It’s all about the effervescence of heart-stopping motion. Motor racing and motocross rally have gained massive popularity. Today, they give spectators the opportunity of enjoying great delegated pleasure. The friction within the wheels, the splinters flying in all possible directions and a follower getting close on the leader in the dying lap of the race; all this makes for amazing artistry, one that is enough to put the watching public in awe.

Dirt bike events and races are generally held in off-road circuits. The thrill is enhanced by the challenging terrains. Actually, dirt bike events can assume two great avatars. It can be either a motocross racing or a super cross racing. Now motocross racing is stretched over nearly a two-mile course and off-road challenges turns them into a nice tussle. Having said this, the natural obstacles do not pose a very huge hindrance. This is why man-made challenges are being made for the purpose of racing. A lot of dirt is accumulated and tracks are made from the dirt. Such surfaces can be really slithery and need exquisite skills to be negotiated.

On the contrary, the tracks for super cross racing are built in indoor stadiums, these are not very large. To add to the steepness of the battle, these courses are also augmented with dirt tracks. Less number of riders, almost twenty of them participate and most of them do not cross past the line of finish intact.

It is quite understandable that dirt can be most difficult factor for the wheels. This is precisely why slime-filled mud yards in rainy season are not suited for riding bikes. The popularity of dirt bike events and racing has increased manifold because it marries the thrill of speed with the tenacity of off-road terrains. Spectators automatically get this dual fun.

Medical facts- Because it is essential to control a nearly 200 pound vehicle at a high-speed over torturing roads, the heart rate of dirt track racers go up to 190 beats per minute and more generally it remains so for not less than 35 minutes. This is why their heart capacity and adrenalin levels are tested prior to their enrollment into the genre of racing.

Pit bikes are small dirt bikes. Their engines are bored-out to perfect displacement and their air boxes are removed. Both of these aim to give a higher leverage to the engine capacity.

By: Jordan Klawinski

BMX (bicycle motocross) racing has come a long way since it was first conceptualized. In fact, the humble origins of the sport are often cited as stemming from the motocross documentary, On Any Sunday, which opened in 1971. The opening scenes of that movie followed kids on their Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycles riding dirt tracks and imitating motocross riders.

Of course, those scenes were based on something that was already taking place. Generally it is recognized that BMX as a sport found its footing in California. The bicycle races were predominantly composed of kids who had the desire to participate in motocross but could not afford it. Instead, these riders would groom their own dirt courses and use their bikes. Today’s BMX racing tracks, with inline starts and expressive obstacles, trace back to this origin.

While ever since the invention of the bicycle there have been those who attempted innovations and tricks, most bikes up until this point were designed primarily as a means of transportation. Schwinn’s Sting-Ray changed that. The Sting-Ray was released in 1963 at a time when custom cars and motorbikes were becoming popular. It was custom-built for riding off-road at high speeds and landing jumps. These bikes became popular fast, and quickly became one of the best-selling bikes in the country. Afterward, more manufacturers took note and began designing bicycles with similar custom features, such as twenty-inch wheels.

As custom bikes continued to grow in popularity and design evolution, riders continued to test the limits of what they could do. As this trend continued into the 1980s, BMX came to be about more than just racing. Riders began to perform skateboard-style tricks, and this is how the freestyle division of BMX was born. As a result, new bikes were designed to provide optimal conditions for performing increasingly difficult tricks.

By the 1990s, the sport was nearly ubiquitous. BMX was featured as a major part of the X-Games on ESPN. That trend has continued to the present day, where BMX racing is bigger than ever. The sport has grown to have its own international governing body, and BMX races took place as an Olympic sport for the first time in 2008.

Along with the sport, the bikes themselves have continued to evolve. Anyone interested in BMX biking today has a high and diverse number of bikes available. Which bike is best for you depends on how you plan to ride.

In essence, BMX bikes are simply a type of mountain bike designed to excel on off-road surfaces. These bikes feature 18- to 24-inch wheels and are designed to be lightweight and durable. Their design makes them particularly suited for racing and tricks.

There are actually three forms of BMX racing, with specially designed bikes in each category; namely, racing, freestyle and jumping bikes. Whether you want to race competitively or just have fun on homemade trails, these categories can still be helpful for determining which kind of bike is best for you.

Racing BMX designs are made specifically with the idea of speed in mind. They are composed of lightweight frames and feature customized tires designed to excel on off-road surfaces.

Freestyle bikes are very sturdy, with thick frames and pavement-ready BMX tires. These bikes are best for riding in skate parks, where you can learn and practice stunts and tricks.

Finally, jump bikes feature strong, sturdy frames, capable suspension systems and knobby tires. As the name suggests, they are meant to handle jumps comfortably, whether that be as part of a circuit or a homemade jump in the backyard. These bikes are also good on trails.

If you are just starting out riding off-road at high speeds, then you may want to start with a racing BMX, as these allow you to get out on the track and will have you learning the basics in no time. It is also never a bad idea to contact your local bike shop to get advice on which bike will work for your purposes and with your build.

In addition to these categories, bicycle customization is becoming more widely accessible. This allows you to tailor your bike to your specific racing and aesthetic desires. Whether you want a bike you can occasionally take off-road at high speeds, or you are looking to become a devoted BMX racer, today’s BMX rider has more biking options available than ever before.

By: Jennifer R Scott

One thing I hate the most about the second moto or main (for you flat track guys) is that the race groove is worn in the track causing it to become a one line affair. This makes it extremely difficult to make passes in a timely manner. This often causes you to reach deep into your bags of tricks to find the best areas and techniques to make passes. You will usually find some techniques that may be considered dirty or aggressive to some riders but they are necessary in order for you to get the win. I am going to share a few of my techniques I have used during races.

The first is more common than you think and I use it often in flat track racing: block passing. This technique requires you to be an aggressive rider and it also requires a high level of commitment to perform. You will need to “set up” the other rider a few turns prior to the turn you want to perform the block pass in. This involves putting pressure on him by showing a wheel and running right on his rear tires in order to intimidate him a little so that he is more forgiving when you execute the block pass. As you approach your desired corner, you want be on the inside and you will need to stay on the gas a second longer than the other rider does.

As you go into the corner start to push the rider towards the outside (don’t make contact). As you get into the apex slow down almost to a stop, this forces the other rider to check up and lose all of their momentum in the turn. Once you accomplish that square up the turn and motor out of it. You have just made a clean block pass and have a little room to spare as the other rider has to shake it off and get his momentum back up. This technique becomes dirty if you run into the other rider as you make the pass. A little contact is ok but deliberately hitting a rider will get you into trouble.

A less aggressive approach to block passing is to stay on the gas longer than the other rider going into a sweeper turn and passing him with speed rather than aggression. You can also pressure another rider into making a mistake. This is a more clean way to pass as it requires no deliberate effort on your part. All you have to do is get into the other rider’s head and force him to make a mistake. You will need to be alert as the mistake may be minute and you need to be able to take advantage of it as soon as it happens. The ultimate way to pass is to get the jump off of the line and beat everybody to the first turn! If you can do that and set a fast pace you will be able to win very easily (easier said than done of course!).

The best advice I can give you is to get out there and try new things. Remember to never follow the other rider. Always be on the alert for opportunities to pass and for new lines to open up. Good bike control will help you out a lot for these techniques to work properly. You need to have full confidence in yourself and your machine. So what are you waiting for get out there and start passing!! I will see you on the other side of the checker’s!

By: Rob Shoemaker