Being on a bike is a great form of exercise and a vent for frustration and anger. Most may see this as a stretch but even personal expression. Sometimes I might want to just ride around and clear my head. This ride may be along the Wisconsin River on the local Green Circle path or at a skatepark, just flowing the ramps, not doing any tricks.
Other times I might feel a bit more aggressive which might entail doing grinds. Times like this also help with anger management. When you get hot headed and decide to throw your bike you are going to eventually break parts. You start to notice this when it effects your wallet and even more so when you can't ride. Sitting at home in a fit of rage not being able to ride your bike and cool down because you were an idiot, broke your own parts and are now waiting for new parts to arrive, gives you time to sit and think. It's not really worth the explosion of violence on inanimate objects (or anyone, really). It was a cheap form of therapy and great lesson in life. I shouldn't say it was cheap as high-end BMX parts cost quite a bit of money.
Citations and other, harsher, legal
consequences also have their place in BMX. There are places and tricks that you just can't go to or do without being hassled by members and/or authorities of society. For example, I've gotten a $186.93 citation for doing a manual (a wheelie without pedaling) at the local University. There was also a time when if you were
caught riding a BMX bike at a university in a certain state in the Southern US, it would land you some prison time. It's things like that that one really has to sit and wonder about: Is it really that terrible that I'm riding a bike? Are doing tricks on a bike really a comparable criminal act to hard drug abuse and distribution?
To the contrary, BMX has introduced many a rider to new friends, places, and even perspectives on life. The lifestyle has introduced me to people with similar moral and ethical views on life. BMX introduced me to my best friend. It has also helped me make and keep friends that are on the other end of the spectrum. A lot of these friends aren't even friends anymore. We've submerged ourselves in this subculture to the point where it's a family. No matter your religious views, political views, lifestyle or any such thing; once you start riding you become a part of it.
You can call a person you might not have ever even met and say "Hey man, I'm coming into town to do some riding and I don't have a place to crash." and they'll give you a place to stay without question. There aren't many hobbies that give you that kind of closeness or advantage.
BMX's family-like hold has quite a uniqueness to it. Not only will fellow riders be there for you, but the professional riders as well.
Just a few weekends ago I was in Chicago and the pro-rider Kevin Porter