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Getting Started
  

So you want to start racing BMX? Getting started in BMX is easy and the ABA has made it inexpensive. The first two things you need are a bicycle and a track to race on.

First of all, here are some documents you may want take a look at that will hopefully answer some of your questions:

Any of the bike shops listed on our Links page will be glad to help you choose the correct bike for you or your young one. We also have a Bike Wizard which will help you get a good idea of the correct size bike. BMX Tracks sanctioned by the ABA are located all over the country. The two tracks in Cobb County are located in Noonday Park (Kennesaw, GA) and in Wild Horse Creek Park (Powder Springs, GA).

When calling your local BMX track, you will probably want to ask the following questions:

  • How do I get to your track?
  • What times are your sign-ups and practice?
  • What time do you begin racing?
  • How much will it cost to begin racing?
  • How big are your trophies?

Once you know where to go racing and you have your 20" or 24" (Cruiser) racing bike, there is a simple checklist to go down in order to make sure your bike is ABA safe and race ready:

  • Make sure all nuts and bolts are tight, especially your axle bolts and stem bolts.
  • All reflectors must be removed for safety purposes.
  • If your bike has a kickstand, it must be removed.
  • You'll need a number plate. Most race tracks will usually supply you with a temporary one until your permanent race number comes. If not, a simple paper plate taped or zip tied to your handle bars will do.

Next, there is the checklist to be sure you have the appropriate clothes for racing When your first start out in BMX, think cheap. You don't need a fancy uniform. Jeans and a long sleeve shirt will do fine.

  • Long sleeve shirt.
  • Long pants.
  • A helmet. Most ABA tracks have "loaner" helmets for beginners to use. A lot of times, a good, inexpensive helmet can be found at garage sales or in the pit area of your local BMX track. They can even be found at discount stores such as Walmart and Target. A full face racing helmet is highly recommended in order to protect the riders entire face.
  • Any tennis shoe is sufficient. Just be sure to tuck shoe strings in somewhere to avoid getting them caught in the bicycle's chain.

The cost of an ABA license is $45 and is good for one year from the date of purchase. Each race at a Cobb County track has and entry fee of $10 for racing that day. The entry fee for other special events at the track may be a little higher but the trophies are usually larger too!

Hope to see you at the track!

The History of BMX

Somewhere in southern California during the early 70's, a bunch of kids on modified 20" Schwinn Stingray bicycles went out to a vacant lot and created a brand new sport of their very own... Those kids were probably not even the first. The same scene of youthful energy and American resourcefulness was quite probably going on in Nebraska and/or New Jersey. But it was the California gathering of nameless pioneers who were recorded on film by Bruce Brown's cameras. The resulting motorcycle film, ON ANY SUNDAY, would spread the word like a wildfire.

There was no stopping it now. A new sport created by kids for kids was born. Bicycle Motocross was the name it was given. That name was quickly shortened to BMX. It grabbed the attention of thousands of kids in one short summer. Boys and girls on their modified bicycles were seen jamming through the dirt emulating their motorcycle motocross heroes.

Immitation lead to innovation and quickly the kids were performing tricks and "getting air" that made their motorcycle heroes green with envy. The next step was organized racing. By 1977, pockets of loosely organized BMX races dotted the nation from coast to coast. It was time for a national sanctioning body and from out of this need, the AMERICAN BICYCLE ASSOCIATION was created. The AMERICAN BICYCLE ASSOCIATION not only filled that need, it completely changed and continues to shape the future of the sport it serves. The first step was to create a system of qualifying participants that was not only fair, but one which enhanced the competitive nature of the very sport itself and still afforded each and every rider the chance to be a winner. This need for fairness and allowing for the fortunes of luck led the way to the transfer system, in which the winner of each moto advances to the next round - be it quarter, semi or main event.

That first step led to a long and continuing list of firsts that spell out the very success of the ABA. From supplying the first and world's largest national sanctioning body, first national tour, first Pro purse, first Cruiser class competition, first sanction to call fouls as they occur, first starting light system, first automatic gate system, first voice command, first duel announcing, first computerized membership and points system, first computerized sign-ups, first computerized system for local tracks, first interactive website to service it's members, first and most prestigious National Amateur Championship to cover all ages and the list goes on.

ABA BMX racing is a sport of youthful achievement and the American family. While the young boy or girl BMX racer develops skills at an individual pace, they are learning about winning, losing and trying again. The racer's family learns that time spent together is support of the racer and the individual achievements is quality time.

It is the duty of the ABA to establish the rules of racing that provide fair competition and fun family entertainment for all of it's 60,000 plus members. This is a job to which the AMERICAN BICYCLE ASSOCIATION and all of it's employees are 100% dedicated.

 

 


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