BRO Resources: Frequently Asked Questions...

Monday, January 1, 2001

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is BMX riding?

A:BMX riding is typically done on bicycles with 20 inch wheels. BMX as a sport involves two broad disciplines: racing and freestyle (also known as "bicycle stunt" or "trick" riding). Freestyle itself consists of several sub-disciplines: dirt jumping, park/ramp riding, vert, street and flatland. While most riders engage in more than one of these disciplines, most have one type of riding that they prefer.

Dirt jumping is one of the oldest disciplines of the sport. The roots of BMX are in motocross (MX) riding, which involves dirt jumping. Dirt jumps are carved out of mounds of dirt - usually one mound for takeoff and one for landing. A BMX rider pedals quickly to first takeoff, lands and then uses the momentum from his landing to propel himself toward subsequent jumps. Often, riders perform a trick in the air before landing.

Park riding consists of performing tricks on ramps and in skateparks. BMX has roots in skateboarding, and BMX riders have been building ramps and riding alongside skateboarders since the first skateparks were built. Because the terrain in skateparks is so unique, it is the favored discipline of many riders.

The vert riding discipline involves riders on 9 to 12 foot high ramps which transition along a 8 foot radius to a vertical wall. The rider's goal is to fly high out of the ramp, perform a stunt and land safely back on the ramp. Vert is very technical and is exciting to watch.

Street riding is when riders simply ride their bikes around and do tricks on obstacles along the way. "True" street riding is when riders perform tricks on obstacles found in the street such as ledges and stair handrails. "Street" competitions such as the X-Games or Gravity games, however, usually feature ramps.

Flatland is perhaps the purest form of expression on a bicycle. Flatland riders do not use ramps or jumps, but instead choose to do tricks on flat surfaces such as parking lots. Although flatland is not as dangerous as the other disciplines of freestyle, it is the most difficult and requires a high degree of technical precision. Flatlanders are some of the most dedicated riders in BMX. In fact, professional flatlanders typically spend 6-10 hours a day on their bike!

Q: What does BRO intend to accomplish?

A: We work to promote BMX as a valid sport and to make public facilities to be made available for BMX Riders.

Q: Can BMX riders and skateboarders use the same terrain?

A: BMX has strong and well-documented roots in skateboarding. BMX riders use the same terrain as skateboarders, and the two types of athletes routinely compete on the same courses. More importantly, bikers and skaters can coexist peacefully. In fact, all of the public skateparks in Europe allow bicycles. Many of these parks were built in the 1970s and are still thriving today.

The real problem in skateparks is crowding, not mixing wheels. It is no surprise that public skateparks are sometimes crowded: bikes, boards and blades are popular with kids today. If a park is too crowded, separate hours can be set aside for BMX riders.

Q: I heard that BMX riders ruin skateparks. Is this true?

A: There is no evidence that bicycles do more damage to concrete surfaces than skateboards when skateparks are designed properly. Concrete skateparks are now built very sturdily and there is no evidence that they cannot withstand BMX use.

Click HERE for a list of skatepark builders who support BMX.

Q: We have a local BMX track. Why don't these kids just go there?

A:BMX racing is a separate sport from freestyle, and park riding is a specialty unto itself.

Q: What are the effects of not having these parks available?

A:Without public facilities, kids who ride BMX bikes are on their own to find or build places to ride. Because the places where they ride are often illegal, BMX riders are subject to ticketing by police. Many young riders have a police record simply for riding their bicycles! We believe that this encourages an unnecessary "us against them" mentality toward law enforcement.

Q: What are the benefits of allowing BMX riders to use public facilities?

A: We believe that BMX riding is a healthy activity for young people to engage in, and that city governments should do more to encourage it. Numerous studies have shown that kids who play sports are less likely to use drugs or join gangs.

Q: How will BRO will help solve these problems?

A: Using the power of the internet, we are channeling the efforts of BMX riders young and old to make our concerns known and to get the laws changed.

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