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An In Depth Look At The Ever Popular BMX Bikes

Sales of BMX bikes are increasing faster than almost any other type of bicycle. BMX bikes can be seen on every street, sidewalk and even in their natural habitat, off-road. Even if you never leave your house you've certainly seen such bikes on TV. Sure, you probably know what a BMX bike is, but what you probably don't know is what exactly differentiates a BMX bike from other bikes. We'll tell you how they're different.

We'll start with their origin. It's quite simple, really. Bikes remained pretty much the same for many decades after they were invented, but the popularity of off-road motorcycle racing, or motocross, during the 60's changed that. Kids saw the pros racing around on their dirt bikes and taking them off dirt ramps. They wanted to be like their heroes so kids imitated them on their bikes, which, at the time, weren't made for such rough-housing. It didn't take long for bike manufacturers to catch on and start manufacturing bikes made specifically for the rigors of racing and jumping off-road. Soon there were sanctioned bicycle motocross (BMX) all over the country. The BMX segment of the market grew and grew and continues to expand today. And of course most the kids (and adults) you see on these bikes don't ever race and probably don't jump them off anything more daring than a curb. Still though, BMX bikes are made to take a beating.

Now, to discuss the physical attributes of the BMX bike which makes it different from other bikes. The particular features can be narrowed down to the frame, the wheels/tires, the brakes, and the gears.

The frame on BMX bikes is designed to be very light so it can be easily maneuvered and very strong so it can withstand the stresses of jumping and racing. The light weight of a BMX frame is also important because a lighter bike can save you valuable seconds in a close-fought BMX race. Aluminum and chrome-moly steel are the two materials most favored by BMX'ers. Regular bikes are usually made from cheap grades of steel prone to rusting or even breaking when put under a lot of stress.

Another distinguishing feature of BMX bikes are their wheels and tires. Most BMX bikes have 20" rims, of course they can also be purchased in other sizes. There is the 12" size for young children just learning to ride. These days kids are learning to ride bikes before they learn to read! The next size up is the 16" wheel. These bikes are mostly used by kids from the ages of 8 to 12. Once they enter the teen years, most kids ride the 20" bikes. This is the size favored by many adults and pros, as well. There are BMX bikes with even larger wheels or in-between sizes but they aren't as popular.

The tires on BMX bikes are different from conventional road bikes. They're knobby to give them excellent traction on dirt trails and tracks. In fact, they're very similar to mountain bike tires, just smaller.

Speaking of mountain bikes, such rides often have as many as 21 gears! Road bikes and beach cruisers typically don't have that many but they do range from 3 to 18 speeds. BMX bikes, on the other hand, have just one gear. They have one sprocket up front and one on the back wheel. That's it, they use just one gear because they're made for all-out sprints and to have precise control for freestyle tricks.

Another feature which differentiates BMX bikes from conventional bikes are their brakes. BMX bikes often have just a rear brake. Having a front brake increases the likelihood of accidentally using just the front one and causing an accident. Plus, racers don't need the extra braking power because they don't want to slow down! A BMX bike made for doing tricks will have a front brake, though.

BMX bikes also usually come with pads to protect the rider during accidents and wrecks, which can happen a lot during races. Most racers don't bother with pads, though, they're too cool for that. If the bike does have pads, they're usually on the top bar, handlebar clamp, and the handlebar crossbar.

BMX bikes are a booming business, and their popularity has increased across almost all segments of the market. You can often see BMX riders on televised competitions and commercials. BMX bikes are being ridden by all sorts of people, from professional riders to five year olds just having fun, adults who never grew out of them, and everyone in between.

BMX bikes are available in a range of sizes to accommodate all types of riders and all ages. They also have many specialized features to suit a variety of uses. There are, of course, a wide range in prices, too. If you are considering buying a bike for yourself or someone else, your best source of information are the people at your local bike shop. There's also tons of reliable information online. The two main issues you need to consider are how the bike is going to be used and how much you are willing to spend. From there it's up to you.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as cycling gear at http://www.bicyclepartsandclothing.com.

posted by poitx @ 6:45 PM 0 comments

Because Proper Tire Care Can Save You Money-And Your Life

It has long been known by most of us that proper tire inflation can save on fuel costs. Many people, however, do not realize that proper tire inflation not only prolongs the life of the tire, thus saving on replacement costs, but also impacts on the wear and tear experienced by various parts of the steering assembly itself. Additionally, proper tire inflation simply makes driving safer and easier by reducing the amount of corrections and control required from the driver.

Safety is also impacted when proper tire inflation is combined with regular inspections and other appropriate tire care steps because there is less chance of unexpected tire failure in dangerous highway driving and other traffic situations.

Had I been inspecting the tires on my Buick a bit more carefully on a certain hot Summer day in 1997, for example, I probably would not have found myself trying to change a tire on the 18 mile long bridge over the Atchafalaya river and swamp in Louisiana as 18-wheelers thundered by just inches away.

So, all year round, increased safety and fuel economy can rest on something as simple as regularly inspecting your tires visually and maintaining proper tire inflation pressure. It is also a good idea to make note somewhere of when tires are purchased, including both date AND mileage. Many of us tend to let such bits of info slide into the background as we drive at top speed with our loved ones on tires which may be nearing the end of their effective, safe lives.

Due to weather changes and road conditions in various areas, additional checks, maintenance, and operations may be called for.

Winter presents unique challenges in some areas and in almost all areas from time to time. Cars may become stuck in snow, roads may become icy, and vehicles may slip and slide at exactly the worst time possible. Winter is NOT a time that you want a tire to fail, so the usual inspections and maintenance become even more important. Properly inflated tires can help maintain traction as well as aiding in regaining control in skids and slides. If stuck in snow, by the way, try to avoid spinning your tires. This can cause overheating of the tire and may possibly contribute to a future failure of the tire.

After Winter has done its damage to drivers in many parts of the country, a new phenomenon may appear in abundance. Many new potholes happen due to a cycle of freezing and thawing of water under the roadway. Potholes can be tire killers at any time of the year, but, because of this cycle, there seems to be more of them after Winter has passed. Often, the damage a pothole inflicts on a tire is invisible, although the damage to the steering may become immediately evident due to the "pulling" of the vehicle to one side or the other, or vibration which wasn't present before.

Obviously, avoiding potholes completely is the best way to protect your tires against damage. However, as we all know, this is not always possible. Here is a tip on how to hit a pothole with minimum damage to your tires. First and foremost, do NOT brake during the impact itself! This creates a solid impact at a given point and will produce the most damage. Instead, brake as much as it is safely possible up to just before impact and release the brakes in time to roll across the pothole. This will result in a rolling contact which produces less damage in most cases.

When deciding on proper inflation pressures, your car manufacturer will usually provide the recommended pressures in the owner's manual and also on a data plate commonly located on the door frame, in the glove compartment, or under the hood. However, aftermarket tires purchased later may require different inflation pressures. In this case, it is good to check with the tire dealer on what would be the best inflation pressures.

Let's think back to that damage the pothole may have done to your steering. It may also have affected the balance of your tires. All of this can affect the life and performance of your tires, and this sort of damage is happening in smaller ways every time you drive your car. Therefore, don't forget to have tires rebalanced and alignment checked if you begin to feel vibration or notice pulling or unusual or uneven tire wear. You also should have tires rebalanced whenever you have your brakes worked on and any other time that it is necessary to unmount and remount your tires.

Last, but not least, a word on tire rotation. Obviously, not all tires are going to experience the same wear at the same time. For this reason, it is usually considered a good idea to periodically rotate tires. Your best bet in most instances is to simply go with the car manufacturer's recommendations, but a rule of thumb might be to rotate tires every 6,000 miles on most cars, and every 4,000 miles on cars with 4-wheel drive.

SAFETY TIP: Avoid tire patch kits that just push an adhesive cord into the puncture. The puncture may have created an opportunity for air to get beneath the tread. The tread could then blow off while you are driving the car, or, as in come cases, it may blow off when the tire is being aired. Injuries have occurred in some of these events. Do not EVER try to patch a puncture in the sidewall.

In these days of high fuel costs, and with the possibility of even higher costs in the future, this is a simple way to improve fuel economy. When you consider that you can also prolong the safe and effective life of your tires as well, you will not only be putting more money in your own pocket but will be helping reduce the power needed to produce more new tires and help reduce America's dependence on foreign oil as well.

Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, the environment, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, yoga, writing, the environment, happiness, self improvement, and weight loss. He is also an Amsoil dealer. You can learn more about fuel economy at http://lube2005.com/information/fuel_economy.html .

posted by poitx @ 2:57 PM 0 comments

The Winds of Change Are Blowing in the NASCAR 2007 Season!! - SCI February 12th Issue

It's Time for the Daytona 500!

The wait is over, Daytona is here, and this year's Daytona 500 brings with it a whirlwind of change. During the off-season, NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series got a huge overhaul! Starting with the points and championship system all the way down to the cars themselves, fans will be hard-pressed to find something that didn't change.

With many 2007 NASCAR drivers changing teams, old sponsors like GM Goodwrench leaving, and rumors of Jeff Gordon nearing retirement age, there is too much to talk about! Therefore, I want to narrow your focus to what I predict will be the top 5 stories of 2007 in NASCAR.

But before I give you the top headlines of 2007, let me first tune you in to this weeks schedule.

Next Week's Schedule:

Nextel Cup: @ Daytona International Speedway
02/11/07 - 02:10pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Bud Pole Qualifying (determines top 2 positions)
02/15/07 - 02:00pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Gatorade Duel At Daytona (qualifying races to determine starting positions 3 to 43)
02/17/07 - 01:40pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Daytona 500 Practice
02/18/07 - 02:00pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Daytona 500

Busch Series: @ Daytona International Speedway
02/15/07 - 09:30am NASCAR Nextel Cup Daytona 300 Practice
02/16/07 - 03:05pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Daytona 300 Qualifying
02/17/07 - 01:15pm NASCAR Nextel Cup Daytona 300

Craftsman Truck Series: @ Daytona International Speedway
02/15/07 - 11:45am NASCAR Chevy Silverado HD 250 Practice
02/15/07 - 07:00pm NASCAR Chevy Silverado HD 250 Qualifying
02/16/07 - 08:00pm NASCAR Chevy Silverado HD 250

The Future of Dale Earnhardt Jr & the Impact of Toyota

Headline #1) The future of Dale Earnhardt Jr and DEI. There has been much publicized banter between Dale Jr and Theresa revolving Dale's contract which is set to expire after this season. The latest release is that Dale wants majority ownership of DEI. If Jr doesn't get that, expect him to be driving the #3 GM Good wrench car for Richard Childress Racing next year...just a hunch!

Headline #2) The impact of Toyota. Many NASCAR hard-liners see the entry of a foreign car manufacturer as the culmination of many bad decisions that spell the end of NASCAR. These same hard-liners, however, believed the end of NASCAR came in the early 70's when NASCAR allowed custom-built as opposed to stock chassis. As we all can see, NASCAR is still here and thriving more so now than ever

What Toyota will do is pump enormous amounts of money into R&D to help propel one of its teams to a championship. This will force the US manufacturers, already feeling the strain of lower sales, to either pony up with more cash or simply pull out.

The Success of Open-Wheel Drivers & the Impact of the Car of Tomorrow

Headline #3) The success of open-wheel drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and AJ Allmendinger. For years, we NASCAR fans have always heard that any idiot with an IQ of at least 50 and two left feet could drive and be competitive in NASCAR. Well, this year will not be the first time, but perhaps one of the most publicized times this theory will be tested. With the defection of Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR inherited one of Formula-1's top young talents. Let's not forget about 2004 Champ Car World Series Rookie of the Year, AJ Allmendinger who will be piloting the #84 Red Bull Camry. These two drivers are some of the best open-wheel racing has to offer. Watch closely and see how they fair in 2007.

Headline #4) The impact of the Car of Tomorrow. Many negative things have been written about the Car of Tomorrow with little said about the positives the COT is supposed to bring. The main reasons NASCAR developed the COT were to 1) narrow the gap between the have and have nots in NASCAR & 2) encourage more passing at the super speedways. With 16 races slated this season to run with the COT, NASCAR will have ample opportunity to analyze performance before mandating a full season with COT in 2008.

Does Team Red Bull Have a Chance?

Headline #5) Can sponsor owned teams like Red Bull thrive in the modern world of NASCAR. Over the past decade, the number of single car owners has dwindled while the large teams continued to get larger. With competition and costs in NASCAR running at such a high level, teams have found the best way to survive is to field multiple teams and split the overhead of engine development, chassis department, etc... between the teams and their sponsors. How will a team like Red Bull survive? Perhaps they are banking on the COT.

This article is provided to you by Everything Sports, Inc. http://www.everythingstockcar.com/ is owned and operated by Everything Sports, Inc.

posted by poitx @ 2:53 PM 0 comments