BMX Racing

BMX racing is a type of off road bike racing, similar to motorbike super cross racing and mountain bike 4X racing. BMX racing was introduced as a full medal Olympic sport in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. United States dominated the men’s event, winning gold, silver and bronze. In the women’s event, France took gold and silver, with bronze going to the US. 

BMX racing tracks are approximately 45 seconds long, with usually around 20 jumps. 8 riders race on the track which is less than 5 meters wide. The tracks have sharp corners with large banks to help the riders maintain speed through the course.  These courses reward riders who have strength, speed and courage.

In BMX racing, bikes with 20inch wheels are used.  There are no gears on a BMX racing bike and pad brakes are used. The frame of a racing BMX is longer than that of a trick BMX, this allows for more aggressive pedalling and easier cornering. Most high quality racing bikes are made of 4130 chromoly or sometimes aluminium. These metals have a high strength to weight ratio, making them ideal for bikes which need to be strong and lightweight.  The gearing ratio on race BMX bikes is also quite high as riders are travelling at high speed.

Bike riding and children

Bike riding enthusiasts don't have to stop bike riding once they have children, there are a wide variety of attachments and bikes that allow children to join in on bike riding. Here are a couple of options for parents:

Child bike seat:

A child bike seat is probably the most common way for children to travel on bikes with parents. The positives of bike seats are; they are inexpensive, compact and they don't require parents to endure too much extra weight like with bike trailers or cargobikes. 

Bike trailer:

You have probably seen parents using bike trailers and have thought they look very dangerous, I thought the same thing until I spoke to a parent who uses one and she reassured me they are quite safe. The bike trailer is attached to an existing bike, and has a number of advantages to a bike seat; more than one child can ride in the trailer, trailers are weather proof, they are highly visible therefore cars are more careful when driving near the trailer also a bike trailer has its own set of wheels so in the case of the bike failing over the trailer is likely to stay standing upright.

Cargobikes:

In Holland where nearly all of the population rides bikes, parents use cargobikes. Children ride at the front of the bike in a utility style tray. As the children are sitting at the front of the bike, they can easily communicate with parents and enjoy a better view of the journey than children who ride in trailers and bike seats. Cargobikes have an 80kg load capacity, the utility tray comes with one bench and two seatbelts, and there is also an added option of installing another bench which seats one extra child.   

 Zoe

Mountain Bikes

Mountain Bikes are bikes that are built to go off-road. They are generally stronger but heavier than most other types of bikes allowing them to withstand the demands of off-road cycling and jumps. 

Cross Country is a type of racing in which cyclists are timed as they complete a course. The courses consist of both uphill and downhill section with an emphasis on endurance, with times varying from 30minutes to many hours. Cross country is the only discipline of mountain biking in the Olympics. Cross country bikes are usually light weight, some being as low as 10kg, with full suspension and disc brakes.

Downhill racing involves participants racing on a fast downhill course, hence the name. This is the most technical and fastest form of mountain biking. Courses range from 3-10 minutes. The courses often consist of large jumps and drops, as well as extremely steep ‘rock gardens’. Because of the dangerous and fast-paced nature of the sport, downhill has quite a large fan base compared to other forms of mountain biking. The bikes used usually have an emphasis on strength and suspension because of the pressure put on the bike.

Four Cross (4X) is a style of riding where four cyclists race over a short track, no longer than one minute, which consists of jumps and sharp turns. This type of racing is very similar to super-cross motorbike riding and BMX racing. The bikes used in this type of racing are a cross between Downhill and Cross country bikes, with longer suspension that cross country but lighter than downhill.

Types of bikes

So, from our previous posts, you may already notice that there are various types of bikes and this post is going to show you some of those varieties. Maybe it will help you make that decision on what bike is right for you.
Many of you may not know this, but there is actually a crazy long list of different kinds of bikes, so I will just stick to mentioning a few :)

Road bikes:
Road bikes are known to have light frames and narrow, high-pressure tires. While they may be pretty uncomfortable, they are designed to be the fastest and lightest type of bike available - which definitely helps when riding up hill!

Mountain bikes:
These bikes are built for rough riding and off-road use - hence the name. They have high-performing brakes, suspension, fat tires and comfortable seats. They are very durable, but their wide tires can sometimes be a problem when travelling for a long time on flat surfaces.

Tandem bikes:
These are bikes made for two. The person in front controls steering, braking and shifting while the person in the back has limited access to brakes. The pedals are connected so that they revolve around the hub in unison. Perhaps an idea for that romantic date your planning...? Haha

Dutch bikes:
Now these bikes are seeming to make a comeback lately - there the vintage style bikes you see around. They got their name due to the fact that they originated in Holland. These bikes have a very uptight riding position and are designed for comfort not speed. They often feature a basket at the front plus mudguards, luggage rack in the back and enclosed chain and gears for low-effort riding.

Happy biking!
Sandra

Artistic Cycling

Artistic cycling is a form of bike riding that you may not be quite aware of. I know I sure wasnt before I came across it in research and I'd like to share with you guys what I learnt :)

First a little history - The first unofficial world artistic cycling world championship was held in 1888 by Nicholas Edward. Now this was primarily a publicity stunt to show off his tricks.
The first official world championships were first held for men in 1956 and women in 1970.

So - What is artistic cycling? Artistic cycling is a form of competitive indoor cycling where individual's perform tricks on fixed-gear bikes. The tricks they perform are of a similar format to ballet or gymnastics, so clearly these people have got to be pretty skilled! The tricks (or exercises, as they are professionally termed) are performed in five minute rounds before a set of judges, and can be either by singles, pairs and four or six man teams.

Here is an example of an artistic bicycle.

Now if your still curious as to how tricks are performed check out the following video (and more) on Youtube:

World Championship Artistic Cycling 2009

Pretty crazy huh! Definitely an interesting and unique sport to watch :)

Sandra

Bike riding around the world

                                   Bike riding around the world

What do u think about bike riding around the world?  

 I think it could be a great experience but a bit hard :)

Many people every year many people decide to enjoy other groups of people to take a trip around the world with their bicycle.

There are some websides as http://www.worldbiking.info/wordpress/ in which everyone can choose which kind of tour they want to do with their bikes.

Another interesting webside is http://www.worldwidebikeride.com/, in which people can choose to share with everyone their trip  and experiences during their bicycle trip around the world.

I invite you to have a look on http://www.worldwidebikeride.com/ and to read Matt story, which is very interesting and crazy :)

Do you know who is the first person riding around the world?

 Thomas Stevens (born 24 December 1854, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, died London, 24 January 1935, aged 80) was the first person to circle the globe by bicycle. He rode a large-wheeled Ordinary, also known as a penny-farthing, from April 1884 to December 1886^. He later searched for Henry Morton Stanley in Africa, investigated the claims of Indian ascetics and became manager of the Garrick Theatre in London.

Giulia

Reasons to ride a bicycles

                                  Reasons to ride a bicycles:

 There are many different reasons for everyone to start to ride a bicycle :)
 
Firstly especially for wemen  

• ncreased cardiovascular fitness
• increased strength
• increased balance and flexibility
• increased endurance and stamina
• increased calories burne

But this is not all, if u decide to ride a bicycle instead of a car or take train there are others benefits:

1. It is an environmentally friendly mode of transport.
2. You save money on fuel (Gas, Petrol, Diesel or what ever you call it in your country) by riding a bicycle.
3. A bicycle requires comparably less maintenance.
4. Riding a bicycle is good for your health. You develop a strong heart and muscular limbs.
5. You can weave in and out of traffic.
6. Riding a bicycle is a quicker way of getting around the city. I have found that inside city, while driving automobiles, you can hardly go above 35 Km/hr. And many times you are forced to move at a crawl.
7. There are no parking problems. And you do not have to pay a toll for parking in special spots.
8. Riding a bicycle to work everyday, you do not have to set aside time for exercise as this in itself is an exercise. Thus the time saved can be used for other tasks.
9. The slow pace of travel helps you be receptive of the sights around you, which you might in all probably have missed while riding an automobile. And finally …
10. At the end of the day, you feel much better – Physically and Mentally.

 It can be also a funny moment to ride with your children or friends:) 

Giulia