Took my two littluns to their first BMX race meet a couple of months ago at the Patchway track, Bristol. The youngest competing was 3 1/2, the oldest 42. There was a good all-welcoming family vibe, but the club secretary I'd befriended a few weeks prior wasn't about to let ike; 3 3/4, out on his pink plastic wheeled, white solid 12" foam tyres hand-me-down (or his German runner-bike he's much faster on). Nor Pippa on her 10kg pink fairy princes Tescos bike. The super light Redline Micro junior racing BMX (with 20" skiny wheels) I bought for her on eBay turned up 30 minutes before the start of the first race so that was just as ridiculous a proposition.
Fast forward several months, and P is sort of getting the hang of the very high crank. Ike is now on the Tescos heavyweight, but flying. His 4th birthday is approaching and I decided he deserves an up-grade and a break from his sisters hand-me-downs. Micro-Mini BMXs (with 18" wheels) are hard to come by second hand, and to be fair I think he's still a bit too wee for the racing.
Struck lucky on Gumtree with this mint Islabikes Cnoc 16". It's a beautifully made aluminium framed bike (only 7.5kg), and it looks like it's only ever been used in-doors. I've taken off the mudguards, front brake, and cut 5cm off the width of the bars.
My O'level art skills and some dried out old Humbrol Airfix paints were awoken. BP
UPDATE:
"Helmet? Oh I've got a helmet!"
Lookin' good Ben. If I may be so bold as to offer a bit of advice for the little ones on a track,
ReplyDelete1 ALWAYS wear full face heimets,full pad sets (pref with body armour) and gloves.Bmx racing makes flattrack racing look like a ride to the shops.
My little lad had his first BMX race a while back and highsided at the bottom of the start hill. He was beaten up some but the gear saved him alright.
Keep us up to speed with how they get on!