glossary

Glossary

Berm: The top of the banked corners on a BMX track.

BMX: Bicycle Moto Cross.

Call-up: Riders have their name called out and they are told which lane on the start gate they should line up at.

Cruiser: A BMX bike with 24 inch wheels (also applies to some of the guys who ride these bikes!).

Double: Two bumps close together. Some riders jump over the hollow in the middle, or scooter through it.

Flags: Waved by marshals to let officials know there is a problem. A yellow flag means the track is obstructed and the next race will not start. A red flag means stop all racing and return to the start.

Gate (1): Where the race starts. A barrier that drops to ensure that all riders get an even start. There are usually eight lanes on the gate.

Gate (2): A group of riders lined up ready to start a race.

Gate Start: A technique that riders use to get away quickly. Entails balancing on the bike against the start gate.

Kiwi Sprocket: Until kids are 8 years old they are sprockets. They ride with other kids of similar abilities, regardless of age, and receive special introductory coaching.

Moto: A race. At most meetings there are 4 or 5 motos for each rider.

Novice: A rider who is not fully registered. For safety, novices cannot ride against fully registered riders, but many meets and club events have races to cater for novice riders. Novice number plates are white with red numbers on them.

NQM: National Qualifying Meet. You must ride in 4 of these each year to qualify to ride in the National Championships.

Pits: The area behind the start line. Riders are called to the pits before racing starts. They are then ready for the call-up. Sometimes called the call up area, or the assembly area.

Plate: Each rider must have a number plate on their bike. This helps the announcer and the people in the points hut to know who you are. You are given your own number when you join the club. Each plate has the rider's club on it (NAC for our club). Riders who have competed at the national championships in the previous year also have NZ on their plates and their number is their national ranking (e.g. NZ 5 ranked fifth at the nationals in their class).

Points Hut: The shed near the finish line where riders line up after completing their race. Spaces are numbered 1-8 and riders line up in finish order until their plate has been recorded.

Scooter: Ride over a series of bumps with your back wheel on the ground and your front wheel in the air.

Shoot out: A series of races. Early races are mass starts and the slowest riders (usually 2 or 3 each race) are eliminated until only the fastest riders are left to compete in the final.

Triple: Three bumps close together. Some riders jump over the hollows in the middle, or scooter through them.

A huge thanks to our fantastic sponsors !!!!