BMX racing.

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Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
This is something that I've never followed but because Shanaze Reade is reported as saying she will concentrate on BMX and not the sprint scene for the Olympics I thought I would check it out. I therefore googled and opened up some info. Now I know we should be friedly to all cycling disciplines but this has to be a joke. Those bike are for kids and some trick riders surely not in as a serious Olympic competition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
Americans have taken it very seriously


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhbFWScwCK0


Great example of it here too


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNvy_uEAuBU&feature=related


The bmx 'track' racing is very serious and arguably very strong competition.
I'm glad its in, as its fast, competitive sport that will be good to watch.

But i suppose where does the line get drawn?
Longest wheelie competition?
highest bunny hop?
longest trackstand?
 

wafflycat

New Member
BMX has as much legitimacy to be an Olympic sport as any other (synchronised swimming anyone?). To be good at BMX requires a lot of determination, skill and fitness. The only shame is they dropped the kilo from track to make way for BMX. That was wrong IMO, as the kilo is to cycling what the 100m is to athletics. Can't imagine the 100m ever being dropped from the Olympics...
 

Flying_Monkey

Recyclist
Location
Odawa
Personally, I think it looks ridiculous. I used to race BMX as a kid, and it was great. Then it gets 'professionalised' and adults start doing it for big bucks whilst looking like chimps riding circus bikes. I am sure it is very skillful, blah blah, blah, but it has basically taken away something that was for children...
 

mondobongo

Über Member
Its fast paced racing thats exciting to watch and worth having in the games, its also the inspiration behind 4X which is BMX on Mountain Bikes.

Flatlands is pretty cool stuff as a discipline within a discipline just how much practice to pull off those moves.

Nice video here Steven Blatter Flatland BMX
 

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
It doesn't do it for me. Speedway without the motor? I guess it's a subjective thing on where to draw the line on Olympic events - it's possible to make a case for lots more fringe activities but as Wafflycat says the biggest travesty was to drop the kilo.
 

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
sheddy said:
If the Oly commitee have to drop anything they should have started with the synchronized posing events xx(

The Busby Berkeley Award for the silliest competition - Sync swimming or sync diving?
 

Odyssey

New Member
Keith Oates said:
Those bike are for kids...

FlyingMonkey said:
...and adults start doing it for big bucks whilst looking like chimps riding circus bikes...but it has basically taken away something that was for children...

Why is it for children?

Can anyone give a valid answer to that?

It seems a very closed-minded opinion to me.
 

Flying_Monkey

Recyclist
Location
Odawa
Odyssey said:
Why is it for children?

Can anyone give a valid answer to that?

It seems a very closed-minded opinion to me.

I just did tell you why. It started off as a kids thing. I used to race BMX back in the early 1980s. Adults commercialised it. I liked the uncomplicated fun of it...
 

Odyssey

New Member
It may have started off as a 'kids thing' but that doesn't make it so now. I dare say a lot of sports started out as kids things. Until the kids begin to mature.

I watched 5 minutes of track racing the other day. I know quite a few of you are into that. People pedalling around a circular track. It wasn't particularly exciting but that's a matter of personal preference. It is however, very little different to BMX racing. BMX race on dirt and there's a few jumps on the way. At the end of the day they're all racing around a track on bikes, it's the same activity.

Yet you make it sound like an over-commercialised joke that shouldn't be taken seriously. You do realise that adults ride BMX without the lure of money? It has not taken away anything from children. Kids are still welcome to ride BMX as they are any other bike. In fact it's those kids that will still be riding when they become adults, which is where 99% of the adult BMXers come from.

Most people, especially the younger generations don't have any interest in the Olympics anymore because nothing in it apeals to them. It's about time the archaic sports had a shake up before it becomes completely obsolete.
 

Odyssey

New Member
Put it this way, how many kids do you know that rush home to watch the Olympics?

I don't even know any adults that watch it to be honest. probably unfair of me to call some of the sports archaic and it would be hypocritical to belittle them but most people simply don't have much interest in it. I think the only people I've seen watch it with pride are the over 50s.
 

simonali

Guru
rich p said:
Speedway without the motor?

Motocross, you mean? (BMX)

I think it looks like a pretty cool spectator sport, but I do agre about the track disciplines being dropped. Was there really a need for that? :smile:
 
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