Bruise control with a BMX master

The Olympic challenge No 18 - BMX

I am a child of the Nineties, and BMX stuck in my head as the coolest version of traditional bikes. I can still picture my big brother’s friends, hanging out outside the school on them, listening to Grand Master Flash. But as I enter the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, it dawns on me that there is more to it than looking cool.

Shanaze Reade, a Visa Team 2012 athlete, began racing at the age of 10 at Tipkidner Park in Crewe. Inspired by two cousins whom she watched in regional competitions, she hasn’t stopped riding since and now has three gold medals from world championships under her belt.

As I watch her heading towards me on the track, slaloming around the bumps with ease, I feel more confident. It’s only riding a bicycle, right? As I am about to discover, however, it is not.

“The position is not the same, you never sit. That’s why balance is important,” she says.

The 400 metre-long dirt track made of steep jumps and table-tops is intimidating and, although I’ve cycled before, I’m not sure I’m ready to go down the eight-metre high starting slope. There’s no time to be scared, however, as the team strap protective pads around my knees and elbows, fix a helmet on my head and hand me a pair of gloves.

“The trick is to use your brakes well and keep your pedals level when you land, otherwise they will get stuck in the dirt and you can fall. You need to have explosive strength, balance and endurance to be a good BMX cyclist,” says Reade. “Oh, and not be fearful,” she adds, laughing.

In the Olympics, eight riders will compete in each race on this short, tight, twisting circuit with multiple turns and jumps. The first to the finish line wins.