Is BMX Broken? By Dave Alden

Dave kindly sent in this editorial piece, “Is BMX broken?” whilst I haven’t had time to read this whole way through. There are a few points that caught my attention such as: BMX being so hard perhaps it doesn’t appeal. Something I have heard numerous times before throughout all forms of BMX. Give this one a read when you have a spare moment, and let us know your thoughts.

http://beardedbiker.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/is-bmx-broken.html

9 thoughts on “Is BMX Broken? By Dave Alden

  1. Hello
    Mr Dave Alden seems to be a nice person so I am sorry to say that the only interest in his article is to point the article of Mr Brett Downs where
    you will find ideas based on LIVED FACTS from a legitimate rider and worker in bmx industry, and not imaginative thoughts not based on DATAS from somebody who didn’t know what he’s talking about because he doesn’t deal with it in real (bmx sales and CURRENT bmx marketing are areas where Mr Alden seems to have no pragmatic skills..)
    and the idea of a organization taking dollars (“maybe 1%”……of what ??) from the BMX compagnies (and how you define these compagnies?? and when do you want to take dollars from them?? what about compagnies making only products designed for trail riding which you can’t promote on a show on a parking lot?) to promote bmx is just childish if you only think first about the management and the strategy’s definition of something like this

    Brett Downs article is here: http://beardedbiker.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/is-bmx-broken.html

  2. Pleeeease learn to spell companies right. you’re undermining your credibility by spelling it wrong 3 times.

    I skimmed that article you just posted and it’s basically presenting similar problems. So why rip on Dave? are you insinuating the only credible source is a big name in the sport. that the little guys have nothing good to say?
    you are exemplifying one of the problem that Dave presents, focusing too much on the biggest and best.

    He has some good points. we are flooding the market with to many little brands that all look the same. see his example of just “F” companies. for one that has worked in numerous shops I can see what he’s saying no shop has ALL the companies except the large distributors. kinda kills the game for the bike shops because they go online for what they want.

    Also I like what he said about bmx focusing too much on the big name riders which can further push away beginners seeing only super high level of riding. there is something appealing about the basics, I will agree with him on that. Months ago I saw a video of Rueben Alcantara just flowing through different parks, not tricks. it was beautiful, yet simple. things like that we need to excentuate as well not just burly gnarliness.

    In short, hibou, that’s rude to put down what Dave was saying for the reason, he’s not a real rider therefor he knows nothing. I thought he had some wisdom in his words. if you’re to ignorant to see that I pity you.

    remember, “companies”

  3. This is just my opinion so take it at that. I work at a skate shop and it’s much cheaper to get a good skate setup without a huge investment. Mom buys her kid a good skateboard and if he doesn’t like skating then she is only out 80-120 bucks at the most. If lil Timmy likes skateboarding the costs of maintaining your skate is low. So I think the economic side of it hurts bmx.
    Also skating is the thing right now. Kids follow trends.
    Pharrel and Nigel Sylvester may bring a new crowd to BMX with the red carpet BMX thing at the VMA’s.
    But in my opinion, I am down for the smaller crowd of core enthusiasts. The mainstream like minded people hardly contribute anything positive anyway. Unless the motives are to bring in more $, which it shouldn’t be about anyway.

  4. I thought Dave’s article was pretty on point, he simply brought up a lot of real issues (not imaginative issues) and you dont have to be a pro rider or work in the industry to recognize these problems. The points he addressed can be great topics for thoughts or discussions.

    And I can absolutely say that if it wasnt for me stumbling upon a stash of how to videos for basic tricks a few years back like fork glides, track stands, front yards, endos to bw peg wheelies I would have thought flatland was impossible from just watching the pros. When new riders see pro tricks its hard to understand the progression of tricks that led up to that super hard impossible looking trick… maybe they should sometimes dedicate a portion of pro demos to showcasing some basics so people watching, after being amazed by the pro level tricks, could be like oh hey look at those basic tricks i can probobly do that… I strongly think getting new riders exposed to basic tricks that are simple and easy to learn will spark their interest and motivate them to learn a few things because it doesnt seem so incredibly difficult anymore… and than the addiction sets in…

  5. Yeah, I’ve always wondered what the “Real Rider” tag referred to. Whats the criterion? Time riding, dedication, number of tricks, who you ride with, etc.? What ever its reference, it seems like the “Real Rider” categorization doesn’t help us much. I think the Dave Alden makes some valid points. That said, however, I think we have to consider the fact that skateboarding has confronted many of the same obstacles and prevailed. I think many of the issues considered in the piece take time to overcome. The longer BMX is around, the more people become familiarized with it and stop thinking of it as a kiddie thing, the better the industry will be able to increase demand and the more companies and riders it will be able to support. When compared with traditional sports, BMX is in its infancy and will require some time to grow. And, like all industries, even after established, there will be good times and bad times for the industry as a whole. Just the thoughts of an old guy who may not be a “Real Rider” by the measure of some, but who loves to ride as much as one.

  6. On a forum such as this, it is ludicrous to point out spelling or grammatical errors. Simply read the ‘opinions’ of others, and then state your views. Afterwards, perhaps even substantiated your views by sharing a fact.

    When it comes to grammar and spelling, this Education Support Teacher-Resource would assess that both ‘hibou’ and Jeff T are in need of supplementary lessons.

    For example:

    . that the little guys have nothing to say?
    This is a sentence fragment, which also contains a capitalization error and an end punctuation error.

    …if you’re to ignorant… There is another capitalization error here, and the spelling of the word ‘to’ is incorrect. Earlier, the word ‘therefore’ was misspelled, too!

    If I have upset you Jeff T by pointing out just a few of the many, many grammatical errors contained in your post which, by your reasoning, undermines one’s credibility, then you can commiserate with ‘hibou’. He who has not sinned cast the first stone. Time for all of us to put the rocks down boys.

    E-Ron! I appreciated reading your post.

  7. It’s hard to be very clear when we exchange views on a writing place, specially when we are all not native english speakers and specially when we are not talking about the same thing…

    @Jeff T : read again what I wrote: I don’t put down Mr Alden for the reason you said at the end of your post,
    I already saw that Mr Dave Alden is a rider too coz I saw videos of him, I like his endo to funky chicken combo, nice stuff!!!
    I wrote that Brett Downs is a legitimate rider ; it was only to precise his situation.

    The fact is Brett Downs wrote an interesting article because he brought DATAS and LIVED FACTS, and Mr Alden brought nothing like that, he only brought imaginative thoughts based on speculation!!!!!!! and that’s what I am pissed of and then I wrote here. I am sorry but when you are a adult, you have to be serious in your words by bringing something SERIOUS to the table and you have to stop to speak for nothing!!
    I am sorry but Mr Alden shouldn’t have pointed his article to Flatmattersonline.

    In my first post here I used BIG characters to emphasise what are my points, and I used explanations also, please read them again!!

    I don’t think BMX doesn’t need promotion.
    The thing is I am sick to read stuffs that somebody else ALREADY said and also I am VERY VERY sick to see skillless/willingless people telling to the others what to do.

    And, again Jeff T and Mr Alden:
    when you wrote “WE are flooding the market with toO many little brands that all look the same”, that’s just ridicoulous coz that “WE” are ONLY the guys who REALLY take the risks to build something in BMX, taking risks with their money, their time and carreers maybe. They are not people taking the time to chat in here. And you want to tell to them to not do their thing?? For what, because you think that’s not good in your views??
    And about the fact the products may all look the same, there is a reason for that: the CURRENT demand of the customers!!! And the FIRST thing when you run a bizness in bmx (or what ever) is to propose something that you can sell!!
    Saying that the BMX companies have to sell something else NOW is really easy for you coz you are only behind your computer, but you really don’t know what you are talking about saying that!! Let the people who take risks to choose when they have to change the market, they are in better position than you to know how and when it can happens.

    And about promoting BMX with shows, STOP TALKING and writing it, JUST DO IT!! Just gather riders who has free time to do it, invent what you can put on a show for 30 or 45 minutes, meet the bmx brands you want to promote in your shows, and meet the shop owners to propose that to them!!! If you only think about it 5 minutes, and if you have the skills to really think about it, you will discover that is very time consuming and that’s really really not easy and that you will need money. But I know that’s more easy to only write the simple idea here than take off your fingers from your ass.

    And again, that idea of a “organization”… hahahaha sorry but I can’t stop laughing when I think about all the mess it would be to define a strategy, find the leaders of it, gather people and riders around it, and how to finance it.

    About the BMX promotion, If you can’t SERIOUSLY imagine yourself in a ACTIVE position, DON’T SPEAK ABOUT IT!!
    I am sorry but that is a sensible subject that makes look the INACTIVE bmxers really ridicoulous!!

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