BMX - Lets see your little bikes.

BMX is niche

🙁

I'm starting to think that the Olympics was a good thing. BMX has been dead for a while now.

More people on more bikes... it's all good I'd say. BMX has always been multiple, its a world of many worlds, which is part of the reason I love it.

Which is why it's important to not gatekeep, because we might get to hold onto more people when the cycle is low

This is interesting. I don't really keep up with BMX, other than watching the odd edit, and haven't ridden one in a decade but I see a fair few people out and about so assumed it was in a healthy place.

Has it gone back 'underground'?

Difficult to say really. Local to me the pump tracks, race tracks and skate/BMX parks are always busy.

Yes, you do get a fair few kids rolling around on mtb's way too big for them - but they could say the same about men on little bikes too 😂

Not sure if actual numbers of people riding is much lower but Nike dropping its freestyle team and no companies putting out videos I the same volume as before. Lots of pros losing contracts and the rise of the Anthony Panzas/Billy Perrys generating their own content and selling 'merch'.
I guess it's just different now and I'm almost in my grumpy final form.
I miss Brighton Ain't Ready and somehow freestyle in the Olympics is more dry to watch than Mike Spinner add another rotation to a trick.

Then again Garrett Reynolds is still smashing it so all is right with the world.
Also, I managed to miss the release of the new BMX game on steam. It seemed like there was no interest in improving PIPE.

Hahaaaa, can relate. I'm firmly of what's now called 'mid school' so what little I've seen of modern BMX kinda sucks haha. But you're right, it's probably just different and people who grew up riding in the 80s and 90s probably looked at us with disdain.

I had the really surreal thing with the Olympics of switching on the TV and seeing someone I grew up riding with judging. I knew I'd gotten old at that point hahaa. Also, as someone who used to ride comps (badly) in band t-shirts etc it'll never not be weird to me to see bmxers wearing something quite close to a traditional cycling jersey to ride in, ditto the rainbow bands.

Anyone got a long BMX they want to sell? 21 inch plus?

Hey hey BMX thread, I’m trying to find a copy of the Mark Noble Emulsion photo book as a gift for a mate if somehow someone on here either wants to sell one or ended up with two copies. Thanks in advance!

I have a Total BMX frame if you have the time/money/parts to build it. 21"

Maybe two months into trying to learn to manual, on and off.

I'm happy getting pretty low but I keep looping out after a second or so. Riding at about walking pace. I feel like I can recognise the balance point, but I just shoot straight past it. If I don't commit, I don't reach the balance point.

Any tips? Or just keep practising and it will become evident.

Are you riding with a brake? Practice keeping one or two fingers on the brake lever so you can feather it when you're up around bp.

With or without a brake, it's a lot of practice required, but things I find helped me:

Feel it through your legs and knees rather than your arms, when you get it around bp a few times what I mean will click in your mind. You want to use your legs and feet on the pedals to control the manual rather than pulling on the bars more or less.

Depending on the geometry of your bike you might find it easier to hang lower over the back wheel and keep yourself in a position where you can shift weight forward and back.

Just building these up for my daughter and I to go riding again. We raced for a year then packed it in because it was too cliquey but hopefully this time will be more fun . Mines the standard from 99

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thanks for this

rad

Cheers! Hoping to be able to manual too. It looks so good and bet if feels good too👌 (manuals i mean)

That Standard is fucking sick. I'm not a fan of the white walls but that's just a personal thing.

Thanks- just put the primo dirt monsters back on and scored some great wheels on eBay that needed a polish up : rear red profile mini on chrome envy, front profile totem hub on a chrome gsport birdcage rim. And did what felt like a mini manual this morning.
I’ll post some more pics.

Went to the skate park this morning and no one was there 👌I’m seriously out of practice and shape

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I walked the dogs to the local pump track this morning. Didn't take any bike :(

Looks fun. Nice bunny hop.

A tiny one 😂

I'm sure I've seen freestyle BMXs at the Olympics with the drivetrain on the left-hand side, while race BMXs have them on the right. Am I right, and if so what's the reason, BMX people? Thanks

some people who preferentially grind on their right run a left hand drive setup to stop the drivetrain getting banged up on rails/ledges

i also had lhd because i think it looks cool but that's probably not the main reason at the olympic level