USA BMX 2013 rule changes! Let the discussion begin!

[mackdaddy]

Striders and Girls

*The Strider Class at Nationals will now be for ages 4 and under. They want every track to offer the Strider classes but at the Nationals the ages will be 4yrs and younger.

*Expert Girls will now have the option to race in the Expert class of their age group, only at single point races. Girls need to make the choice before motos are posted.

*Girls and Girl Cruisers will be broken down into more age groups. They haven't decided on the exact groups yet but they will be cutting down the gaps. They promise to have that figured out shortly.

*There will now be a 7 and Under Cruiser class.

*Striders can have dual memberships. They can race Strider and also race class.


The Open Wheel has Arrived

*Mixed Open and Open classes are now "Open Wheel." Cruisers and 20 inch bike will against each other in these races. Even at Nationals this Open Wheel racing will now be the norm.

*Open age classes at Nationals will change. More age groups will be added for the sake of the older riders.


Changes for State/Redline Cup

*The Redline Cup Championship Series will now count a riders best two scores + the races from the finals weekend. SCR finals are now double state points.

*The State Championship Series - If a state has 7 or more tracks they will count the best four SCR scores + the finals. This applies to us in Florida.

*SCR Locals: a rider must compete in 6 single point races in order to be eligible for a State/Provincial award. Riders can earn an additional point for each single point race above the full amount (6 races +4 bonus points). Bonus goes up to a maximum of four points.

*SCR Plates: Novice and Intermediate riders will be competing for their own number plate (Green/white plates) separate from the Expert riders (Blue/White plates).


Rider Advancement Changes

*Riders moving from Novice to Intermediate will now need 10 wins. This applies to males or females. Novices were moving up way too fast.

*Riders moving from Intermediate to Expert will now need 20 wins. Intermediates were moving up way too slow. This was done to maintain rider retention. Also, come January 1st, any Inter who has 20-24 wins will be reset to 19. Their very next win will move them up.


No More Clips for Novices!

*No more Novice riders on clips (Regardless of age)! This is perhaps the biggest news of the report. USA BMX says that riders are clipping in before they properly learn how to ride. This is a big change but in the end it will produce better, safer and more skilled riders. If riders insist on wearing clips they can move up to intermediate to do so.

*Backpack prizes will be awarded to both Green and Blue plated riders.


Tweaks for the Grands

*Riders MUST have 6 scores plus race the Grands in order to be eligible for a NAG plate.

*NAG plates will now be available for amateur boys ranked #1-20. NAG jackets will still be for #1-10.


The changes really are big. The tracks and riders had spoken and many were afraid that their voices might not be heard but fret not! USA BMX has gone over and above the call of duty in making these dramatic changes which will no doubt excite a lot of people. They deserve a ton of credit for responding so quickly to the demands of their customers.

[Skew]

*The State Championship Series - If a state has 7 or more tracks they will count the best four SCR scores + the finals

Indoor and outdoor tracks count separately right? So Utah has 8 tracks total? Legacy Indoor, Legacy Outdoor, Rad Indoor, Rad Outdoor, Deseret Peak, Richfield Indoor, Richfield Outdoor, and Virgin.

These seem like all good changes. 10 wins to move to inter doesn't hurt my feelings. I'm in no hurry to move up.

[bnd]

The no-clips for novies should of been done a long time ago.

You'll get your bmx dads barking about it's not fair to their racer if they can handle it but it will help the developing racer in the long run not to develop bad riding habits. I love this rule change.
I guess Heather & Wild Bill better stock up on flats.

I also like the Open Wheel class. Hey, wasn't Utah doing this already?


b.

[JAlvey]

Skew- A track can count it's indoor separate or as a part of it's outdoor. Legacy Indoor isnt a separate track. Fall is part of Legacy outdoor, spring is part of Rad Indoor for this season. That leaves us with 7, assuming that all the 2012 tracks are still around in 2013, which might not be the case. That means, it's your best 4 qualifiers, plus you need to race 6-10 local single pointers through the year.

The no clips rule is great. It will help riders develop better skills for sure.

I also like that you need 6 scores plus grands to get a NAG plate. In the past, some of the smaller classes would only have 10-11 people in the NAG rankings, someone could just race a national with low points and end up with a NAG plate, while there are 19 experts out there having to win 6 races with 45 riders in order to get one.

Girls can race expert at locals if they want. Are our 13x's and 5x's worried? They should be.

[Skew]

*SCR Plates: Novice and Intermediate riders will be competing for their own number plate (Green/white plates) separate from the Expert riders (Blue/White plates).

I like this too. Gives me a better shot at getting on the podium in class.

Skew- A track can count it's indoor separate or as a part of it's outdoor. Legacy Indoor isnt a separate track. Fall is part of Legacy outdoor, spring is part of Rad Indoor for this season. That leaves us with 7, assuming that all the 2012 tracks are still around in 2013, which might not be the case. That means, it's your best 4 qualifiers, plus you need to race 6-10 local single pointers through the year.

Thanks Justin. So Rad indoor and outdoor are definitely separate? I hope that Virgin is able to stick around next year. They are talking about moving to St. George near the mx track.

[LocoTone]

Oh snap!!! I know a bunch of guys right on the cusp. Our COG expert class is gonna be huge!!!

[ogr13]

And I can tell them all that I moved up "back in the day, when you had to get 25 wins"!!
Can't wait for the 46 - 50 Expert class (come on Mr. Spencer, we know you have the power)!