BMX riding is a dangerous sport and hobby, as it involves fast paced action and adrenaline fuelled excitement. BMX riding can be made safe, as long as you wear suitable protection.
BMX bike riding may be considered one of the more dangerous sports, however its brings about excitement that is unrivalled in-comparison to traditional sports.
Although BMX riding is a high-speed and intense sport where accidents can happen, it can be made safe. Consider wearing a helmet and specifically designed BMX shoes.
Table of Contents
Five Reasons BMX Riding Is Dangerous
1. It’s Fast-Paced
One of the most stressful aspects of BMX riding, is that when you’re bombing through a track, you’re travelling at very high speeds! This is made more stressful when you consider BMX bikes do not have suspension, which makes high impact landings uncomfortable.
Due to the high speeds that you consistently travelling at(even for street or freestyle riders), it means you have to be a skilful rider to maintain control and a safe speed.
2. The BMX Tracks And Dirt Trails Are Treacherous
Due to the nature of how BMX tracks are laid out, you can expect there to be huge jumps and angled turnings, which generate tremendous g-forces.
You’ll notice that if you’re racing on a track, you could be reaching speeds of 30 MPH within seconds after the waiting gate, and potentially be encountering 30-foot gaps on the straights!
BMX dirt jump trails have their own dangers too, as these dirt jumps can launch you 30-foot in the air, whilst offering you a complex variations of dirt jumps to tackle.
3. BMX Riders Tend To Be Risk Takers
One common trait associated with a lot of BMX riders is that they’re risk takers. This means that they’ll try and tackle any stair set, or make sure that they try the biggest jump on the trail. The problem of this trait is that it leads to accidents often.
This means that you’ll commonly see a lot of BMX riders with past injuries or current ones, as they just can’t help themselves!
4. Other Riders In the Skatepark Or On The Track
A big problem for most BMX riders is other BMX riders. By this I mean a lot of riders whether you’re a freestyle rider in the skatepark or a racer on track lack spatial awareness.
If you’ve been riding BMX for a few years, you’ll know exactly what I’m on about and know how frustrating it can be if some ruins your attempt a trick or if they don’t give you enough room on the track.
5. Not Being A Confident Rider
If you’re going to be a BMX rider, you need to develop self confidence. Being nervous during a race or when you’re about to preform a trick can cause doubts in your mind, which leads to mistakes.
The best solution to this is to take things slowly, in order to build your confidence up and develop your skills at your own pace. Jumping into the deep end in some sports can be progressive, although with BMX riding it can lead to serious consequences.
Is Freestyle BMX Riding Dangerous
Freestyle BMX riding can be one of the more dangerous forms of BMXing. This is because freestyle riding involves ramps, jumps, rails and other obstacles to tackle.
Moreover, due to the nature of freestyle BMX riding, you’ll find yourself attempting a lot of tricks in ad-hoc street and trail environments too which can lead to dangerous situations.
Is BMX Racing The Most Dangerous Olympic Sport
According to TeamUSA, due to the fast paced nature of BMX riding and other riders, BMX racing is by far one of the most dangerous Olympic Sports.
In addition to that, BMX track racers in the Olympics have to encounter large jumps and steep angled turns which put an immense amount of pressure on the riders.
BMX Safety Measures
It’s an important aspect to think about, that you can reduce your chances of injury whilst BMX riding by wearing BMX protection. By wearing protection, you make BMX riding less dangerous and more enjoyable as there’s less stress involved.
BMX Safety Gear
- Helmets: BMX helmets offer protection to the most important area of your body. Helmets are important as even the slightest fall onto your head can lead to a serious injury such as a concussion or life-long scars.
- Elbow And Knee Pads: A great piece of safety gear for BMX riders is elbow and knee pads. This is because these days they’re built for lightweight protection and flexibility. So by wearing elbow and knee pads, you can prevent easily avoidable injuries that are common for freestyle riders.
- Body Armor: If you’re a BMX dirt trail rider or racer, it may be worth wearing body armor. This is down to the fact that you’re accelerating at a fast pace, along with high impact landings. By wearing body armor you can seriously reduce the chances of bruising or injuries to your rib cage area.
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