What is motocross and why do people ride or race motocross?
Well, first of all, let me give you a brief description of the feeling I get when I drive or run. I am a 37 year old motocross veteran with a career spanning from 1975 to 2007.
It’s a blood pump, an adrenaline rush, a brain warp, a heartbeat, a natural high like no other on this earth. There’s nothing like being 12 feet off the ground at 50 MPH with nothing under your butt more than 218 pounds of motorcycle. Now with that being said, I’ll try to tell you a bit about motocross.
Motocross is a sport that requires the utmost physical preparation and courage. MX tracks are made up of hills, big jumps, and man-made obstacles known as whoop of doos, dragons backs, ant hills, doubles, triples, and occasionally a jump called a quadzilla or quad. It is about 4 jumps in a row that only the most experienced cyclist will jump. It will hit the first and clear the rest, hoping to land on the downside of the last. The same technique applies to double and triple jumps.
The protective gear and clothing a runner wears is just as extravagant as he or she is, yes, the girls are riding too. The cyclists’ clothing consists of, among others, boots, helmet, protective pants and jersey, knee pads, chest protectors, gloves, goggles and the latest addition to the line, a Leatt Brace. This motto is designed to prevent the rider from breaking their neck in case their head falls off first. The rest is self explanatory.
The race itself takes place on a closed and continuous circuit, usually between a mile and 1.5 miles long, with all the obstacles mentioned above. Most races consist of 2 “motorcycles”, each of which has between 5 and 8 laps. There can be up to 40 runners at the start gate at a time. Your score is determined by your completion in each round, with the last round being the tiebreaker if a tie occurs and usually occurs.
MX tracks are found throughout the United States and other countries, and can be found by visiting your local motorcycle store or your favorite motorcycle website. You can also watch a race on television on some of the sports channels. The cyclists you see on TV have come a long and hard way to get there and are the elite of the sport. When they reach this state, they actually live like a rock star. Needless to say, I never achieved this goal, although I did have my moments.
So if you ever get the chance, get out of that recliner and enjoy the real action at your local MX track. It is great for the whole family. There are a lot of very nice people in these groups and a lot of spectacular drivers who sometimes have spectacular crashes. All in all, it’s a great way to spend the day or weekend with the family.
