With both the holiday around the corner, and the next BMX race season starting shortly thereafter, here’s a list of potential gifts that keep them happy and racing.
#1. New jersey and pants. Something all racers could use more of. They wear, they tear, and they get outgrown. You can’t go wrong with an extra set. The spare could really come in handy for those weekend back to back races in mid-summer. Who wants to wear stinky sweat soaked clothes two days in a row? And what mom would want to rush home and wash them? Not to mention, that tossing these items in the dryer isn’t recommended. So spares win hands down.
#2. Tubes, tires and rims. Speaking of spares. Rims get bent. Tubes leak or suffer from those off the track punctures and let’s face it, tires wear out. So keep your little (or big) racer still in the running by keeping spares on hand.
#3. A month of coaching from a USA Cycling licensed coach. With the Olympics adding BMX your young ones dreams can soar. Help them improve quicker and more efficiently with the aid of a coach. See resources at the end for where and how to find one. This would be one gift that would benefit any level of rider. Even if only coached for a month, most coaches can offer pointers that can be carried out continually as well as helping to develop some off the track exercises such as strength training.
#4. Video collection. You can use everything from home video clips of races to the available commercial DVDs available through BMX magazines and websites. Of course, the crash footages are entertaining but not always educational. And this could be tied in with #3 – find a coach that will review and analyze video clips.
#5. Woodward. What kid doesn’t want to go to a BMX camp? Give them an IOU note for a week over the summer at Woodward. Granted, it may be cheaper to buy them a new bike, but then again, it would depend on the bike. Check out Woodward online – any search engine will bring it up and there are two locations.
#6. New bike. If you’re looking for economically, well balanced and light, then check out Redline’s Flight. The Redline website offers specs so you can find the one that would fit your rider. And the list of dealers will help you locate where to buy. Of course, if your rider has a specific favorite brand, you can check out their aluminum frame options.
#7. New pedals. The clip variety add stability for those familiar or willing to take time and learn. One of the better pedals on the market for BMX is crank brothers mallet. The mallet offers a wide stable platform with metal edges and the famous egg beater style clip. They work well either clipped in or not.
#8. Protective Gear: knee pads, elbow pads, chest protector. Kids will outgrow old ones, and it’s always a good idea to reinforce the confidence of a timid rider by putting them in gear. Most will wear it, especially if they’re a bit afraid of getting hurt. It’s also a good gift for those adults that ride like the dickens because they still think like teenagers: they’re invincible. (And as adults, we just don’t heal as fast as the kids do….)
#9. Practice starting gate. The internet and bmx racing magazines offer some ads for locating where to find a practice gate. There are even plans for building your own. The gate start is a major portion of the race. Bad starts mean harder to get ahead. By getting better and better at gate starts, their race results will improve too.
#10. A BMX party! Check out indoor bike parks. What racer doesn’t mind playing with a bit freestyle now and then? Your local yellow pages, or again, the internet, will help you find one. Indoor parks off party packages as well and this gift could even be used for a birthday. Most offer a foam pit – where dare devils can try out new tricks with a softer landing. But be aware, even landing in foam can hurt – especially if you land on the bike, or the bike lands on you.
Reference:
- USA Cycling coaches can be located through the find a coach option at usacycling.org – but many of these do not work with BMX riders. ; For a licensed coach who works exclusively with BMX and MTB riders, and who will do video analysis, email biketeamone@comcast.net
