BMX bikes

Do you remember that first bike. I surely do, I had wheels, I was mobile, I could go anywhere and did. Transportation was cool. I am sure many of you have fond memories of your first bicycle. The first ride was an adventure and great fun.

On this page I want to bring you a little history of the vintage bicycle. The bicycle has come along way from a few boards with wheels attached to the mechanical marvel of today.

The first bicycle had two wheels and no pedals.

Known as the Draisienne or Hobbyhorse this machine was presented to the public in Paris France in 1819. Designed by Baron von Drais, this bicycle was simply a wooden frame with two wheels which the rider sat on and pushed along with his feet while steering the front wheel with a handle bar. The hobbyhorse was duplicated by builders in many countries around the world. Some of the best were produced in England by Denis Johnson and were knows as the velocipede. Compared to early models these machines were better built and much lighter. Because of poor roads and hard wheels these bicycles were a punishing ride and the hobbyhorse lost favor with the public during the 1820′s

At last a better way to make it go.

1860- A better way to make it go. Before 1860 many people thought a rider could not keep their balance very far not having their feet on the ground. This idea was proven wrong by many new builders of bicycles. The addition of pedals to provide forward motion was the answer to make it go and it was found that a rider could balance and steer the machines quite well.

These changes to the velocipede brought new interest to cycling world wide, however the interest did not last as these bicycles were much to heavy, hard to steer and slow. The pedals only allowed one revolution of the drive wheel.This design did however give a base for development in the coming years

Lighter and Faster

In Britain, as popularity of the velocipede fell off, the search went on for a lighter and faster bicycle. The search was led by the cycling sportsmen, cycling clubs and the growing bicycle manufacturing industry.

British bicycle builders, by 1870, had built a new type of velocipede with a large front wheel made possible by a new way to construct the wheels. The new wheels, known as suspension wheels, used wire spokes, and rubber mounted on the rims to make for a much lighter and smoother riding wheel. The rear wheel was made smaller to save weight. Also around this time period the tubular frame began to be used on most models.

The riders of these cycles sat over the front wheel to be able to reach the pedals, which looks a little scary to me, but the new faster, lighter cycle was born

Now a safer way to cycle

During the later part of the 1870′s the high wheel bike was instrumental in creating a new cycling craze. The drawback to this was many people could not ride these tall and hard to ride machines.

Manufacturers looked to a safer design, and the tricycle was the answer. James Starley was one of the first tricycle designers with his lever operated trike of 1876 and the following year saw his design of the continuous chain on the Coventry Rotary.

Over 350 models of these machines were available to the British public with a large variety of steering and brake systems along with other special features such as an improved transmission system.

All of these improvements added to the popularity of cycling in general and made the machines much safer for the public to use

High wheel design modified for safety.

While making tricycles, bicycle builders were also working with the two wheel design to improve safety. Lowering the center of gravity was one way used to reach their goal. By moving the rider behind the front wheel and adding pedals with levers, the rider was closer to the ground while still being able to reach the pedals of the still large front wheel.

This design along with the tricycles served the market well until the mid 1880′s. Again a new design arrives with many improvements. From the British this time a design which moved the rider even farther back and lower to the ground. This was done by reducing the size of the front wheel. They used a gear and chain system which turned the wheel faster than the pedals to compensate for the reduced size of the driven wheel. The bicycle known as the Kangaroo by Hillman, Herbert and Cooper led many builders to adopt their own version of this design

The Modern Bicycle Arrives

Builders continued improving on the designs of the 1850′s to bring a safer more comfortable bicycle to market. These improvements became known as the safety bicycle, featuring a lower and longer profile with a chain-drive to the rear wheel. This design with both wheels the same size set the rider between them and the pedals below the rider. Setting the front forks at an angle enabled the rider to easily reach the handle bars to steer the bike.

As with any new designs they were not perfect, however many new things were on the way to improve the comfort of the bicycle. The largest single improvement was the pneumatic tire. The bicycle was now a safe and reliable mode of transport.

By: Roger L Smith

As more and more kids turn their attention towards BMX Freestyle, a greater number of BMX bikes are spotted in the streets belonging to bikers wanting to show off their ride. It should not come as a surprise that the younger generation looks up to these adventurous riders and will soon be telling themselves, I want one of those! However, it is also likely that the parent or tutor will be standing next to him saying, what? Parent’s concern is justified when they see kids riding their bikes in the streets in the middle of cars, over hand rails, and up and down 27 feet ramps. Great skill and discipline is required to accomplish these stunts. BMX riding skills are not acquired overnight and require discipline and many hours of practice. So what is a parent to do in this situation?

When a kid walks up to his parents and asks for a BMX bike he will have only to options from which to choose from. Of course the first option is a flat out no to the kid’s request, assuming the parent is willing and able to accept the underlying consequences of his response. The kid will become either angry and frustrated, or very sad and isolated. He will need to face his friends with your response and live with the fact that everyone has a BMX bike except for him. On the other hand, the parent could reply with a witty response like, what kind of discipline are you looking at? This kind of response will send a message to the child that some degree of preparation is required in order to become the proud owner of a BMX bike.

For example in BMX Freestyle, there are several disciplines that follow different riding patterns and requirements. The Flatland discipline demands that your bike is lightweight and easy to handle, with a shorter top bar and side pegs for 360 degree turns and standing still on the hind wheel. In the Trail discipline your bike should have a longer top bar for tail whips and no brakes, perhaps only a gyro in the rear that acts as brakes. These are just some of the specifications that come handy when really getting into the sport.

Another way to approach a child with his BMX bike riding concerns is asking him to engage in some type of BMX bike riding simulator by playing BMX games online. These games are completely free and offer on site simulations of all BMX bike riding scenarios. This way the child will get a chance to see what the stunts are like, what it looks like when you fall, and learn about all the different disciplines. Online BMX games come in different flavors and level of complexity. The simple ones will just require the player to move forward and avoid obstacles, while the more detailed BMX games online will cover a great deal of commands that activate a number of stunts. Considering there is no charge for playing BMX games online, the child can play for as long as he wants and perhaps deter his ambitions for a while until he is more familiar with the sport.

By: Damian Cross

Those precious free moments together with your family should be spent wisely. Each member should be able to relax and have fun and forget about daily worries at work or in school. What you and your family can do is have some family games which everyone can enjoy. There are games that suit a group of people such as families and they could be fun for all family members of all ages. Here is a list of games that fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters can take part in.

Board Games. There’s a wide selection of board games that are suitable for the whole family. You can choose Monopoly or Millionaire’s Game which will also be effective in teaching children some basics about money and how to spend it. You can also play Scrabble. This is fun for all family members because they have to think of words that they need to use. Other board games which are best played with your family are Trivial Pursuit, Snakes and Ladders, or Pictionary.

Card Games. If the children are old enough to play card games, then choose among the shorts that most shops do not have. You can choose Gin Rummy, Blackjack, Bridge, and Crazy Eights. Make sure you have a deck of cards for this question.

Indoor Games. Indoor games in this article mean anything that is done inside the house. This is very popular especially in rainy and stormy days. Card games and board games are also included in this category. Some indoor family games that could be fun for all do not even have to use any materials such as boards or pieces. All you need is a little imagination and creativity and some materials you can find in your house such as pencils and papers. For instance, you can play charades, “Names of…”, Quick on the Draw, or Story Line Game. These games will not just kill boredom while waiting for the rain to stop. It will also get the family together in one fun activity.

Outdoor Games. As the name implies, outdoor games is one kind of family games where you can play outside. Usually, the games included in this category are sports such as croquet, badminton, or volleyball. But family members can also play other kinds of classic and traditional outdoor sports such as sardines (this can also be indoor), Frisbee games, and water games which you can play in your spacious backyard. The advantage of this is that you can enjoy quality time with your family while at the same time being able to exercise and flex those wiry muscles by running, catching, jumping, or swinging.

Family games are fun for all. Some of them can enhance thinking abilities and problem solving skills and some can also make you sweat a lot. Playing games with your family is another way of bonding with them in your busy and fast-paced everyday life.

By: Sam Downs

Every child goes through a phase of desperately wanting to take up hobbies which their parents would really rather they had never heard of: round the world yachting, polo, sword swallowing, rock climbing or maybe even ultimate fighting. BMX biking is one of the most popular, quite dangerous, parental hair-raising hobbies which a child could take up. BMX riding can involve stunts and tricks, jumping, half pipe and skate park riding and even big air jumping. But if a child is suitably sensible and doesn’t go trying to leap over buses, then supporting your child’s BMX aspirations may not be the worst hobby they could take up.

To help your child stay safe and to assist them on their quest for BMX stardom, you should think about providing them with the following:

Safety Gear

Of course you want your child to be safe, especially if you think they will be trying to leap over their friends the moment your back is turned. So you will need to get them some safety gear. Having good BMX pedals and BMX grips will help them stay on the bike. While getting them a proper BMX helmet, some elbow pads and some knee pads will help you worry less.

Extras

The best way to keep them safe however, is to get them to do their biking at a proper skate park. That way they will avoid traffic and pedestrians and may even be in a place monitored by first aiders. Another option would be to build a ramp or trick box for them in your back garden. It is possible to buy these online or to try and build one yourself.

Bike

There are many places to buy cheap kids bikes but when getting your child a BMX it is best to go to a proper bike store which can assess the correct size of bike for your child. BMX bikes are simple bikes with one gear and tend to be bit cheaper than their mountain style counterparts. But of course there is always a market for super fancy versions of everything. You should convince them to make do with a cheap BMX bike to begin with so that they can at least see if they really do like it before opting for a more expensive option.

Opt for a quality brand like Raleigh, Bumper or Freespirit and you know that it will stand the test whatever your child puts it through.

By: Sam Qam