A Short History of BMX Racing

The origins of Bicycle Motocross (BMX) can be traced back to Netherlands around the 1950s, but it was really in America shortly after this that the sport would boom – through BMX racing.

It was in BMX racing that the sport would get its start, as kids inspired by 1972 motorcycle film ‘On Any Sunday’ – but too young or poor to ride motorcycles – took their Schwinn Sting-Rays off road to race, a trend which would not only go nationwide but would open up the gates for the creation of a sport which was there to stay.

Dirt tracks sprung up in Southern California throughout the 70s, bicycles started being made especially for BMX racing, the BMX National Bicycle League was formed by George E. Esser in 1974 and the American Bicycle Association (ABA) became the national body for BMX racing in 1977.

What Kind of Bike is Used For BMX Racing?

BMX bikes come in all shapes and sized, and when you’re buying your first BMX bike things can get confusing. Luckily while street, park and dirt bikes can be quite similar, BMX racing bikes are notably different – so make sure if you are getting yourself one, you ask first and look out for the following.

When it comes to cycling BMX is the powerhouse pick of the lot – it’s about explosive power and hitting your max, whereas mountain biking and road cycling are more about endurance in many ways.

Unlike other BMX bikes, BMX racing bikes will always have at least one break, as well as a single gear that allows the competitor to push harder and increase their speed on the bike. They will also traditionally have larger sprockets than other BMX bikes. Like regular BMXs, those for racing have 20-inch wheels.

What are the Rules of BMX Racing?

The rules of BMX racing come from those already established by motocross racing. The race starts with up to eight riders being unleashed from a starting gate, and sees the riders speed around a dirt BMX track made up of numerous corners/berms, rollers and jumps before the finish line. An average BMX race will last between 30-40 seconds.

Collisions are common in the sport – much like BMX fails are a big part of the internet these days – and if one rider goes down in the middle of the pack, the rest tend to go with him.

BMX racers must not impede deliberately or force each other off the BMX track though. This would lead to disqualification. Likewise, on the final straight, no rider is allowed to block another’s path. The race is won when the front wheel crosses the finish line.

For the summer Olympics, the competition kicks off with a time trial for every rider, where the racer rides against the clock to get their seeding for the quarter-finals. The top four riders from the quarter-finals progress to the semi-final, and from there, the top four from each race progress to compete for the medals.

BMX Olympics | A Short History of BMX Racing at The Olympics

BMX racing officially became an Olympic sport when the International Olympic Committee decided to include it in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at a conference in Prague in 2003.

…and if you’re after a full look at how BMX became an Olympic sport? Here’s the viewing you need:

Results at Olympic BMX Racing so far:

At Beijing 2008, Maris Strombergs left everyone in his wake and claimed the first ever gold medal for Latvia, while number one seed Anne-Caroline Chausson took the gold for France, with British hopeful and number two seed Shanaze Read unable to finish in the final. The results were as followed:

• Gold: Maris Strombergs, Latvia | Anne-Caroline Chausson, France
• Silver: Mike Day, USA | Laetitia Le Corguille, France
• Bronze: Donny Robinson, USA | Jill Kintner, USA

At London 2012, Strombergs again took the win, while Shanaze Reade again made the finals for Britain in the women’s ranks but finished sixth, less than a second off the medal times.

The results were as followed:

• Gold: Maris Strombergs, Latvia | Mariana Pajon, Colombia
• Silver: Sam Willoughby, Australia | Sarah Walker, New Zealand
• Bronze: Carlos Oquendo, Colombia | Laura Smulders, Netherlands

BMX Olympics | Who to Look Out For on the Team GB Front at the Rio 2016 Olympics

Liam Phillips is the man charged with bringing back the medal for the BMX racing instalment of Team GB at the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio. Having become the first man to ever win back-to-back UCI BMX Supercross World Cup titles last year, with wins in 2014 and 2015, expectation is high.

Liam has been cycling since the age of five and won his first European BMX Championship aged nine. He’s already competed in two Olympic Games despite being just 27-years – even competing in London despite breaking his collarbone ten weeks before the Games.

Liam Phillips Olympic record currently reads one elimination in the heats and one in the finals, but with a lot more experience and wins under his belt, he’ll be confident of a medal this time around.

Unfortunately Phillips’ foot would unclip in those finals in London though, and he’d crash out. This time around he’ll be looking for redemption!

Kyle Evans will be the second BMX racing athlete representing Team GB at Rio 2016 in the summer Olympics, and will also be looking for a medal spot having had a good season which included second place behind only Phillips at the Manchester instalment of the UCI World Cup.

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