BMX, which is short for "bicycle motorcross" is a sport that has been around for quite some time. BMX can be broken down into five different types – street, park, vert, dirt, and flatland. They are all different and many riders choose to focus on one over the others, as the techniques and terrains vary widely when it comes to these different types of racing/performing. There are also unsanctioned types of BMX – high jump, leap of faith, and drag. These are not supported or endorsed by any of the major BMX associations.
Southern California is credited with being the birthplace of BMX in the United States. However, this was in the late 1970s. In European countries, people were participating in the sport as early as the late 1950s. However, before BMX became a legitimate sport in its own right, it was often done on modified bikes. By the mid-late 1970s, manufacturers realized there was money in this and they began to produce BMX-specific bikes.
In 1977, the American Bicycle Association took the reigns when it came to organizing the sport. In 1993, it became a part of the Union Cycliste Internationale. BMX is part of the Summer X Games, and is still a very popular sport, though some have chosen to abandon BMX for motain biking.
BMX racing is an off-road bicycle race. The tracks are built specifically for the race, and will have jumps, bumps, and other obstacles the riders must contend with in order to win the race. The standard BMX race is a single lap around this course. There are both male and female divisions when it comes to professional BMX racing, with the average participants being in their early 20s or so.
BMX racing is done on a specific type of bike that has modifications to be up to BMX standards. The bikes are small, but strong, and the tires are anywhere from 20-24".
In Summer 2008, BMX will officially become an Olympic sport for the first time, which is a stunning display of legitimacy for the sport. The sport has been sanctioned and overseen by many different bodies since the late 1970s, but this is its first time in the large arena that the Olympic games provide.
In almost every country in the world, there is an official BMX sanctioning group. While the specific groups have changed over the years, it is safe to say there is always a group that is overseeing the sport and making sure the rules are adhered to when it comes to professional competition.
There are many different classes in BMX, ranging from Novice to Expert. Size, age, and skill level are all accounted for deciding what category a biker belongs to.
There is another type of BMX, however. Freestyle BMX is something entirely different from BMX racing, and is actually more closely associated with skateboarding than with bike racing. In freestyle BMX, the bikes are used to perform tricks, on different terrains, including streets, trails, and flatland. Bikers will find many of the same obstacles as seen in skateboarding, such as quarter pipes, miniramps, box jumps, pyramids, and rails. Their goal is to pull off the biggest and best tricks on all of these obstacles and earn the most points.
As you can see, BMX is a very diverse sport with a long history. It has also helped along the legitimacy of other sports, such as mountain biking.
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