This page gives answers to some common questions about The Royston Rockets and BMX racing at club and regional and National level.

We have also included a simple definition of some of the terms used in BMX Racing – lets us know if we have missed any.

Further information on Regional Racing can be found at  www.bmxeast.com and for more information on National Racing please visit www.britishcycling.org.uk/bmx

Please use the “Contact Us” page if you can not find an answer to your question – and if you find something you think should be on this page please let us know.



  • General
    General questions about the club, membership, etc.
  • Do I need an Induction Session Before Joining

    The idea of taking part in one of these sessions is for the coaches to assess what level of rider you are, and to teach you a basic understanding of the track rules.
    Riders taking part in these taster sessions are aged 4years and upwards - it’s not unusual to have riders trying for the first time aged 40 years +.

    Induction session are held monthly on Saturdays from 3 to about 4:30pm and must be pre-booked.

    Dates are published on our Facebook page - click here

    £10 per rider – BMX Bike hire £5 – Free use of helmets and gloves

    The aim is to be able to progress through to the other coaching sessions and then onto the race series.
    To move on to the first level of coaching you will need to be able to complete a non stop lap of the track confidentiality and safely, and be able to pedal standing up for 50m.
    A qualified club coach will asses your skill level.
    When you move onto the beginner coaching sessions a club membership will be required.

    Please email Roystonbmx@gmail.com or use the website “Contact Us” page for more information or read the information here

  • How do I join the club

    We use the British Cycling (BC) Club support system for our membership- please note you do not have to be a member of British Cycling to join the club but the system will invite you to join BC. If you wish you can join both the club and BC at the same time. Please note that first time BMX riders under the age of 18 should apply via the "Contact Us" page to book an induction session before applying for membership -

    Click here to join the Rockets

     

  • What does is cost to join the club

    The club fees are fixed at the Club AGM each year and for 2020 the meeting agreed to keep fees the same as the previous year which are ÂŁ15 for individual members and ÂŁ25 for a family with two or more riders.

    Click here to join the Rockets 

  • When can I use the track

    Royston BMX track is open for public use at any time the club is not using it. However the acces road is closed so if you are travelling by car it is suggested you park in the Coombes Community Centre car park and walk through the gate in trhe rear fence and up steps.

    Please note - The BMX Track is for the use of pedal cycles only - Radio controlled vehicles, skateboards, motorbikes etc. are banned and may be reported to authorities.

     

  • Where is your track
  • Racing
    Questions on BMX racing at club and regional level
  • How much does it cost to enter a race?

    Race fees vary depending on the level of racing and you should check each event before you enter.

    Typically club races are in the order of ÂŁ6-7 whilst regional events are ÂŁ12-15. National events vary depending on the riders class and range from about ÂŁ15 to ÂŁ25.

    Regional and National events can only be entered On Line via the British Championship website and no On Day registration is possible.

    Club events are also tending to use On Line Entry only so make sure you check first.

  • What do I need to start racing?

    We have provided various guide documents to help you with the equipment and papewrwork required - please click here to go to the Information page where these giudes are stored.

  • Can I race without being a British Cycling member

    Racing at club level is open to anyone with a sutable bike and safety clothing as are Regional Winter Series events. and other specific open events.

    Non BC members can race at Summer Regional Races in the Novice classes but if they wish to ride in the main "expert" classes they will need  at least Britis Cycling Ride Silver membership. There is a progression pathway for new riders which shoud be checked before making any decisions.

    To progress to National level events the rider will require British Cycling membership and a race licence - again there is a progression pathway to be followed.

  • Do I need a race licence to compete?

    A licence is not required for racing at club level is open to anyone as are Regional Winter Series events. and other specific open events and Summer Regional Races in the Novice classes although if wish to ride in the main "expert" classes they will need  at least Britis Cycling Ride Silver membership but not a full race licence. There is a progression pathway for new riders which shoud be checked before making any decisions.

    To progress to National level and above riders require British Cycling membership and a race licence - again there is a progression pathway to be followed.

  • How do I qualify to race at Regional or National level

    The Regional Summer Race Series is open to any rider who has Silver or Gold Ride membership of British Cycling - for those who do not have membership there are Novice Classes and generally a rider can compete at Novice level for three events before being required to move up to the "Expert" classification. Please see www.bmxeast.com for more information.

    Regional Winter  Series events are open to all riders and membership of British Cycling is not required - again please see www.bmxeast.com for more information.

    From 2017 the National Series is open to riders who either have a national standing from the previous year or who have ridden in at least 5 Regional Summer Series Events in the previous year and these riders must have a full Race Licence as well as BC membership. Please see www.britishcycling.org.uk/bmx for more information.

  • Coaching
    Questions on Coaching at Royston BMX Club
  • Are the club coaches qualified

    The Royston BMX Club is a registered British Cycling Go-Ride club which requires the club to have coaches qualified at Level 2 and Level 2 BMX specific. All coaching sessions are led by at least one of the clubs qualified coaches.

  • Can anyone attend coaching sessions

    The club welcomes new members to the coaching sessions but all sessions have a limit to the number of participants so are by invitation only and are only open to club members.

     

    Anyone wishing to start with our coaching sessions is required to attend an induction session first - contact can be made by visiting during a club session or send us an email via the "Contact Us" page.

  • BMX Racing Terms or Phrases
    BMX, like many sports, has its own language - here we try to explain some of the terms or phrases used!
  • Moto / Moto's

    A BMX event is broken into two major parts - the Moto's and the finals! Moto's are normally 3 qualifying rounds of races and the results of the three rounds combined decide which riders go to the next round - the Finals! Note, the Finals could be Quarter, Semi or Main finals!

  • Staging Area / Pens

    The area where the riders gather before going to the gate. The staging area leads to a series of pens - usually 10 lanes wide- riders for one race go into the lane marked with their race number so they can be easily identified by the Start Hill or Staging team so they get on the gate in the right race

  • Berm

    A berm is a banked corner - BMX tracks must have at least 3 Berms and they can be left or right handed and 90 or 180 degree or anything in between!

  • Qualifier / Qualifying

    Races that determine which riders in each class will race in the final main race.

  • Moto Board

    The area where the moto sheets are posted prior to the race for riders to see which race and start gate they are in. Modern technology is putting the moto board on your smart phone as an App so watch out for how each event is being run!

  • Start Gate Start hill

    A BMX race is a sprint race so to ensure a fair and equal start for all riders a start gate mounted on top of a start hill is used - the gate has eight Lanes, each 1m wide and marked 1 to 8 and the rider must start in the start lane allocated to them.

  • DNS / DNF / REL / DQ

    These are abbreviations used when recording results and race incidents and are all different;

    DNS = Did Not Start - the rider who DNS is usually awarded points equal to the number of riders in the race PLUS 2 - so 8 rider will give 10 points. A rider who DNS twice in the Motos is then disqualified.

    DNF = Did Not Finish - If  a rider fails to finish a race in which they started then they are marked as DNF and receive the moto points equal to the number of riders in the race. DNS can be due to accident or equipment failure.

    REL = Relegated - A rider recorded as REL has, in the view of the race commissaire, committed an offence during the race and the penalty is to be relegated to last place in the race and receive points equal to the number of riders in the race PLUS 2 - so 6 rider will give 8 points. In the motos the rider can still qualify to the finals - but its much harder!

    DQ = Disqualified - A rider recorded as DQ has, in the view of the race commissaire, committed an offence during the race and the penalty is to be removed from the event and receive no points.

  • Standings / Ranking

    Standings and Rankings are based on points awarded to a rider based on the event result. They are frequently confused but in the British Cycling system a Ranking is based on the riders results in a range of events - so points can be gained from Regional or national or international events. In BMX most races - apart from the British or Regional Championships are run as a Series and races from that Series give the riders points towards their Series  Standing.

  • The Brits

    The Brits is the shortened term used for the British Championships - the biggest BMX event of the year in the UK. Riders from across England, Wales and Scotland qualify for The Brits through their Regional Series. Each Class winner of the Brits has the right to race on an "01" plate until the next Brits!

  • Hole Shot

    Taking the lead position out of the starting gate and going into the first turn. A hole Shot competition is sometimes held and is integral to the finals where a defined Hole Shot Line is marked on the track and the first rider to that line is given an award.

  • Grand Prix class

    A Grand Prix class is one with 8 or less riders who, at most events, will ride the 3 motos as normal but during the main finals will race a 4th moto and the overall class results are then based on all four motos.