198X or 201X? BMX Racing Back in Full Effect

When it comes to extreme sports, it’s 1980 all over again. One would have thought that skateboards and BMX bikes would be forgotten by now and instead, we’d be racing on hoverboards or something equally cool. However, it seems nostalgia got the better of us. Seeing my kids develop interest in something I used to spend many hours on makes me feel young and cool again.

That being said, I don’t mind the return of the BMX rage, because as someone who was a teenager back when BMX racing first was invented, it brings back fond memories of me and my friends getting together in my parent’s garage to watch overly recopied, grainy BMX videos of races. Afterwards, we’d get on our BMX bikes and race to the skate park and try all the new tricks we saw, only to miserably fail at them.

But enough reminiscing, let’s get to the point of this article. If you’re someone who’s new to BMX racing and BMX bikes in general, regardless of whether you’re young or old, you should first become familiar with the basics of BMX bikes. When looking for BMX race bikes for sale, you should pay attention to factors such as: the materials they’re constructed from, size, and weight.

Materials

When looking for BMX race bikes for sale, you’ll typically come across bikes made from several different popular materials, including: aluminium, carbon steel, carbon fibre, titanium, chromoly steel and 1020 steel. If you’re on a limited budget, then aluminium and 1020 steel bikes are your best options. Aluminium is preferred for racing, as it’s very lightweight, yet strong. However, if you have a bigger or unlimited budget, then titanium and carbon fibre are the best options as both of them are extremely lightweight, strong, and flexible.

Size

There’s no universally ideal size for BMX bikes, as all riders have different proportions. That being said, it’s best you get measured and look up a BMX sizing chart. Getting the right size will improve your riding experience tenfold and allow you to optimally perform both on racing tracks and in skate parks.

Weight

I briefly touched the subject of weight in the paragraph where I discussed the materials. Typically, lightweight bikes are more expensive, but then again, you don’t have to buy the most lightweight bike, especially if you’re a beginner. Lightweight bikes are considered better simply because they have better maneuverability, which translates into more control, which consequently requires less energy to accelerate to higher speeds.