dirt and

motocross cycling and is also the term that designates the
sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in
motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive
obstacles.[1]

Contents

1 History
2 See also
3 External links
4 References

A BMX race. First round of the

2005 European BMX
Championships held in Sainte
Maxime, France on 23 April 2005.

History
BMX started in the early 1970s when children began racing their bicycles on dirt tracks in southern
California, drawing inspiration from the motocross superstars of the time. The size and availability
of the Schwinn Sting-Ray made it the natural bike of choice, since they were easily customized for
better handling and performance. BMX racing was a phenomenon by the mid-1970s.[2] Children
were racing standard road bikes off-road, around purpose-built tracks in [California].[3] The 1972
motorcycle racing documentary On Any Sunday is generally credited with inspiring the movement
nationally in the US; its opening scene shows kids riding their Schwinn Stingrays off-road. By the
middle of that decade the sport achieved critical mass, and manufacturers began creating bicycles
designed especially for the sport.
George E. Esser founded the National Bicycle League as a non-profit bicycle motocross sanctioning
organization in 1974. before they set up the NBL, George and his wife, Mary, sanctioned motorcycle
races with the AMA (American Motocross Association). Their two sons, Greg and Brian, raced
motorcycles, but also enjoyed riding and racing BMX with their friends. It was their sons interest,
and there being no BMX organizations in the East, that prompted George to start the NBL in Florida.
By 1977, the American Bicycle Association (ABA) was organized as a national sanctioning body for
the growing sport. 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]
The sport of Bicycle Motocross - Freestyle BMX is now one of the staple events at the annual
Summer X Games Extreme Sports competition and the ETNIES backyard jam, held largely on both
coasts of the United States. The popularity of the sport has increased due to its relative ease and
availability of places to ride and do tricks.
In 2003, the International Olympic Committee made BMX a full medal Olympic sport for 2008
Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and Mris trombergs (male, for Latvia) and AnneCaroline Chausson (female, for France) were crowned the first Olympic champions.[5].[6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_motocross

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Bicycle motocross - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Many great BMX riders go on to other cycling sports like downhill such as Australian Olympian
Jared Graves, former "golden child" Eric Carter, and youth BMX racer Aaron Gwin.

See also
BMX bike
Motocross

External links
BMX Bike to Motor Bike Conversion (http://www.motormayhem.net/2007/06/26/bmxcycle/trackback/)
Notable BMX news site (http://www.thecomeupbmx.net/)
History of BMX (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2BKE0a-TLE&feature=related)

References
1. ^ thefreedictionary - BMX (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/BMX)
2. ^ "History of BMX" (http://www.ababmx.com/index.php?page=home_history) .
http://www.ababmx.com/index.php?page=home_history. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
3. ^ "University of BMX : BMX in Holland" (http://www.fatbmx.com/modules/news/article.php?
storyid=2372) . http://www.fatbmx.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2372. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
4. ^ "A Short History of BMX" (http://oldsite.uci.ch/english/bmx/index.htm) .
http://oldsite.uci.ch/english/bmx/index.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
5. ^ "BMX will be added to the 2008 Olympics (UCI press
release)" (http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=NDk2OA) . 2003-07-01.
http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=NDk2OA. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
6. ^ "Cycling BMX at Official Olympic movement site(description of
sport)" (http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=CB) .
http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/programme/disciplines_uk.asp?DiscCode=CB.
Bakshi, Amar. "How the World Sees America: BMX in UK v.
U.S." (http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/america/2007/06/bmx_rails_always_smoother.html)
Washington Post/Newsweek.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/america/2007/06/bmx_rails_always_smoother.html.

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Categories: Cycling | Cycle racing | Bicycle motocross
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