Has BMX Racing in the UK got a Brighter Future Now

Now the spectacular BMX racing has finished in the London 2012 Olympics with Team GB BMX riders Liam Philips and Shanaze Reade making the finals and still proving they are in the top ten BMX riders in the world with they strong and brave efforts.  It was amazing to see BMX racing gaining major coverage in the UK  for once, it must have been covered in nearly every big national newspapers in the back sports pages or Sunday supplements last weekend, which must help it grow over the next few years.  It appears the public were not aware how fast and exciting this cycling sport can be and comparable to boardercross and skicross in the Winter Olympics, but with a harder landing if you crash.

London 2012 BMX race gap jump 525x318 Has BMX Racing in the UK got a Brighter Future Now
Big gap jumps in the BMX racing in London 2012 Olympics

After all the E.T BMX  jokes, the big media wave has washed over the BMX racing scene and we're not sure if this is just because it's the London Olympics or it may continue with every Olympic from now on with some broad sheet newspapers publishing articles on the BMX world championships as a starter for the future.  I bet it's never had this much national media coverage before and probably the last time it was in the national papers this frequently was when it was classed as the next craze from the USA in the early 80's after the E.T block buster film was released (when the papers were short of a few headline stories). 

London 2012 bmx race berm Has BMX Racing in the UK got a Brighter Future Now
Tarmac corners to help keep the speed of the BMX rider around the track

 With Swatch and Red Bull now sponsoring major international BMX events, this too will help promote this fun sport and hopefully create a greater demand for pump track and BMX tracks in the UK.  You do not have to enter BMX races to ride a BMX track, most cities have some form of free BMX track (even thou it may need some maintenance) on a public park.  You or your child would gain great bike skills with some pactice and you can soon clock up 6 or 7 miles from pedalling and pumping on a 400 metre long BMX track over a couple of hours on the track.   National and regional standard BMX tracks will not be as big or dangerous as the one seen in the London 2012 Olympics, so please don't use this as an excuse.  Get on the internet and search out your local BMX track or BMX club,  check out British Cycling  for further information on BMX racing.  You can always try out BMX freestyle or street riding too.

Doncaster BMX track Has BMX Racing in the UK got a Brighter Future Now
Doncaster BMX track - Regional standard track great for getting started in to BMX racing

Wonder if any additional funding will come from it, funny how funding comes for Velodromes at £28 million and UK BMX clubs are struggling to get a couple of thousand pounds to resurface the track or get tarmac berms.  Lets see what happens in the next four years leading upto the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic games for BMX racing.

The London 2012 Olympic legacy may produce the goods, not sure if some of us will be around to see thou.  Hopefully as planned by LOCOG these games will inspire more children and adults to try out a new sport, however the particpates will only grow in numbers if there are the quality facilities available to encourgae them.  So now more people are aware of the BMX sport from the TV coverage, it's a ideal time to pump money into this growing sport and hopefully entice some people away from their games consoles and do it for real.  This would then help LOCOG meet their legacy targets for BMX.

BMX Racing at London 2012 Olympics

It’s true, BMX racing is now an official Olympic sport and in the London 2012 Olympic games.  Now joining the ranks of snowboarding half pipe competitions and boardercross as an official Olympic sports.  The IOC is appealing to the youth in an attempt to reverse the trend of seeing the Olympics as boring or for older people

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BMX World Championships 2012 in Birmingham

The UCI BMX World Championships is the biggest annual prize in BMX racing with the worlds best riders chasing the right to wear the coveted rainbow stripes for the following 12 months. The event is also the last event in which nations can secure valuable qualification points as they strive to earn their place at

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Nottingham Bike Pump track

It’s time to pedal the word and get things moving !

The National Water Sports Centre is one of Nottingham’s premier water sport venue’s and has the potential to add another exciting and popular sporting activity to the long list of leisure activities that already take place down by the River Trent in Nottinghamshire.   

Cycling is one of Britain’s

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Latest breed of technical BMX tracks in the U.K

The  National Cycling Centre at Manchester - Indoor BMX track 

With the London 2012 Olympics in the summer, UK BMX tracks are on the increase and it is only good news for the sport in this country.  The new 24 million pound indoor BMX track has opened in Manchester and has already held some British cycling

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Ice Skating on Cambridgeshire’s Fens

FEN-TASTIC ICE SKATING ON CAMBRIDGESHIRE’S FENLANDS Welney Wash – Cambridgeshire

This Winter Fen Skating makes a great return to the wetlands of Cambridgeshire

Talking to some of the locals, this is the earliest they can recall Ice Skating on the  Fens in December.  With temperatures as low as -12 the ice has been in great condition

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Are Ice Rinks expensive to maintain compared to Swimming Pools ?

As ice sports (Figure Skating and Ice Hockey) are a minority sporting activity in Great Britain, it appears to be difficult for Councils and Clubs to get investors to fund new ice rinks or ice arena’s.  Over the last few decades there has been numerous ice rinks closed down due to various reasons, one of which maybe that

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Is the Elite Ice Hockey League more stable with ten teams ?

Is the British Elite Ice Hockey League heading towards a stable future ?

I am sure the Elite Ice Hockey League still has many issues to iron out, but with the Dundee Stars and Fife Flyers adding to the Scottish contingent its seems on the face off it that things are looking brighter for some teams

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