Future of BMX

[Bushwacked]

I'm quite new to BMX so don't have a great handle on the past but was thinking - How do we think BMX will develop in the future, especially now it is an Olympic sport?

From what I can see...

- Skateparks are opening, some are closing, some are expanding into purpose built facilities

- There are some big tracks being built round the country

- Cycling generally is getting more coverage on TV bringing it more into the mainstream.

- But BMX is still regarded by the masses as a minority sport for the under 20s.

I've not got a clue on what things will be like in 5-10 years time but I like to think that it will be a growth sport - but what do you guys think especially those who have grown up with BMX in their lifes and have seen the highs and lows?

[dialledbikes]

Having racing in the Olympics will obviously open more doors for people at the highest level to make a career out of it, but I think BMX will always be a minority sport which is seen as more of a teenagers/kids sport than an adult sport.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest though as minority sports are the ones that tend to attract people who are really into them.  People will always jump on the bandwagon but they don't tend to stick around for long if the passion isn't there.

There's talk of vert/freestyle becoming an Olympic sport (or replacing racing after 2012), but to be honest, I think vert/freestyle is better off without the Olympics.

[Bushwacked]

Its a tough one as on one hand I can totally see that as a minority sport it leads to more passionate people being involved in it, staying in it and putting more back into it but on the other hand will we see new facilities built or even the existing ones being improved or just maintained over time if there isn't the people to use them.

I think this is one of the reasons why I'd like to think there will be some growth over time.

I'd love a nice indoor park on my doorstep! (is this selfish?) 

[markatkins]

Bloody hell Bushwacked,you could get me started on this one lol......
Im 34 been into bmx since i was 8!
Bmx "has" and "always" will be a minority sport and a sport that unless you ride yourself will never understand!End of!
Bmx has took me round the world,earned me some money along the way,met loads of amazing people and "still" now when people ask,what are you into'the reply when you tell them is always the same,kids sport kids bikes your too old too big for that etc etc......99% of people over here are just so ignorant when it comes to bmx,i never really found this in Europe,just the uk.

The future?Well......For me its just riding again with new and old friends just having "Fun" which is what the sport was all about.At the mo its just all too serious,moody looking kids and riders in their own groups who are pretty ignorant to others,this is probably just the state of our youth but it was never like this years ago.

People keep telling me bmx is huge and getting bigger and the scenes amazing....i dont feel that way.
in my day we had a shit load of riders who rode because they believed in and loved bmx,there were contest every 2 weeks and the UKBFA put good contest on.Now what i see the riders are like sheep and follow the current trend,most once they find cars booze and birds will ditch the bikes....There is no UKBFA etc to put on contest for the kids-up and coming riders but to be fair they probably would not be interested unless there was money on offer and a sponsor at the end of it lol

Bmx racing in the olympics was amazing but as for freestyle,not a chance on earth in my opinion and i hope it does not.
Can you really see these kids with their arses out on the BBC riding for the UK team on the park?Not good viewing.Vert,ive rode vert all my life and again i dont think it would work.Show your Mum a vert run and to them it all looks the same,they cant tell a flip from a whip lol.Even when bmx gets tv coverage its just a f-----g joke.Bmx on the x factor???When euro sport air the dew tour live they have some idiot commentating who has no idea of whats going on.
I would love to see more parks built but at the mo i see and hear of a few closing down or moving on to other things,bloody rock climbing.....
The future will see more and more old skool riders getting back on it keeping the vibe alive!!!!!

[Flatcap]

Bloody hell Bushwacked,you could get me started on this one lol......
Im 34 been into bmx since i was 8!
Bmx "has" and "always" will be a minority sport and a sport that unless you ride yourself will never understand!End of!
Bmx has took me round the world,earned me some money along the way,met loads of amazing people and "still" now when people ask,what are you into'the reply when you tell them is always the same,kids sport kids bikes your too old too big for that etc etc......99% of people over here are just so ignorant when it comes to bmx,i never really found this in Europe,just the uk.

The future?Well......For me its just riding again with new and old friends just having "Fun" which is what the sport was all about.At the mo its just all too serious,moody looking kids and riders in their own groups who are pretty ignorant to others,this is probably just the state of our youth but it was never like this years ago.

People keep telling me bmx is huge and getting bigger and the scenes amazing....i dont feel that way.
in my day we had a shit load of riders who rode because they believed in and loved bmx,there were contest every 2 weeks and the UKBFA put good contest on.Now what i see the riders are like sheep and follow the current trend,most once they find cars booze and birds will ditch the bikes....There is no UKBFA etc to put on contest for the kids-up and coming riders but to be fair they probably would not be interested unless there was money on offer and a sponsor at the end of it lol

Bmx racing in the olympics was amazing but as for freestyle,not a chance on earth in my opinion and i hope it does not.
Can you really see these kids with their arses out on the BBC riding for the UK team on the park?Not good viewing.Vert,ive rode vert all my life and again i dont think it would work.Show your Mum a vert run and to them it all looks the same,they cant tell a flip from a whip lol.Even when bmx gets tv coverage its just a f-----g joke.Bmx on the x factor???When euro sport air the dew tour live they have some idiot commentating who has no idea of whats going on.
I would love to see more parks built but at the mo i see and hear of a few closing down or moving on to other things,bloody rock climbing.....
The future will see more and more old skool riders getting back on it keeping the vibe alive!!!!!

Ditto!!

[moley]

Ditto!!

Been riding a BMX for less than a year (unsuccessfully) 

I'm in it for the craic!! 

Hopefully this new interest in BMX after the last Olympics will attract more youngsters into the sport and remind the oldies what they're missing out on!! 

[Bushwacked]

Mark - glad you managed to control yourself and didn't start off!!! 

Agree - I like things the way they are, but you go to parks and they seem half full or near empty (admittedly I haven't seen a part on a Saturday in school holiday - the thought terrifies me!). I've had such an awesome time on my BMX in the past year that I want to see more people on one - everyone should give it a go!

The kids bike thing makes me laugh but is also frustrating - Since getting into BMX I get so much stick off my mates and family about it, you wouldn't believe it if I told you, but water of a ducks back heh!

Agree that happily we won't see freestyle in the Olympics - can you imagine the youth of today in Lycra skin suits - well not really much far off what they wear now just in union jack colours!!!

 

[jedi]

the future?
loads of manning up i reckon 

[JT71]

nah Tuesday proved I'm too soft to man up.

i wonder if bmx and skating whilst still quite minority sports, are here to stay this time, not like the previous boom and bust scenes of the 70s/80s/90s (only really the latter 2 for bmx)

however pretty much this time round it seems the skaters/bmxers and now the bladers can all get along in the same park without hating each other.
maybe the skatepark rider be it boots, planks or 20" wheels will stick together and the sports and the venues will all prosper as a result.

i wonder how long the parks will last this summer, money is tight, weather fair, lots of free outdoor riding around. could be interesting.

[Broggie]

If everything else is anything to go by, the future of BMX is in the past and when everyone is bored to death of a million and one tailwhips, that's where they'll go, back to a simpler time, to where the heart of BMX really is.

.....and if they don't I'll let their tyres down 




Ray.

[HARORIDER]

i think bmx will be around for many years to come-i used to go fishing but was costing me roughly £70 every time i went which was nearly every week so this is quite cheap really once you have your bike
i you never grow out of it..... right lads and lasses

[jedi]

you only trult grow old when you stop!


<fact>

[Philbert]

bmx in the future will be non existant! anyone seen on a bmx will be prosecuted, the system will see fit to ban them on the grounds of health and safety. same with anything fun on a bikes. bikes will be a commuter/fitness thing only. the 'man' will take away all our privileges and right to have fun. eventually we shall be shot on sight with a laser (light amplified by stimulated emissions of radiaton. i'm brainy!) gun for disturbing the piece! of course before that we (us the older lot) will start going to skateparks and kick the living fook out of anyone in tight jeans with matching seat and pants, especially them twatty eclat seats, wtf is that all about?! floppy hair and being generally quite queer! our bikes shall be all matt black with four pegs, with spikes sticking out the sides, punctureless tyres so we don't get punctures, we'll wear black masks, (cause at the moment its cool to be black, us president! F1 champion! highest paid actor (will smith) i bet jacko kicking himself. lol) and we'll basically mad max around for a while. beat up queers and man the mutha fookin hell up! i'm going for another bulmers! hangon!

[Flatcap]

(light amplified by stimulated emissions of radiaton. i'm brainy!)

Google is a wonderful thing Phil 

Daz.

[Philbert]

google! not really. i worked for marconi as a systems test engineer on their fibre optic (laser) technology, basically all the stuff that makes your broadband so quick these days, setting up laser eyes, testing the full system before it went out into the feild. realy interesting job, pity it moved to hungary!

[bmxbert]

although bmx is still very much alive i cant help but feel that the best bit is dead.

i cant dig the paper weight bikes and plastic pedals. when i was riding regular if your bike landed on you it didnt bounce of

i loved slams and the sound of 10stone bikes making dents in coping.

dont get me wrong i know that the riding is awesome now but it just dont seem the same. and im only 26

keep your plastic pedals and mini seat posts. give me a tank! if im going to crash i want to spit a tooth out



but hey thats mid school baby

[billstup]

Vert or freestyle will never get in to the olympics because no one would pass the drugs test 

[jedi]

lol  heh heh  fact

[TwoBobRob]

laser (light amplified by stimulated emissions of radiaton. i'm brainy!) gun for disturbing the piece!

That would be 'peace', brainy......

Oh the irony   

[moley]

 

[darkersomeday]

the future of bmx clearly lies with dead kittens and naive tippex.

[dialledbikes]

although bmx is still very much alive i cant help but feel that the best bit is dead.

i cant dig the paper weight bikes and plastic pedals. when i was riding regular if your bike landed on you it didnt bounce of

i loved slams and the sound of 10stone bikes making dents in coping.

dont get me wrong i know that the riding is awesome now but it just dont seem the same. and im only 26

keep your plastic pedals and mini seat posts. give me a tank! if im going to crash i want to spit a tooth out



but hey thats mid school baby

Don't worry Bert.  Not all BMX companies are going down the wack route of silly lightweight scooter frames with no seat post and plastic pedals 

[bmxbert]

glad to hear it mike.

just checked out your frames they look really nice

when you gona do one with 990 mounts?

[dialledbikes]

Probably do 990s when I re-issue the MX20 frame (the original dialled bikes race/trails frame).

MX20R is the new version of the MX20, which is now more racey.  So the new MX20 will be less racey and more trailsy.

[jedi]

mmmmmmm.i may look at one of them bad boys