BMX Basics

We will return to our regularly scheduled column, part 2 of our ongoing series on saving money on your race bike, in May... really!-JB

Here's a little snobbery for you - I have been using the Internet, and email, for twelve years now. It's hard to imagine, but back in the days before AOL and the other big commercial on-line services, it was very exciting to get e-mail from people... and there was no such thing as "spam". Every e-mail I got was from someone I actually knew, at least online. Pretty weird, eh?

Nearly as weird is the fact that, although I wrote more than sixty columns for the NBL rag over the course of five years, I received fewer than fifteen "feedback" letters from readers. Sometimes, three or four months would go by without me hearing anything, good or bad, about the column. You can imagine how surprised I was when the NBL's survey showed that "BMX Basics" was the most popular feature in the magazine (after the points, of course), read by 75% of respondents. I guess BMX racers aren't the letter-writing type.

We are the e-mailing type, however. The trickle of e-mail that began back when I published my e-mail address in "BMX Today" (some time in 1996, I think) is now, if not a flood, at least a stream. Every day, I receive a batch of BMX-related e-mails. I answer them all, so if you have mailed me and received no reply, please send again, as it means I have lost your original mail.

Many of the e-mails I receive have one of a few common themes. It occurred to me recently that perhaps I should write a general "Q&A" column for those of you who have questions similar to the ones I have already been asked. This doesn't mean I don't want to hear from you - I do, believe me. The pupose of this month's column is just to share some of the answers I have given in the past. So don't stop e-mailing, okay? Without further ado, then, let's kick off some Frequently Asked Questions. I have rephrased most of them to be "generic".

• What bike should I buy? The easy answer, and the one that the magazines love to give, is that most modern bikes are pretty good. That's true, but it's not really much of an answer. I usually recommend buying the sturdiest bike you can afford, without spending a ridiculous amount. Right now, the John Purse Signature bikes from Redline make a pretty good match with most racers' budgets. On the dirt-jumping side, I have been very happy with my Haro Backtrail x24, and the rest of the Backtrails look decent. If you want to spend more money than the bikes mentioned above cost, ask yourself if you are really spending that money wisely. Many times, it's better to buy a $400 bike and forty local races than it is to build an $800 bike.

  I do recommend against a few manufacturers. I personally dislike GT and their sub-brands. I don't think they provide good value, and I dislike the way GT has politicized racing in America. In the custom-bike sector, I cannot bring myself to recommend Standard. I think they charge too much for their bikes, and I have been told, over and over again, that their warranty program is not as good as it is supposed to be.

  I never mind hearing from a rider who is confused about bike choice. Don't forget to tell me how old you are, how tall/heavy you are, and what you are going to do with the bike.

• Aluminum or Cr-Mo? My very unpopular answer to this question has made me a lot of enemies, but I think it's worth making enemies to prevent more riders from injury. Bottom line: No matter how you mix it, no matter how you heat-treat it, no matter how many stickers you put on it, and no matter how much you charge for it, aluminum has a limited lifespan in BMX applications. Period. EVERY aluminum frame will break if it is ridden long enough under normal racing conditions.

  Are there benefits to riding aluminum? Sure. The bike feels stiffer, although it has never been proven that a stiffer bike is a faster one, and some anecdotal evidence, primarily from road racing, suggests the opposite is true. Some aluminum bikes are lighter, although a carefully built Cr-Mo 20" frame can sneak below five pounds easily. Last but not least, it's what everyone else is doing. It takes courage to go against the grain. In this case, choosing a Cr-Mo frame means you will ride safer and perhaps live longer. It's worth it.

• What if I just use my aluminum bike on the track? I get this one ALL THE TIME. People seem to think that a BMX track is some magical place where frames are never stressed. Never mind the fact that many tracks now feature multiple sets of fifteen-foot doubles. Never mind the fact that people case jumps more often in races than on the trails, since a race situation is far more unpredictable. And never mind the fact that now you are buying two bikes to do the job of one. A well-built Cr-Mo race frame, with a decent wheelset and a little preventive maintenance, will serve you well at both track and trail, at a low cost compared to buying two bikes. Don't forget, as well, that switching bikes can lead to injury unless they are set up to provide similar bar height, steering, et cetera.

  Riders who spend most of their time dirt jumping might want to try slapping a bigger chainwheel on and racing their trails bikes. I have yet to see a race lost because of a minor weight disadvantage. (My personal "weight disadvantage" isn't "minor"...)

  Don't forget to ask yourself what you are giving up to buy two bikes. Are you skipping races? Skimping on safety gear? Wearing the same shirt to school three days in a row? For the price of a new bike, you could spend a week at a clinic or training camp. Invest in yourself first.

• I'd like to start racing, but all I have is a (insert name of crappy old bike here) and an old helmet. What should I buy before I go racing? Get your pen and paper out. I'll wait.... Got it? Okay, write this down... NOTHING. Get out to a track and race. If your bike is in sound mechanical condition and you can get your hands on a helmet, put a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt on, and GO RACE! Don't wait all summer, save up for a bike, and then go crying to your parents/girlfriend/wife about how the other Beginners are beating you. Guess what? They've been racing while you've been sitting at home reading bike shop catalogs. Get out and race - and if you really like racing, you'll figure out a way to get a new bike later.
• Am I too old to race? No.
• Is my son/daughter too young to race? If they can make it around a track with a little bit of assistance, no.
• How many Nationals should I race a year? If you are doing more than one a month, you may be falling victim to the "National circus" mentality. This mentality leads to burnout, upset families, lonely girlfriends and/or wives, unpaid bills, mullets, and wearing Fox racing apparel in public. Know when to say when.
• SPD? This is similar to the aluminum question. What is really being asked here is, "I'm afraid that if I don't have a particular gimmick, I will lose, right?" Well, if you have a body fat percentage of under eight percent, can bench 1.5 x your weight, can clear big doubles in traffic, and snap a gate at least equal to the rest of the guys in your class, and you're still trailing the pack, then maybe a gimmick will help. For the rest of us, we're better off fixing ourselves, not spending money.

  Many Pros have switched to SPD. Good for them. They are willing to risk additional, possibly career-ending, joint injury to make money. Note that last part - "to make money". It's their job. To the rest of us, BMX is recreation. Treat it as such. It's great to be competitive, it's great to win, but the minute you take it more seriously than that, you are in for a lot of sorrow. Amateurs who are thinking about cracking the Pro ranks should be sure they are Pro-level riders before considering using SPD. Bottom line: For 95% of us, the risks aren't worth it.

• I've been seriously injured. Should I just quit? As someone who races with a imperfectly-healed broken neck, I'm not really qualified to answer that, but try to remember this: Despite all the stupid T-shirts out there, BMX is not "Life". It is a single part of life. If continuing to race threatens the rest of your life, (one example would be someone who works in physical labor and has repeatedly broken a leg or arm) quit before it's too late. The rest of you, get back on your bike, ya whiners.
• I'm afraid to jump. Most people are, to some degree. The question is, is your fear rational? As an example, if you have never jumped a double before, it would be entirely rational to be afraid of the Vans Triple Crown course. On the other hand, if you are an Expert-class racer who never jumps, you might want to take a death grip on your bars and go for it once in a while.

  The method I use to determine whether or not I should try to jump something is: Are riders of my general ability clearing it? Occasionally, at a track or at the local trails, I will ride behind someone who is clearing the jump in question. If I can carry the same speed, and I think I can pull up as hard, I will try it. On the other hand, if I'm hitting the jump much slower than they are, or if they have a lot more "pull" than I do, I don't stress myself about not trying it.

  New riders who have never jumped before should not be shy about starting slow and taking their time learning to jump. Don't expect to clear everything right away. This is particularly true for older riders.

• What's the most important piece of advice you can give me? Two answers to this question. From a technical standpoint, it is "Keep your knees bent while jumping/speedjumping/cornering." Violating this rule causes a variety of problems, from dead sailors to lost time over rollers to bad turn positioning.

  From a general standpoint, it would be, "Keep your perspective." Losing your perspective in this sport will ruin your life. The pro who uses steroids, the parent who beats his child for losing, the 30-34 Cruiser rider who thinks he's in the Pro Class and makes a fool of himself every time he rides by trying to be a tough guy on and off the track all of these people have lost their perspective.

  In the long run, BMX is only about one thing - making yourself happy. Take a realistic look at your talent, your goals, and your responsibilities outside the sport, and spend your time accordingly. After all, I enjoy riding, and so does Matt Pohlkamp. In each case, we're doing what our talent, time, and responsibilities suit us to - in my case, racing locally and riding skateparks, and in his case, winning AA Pro and fighting off young female admirers. I don't think either one of us have wasted our time in this sport - but I would only frustrate and injure myself racing AA Pro, and Matt's talent would be wasted in "old man cruiser" races.

  Obviously, we all want to "be like Matt" - but consider, dear reader, the notion that it might be equally satisfying to just ride, enjoy, and participate in this sport. As I type this, I consider how lucky I have been, and how much happiness these little bikes have brought me - memories, friends old and new, and many years yet to come. I don't plan to quit any time soon. Keep those questions coming.

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