The history of BMX Bikes
In the late 1960s Southern California became the birthplace of BMX. At the time the sport of motocross was very popular and teenagers seeking to imitate the sport began doing so on bikes. These kids modified their Schwinn bikes into homemade dirt bikes and rode on tracks they made themselves. The sport was never a game to its originators they were organized and held races with numbered riders in a competitive atmosphere.
The BMX bikes that were initially used were not actually intended for the purpose. At the time most of the bikes on the market were made for transportation and they all had the same basic design. The most popular bike was the Schwinn Sting-Ray, this bike was different from the current offerings at the time. It was designed to capitalize on the growing interest of motorbikes and muscle cars and kids loved it. The Schwinn Sting-Ray quickly captured the market and was the recipient of 70 percent of all bicycle sales within five years of its release. Initial BMX riders would modify the Schwinn Sting-Ray and race in small races locally.
The first organized BMX bike race was held in Southern California in 1971 and was organized by Scot Breithaupt. Riders wore homemade riding suits and gear and rode on a track they had made themselves. Within four years of this event manufacturers began producing BMX bikes with a 20 inch wheel made specifically for the sport and the first pro race was held.
Article copyright © 2008 bmx.bikebuy.co.uk
No Comments »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post.
TrackBack URL
