Our family could easily list many reasons we love BMX racing. But these 7 are reasons we think EVERY family should consider trying out this Olympic sport.
We started BMX racing four years ago. Our boys, ages 2 and 5 at the time, couldn’t get enough of their bikes. My husband went on the hunt for bicycling opportunities for kids, and came across an indoor BMX racing facility just 30 minutes from home.
We had no idea what to expect or what we were getting into. We went to practice one night that week. We raced the next weekend. We’ve been hooked ever since.
If you’re new to BMX racing, have never heard of BMX racing, or are under the impression that BMX racing is only for daring cyclists ready to perform great stunt feats on their bikes, I have great news for you. BMX racing is for ANYONE who can ride a bicycle. (And if you’re 5 years old or younger, you don’t even have to pedal your two wheels).
I will save my many other accolades for the sport for another post, but without further ado, these are the seven reasons that I believe BMX is the most family oriented sport – and why your family should give it a try asap.
All Genders and Ages Compete at the Same Time and Place
I have two boys playing baseball this spring. We are currently playing minor (9 and 10 year olds) and “Instructional” (the baseball league formerly known, and still known to me, as T-ball). We have four games at four different times on four different days and often on four different fields every week. I have friends with three and four children whose lives are revolving, seven days a week, around baseball and softball schedules right now.
But BMX? My boys race on the same day, at the same time, in the same place. And if my husband and I would also like to race? Well then sign us up too, and – you guessed it – we’ll race on the same day, at the same venue, during the same time frame.
In BMX racing, all participants are entered into a moto based on their age and level (novice, intermediate, and expert). There’s a little down time in between their races, but the time is always well spent by BMX kids who spend their free time riding their bikes around together.
What other sport allows an entire family – kids and adults alike – to participate on the same day, at the same time, in the same place? It is magical.
BMX Racing (can be) Affordable
When I used to run a lot I always laughed at the “running is such a cheap sport!” comments. Sure, it was at first. And then you go for a gait analysis and start buying $130 shoes. And then you run so much you need a new pair of said shoes every six weeks. And then marathon entries. And travel to races. And hotels the night before races. And running watches. And shorts. And tights. And suddenly…it is not really cheap at all.
So with a grain of salt, I will declare that BMX racing *can be* affordable. Especially when, like running, you are starting out.
Races at our closest tracks in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York are $10 per rider, per class. Double and triple points races have higher race entry fees in the $20 – $35 per rider, per class range, but the run of the mill weekend class, participating is $10. A USA BMX membership and plate number (required to race) is $80 per rider for 2023, and is valid the full 12 months from the time of purchase.
Most tracks hold weeknight practice sessions for free or a fee of as little as $5 per rider in our area. A free weeknight practice is where we tried BMX for the first time. We took our boys specialized 16″ mountain bike and our 2 year old’s strider bike and their helmets, and they rode with huge smiles on their faces all night long. We had to purchase BMX bikes down the road, but I’ve found it to be a welcoming community that allows kids to try out the sport without the exact equipment. Just dress in long pants and sleeves, pack up your bike and helmet (preferably a full face if you have one), and head out to give the sport a try at your closest track on a practice night!
Equal Playing Time for Everyone
Actually, in a sport world plot twist, the best players get the least playing time. Depending on the number of riders in a moto, the top riders often sit out the second round of racing, and race again in the final.
In BMX racing, all worries of travelling to a race only to watch your child sit the bench for a chunk of playtime is negated. And if you also enter the cruiser class (this would require a second bike AND a second race fee, which can put a crimp on the affordability aspect), your child can ride even more!
BMX is Camping Friendly
BMX racing has gone hand in hand with camping really well for our family. It was tent camping at a late August BMX race that finally convinced us to buy our travel trailer! We’ve camped with BMX friends in Vermont and Albany, New York, and have camped as a family close to tracks for numerous races.
If you’re interested in pairing BMX racing with camping, check with the local track director or track website about camping opportunities. Some tracks allow camper parking overnight on race weekends (in our experience this will be dry camping, but it will be free or VERY inexpensive). If the track doesn’t offer camping, there is always a good chance there will be a campground or state park nearby.
Complete Control of Time Commitment
The beginning of most sport seasons comes with a schedule. Specific dates and times that practices and competitions will be held. In most situations, each player is integral to the success of the team, and so families move mountains to make sure everyone is where they need to be for every sport commitment.
A BMX racing can be as busy or light as each rider or family prefers. You can race once a month from May – November in most areas, or you can race every weekend, sometimes fitting in two races on two separate tracks in a single day.
Joining a team could potentially increase your racing commitments, but for the most part BMX racing is a sport that allows you to pick and choose how often you participate. Though racing in State and Gold Cup races requires a certain number of qualifying races, it is still far easier to schedule vacations, family reunions, and just plain rest weekend breaks from BMX racing than it is from most other sports.
Celebrations and Awards for All Levels of Ability
We rode for a team for our first couple of years of BMX. Our team has very unfortunately disbanded, and we haven’t decided where we would like to join moving forward. But both during our team years, and now as free agents (ha!), it is remarkable to me the confidence that BMX racing builds in riders of all abilities.
After ten wins at the novice level, a rider becomes an intermediate. After twenty intermediate wins, a rider moves on to the expert level.
When a rider moves from one level to another, the whole track – whoever is present that day – celebrates them. Stronger riders are always quick to offer help and advice to newer riders, and the novice and intermediate riders love watching the experts fly around the course. But racing against other riders of similar abilities means that each rider can feel good about their own performance – and look up to the more advanced rider with the goal of reaching that level one day.
Bicycling is a Forever Skill
BMX racing has given my sons (who LOVE to be on their bikes) a whole new level of ability and confidence on their bicycles. The skills they’ve picked up while BMX racing have transferred to mountain biking, riding their bikes around home, and road and rail trail cycling as a family.
Riding a bicycle is a forever skill. I love that my boys, at 6 and 9, have a solid foundation in a sport that will serve them for the rest of their lives. Want to ride your bike across the country one day? No problem. Want to enter a triathlon? Done. Want to mountain bike? Sure. Want to follow the Tour de France around one July and ride up Alp D’Huez? Please take your mom.
They’ll be ready to do it all. Though I know we would have made sure they had bicycling opportunities without BMX racing, I feel like we owe the sport a great debt toward their confidence and ability as cyclists.
