We asked three leading motocross athletes how BMX has helped them when they made the transition to riding dirt bikes. See what they had to say:
Eli Tomac
FATBMX: Did you ever race BMX?
Eli Tomac: My racing started with bicycles and that was riding BMX tracks, it was the first thing I did. I got on a bicycle and raced BMX probably till I was 7 or 8 years old at the local tracks and then after that I went full motocross but yeah it was part of my life in the beginning.
FATBMX: Do you use something you learnt from BMX for your motocross riding?
Eli: I think the crossover is excellent, just for learning balance, balance is huge in the control of your bike.
FATBMX: Do you think BMX is a good school for motocross?
Eli: Oh yeah, totally! I mean, especially in the Supercross environment it's very similar, well, it's both, it's bike control right, knowing how to pinch the bike, I think there's a lot of similarity between BMX and Motocross.
Simply put BMX came from Motocross. The connection between the two still remains. Josh Hill has seen both worlds as his dad was a sponsored GT Freestyle rider back in the day doing sick turndowns. Josh still has a BMX bike but currently is busy making mains at the Supercross series that travels around the USA. Josh is also someone exploring new terrain, riding his Dirt Bike in ditches, in the streets and sometimes skateparks. When noise is an issue, and speed is needed, the E-bike comes into play. We fired over some questions to Josh. Answers below.
Name: Josh Hill
Age: 33
Sponsors: Monster energy Mountain Motorsports team Tedder
When was the first time you picked up a BMX bike? Do you remember?
Josh Hill: 2 years old was the first time I rode a BMX without training wheels.
What brand was it?
Josh Hill: No idea, but knowing my dad probably GT or Dyno.
Do you still own a BMX bike today?
Josh Hill: Yes
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.