If you didn't know, it's time to clear it up - BMX stands for 'Bicycle Motocross', which is why it should not come as a surprise that BMX bikes are best known for being piloted over jumps and ripping around berms. They first appeared in the 1970's when kids mimicked motocross races on their bicycles, with a number fastened to the front part of their bike. They used to take to dirt tracks and raced in a similar way to their motocross idols.
But enough about history and let's fast forward to today. If you are out in the market shopping for a BMX bike, you probably feel spoilt for choice. But worry not, we are here to clear things up and arm you with the knowledge you need to confidently buy the right BMX bike for your needs. In today's blog post, we will be talking about their gearing. Let's get into more detail.
Although BMX bikes don't come with multiple gears. you need to consider the number of teeth on the chainring and the BMX bike sprocket, as well as the ideal pairing of these, which is also known as the 'gear ratio'. In order to determine the gear ratio, all you need to do is some simple mathematics. Just divide the number of teeth on the chainring by the number of the BMX bike sprocket and whatever number you are left with - the rear wheel will rollover approximately two-and-three-quarter times for every rotation of the chainring. Mind you, the higher the number, the harder it is to pedal as it requires more force, and the lower the number is - the easier it is to pedal.
In order to ride out of tricks as well as to have better clearance over features, your BMX should have a smaller chainring/sprocket combo than the traditional or race BMX bikes. The typical gear ratio is 25/9 - which means that it takes a little effort for the rider to be able to accelerate quickly into a jump or a trick, however, they are also compromised on power and speed. If you are a BMX racer, choose and change gear ratios in order to match the rhythm and the demand of different race tracks and to suit your level of ability. Once you determine that you are ready to buy a certain model, your safest bet is to go with gearing for race bikes of approximately 55 gear inches as this is very likely to suit most riders.
