FAQ

FAQ - Info you can digest in your own time.

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Ashley Picnic Ground - Millton Ave - Rangiora

What licenses/fees are involved: When coming to our club we generally invite people to come along for a few weeks to ensure that they are genuinely interested. From there you need to meet up with our membership secretary. You are required to pay a club membership fee of $27.00 along with a licensing fee to BMXNZ between $36.00 & $62.00 all of which is payable to the club. Note: BMXNZ License fees only applicable if you choose to be a competitive racer.

What size/type of bike: Any type of bike will do, you must however have handlebar plugs, bike stands and reflectors must be removed, no pegs. All of the aforementioned is our absolute minimum safety standard. As time goes by you may become more involved and a purchase of a BMX race bike maybe desirable. Advice on bike sizing and type can be given by any of our club coaches.

Where to buy a race bike from: For second hand bikes ask around at the club, generally if a bike is for sale word of mouth does the job. Another place to look for a second hand bike would be on

Trade Me. When purchasing a second hand bike (depending on your level of experience) it may be beneficial to seek advice from one of our committee members. For a new bike you can see your local bike shop, not all of them have race bikes on display but most have availability through wholesalers.

Types of bikes: There are 2 different types of race bikes. One known as 20” and another as Cruiser. The 20” has 20” wheels and the cruiser has 24” wheels. You will have a better understanding of this when you see them at the track. Each type of bike is raced in its own class.

What safety clothing is required: Initially all you are required to wear is full length clothing, long trousers, long sleeve top, gloves, long length socks, suitable footwear and a helmet preferably full face but an interim option is a an approved cycle helmet. You will note that many riders are wearing motocross type outfits, these are worn because of the fabric strength and suitability to taking falls and knocks (an unfortunate but inevitable result from BMX). These outfits can be purchased from most motorcycle retailers or a cheaper alternative can be found by word of mouth within the club.

Common words you may hear yet wonder what they mean:

Sprockets: All riders up too the age of 8yrs when licensing automatically fall into this category. This class was introduced to remove the pressure of competitive racing. All riders race in there own age categories.

Amateur: An amateur covers most of the riders within the sport. Classed as amateurs as they do not compete full time nor as a profession.

Elite: This group is for riders who compete in elite classes, generally very experienced riders wanting to compete at a higher level.

Marshals: Every sport has officials, i.e. referees. We have berm marshals. These people are volunteers who are found at every corner of the track, there role is to officiate against foul play and apply the general rules and regulations of the sport.

Race Director : The race director has the responsibility of ensuring that the event is run correctly and within the rules and regulations of the sport. All marshals report to the race director who accesses the issue and makes the final ruling.

For more information on rules and officials: Found by using the following link BMXNZ Handbook

UCI Age: The age of a rider on there birthday within the calendar year. So an 8 yr old turning 9yrs this year is classed UCI 9. At younger ages this can benefit those born on 1st January and sadly the reverse can effect someone who has a birthday on 31st December, they both fall into the same UCI class. Effectively they are aged 1 year apart.

Age On Day: Some race events class riders into age on day, this means if on the day your child is 8, then they race in the 8yr class.

Number Plates, do they mean anything: Yes they do, there are different coloured plates for each of the following classes. Sprockets (white background, 4 digit red numbers) male and female are the same, Novice (white background, 3 digit red numbers), Amateur Men’s (yellow background, black numbers), Amateur Female (blue background, white numbers), All cruisers male and female are the same (red background, white numbers), Elite Men’s, Elite Women’s.

Numbers less than 50 are reserved for National ranked riders obtained by participating at the annual National titles held over Easter each year.

Number plates also have a club prefix on them. RAN (Rangiora), NAC (North Avon) CHC (Christchurch City), NN (Nelson) KAI (Kaiapoi) are commonly seen in the Canterbury area. You must have your club prefix on your number plate.

What Parts Are On A Bike: