THE SPORT
THE SPORT
THIS IS BMX
To realize the total thrill that BMX gives a rider, you really need to experience it. Once you try BMX racing, we practically guarantee you’ll be hooked for life.
THIS IS WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE...
Whether your four years old or 50+, BMX race nights are for everyone. Come join us and experience the thrill of racing.
HOW IT WORKS
It’s as easy as the 8 lanes on a BMX starting gate.
Gate 1: Getting Ready
Since the St. Albert BMX season is dependant on good weather, check the social media pages for updates!
There is an Indoor facilities located near Sherwood Park called Riders Ready for the winter months!
Gate 2 : Sign Up
Sign-Up. There are a couple steps to signing up.
1. Become a member of a local club and get a UCI racing licence
2. Sign up for club race nights. This can be through an online sign up or at the track’s moto shed window before the start of racing ! Your local Track Operator will happily walk you through the process to BECOME A MEMBER.
3. If you’re new to the sport and want to give BMX a try, St. Albert BMX hosts sporadic try-it nights as well as weekly open tracks where you can borrow a club bike and helmet to give it a try!
Gate 3: Classifications
Alberta BMX uses 4 criteria to determine a racer’s classification for competition age, gender, skill level, and bike wheel size.
- Age class is determined by the age you will be as of December 31 of that race year
- Skill level is NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE, and EXPERT for boys and NOVICE and EXPERT for girls
- Everyone begins in the NOVICE class. NOVICE boys advance to INTERMEDIATE after 10 wins, and then to EXPERT after 20 more wins. NOVICE girls advance to EXPERT after 20 wins.
- Finally, there are two bike categories based on wheel size/diameter—20” and 24”.
- 24″ run as a Cruiser class based on age and gender, but there are no skill level divisions
At any given BMX race, if there are not enough entrants to form a legal class (3 racers), racers may be matched against racers of different ages, genders and skill levels as per Alberta BMX race rules.
GATE 4: MOTOS ARE POSTED
Once every racer in attendance has been entered into the day’s event, your Track Operator will announce that the MOTOS HAVE BEEN POSTED to the OurSqorz website. This website lists the order/number of races or “motos”, the names of riders competing in each moto, and the assigned starting gate position for each of the three Motos or Semis and Mains as required.
Remember, for the most part you will be racing others that are your same age and ability. It takes 3 riders to form a legal class and motos are built according to a specific set of rules.
Sometimes, you might race in a Semi race after your 3 motos, where you will “qualify” for the Main Event. Other times, you might find yourself in a “total points” race, where all riders will race 3 motos.
Gate 5: Staging
After you’ve taken some practice laps, written down your moto number, and gate number, let’s get into staging!
Staging is the area at the back of the start hill, and the start gate itself. A track official or “stager” will be on hand to help remind you of your gate assignment and guide you into a staging “chute” and then onto the gate when it is your moto’s turn to race.
Each of the gates or lanes should be clearly numbered 1–8, with Gate 1 always on the inside lane and Gate 8 always on the outside lane of each track.
GATE 6: Riding & Racing
“Okay riders, random start…Riders ready? Watch the gate… beep, beep, beeeeep.”
That is the voice cadence you’ll hear from the starter as the gate is about to fall in front of you! The cadence is the same all over the world!
But before you go all out, first take a moment to scope out the track. Watch a few laps of practice and memorize how some of the good riders are going over the obstacles. Take mental notes of where they ride in the turns and where they pedal and where they stop pedaling. Keep in mind that, in the beginning, you probably wont be able to jump like they do; that will come in time.
Your first few laps around the track should be slow. Take it easy. By all means, don’t go all-out on your first lap! Take time to familiarize yourself with the track so that you know what obstacles are coming up and what it feels like to go over them. It will be totally different once you take the track at faster speeds. As you’ll soon find out, a good start can be the difference between first and eighth, so we’d suggest working on your gates as much as possible. And remember that all-so-true saying, “Practice makes progress.” So… practice, practice, practice.
Another smart idea for any BMX rider is to take advantage of the many BMX clinics and camps and club coaching that are available. In addition to the clinics and programs at your local track there are teams and pros that travel from track to track, teaching riders just like you everything they need to know in order to get better at BMX racing. During the summer, there are even BMX race camps that you can attend.
GATE 7: Awards & Points
Make your Main Event at any Alberta BMX race event and finish as one of the top 8—and you’ll win more than a sense of pride in what you’ve accomplished; you could win an award in the form of a sticker, medal, #plate or a trophy or maybe even help your team win a championship belt. Oh and you’ll also earn something more—points.
In BMX racing, the ultimate achievement isn’t the bike you ride or the uniform you wear, it’s to earn the #1 plate—#1 in the province or your national age group or at a World Championship! As you can surely imagine, it’s an incredibly tough climb to the top, one that only a handful of BMX racers will eventually make. But for those that do, they began their journey like everyone else—racing at their local club. To start you will run the last 3 digits of your UCI BMX assigned number.
So how do you earn your next plate number? Points. Points that—depending on the ability level are accumulated by your race results. These points will accumulate as a rider attends races and contribute to their year-end rankings and determine your “earned number” for the next BMX season!
GATE 8: Race Series
BMX clubs typically hold races once or twice per week, depending on each club’s schedule. District or club race scoring is managed by the Alberta Bicycle Association. This track-level racing and points system is known as Alberta District Points and is separate from the Alberta Cup Series. Similar to the Alberta Cup Series, district race classes are determined by the rider’s age and ability level.
Alberta Cup Series — Provincials
Series Format
The Alberta Cup Series consists of eight rounds held at four different tracks throughout Alberta. These races are generally held on Saturdays and Sundays. The series concludes with a final event known as the Grands, which is held at a fifth track. To qualify for an Alberta BMX Cup Series final standing, riders must compete in:- At least four of the eight series races
- The Grands race
Series Prizes
Number plates from 1 through 8 are awarded to the top eight riders in each class who accumulate the most points throughout the series. These plates are known as “P” Plates and are awarded after the completion of the Grands race.Alberta Provincial Championship
The Alberta Provincial Championship is held on the second day of the Grands race weekend. Unlike the Alberta Cup Series, riders are not required to participate in any previous series races to qualify for the Provincial Championship. Classes are determined by age only, with riders of all ability levels competing together. Motos and semi-finals are held until the top eight riders in each age group are identified. After the final races, the top eight riders are awarded number plates featuring “AB” before their finishing position. For example:
- AB1 for first place
- AB2 for second place
- AB3 for third place
National Championship
National Championship races are held at different locations across Canada. Similar to the Provincial Championship, race classes are determined by age only, with all ability levels combined. The top eight riders in each class are awarded number plates featuring “N” before their finishing position.
Rider Ability Upgrades
Wins achieved during district races count as one upgrade win. Once a rider earns the required number of upgrade wins for their current ability level, they must immediately move to the next ability level. Wins achieved during Alberta Cup Series races count as two upgrade wins. These wins are added to the same upgrade total as district race wins.
Points After an Upgrade
When a rider upgrades to a new ability class during the series or racing season, their accumulated points are transferred to the new ability class. For example, if a Novice Girl has earned 200 points and upgrades to Expert, she will begin competing in the Expert class with the same 200 points.
Combined Class Points Structure
When classes are combined because of a small number of registered riders, the following points structure applies. This system applies to both:
- Combined ability classes
- Combined age classes
Example 1 — Combined Ability Class
There is only one 8-year-old Novice Male registered, so he is moved into the 8-year-old Intermediate Male class for that race. He finishes in second place. He receives:
- A second-place award for the race
- First-place Novice points toward his 8 Novice Male series ranking
Example 2 — Combined Age Class
There is only one 7-year-old Expert Female registered, so she is moved into the 8-year-old Expert Female class for that race. She finishes in third place. She receives:
- A third-place award for the race
- First-place Expert points toward her 7 Expert Female series ranking
More Information For complete rules, schedules and additional details, visit the Alberta Bicycle Association website: https://www.albertabicycle.ab.ca/
| Position | Novice Male | Int Male & Novice Female | Expert | Junior | Elite | Cruiser |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 100 | 200 | 300 | 500 | 700 | 100 |
| 2nd | 80 | 180 | 280 | 480 | 680 | 80 |
| 3rd | 70 | 170 | 270 | 460 | 660 | 70 |
| 4th | 60 | 160 | 260 | 450 | 650 | 60 |
| 5th | 50 | 150 | 250 | 440 | 640 | 50 |
| 6th | 40 | 140 | 240 | 430 | 630 | 40 |
| 7th | 30 | 130 | 230 | 420 | 620 | 30 |
| 8th | 20 | 120 | 220 | 410 | 610 | 20 |
| 9th or Lower | 10 | 110 | 210 | 350 | 550 | 10 |
Crank It Up: Why BMX Racing at St. Albert BMX is for Everyone
Whether you’re looking for an exciting new hobby for your kids, a unique way to stay fit as an adult, or a tight-knit community to connect with, our world-class facility in Riel Business Park has a spot on the gate for you.
Why You Belong on the Track
For the Kids: Confidence, Coordination, and Lifelong Skills
BMX racing throws out the traditional “sitting on the bench” sport dynamic. Nobody gets left out, and there are no cuts.
- Builds Core Agility: Kids master gravity, balance, and spatial awareness as they learn to navigate berms (banked corners) and rollers (smooth dirt bumps).
- Teaches Individual Accountability: When a rider succeeds, it’s their win. When they make a mistake, it’s an opportunity to learn. It builds immense mental resilience.
- Screen-Free Community: Our track is a thriving social hub. Kids quickly make friends from different schools and areas, united by the shared love of two wheels.
For the Adults: The Ultimate Fitness Alternative
Bored of the treadmill? BMX racing is a masterclass in anaerobic interval training.
- High-Intensity Power: A single 30- to 40-second lap around the track forces your legs, core, and upper body to work at max capacity. It builds explosive power and high-level conditioning.
- The “Humble Your Teenager” Factor: We have an incredible community of parents who started out watching from the bleachers and eventually said, “Why am I just sitting here?” Stepping up to the starting hill is a rush that keeps you feeling young, sharp, and competitive.