BMX – Come Fly With Me

Along time ago when I was just a child, I wanted a BMX bike so bad! Santa never brought me one and birthdays came and went too. As a family we struggled financially so I had to make do with a second hand, re painted, black racer bicycle.

I did love that ricketty old bike and indeed was grateful you must understand but I still looked on in envy at all the other BMX bikes. Perhaps because I believed I could fly over the garden, house and beyond at that point made me want one even more. I hadnt grasped the fact that the BMX bikes in the movie E.T. had more than a helping hand in getting them off the ground! Flying over large obstacles in BMX video games didnt seem to compensate.

Of course back in those days the whole BMX thing was brand new and on Christmas mornings the streets seemed to be full of kids zooming up and down pavements, which were littered with crude home made and often dangerous ramps, on their new bicycles, the large majority of which were the phenomena that was to become BMX.

Despite thousands of valiant attempts, no one ever did manage to fly their BMX over the house, although crazy Billy from the next street has the scars to prove he gave it a really good try. We all concluded that E.T must have had some kind of magical powers!

More than 30 years later and although BMX bikes still cannot fly they are still very cool and are more popular than ever. For the first time in its history in 2008 they became a successful part of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

At the 2008 Olympics, racing was the only BMX discipline to take part but with the ever growing popularity of the sport in general, it is only a matter of time before Freestyle is included too.

BMX also has Flatland in its arsenal of disciplines, this too is growing in popularity and as with other forms of BMX riding takes great skill to be a true pro.

With such a variety of styles it is not a surprise to find out just how many different models of BMX there are. Not only does each discipline generally require a different bike with regards to weight and structure but even within the disciplines themselves there are many different models and brands.

Famous riders get bikes designed not only with their name branding it, but often with their own specifications too.

If you are looking for a BMX bike for personal use or for a gift for someone else, never have you been better served by the choice and variety available and there should be no problem finding the one you want.

November 25 2008 | bikes | No Comments »

Expert Road Bike Riding Takes A Lot Of Practice

A guide to learning the basics in mountain biking. Learn these skills and riding a mountain bike will soon become second nature.

Mountain biking is an exhilarating sport that can be enjoyed by anyone who has learnt to ride a bike. Compared to a normal bike riding it can be dangerous, so you should make sure you learn the basic skills below before you begin.

You can practice these skills practically anywhere – on a bike path, at your local park, or simply around your garden. If at all possible, try and find somewhere with a hill.

Get to know your pedals. Learn to move your feet away from the pedals. Try this while you are sitting on your bike with the other foot on the floor. Once you have mastered that you can have a go at moving your foot on and off the pedal while pedaling around for a while. You might need to spend some extra time practicing if you have either clip less or toe clip type pedals.

Practice spinning For this one you need to do is sit on your bike and keep pedaling. Bend your arms slightly and adjust the height of your seat so your legs are 70-90% extended at the bottom of every stroke on the pedal. Make sure you relax, as there is never a situation where your elbows or your knees are locked.

Changing gears Get acquainted with changing the gears on your bike. If you are in a high gears you may notice that it is more difficult to pedal although your speed increases, while the lower the gear the easier you will find pedaling and getting up steep paths. As you approach anywhere steep, its better to change gears before you get there rather than while you are actually on it.

Learn to coast Practice coasting with your feet on the pedals without sitting down. Keep your arms bent but make sure your knees are not locked.

Learn to stand and pedal One thing you will definitely need to master is pedaling while standing on your bike, so you will need to practice this often until you get it right. Try standing up slowly once you’ve been pedaling sitting down for a while and then increase your speed once your confidence develops. You can practice this in low gears when on hills and in high gears when on level ground.

Dropping down curbs Look for a curb where you can get to the upper portion of it with ease. Practice at a reasonable speed, standing and coasting off the curb from the upper to the lower level. Practice this at different speeds until it is a piece of cake.

Once you have practiced these skills and got the hang of them, you will be able to start on the trails feeling full of confidence. Even though it may take some getting used to at first, you’ll soon be a pro!

Read more articles on road bicycles and beginner riders here.

November 23 2008 | Mountain Bikes | No Comments »