| BMX bike racing is a type of off-road bike racing. | | | | A BMX bike is a strong, relatively quick-handling, |
| BMX bike races are short races on purpose built | | | | lightweight deriviative of the standard twenty"-wheel |
| off-road single lap racetracks. The track commonly | | | | single-speed youngsters bicycle. Variations include |
| includes a starting gate for as many as 8 racers, a | | | | larger twenty-four" wheel BMX bikes and infrequent |
| groomed serpentine soil racecourse made up of | | | | multi-speed bikes. |
| various jumps, banked and flat corners, and a finish | | | | While BMX racing is an individual sport, racing teams |
| line. | | | | will often be formed from racers in various |
| The organisation of BMX racing is facilitated by a | | | | classifications for camaraderie and often for business |
| number of regional and international sanctioning | | | | exposure of a sponsoring organisation or business. |
| bodies. These sanctioning bodies provide a set of | | | | BMX racing rewards strength, quickness, and bike |
| rules governing the conduct of the races, stipulate | | | | handling skills. Many successful BMX racers have gone |
| age-group and skill level classifications among the | | | | on to leverage their skills in other forms of bike and |
| many racers, and maintain some sort of points | | | | motorcycle competitions, especially track cycling in |
| accumulation system over a racing season. The sport | | | | the more explosive sprint events. |
| is largely participant-driven with the typical racer age | | | | BMX Racing became a medal sport at the 2008 |
| of approximately 13 years. Professional ranks can be | | | | Summer Olympics in Beijing and after a successful |
| found for both women and men, where the average | | | | debut will continue to be a medal sport in London |
| age is higher. | | | | 2012. |