A lot of the best riders in other cycling disciplines all come from a bmx race background, Chris hoy, John tomac back in the day, modern free ride guys like Matt roe, gives you an excellent basis in bike handling.
BMX is great cross training for mountain, gravel and even road. I had a Factory Kuwahara in the 80s and just bought myself a We The People 22" for my 50th birthday!
Kinda neat seeing you all doing some BMX content. Myself, Im a roadie, but BMX 'ed in the early 80's. I recently bought a couple real old (1981-83) BMX bikes. One is a Norco, the other a KUWAHARA. I also bought a fairly current REDLINE racing bike. I dont know why, nostalgia I guess. I put a bigger sprocket on the REDLINE, gold chain, carbon road bike saddle, and taller bars. I only ride it to the store and back. Im terrified to do anything on it. On my road bike, Im a fairly strong rider, love climbing and can beat most of my friends. Heck, I think nothing of drafting vehicles in traffic going 50-60 kmh. But the thought of an honest, hard sprint or even bunny hopping up a high curb on the BMX is so scary. I guess Im accustomed to hard slams on the road bike. But it doesnt scare me like the little BMX.
The fact that Blake can do basically every MTB trick in the book and struggled with BMX shows how high the bar has been raised for other disciplines of cycling!
Brilliant timing Blake, well good Sir. I am 54 years old and will be racing my first season of BMX this summer. I am excited to follow you through this adventure because it mirrors mine and I can use all the help I can get. Great content GMBN! Keep up the great shows and pay Blake a little more $$$, he's worth it! Cheers - M
I went the other way, I'm on the wrong side of 50 now but raced BMX on a Local/West Midlands level waaaaaay back in the early/mid 80s, I was OK, I spent more time off the podium than on it, I rode a Mongoose Super Goose and my last bike in the mid 80s was a Diamond Back Harry Leary, and I've got to admit the BMX's today look strange to my wrinkly eyes. I jumped on my first MTB in 1990-ish, I had a Carrera Quatro Comp, then a GT Avalanche in 93..Then the 90s took over and I spent more time in hedges in Ibiza than on a bike, skip forward 20+ years and I went and bought my first (Mid life crisis) MTB; an 2022 Intense Primer, couldn't ride it at first, had to learn a whole new way of riding, with suspension and 29" wheels. I thought because I could ride BMX over jumps etc it would be the same, yeah not gonna happen, I suffered bumps, bruises and good crashes, but eventually got the hang of it...I still crash, a lot...But It did amaze me how much had changed over the years, from bikes to techniques.
I had an afternoon on a BMX track on my MTB. I was pretty damn fit at the time and getting along the 1st straight into the 1st berm had me at absolute maximum effort. Different skills required.
Great video, I used to race bmx when I was a teenager. Watching this brought back all those great feelings of practicing, racing and just having a blast on my bike. Thank you very much.
BMX racing is incredibly hard. I raced competitively in the mid 90's and had a blast. Takes years to go from beginner, to novice to expert. Not all 2 wheels are created equal. That's for sure lol
This is my first love in cycling since 1994. Too bad it ended abruptly a year later because someone stole my BMX in the arcade centre parking lot. However, this is my fundamental basic for me before started mountainbiking in the early 90s n later in the late 2010s.
I tell you what, you've got a bit of style for bloke you hasn't riden too much bmx. Remember the gate is everything in bmx and takes years of practice to get it right. Looking forward to seeing part 2 😂
If that was a genuine first go on a modern track then Blake did amazingly well. The rhythm and pump timing, strength and stamina to ride a BMX track aren’t easy to develop. Really well done to all involved in this video 👏
this is now no longer motocross,...i liked it better when it was all dirt and the gear looked less like ten speed riding or tour de france stuff. Just sayin,...it is not motocross,...it should be called 20 inch asphalt track racing. Dirt bikes not.
A paved "BMX track" is absurd. BMX racing is supposed to be on dirt. BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross, because it started out as kids copying motocross racing but on bicycles instead of motorcycles: "Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits." "Off-road." If the track is paved it's not BMX racing, it's road bike racing.
I got my first BMX in 1984, and used to absolutely love it. I am now 47 , 192cm tall though, so they're a bit small for me. I could definitely handle a 24 though. ❤
i thought it would of evolved into suspension and gear shifting mods...not asphalt and ten speed shoes instead of vans footwear...just sayin,...it doesn't attract me and it is less popular now because of these asphalt tracks.
Right? I haven’t raced since ‘84 (I was decent at 12) and I learned so much from this vid. What an evolution! Paved tracks?! And long frames?! I quit because I got too tall for 20” and the cruisers (24”) were all ridden by older kids than me. I’d loved to have had an xxl frame! Maybe it’s just me but those pumps make this look slow.
@@crazyalcayne "Ok keep believing that" There's no belief involved because what I said is a fact. "Same" and "better" are mutually exclusive. If something is better there has to be a difference, which makes it not the same, obviously. It helps to know the meaning of words before using them in a sentence. "and not get what I'm saying." That's comically ironic, considering you've demonstrated that you didn't "get" what you said, and still don't, apparently. "Better" inherently means different. "Same" means no differences. Get it?
BMX is cool and teaches the fundamentals but the BMX crowd is the worst. At least here in the states. I dreaded taking my kid to races all the years he did it, but had to put on a happy face while dying inside 😂
that is basically the same gt bmx race bike that i used in some of my bmx race related videos. but i mostly do flatland freestyle. i got 10 bikes. so i do use that bike and in videos but not as much as my trick bikes. it is a great bike. looks like you had fun on it.
Great show, Blake, and at age 64, I may give the older-guys BMX events a go, just for kicks. It'd be fun to line up against the BMX stars of earlier eras and fight to the finish, or at least get to the finish upright, lol. And back in the day, late '70s and early '80s, I used to haul my BMX bike in the bed of my mini-truck and whenever I'd happen to see a BMX track in a park or community, I'd stop and ride a few laps, simply to experience it. And O my, that was when BMX tracks were all over California and it was great that bike riders were accommodated like Little League baseball players and their ball fields had been everywhere for decades.
More BMX content please! Specifically, 24 inch wheel bmx cruisers. I would like to see Blake ride some singletrack on a 24" wheel cruiser. They are fairly capable and with a rider like Blake it would be cool just how far he could push the boundaries on your flow trails or even some tech. For instance, I have passed someone on a mtb on the inside of a switchback. You need to put a front brake on it for that. Also let's see him or Neil race some bmx pro's on a proper track just to see the difference.
Gosport bmx track..one of my super fav in the south region race circuit. I thught Blake had a bmx racing past of some sort..Bmx is the best cycling discipline to prepare a rider to tackle any other cycling discplines and great training..
Nice. In started cycling at 49 with a BMX race license. My son was doing it so I figured why not, I was there all day anyway. This lead to MTB, CX and the odd crit. I’m 60 now and sold my BMX cruiser, but still riding and racing. Cheers.
I raced bmx late 80s til about 2010 raced cruiser and 20 inch bikes i owned se quadangles, a Rickmans, diamond back, b1 and a dialled among others funnily enough found this video as was thinking about doing some evening gate practice for fitness
I’ve been mountain biking for 20ish years. Tried racing bmx around 43yrs old got hooked and raced 2years. Got 3rd at ROC my 2nd yr. It’s a lot of fun just hurts a lot for an old guy to crash😂
I was riding 46x16 as a 14 year old in 1984! I'm surprised that 44x16 is still pretty much the norm! Well done Blake those tiny bikes kick like a mule!
What wheels do you run? At 15 I used 45/16 for uphill sprints. But always raced on a 44/16. 46/16 must’ve given you incredible speed if you were able to push it.
@@TheYBGOON at 14 I was already 6ft tall and bigger than my father! 🤣 It wasn't a great gear out of the gate but I was (and still am on the road bike) good at pushing a big gear on a straight. Back then the courses were a lot different to today's courses. No tarmac, all packed lime stone, and very sticky in the wet. 45 would've probably been optimal for me back then, 44 I was spinning too fast. Now I'm 55 and tend to take things a little easier! 😉👍 Keep pedalling my friend!
@@thisworldaccordingtome9495 when going through the corner you need to carve it. pedaling the whole thing is rarely faster especially if you’re going a high speed. It also increases the chance of one of your pedals hitting the corner which can get sketchy.
Raced BMX as a kid and now back at it as an adult, with my 2 sons. Flat out the best cycling discipline to learn fundamentals, and those bike skills translate so well to other forms of cycling and even moto 🤙🤙
Great to see this on the channel! As a MTB and BMX coach, most of the BMX riders I coach come from MTBing. It is a very different set of skills, but the MTBers seem to be able to transfer their skills to most other forms of cycling.
Didn’t race but started my two wheel adventures dirt jumping bmxs and moved on to xc and dirt jumping mtb in my early 30s but before all of that I skateboarded and still do and that will always be my first love tho stick to mini ramps and street as my vert ramp days are are done
Having seen his meet the presenter clips My knowledgeable answer is Yes, Yes they can. Might take a little practice to relearn the known techniques but once you have learnt it you don't forget it. The aggressive stance on the gate in why so many mono out of the gate.
When was the last time you went to a pump track? Let us know in the comments! 👇
3rs 26 mins ago.
Raced BMX yesterday double classed at two tracks
About 3 weeks ago. I was also at the Velo Solutions one in Cleveland recently and that was the best pump track I have ever been on. Amazing!!
3 days ago at my local BMX/pump track
A couple of weeks ago at 417 bike park, video on my channel 😀
I was 7... then my BMX bike got stolen.... Now I'm 47 so 40 years ago hehe.
When I was racing BMX I was in amazing shape. MTB has the slow burn with the hills but nothing like sprinting on a DIRT bmx track.
🎉
Miss bmx racing...this is how i developed my sprinting which allowed me to frustrate a lot of roadies back in the day😅
LOL THAT PART!!
I wanna see a full race with all from GMBN!
Yes, that would be awesome!!!
Yesss
Awesome, I ride my Scout on this track as I live just round the corner. 🤙
A lot of the best riders in other cycling disciplines all come from a bmx race background, Chris hoy, John tomac back in the day, modern free ride guys like Matt roe, gives you an excellent basis in bike handling.
BMX is great cross training for mountain, gravel and even road. I had a Factory Kuwahara in the 80s and just bought myself a We The People 22" for my 50th birthday!
Kinda neat seeing you all doing some BMX content. Myself, Im a roadie, but BMX 'ed in the early 80's. I recently bought a couple real old (1981-83) BMX bikes. One is a Norco, the other a KUWAHARA. I also bought a fairly current REDLINE racing bike. I dont know why, nostalgia I guess. I put a bigger sprocket on the REDLINE, gold chain, carbon road bike saddle, and taller bars. I only ride it to the store and back. Im terrified to do anything on it. On my road bike, Im a fairly strong rider, love climbing and can beat most of my friends. Heck, I think nothing of drafting vehicles in traffic going 50-60 kmh. But the thought of an honest, hard sprint or even bunny hopping up a high curb on the BMX is so scary. I guess Im accustomed to hard slams on the road bike. But it doesnt scare me like the little BMX.
Dude is so talented on any bike. Humble bout it. He’s a baad man. And arent BMX bikes some of the coolest looking things ever?
Also, you can see why Chris Hoy, Iwan Thomas, Jamie Staff and Louis Atrill all became world or Olympic champs from their BMX days in the 90’s.
I know this place. I live about 5 minutes away by bike. Near the tip at Rowner
Looked good! I think this guy was born to be a BMXer but ended up in the MTB world though some unfortunate life circumstances, lol!
Great stuff 🧠💪🏼 Keep it up
Blake, you have to pedal downhill to get momentum 😆 🤣 😂
What about a fat tire bmx I ride one is their any races for them?
The fact that Blake can do basically every MTB trick in the book and struggled with BMX shows how high the bar has been raised for other disciplines of cycling!
Brilliant timing Blake, well good Sir. I am 54 years old and will be racing my first season of BMX this summer. I am excited to follow you through this adventure because it mirrors mine and I can use all the help I can get. Great content GMBN! Keep up the great shows and pay Blake a little more $$$, he's worth it! Cheers - M
Good luck with your season 👍🏼
Thank you Sir @@andrewsupernova
Awesome good luck
Thank you@@guambra2001
You inspired me to pump my tires up on my 22 stumpy carbon. Thanks
Wow, BMX looks really weird compared to what I used to race the 1980's! Blake, you rocked it!
Started in BMX in the 80’s - harder than it looks :)
More BMX Racing on GMBN!!! Such a great diversion from MTB, been racing a couple of years now and I love it.
I went the other way, I'm on the wrong side of 50 now but raced BMX on a Local/West Midlands level waaaaaay back in the early/mid 80s, I was OK, I spent more time off the podium than on it, I rode a Mongoose Super Goose and my last bike in the mid 80s was a Diamond Back Harry Leary, and I've got to admit the BMX's today look strange to my wrinkly eyes. I jumped on my first MTB in 1990-ish, I had a Carrera Quatro Comp, then a GT Avalanche in 93..Then the 90s took over and I spent more time in hedges in Ibiza than on a bike, skip forward 20+ years and I went and bought my first (Mid life crisis) MTB; an 2022 Intense Primer, couldn't ride it at first, had to learn a whole new way of riding, with suspension and 29" wheels. I thought because I could ride BMX over jumps etc it would be the same, yeah not gonna happen, I suffered bumps, bruises and good crashes, but eventually got the hang of it...I still crash, a lot...But It did amaze me how much had changed over the years, from bikes to techniques.
I had an afternoon on a BMX track on my MTB. I was pretty damn fit at the time and getting along the 1st straight into the 1st berm had me at absolute maximum effort.
Different skills required.
I'd start with flats first before moving to clipless! Nice bike though.
I just finished my first year of BMX racing! Its a great community to be a part of!
Great video, I used to race bmx when I was a teenager. Watching this brought back all those great feelings of practicing, racing and just having a blast on my bike. Thank you very much.
I’d like to see Blake enter a local race. So much natural talent!
Only thing missing was a timed full rull and a comparison to any local 13y old that frequents the track :)
BMX racing is incredibly hard. I raced competitively in the mid 90's and had a blast. Takes years to go from beginner, to novice to expert. Not all 2 wheels are created equal. That's for sure lol
Bicycle motocross...where's the dirt nowadays lol. Good riding!
"44 to 16, sounds big" The ratio every BMX has had since the early 70's then.
@@harveybrooks2597 same ratio I run
This is my first love in cycling since 1994. Too bad it ended abruptly a year later because someone stole my BMX in the arcade centre parking lot. However, this is my fundamental basic for me before started mountainbiking in the early 90s n later in the late 2010s.
Loved BMX. I had a Redline. I always wanted an Elf.
At 53 years old I still go to the local bmx pump tracks. I enjoyed watching this video.
I tell you what, you've got a bit of style for bloke you hasn't riden too much bmx. Remember the gate is everything in bmx and takes years of practice to get it right. Looking forward to seeing part 2 😂
This is going to be a good one. Looking forward to more bmx,Blake! Next up: Blake's own channel BMXN
Was awesome to meet you 😁
If that was a genuine first go on a modern track then Blake did amazingly well. The rhythm and pump timing, strength and stamina to ride a BMX track aren’t easy to develop. Really well done to all involved in this video 👏
this is now no longer motocross,...i liked it better when it was all dirt and the gear looked less like ten speed riding or tour de france stuff. Just sayin,...it is not motocross,...it should be called 20 inch asphalt track racing. Dirt bikes not.
Totally agree! I rode in first generation (late 70’s). All dirt, some flat corners, clipped pedals were outlawed.
Great stuff can't wait to watch your race. Good luck 🤘🏼
BMX Racing is where all of the best MTBers come from.
Awesome, Blake. It was mega to share the pens with you on the Sunday! Looking forward to the race day video!
BMX is the OG!! i love MTB...BUT BMX is the GOAT!! 🤩
This is great! More BMX
A paved "BMX track" is absurd. BMX racing is supposed to be on dirt. BMX stands for Bicycle Motocross, because it started out as kids copying motocross racing but on bicycles instead of motorcycles:
"Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits."
"Off-road." If the track is paved it's not BMX racing, it's road bike racing.
Whoever planned/edited this one: very well done. The stomach pains when standing in the starting position really came through!
I got my first BMX in 1984, and used to absolutely love it. I am now 47 , 192cm tall though, so they're a bit small for me. I could definitely handle a 24 though. ❤
Funny how it's the same bike (frame at least) as used for the same episode 3 years ago over on GCN with Hank. Smaller turnover on BMX frames?
That last manual you did was 100% pure bmx Racing i bet you will include some moves to your ride in the mountains Cheers
44/16? I would prefer a 40/11 sort of gearing so maybe 58/16 be similar to what I like lol
Do bmx racers usually ride clip pedals?
Yes but it's not manditory. But yes pretty much every BMX racer is clipped in these days.
Race bmx is okay till the snobs turn up who ruin it
i thought it would of evolved into suspension and gear shifting mods...not asphalt and ten speed shoes instead of vans footwear...just sayin,...it doesn't attract me and it is less popular now because of these asphalt tracks.
They made it hard for you using a 20”. Fair play on that pace you carried through with so little experience.
I raced BMX in the 80’s. I barely recognize it now. Pump, pump, pump and skatepark groomed tracks. It’s like a whole different sport.
Nah it's the same but way better
Right? I haven’t raced since ‘84 (I was decent at 12) and I learned so much from this vid. What an evolution! Paved tracks?! And long frames?! I quit because I got too tall for 20” and the cruisers (24”) were all ridden by older kids than me. I’d loved to have had an xxl frame! Maybe it’s just me but those pumps make this look slow.
@@crazyalcayne There's no such thing as "the same but way better". If something is better it's different, by definition, obviously.
@@MaximRecoil Ok keep believing that and not get what I'm saying.
@@crazyalcayne "Ok keep believing that"
There's no belief involved because what I said is a fact. "Same" and "better" are mutually exclusive. If something is better there has to be a difference, which makes it not the same, obviously. It helps to know the meaning of words before using them in a sentence.
"and not get what I'm saying."
That's comically ironic, considering you've demonstrated that you didn't "get" what you said, and still don't, apparently. "Better" inherently means different. "Same" means no differences. Get it?
BMX is cool and teaches the fundamentals but the BMX crowd is the worst. At least here in the states. I dreaded taking my kid to races all the years he did it, but had to put on a happy face while dying inside 😂
I’ve been wanting to do that forever it looks super fun and intense. Unfortunately these no track like that near me
BMX's "Push" is common skill on mountain bike.
i personally run 95-100 psi in my race bike tires
Bobbleheads... its bobbleheads.... get it together UK!!!! lol
The bmx content was fun. Would love to see more of this.
its more with tricks that makes it hard and jumps like dane searls
Nice job bro!
Thanks!
@@gmbn You're welcome!!
Did you see my comment
Yy
👀
Omgggggg
hardest part is riding a much smaller bike.
that is basically the same gt bmx race bike that i used in some of my bmx race related videos. but i mostly do flatland freestyle. i got 10 bikes. so i do use that bike and in videos but not as much as my trick bikes. it is a great bike. looks like you had fun on it.
You Did awesome 👏 🔥
Why is the braking handle on the left?
Very Nice! Love the videos
He did a little better on bmx than on the unicycle
Great show, Blake, and at age 64, I may give the older-guys BMX events a go, just for kicks. It'd be fun to line up against the BMX stars of earlier eras and fight to the finish, or at least get to the finish upright, lol. And back in the day, late '70s and early '80s, I used to haul my BMX bike in the bed of my mini-truck and whenever I'd happen to see a BMX track in a park or community, I'd stop and ride a few laps, simply to experience it. And O my, that was when BMX tracks were all over California and it was great that bike riders were accommodated like Little League baseball players and their ball fields had been everywhere for decades.
More BMX content please! Specifically, 24 inch wheel bmx cruisers. I would like to see Blake ride some singletrack on a 24" wheel cruiser. They are fairly capable and with a rider like Blake it would be cool just how far he could push the boundaries on your flow trails or even some tech. For instance, I have passed someone on a mtb on the inside of a switchback. You need to put a front brake on it for that. Also let's see him or Neil race some bmx pro's on a proper track just to see the difference.
Gosport bmx track..one of my super fav in the south region race circuit. I thught Blake had a bmx racing past of some sort..Bmx is the best cycling discipline to prepare a rider to tackle any other cycling discplines and great training..
Probably. I've ridden both, but raced BMX for handful of years, and only raced MTB once before that.
Nice. In started cycling at 49 with a BMX race license. My son was doing it so I figured why not, I was there all day anyway. This lead to MTB, CX and the odd crit. I’m 60 now and sold my BMX cruiser, but still riding and racing. Cheers.
I raced bmx late 80s til about 2010 raced cruiser and 20 inch bikes i owned se quadangles, a Rickmans, diamond back, b1 and a dialled among others funnily enough found this video as was thinking about doing some evening gate practice for fitness
I’ve been mountain biking for 20ish years. Tried racing bmx around 43yrs old got hooked and raced 2years. Got 3rd at ROC my 2nd yr. It’s a lot of fun just hurts a lot for an old guy to crash😂
Is this at Gosport BMX track?
What kinda surface is that on the track?
I was riding 46x16 as a 14 year old in 1984! I'm surprised that 44x16 is still pretty much the norm! Well done Blake those tiny bikes kick like a mule!
What wheels do you run?
At 15 I used 45/16 for uphill sprints. But always raced on a 44/16. 46/16 must’ve given you incredible speed if you were able to push it.
@@TheYBGOON at 14 I was already 6ft tall and bigger than my father! 🤣 It wasn't a great gear out of the gate but I was (and still am on the road bike) good at pushing a big gear on a straight. Back then the courses were a lot different to today's courses. No tarmac, all packed lime stone, and very sticky in the wet. 45 would've probably been optimal for me back then, 44 I was spinning too fast. Now I'm 55 and tend to take things a little easier! 😉👍 Keep pedalling my friend!
@@TheYBGOON PS. BMX always 20inch. I never went over to cruiser.
@8:56 Why do racers not pedal all the way through the burn? They only seem to pedal halfway through.
@@thisworldaccordingtome9495 when going through the corner you need to carve it. pedaling the whole thing is rarely faster especially if you’re going a high speed. It also increases the chance of one of your pedals hitting the corner which can get sketchy.
Raced BMX as a kid and now back at it as an adult, with my 2 sons. Flat out the best cycling discipline to learn fundamentals, and those bike skills translate so well to other forms of cycling and even moto 🤙🤙
Anyone else see Harrison Bell in the intro
Great to see this on the channel! As a MTB and BMX coach, most of the BMX riders I coach come from MTBing. It is a very different set of skills, but the MTBers seem to be able to transfer their skills to most other forms of cycling.
and all BMXers needed to do was to put Disc Brakes and Carbon Forks on race bikes to get mountain bikers paying attention.
Didn’t race but started my two wheel adventures dirt jumping bmxs and moved on to xc and dirt jumping mtb in my early 30s but before all of that I skateboarded and still do and that will always be my first love tho stick to mini ramps and street as my vert ramp days are are done
Well Done Mr. Samson! Now Visit US and Race against Matty Cranmer =)
Having seen his meet the presenter clips My knowledgeable answer is Yes, Yes they can. Might take a little practice to relearn the known techniques but once you have learnt it you don't forget it. The aggressive stance on the gate in why so many mono out of the gate.
Awesome mate, I've just started racing later on in life and can relate to the difficulty but have to say you picked that up real fast, kudos 👊
Im a former bmxer who rides mtb now. Its so hard to get back on a small bike and not feel like a kook.
I use to race, now all 3 of my kids race. Even my youngest races on a balance bike. Good fun for the family!
You need to do a race GMBN Staff vs CGN and GTN that would be an awesome race.
If you can get a motor and battery fitted on one EMBN too.
Yay Gosport 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Yes we can. Us old school mtb'ers grew up riding bmx.
That's a sweet GT bike!
Is there an episode where GMBN takes the BMX down the MTB trail?
Cinderella shoes 🤣
So the one day Blake is in Gosport near me and I miss him. God damn it!
yep
glad to see this sport in your channel, awesome video🤟
GBMXN soon™?