BMX Games - Can You Handle It?

BMX games are types of extreme sports that involve specialized bikes that can perform tricks both on ground and in the air.

The term BMX games conjure up images of loud hip hop music, players in anti fits, kneepads, helmets and loads of attitude. BMX is actually a bicycle that differs from the common bicycles regarding some features.

For example, it has 20 inch wheels which are 6 or 7 inches smaller than the normal ones. Further, the bike's frame is designed to give greatest possible firmness and resistance rather than making it light. Finally, its features allow the bike's steering wheel to be revolved in 360 degrees.

The games that can be played with the BMX bikes include racing and freestyling and needless to say these fall under extreme sports. If players do not protect themselves with protective gear, then injuries may exceed the normal bone breaking rituals.

BMX racing usually has a track consisting hilly or sandy ones and are almost 300 to 400 m long, interrupted with jumps and banked corners that give the bumps. The race is usually among 8 racers on an average and last for many laps. The race can last up to 25 to 40 seconds and has riders riding at a speed varying between 15 and 35 mph.

BMX freestyling also known as Bike Stunt has seen a considerable growth in popularity compared to BMX racing. It constitutes riding street objects, wooden ramps and obstacles. It naturally follows that there is no race between different participants and when these sports are held on a professional level the artificial ramps are built for the participants.

Freestyling genres

There are basically 5 different sub categories under BMX Freestyling:

1. Street riding includes riding on objects like stairs, handrails, walls, ledges, banks and anything that can be ridden but is originally not meant to be!

2. In Flatland riding, the 'freestylers' maneuver their bikes in different positions on flat ground. All the other forms of freestyle riding have been built on this foundation. Though this form has not risen in popularity, yet it continues to be cherished amongst its followers.

3. Park riding involves riding a BMX in a skatepark and this particular style incorporates in it elements from the different forms of freestyling. Skateparks are however designed for skateboarders and BMX riders do not get any particular support from the community, however the good news is that many BMX friendly zones are being built.

4. Dirt or Trails riding is another form of freestyling that owes its origin to BMX racing. It involves the riders taking off from one dirt ramp, presenting an aerial trick, finally to land on another ramp. This combination is called the 'double', while a number of doubles in succession is called a line. Other types of jumps have names such as camelback's, step-up, tabletop's and step-downs.

5. Vert riding involves riding on any half pipe that is of course vertical and reaches to a height of 9 feet or higher. Tricks are performed in the air above the ramp on each side coupled with a peg trick at the top of the ramp.

Now, that you know all this, go ahead and buy that BMX bike and do what you always secretly desired to do.