BMX Bikes

Matt Sims

High Noon BooksNovato, California

Contents

Two Wheels ......................1

A New Kind of Bike .........6

What You Need ..............11

Wheelies and Hops ........15

Bike Safe ........................20

Catch Air!.......................23

Two Wheels

In 1817 a man named

Von Drais had a great

thought. He made a bike

with two wheels. It was

made from wood. All it

had was a seat. The bike

was f ine for downhil l

glides.

1

2

In 1865, a foot crank

was added. This bike

was cal led a ‘bone

shaker’. Riding on stone

streets was not a smooth

trip.

In 1870, the ‘high

wheel’ bike was made. A

high wheel with three

wheels was made for

girls in long skirts.

Soon brakes were

3

In 1870, the ‘high wheel’ bike was made.

4

added to bikes. Steering

pitfalls were fixed.

By the 1890s, bikes

had two wheels of the

same size. There was a

chain drive on the rear

wheel . After these

changes, bikes were

safer. They became a

smart way to get from

place to place.

Then some grown-ups

started driving cars .

More bikes were made

for kids . Bikes in the

1920s looked slick and

flashy.

In the 1950s, bikes for

kids and teens became

sleeker. They weighed

less. They looked more

like today's bikes.

5

6

A New Kind of Bike

In the 1960s, kids started

building bikes. They made

the bikes from spare

frames and parts. These

bikes were ‘tricked out’.

They had ‘ape hangers’

and low-rider seats. They

were built to look a bit like

hot rods and choppers.

Al Fritz worked for

Schwinn bikes. He saw the

bikes that kids were

making. He made his own

bike. The Sting-Ray® was

born.

The Sting-Ray® looked

cool. The wheels could also

be changed. The BMX bike

comes from the Sting-

Ray®.

7

Y-shaped bars and

grips help BMX bikes

make tight turns and do

tricks. The rear wheel

has a swing arm and big

shocks. When the back

wheel hits a bump, i t

swings up and turns.

The strong springs in the

shocks move the wheel

back into place.

The wheels have thick

8

9

Kids ride hard, so BMX bikes need to betough.

10

rims and strong spokes.

Deep tire treads help

grip the track. The front

fork legs have shocks

that help steer.

The heart of the bike

is its strong frame and

welded joints. It has a

lot of flex. The bike can

take a beat ing on the

track.

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27

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28

! FALL 2007

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