Flying High - BMX and its Incredible Success

When I was a kid many moons ago I used to beg for a BMX bike every birthday and every Christmas. We were poor, so instead for my two wheeled gift I got a racing bike, second hand, re painted black but still rusty and too small.

I did love that ricketty old bike and indeed was grateful you must understand but I still looked on in envy at all the other bikes. Perhaps because I believed I could fly over the garden, house and beyond at that point made me want one even more. I hadnt grasped the fact that the BMX bikes in the movie E.T. had more than a helping hand in getting them off the ground! Flying over large obstacles in extreme sports video games didnt seem to compensate.

Of course back in those days the whole BMX thing was brand new and on Christmas mornings the streets seemed to be full of kids zooming up and down pavements, which were littered with crude home made and often dangerous ramps, on their new bicycles, the large majority of which were the phenomena that was to become BMX.

One eyed Jimmy was the closest to ever achieve the magic feat of flying over the house on a bike but as with every other attempt, the wall was the victor. However nobody could ever accuse those kids of not trying!

BMX bikes still cannot fly 30 years later but despite this fundamental flaw in their design, they have become more popular than ever before. The latest triumph was their inclusion for the first time as a sport in the Olympic Games at Beijing during 2008.

Racing was the only discipline at the Olympics this time around but Freestyle is also hugely popular and surely it's only a matter of time before this too takes its place on the biggest world stage.

BMX also has Flatland in its arsenal of disciplines, this too is growing in popularity and as with other forms of riding takes great skill to be a true pro.

With such a variety of styles it is not a surprise to find out just how many different models of BMX there are. Not only does each discipline generally require a different bike with regards to weight and structure but even within the disciplines themselves there are many different models and brands.

With magazines and TV shows dedicated to the sport, BMX is enjoying fame and fortuned that it could have only have dreamed of back in the days of E.T and co!

If you are looking for a BMX bike for personal use or for a gift for someone else, never have you been better served by the choice and variety available and there should be no problem finding the one you want.