What? BMX!!!

Saturday I had to run some errands and of coarse my side kick decides he wants to tag along. Nothing new… We run by Home Depot and hear how he really needs this tool that he has no idea what it does. We run by play it again sports and hear how he really wants this $200 radio controlled boat. We run by Todd and Moore and hear how he really needs a new Clemson Football (hard to argue with that logic). We run by Soccer Plus and hear how he needs a mini soccer ball. After defusing all of these wants with “Christmas is right around the corner”, I come up with a brilliant idea. Let’s go by the BMX track and see what is going on. You see, he has been asking for this Trek Road Bike for 2 years now. http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2007/archive/kdr1000

Ever since Paul pulled it down one day and let him sit on it, he has had it in his head that he needed a road bike. I actually had to drag him out of the bike shop that day with tears in his eyes. Of all the things this kid is passionate about, bikes are the main thing. For 2 years now, I have been using the excuse that the road bike is too big for him and he will have to wait until he grows a little. Lately he has been really pushing this so I had to come up with a distraction. That is where BMX comes in. I have nothing against road biking other than dumb @$$ drivers that could kill you and I have no intention of exposing my child to that until I am more confident in his skills. Not to mention that my master plan to create the ultimate cyclist requires MAD BMX skills. So after we run our errands we head to the track. I just wanted him to see what the track was all about and see some riders to see if he is interested. To our surprise there are some guys out there doing some maintenance and a few riders out there. The owner of the track introduces himself and says he has a few loaner bikes and some helmets if we are interested. Dumb question, Of course we are interested. So we suit up and hit the track. His first run is good and safe with no crashes. The second a little faster, and then the third he has his front wheel leaving the ground on the jumps. This scares me a little, because I know what is coming next, a wreck. And sure enough on the forth run he does not utilize the bank, burns the corner and goes right over the far side of the bank. I grab him up, dust him off and explain the dynamics of the bank. Come to find out the whole time I am yelling use the bank, he has no idea what I am talking about. I should have known. He gets back on the bike and we do a few more runs. Then we sit in the stands and watch some of the older guys run some laps. It is awesome to see how those guys handle a bike. They look so fluid.
After a few hours we get the call from the wife, “Where the Hell are you?” “Oh we are just at the BMX track”. “WHAT?” After I explained that it was safer than a road bike and he was ready to start riding she cools down and trusts my judgment. She hates road bikes as well, especially since so many accidents have happened around Columbia lately.

Now a few days have passed and he bugs me every day. He wants to know when he can race. When he can go ride? When he can get a new bike? He has proclaimed that he does not want a road bike (mission accomplished). He proclaims that he is not afraid to wreck, he just wants to race. I can not wait to get him out there. So it looks like one of these is next on the list. http://www.diamondbackbmx.com/bikes/race/nitrus-jr/

And of course if he gets one, I will have to as well.

http://www.diamondbackbmx.com/bikes/race/nitrus-24-2/

I am not a sit on the side lines parent. Watch out world… Here comes Logan!