FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

BMX Supercross is something else. Imagine doing a train of follow the leader at your local concrete skatepark that has loads of lines. Now take 7 riders to follow you at full speed where you guys start off at an 8 meter high starting hill to get up to speed. Do you think this would be gnarly? Throw in an eleven meter gap that you have to clear, but then side by side, with more jumps like that on the way. And then people want to pass you, or give you an elbow in a section so they can pass you. BMX Supercross tracks are spectacular and as hard as concrete. Combined with the asphalt turns there's a strong similarity with your local concrete skatepark as far as surface goes. On a SX track you are given a direction to follow but that doesn't mean there are no lines. You need to find the fastest way to move around the track and find spots to pass the rider in front of you. You need to figure out where to pump the jumps and the turns to keep the speed going because once you lose speed, you won't be able to clear the doubles.

Finally I have started the 2014 season! Last weekend was the opening round of the World Cup series in Manchester UK an indoor SX track purpose build at the British home of cycling. We were fortunate enough to head over two weeks before the event to get some extra track time with the GB team and Aussies. Will a long off season build up I felt ready to go but with a few nerves. Friday added a new change to the World Cup format instead of the whole field doing a single time trial to make it into the top 64 riders we had to race for it.

American Brooke Crain (Visalia, Calif./Haro Bicycles) showed her consistency by riding to a second-place finish for the second consecutive year at round one of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup on Saturday in Manchester, England. Starting from gate 2 in the final next to defending world champion Caroline Buchanan of Australia, the 21-year-old Crain stayed on Buchanan's wheel throughout the race but was unable to find a way to move past the rainbow jersey. Venezuela's Stefany Hernandez followed Crain across the line to claim third place.