bmx racing

When my oldest son started racing less and playing water polo more, he asked for a dirt jump bike so he could continue riding BMX in some manner. My youngest had taken a break from BMX also, so I stopped racing and bought a dirt jumper too.

I chose the Redline D26 (2014 model). Here it is the day I picked it up at the bike shop:

After shedding some of the lime green, I took it out to the local skate park with my sons. The knobby tires made me a little nervous on the slick cement of the bowl, but it was fun to ride. Being a bit bigger than the average bear, though, I kept bottoming out the suspension forks.

When increasing the preload of the coil spring didn’t solve the problem, I decided to ditch the suspension and go back to rigid forks.

The problem was finding 26″ rigid forks that would work with a 20mm axle. This is my first bike with suspension forks, and also my first bike with 20mm axles. I didn’t know how difficult it would be to find rigid forks that would work with my existing wheels.

Fortunately, a BMX friend (who also rides mountain bikes) suggested the Identiti Rebate Jump 1420 Forks.

The Rebate 1420 forks have 14mm dropouts and come with an axle that slides in to a 20mm hub but converts down to 14mm at the dropouts.

Here is the Identiti Rebate 1420 axle sliding into my existing 20mm hub.

The Rebate 1420 forks come in two lengths: 425mm and 465mm (XL). I chose the XLs, and ended up having some of the steering tube chopped down.

The finished product.

The 1420 axle installed.

Both of my sons have moved on from BMX (dirt and jump), so I haven’t ridden much myself. In fact, I sold all of our BMX race bikes.

Racing BMX was something that I shared with my sons, so I don’t plan to get out to the track very much anymore. I do plan to go every now and then to hang out with the cool people I met along the way.

I took it out to the “One Last Lap” event at the World Famous Orange Y, and the bike felt very solid around the track.

I moved around a bit in the turns on the knobby tires, so I might buy some racing tires.
(Photo courtesy of Christel King Creative)

Whether I replace the tires or not, the Redline D26 with the Identiti Rebate 1420 forks has now become my race bike. I like riding chromoly again.

I raced BMX when I was a kid in the early 1980s. BMX, which stands for Bicycle Motocross, began right here in Southern California sometime around the early 1970s with a bunch of kids racing Schwinn Stingrays in dirt lots. BMX racing is now an Olympic sport.

When my sons told me that they wanted to try BMX racing, I did a little research and came up with a list of BMX tracks in and around the Inland Empire, which you can view here: BMX Tracks – Riverside and Beyond

BMX racing is an individual sport that rewards personal achievement and requires self-reliance. Once you are at the starting gate, it is just you against up to seven other riders. If you want to win or get a trophy, you have to work hard and earn it. In my opinion, this is good training for when my sons become adults and have to earn their way in the real world.

BMX is also a great family sport that promotes good sportsmanship. I like this passage from the USA BMX 2013 Official Rulebook:

Pro riders are an example for all future BMXers. As a Pro, you are in the spotlight, and a role model. Good sportsmanship, fair play, clean riding, and good conduct are very important. All Pro riders are expected to act accordingly.

If your child is interested in trying out BMX (or if you are), click here for a list of local tracks. Tracks sponsored by USA BMX offer a one-day trial membership, so you don’t have to commit to a full membership if you just want to try it out. Many tracks also have helmets that you can borrow, and the track operators are very helpful.

BMX has definitely changed since I stopped racing in the 1980s. The tracks have more jumps, knobby tires seem to be extinct, and there are quite a few people in their 30s, 40s and 50s out on the track riding 24” cruisers. I don’t remember seeing many adults out on the track when I was a kid.

Watching the other old guys race inspired me to get back out there too. After about 30 years off the bike, it has been a very humbling experience… and a lot of fun.

When my sons play baseball, soccer or other team sports, I have to watch from the sidelines. With BMX, I get to ride with my sons and race them around the track before the races begin.

BMX is fun.

BMX: Identiti Rebate 1420 Forks on a Redline D26 – 20mm to 14mm Conversion

Interested in BMX Racing?