Bicycles are a part of our daily lives, even if we don’t use them regularly. Perhaps we use them frequently or in rare cases, we use them occasionally. People who use bikes regularly must be aware of the term ‘BMX bike’.
BMX bikes have left us wondering what exactly they mean. In a while, we’ll better understand what is a BMX bike. What is BMX used for? The word BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross. The straightforward design and lightweight make it a favorite among most people.
There are many uses for these bikes, some people use them to race while others use them to ride on the streets. We will analyze the BMX bike in-depth, its types, uses, and other aspects.
Let’s get started.
What Is A BMX BIKE?
What is a BMX Bike? As we’ve mentioned earlier the term BMX, is the acronym of B=Bicycle, M=Moto, X=Cross. The BMX was first coined in earlier 1970s and later 1960s, inspired by motocross racing in California.
A BMX bicycle is an off-road sport bicycle used for flips, jumps, and racing stunts.
As children seeking to imitate motocross riders began racing bicycles through the dirt. Nowadays plenty of people use it for performing different stunts on the streets.
As it’s easy and freestyle design allows the riders to perform multiple actions with it.
The History Of BMX Bikes
During the 1960s people were putting knobby tires on motorcycles and racing them cross-country on the dirt. These motorcycles became known as dirt bikes and the sport was called motocross.
Children seeking to imitate motocross riders began racing bicycles through the dirt and they’re emulating motocross became known as bicycle motocross abbreviated as BMX.
Although there have been countless variations of bicycle designs in the last 200 years there have only been four major innovations that truly altered the basic functionality of the bicycle.
We now have a basic idea of what is a BMX bike. Here is a look at the initial designs of bicycles so we can better understand how BMX bikes are designed. What is a BMX bike made of?
1. Laufsmachine(1817):
The Laos machine had no pedals and would be pushed along by your feet.
2. Velocipede(1857):
The velocipede was essentially a Laos machine with pedals added to the front wheel. This was an enormous breakthrough because the rider could now keep their body on the bike.
3. Penny Farthing(1869):
The third iteration of the bicycle increased the diameter of the front wheel, making it a faster version of the velocipede. Penny farthings are quite difficult to balance since they put the rider very high off the ground.
4. Safety Bicycle(1885):
The problems were solved when the world was introduced to the safety bicycle. which looks very much like a modern-day beach cruiser.
However, starting in the 1900s bicycles began to develop subtle design improvements making them much more specialized to riders and styles of riding.
The 1980s saw the introduction of mountain bikes which are essentially a cross between a road bike and a BMX bike.
Different Types Of BMX
We have studied, what is a BMX Bike? in detail, so now it’s time to discuss different types of BMX Bikes. Basically, BMX is categorized into four different types. Riders will eventually enjoy themselves regardless of the category they are in.
A brief overview of the major types of BMX Bikes is in order.
Freestyle BMX:
As the name suggests freestyle BMX riding has no rules to ride. Most riders like to perform air stunts in freestyle. Riders show their best skills and creativity in freestyle.
Most freestyle BMX bikes are designed with no breaks, which allows riders to come up with their stunts without involving breaks. Freestyle BMX is further divided into three different categories.
Street BMX
Street BMX riders prefer to ride in urban areas and in public places, they usually love to use street stairs, pols, arched walls, and other artificial barriers to enjoy their ride with stunts.
To perform stunts on streets your BMX bikes should be lightweight as most of the actions were performed in the air. The street ride is a very skillful job one should perform after mastering tricks.
Park BMX
Park BMX riders love to use skateparks to perform their skillful tricks on BMX. They use Pipes, full pipes, half pipes, and jumping boxes.
The most performed stunts in park riding are flips, and spins, which we see most of the time on TV. Skatepark which is made of wood is highly suitable for park BMX riding.
Vert BMX
BMX vert-style riding involves performing tricks on vert ramps or half pipes, usually designed with two tops facing each other. The methodology of vert BMX is: riding from one edge to another.
When riders ride down the ramp, they gain energy to speed up, and when they climb the other edge, they release their bikes in the air to perform stunts. The maximum height of the Vert ramp is 20 ft.
Racing BMX:
Racing BMX bikes were the original BMX bikes that were inspired by motocross racing in the early 1970s. As with freestyle bikes, racing BMX bikes are lightweight, but they also have brakes.
A racing BMX bike has a relatively higher gear ratio than other BMX bikes, allowing riders to accelerate quickly. The race is held between eight riders and the track is usually made from dirt and tarmac.
Dirt BMX:
Dirt BMX combines freestyle and racing BMX in its most basic form. Occasionally, 24-inch wheels are found on these bikes. They normally don’t come with front breaks. Bikes that are used for jumping are sometimes also called dirt BMX bikes.
It is common for dirt BMX bikes to be long and thick because they allow them to perform smooth jumps on the ground.
Flatland BMX:
A flatland BMX style is one of the artistic BMX types. The tricks on flatland BMX take more time to master as most of the stunts are performed without leaving the ground.
There are many different types of BMX, but flatland BMX is unique. The riders move with complex motions and speeds on flatland BMX as if they were dancing with their bikes.
The flatland BMX style of riding is highly maneuverable and tricky since you will be on the ground most of the time.
Distinct Features Of BMX Bikes
Now you know what is a BMX bike, what BMX stands for, what is BMX used for, and then we have covered a brief history of BMX, after that, we discussed all types of BMX. BMX bikes have some cool features, so let’s take a look at them.
Frame:
We’ve talked about different types of BMX bikes, like Freestyle, Street, Park, Dirt, Flatland, etc. They all have a specific frame to match their type. Usually, the frame of a bike is considered the backbone of the bike.
BMX bikes are mainly characterized by their small frame size. There are many factors and materials that contribute to the frame of a BMX bike. Like some bikes need to be lightweight while some come with large frames.
Chromoly steel is one of the most common steels used in a bike frame. 1020 steel used for cheaper BMX bike frames. Carbon fiber is used in lightweight BMX Bike frames.
Breaks:
Breaks are normally part of the bicycles, but most BMX bikes come without breaks. Some come with both breaks and others with only front breaks.
Freestyle BMX comes with no breaks and dirt bikes have only rear breaks. Racing BMX bikes use only one break and that is the rear brake, while flatland riders remove both breaks.
Wheels:
The most obvious feature of BMX bikes is their wheels which distinguish BMX bikes from other bicycles. Normal bicycle wheels ranged from 26 inches to 36 inches. Normal BMX bikes ranged from 12 inches to 24 inches.
The most common size of the BMX bike wheel is 20 inches.
Conclusion
To conclude, what is a BMX Bike? What is a BMX bike used for? So, BMX is an abbreviation for the motocross bicycle. Inspired by motocross racing in the early 1960s. Eventually, children imitate motocross riders.
Nowadays BMX is popular among the young population, they use BMX bikes to perform different tricks and stunts on different ramps and places. If we know about the cost of a BMX bike, then it varies.
FAQs:
1. What is a BMX bike good for?
Most bikers love to ride BMX bikes for racing, ride in freestyle, do dirt jumping, and other multiple stunts.
2. Is BMX good for riding?
Due to their size and purpose, BMX bikes can be ridden, but they cannot be ridden comfortably due to their size and design.
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