This for the parents of BMX Racers

  It has come to our attention that not only do we need to teach the athletes how to race, but the parents of the BMXer as well. Here's what to expect from the sport as the athlete gains skill, and speed.

As a novice class racer, racing is slower, but none the less exciting  to the  early racer. After a novice racer makes the step toward the intermediate class of racing, things go a little faster.

Racers are now stronger, pedaling faster, and further in places they coasted before. Skills for maintaining their bikes are better.  Now is the time the BMXer starts to learn technique.

There are so many different ways of getting ahead, staying ahead, blocking, passing, and jumping out of the gate.

When an athlete turns expert, sometimes parents become confused as to what is fair, dirty, or illegal.

I want to start from the beginning of the track and move to the end with different techniques that can be used in a race legally

   From the gate, and in the 05 rule book page 25 paragraph 35, the lead rider, (lead by an inch, or a bike length) can take any available lane on the track. As a result of this rule when giving it all you've got, and trying to get to a lane you feel you need to be in, riders often bump, and some times fall. This is NOT Dirty nor is it something anyone wants to do on purpose (bumping), because it could be the bumper who takes the fall as well as the bumped.

You can't push yourself past your limits and not lose control sometimes. On the other hand you can't get faster if you don't push.

  In the turns when gravity is pulling a rider up the berm, but the other rider is coming down beside him, it tends to look like the rider being pulled is sticking out an elbow to hit the other rider, when what is really going on is the pulled rider is trying to get his weight, and angle of his bike in a spot to keep control, and stay in the lane.

  Elbows can be used to keep a rider who may be close to another from passing simply by holding the passing rider back. One down fall to this is,  that the elbow is also holding the handlebars that control the bike. Not an illegal technique but if the rider can't out power the passing rider, or if the passing rider trying to out power the elbow can't do so, both are at good risk of crashing.

Block Passing  is when a rider cuts right in front of another rider in a turn. This is legal to do, and is very common, especially in tight turns.

Kicking another rider in a turn is not only Dirty, and illegal, it's impossible to do in a race while keeping your place with one foot off the pedal. Think about it if you take one foot off to kick another rider, as the other riders are still pedaling with all they have, how can you maintain your position,  and kick too.

Break checking is where a rider in front hits his/ or her breaks hard in front of another rider for the sole purpose of confusing the rider behind, or throwing that rider off their game. Not at all illegal, and if the rider behind you is gaining quickly, it's a good way to slow them down, and keep them blocked.

One thing to remember, BMX is not only how fast you are, but how you can control yourself, and the race. My favorite saying is, "if you can't out ride them, out last them".

I know the main concern is the safety of the athlete, this is why all safety gear is required on both bike, and racer.

We have seen many ugly crashes, but almost al of them get back up and finish the race.

This is an extreme sport, but it's still safer than Football, or most other team sports.

If you feel another rider did something wrong, please call the official to the side after the race, you do have three motos to lodge a complaint, and ask them about it. The head official has the final say in all rulings. As in Football, and other team sports bad call can be made, we are still human. If it don't go your way,  and believe me I have been there, you remember it's just a game, put it behind you and start over.

It's too easy to get caught up in the competition, and the strive to get to the top. If it didn't happen this season, we promise  you'll get plenty more to try again.