What will it take for the average watcher to see it as a serious race?

26 inch wheels.

Aka Four Cross

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVcDLOya0vI[/video]

grown-up bikes?

Trying to like – I really am. But it’s not doing anything for me. Just too x games and not very Olympics. Absolutely no logic to it I know but there it is.

Otherjon. You do realise this isn’t the race? This just gets their start gate sorted for tomorrow. The racing ( 8 on track at a time) starts tomorrow.

Yes. It’s not me that needs convincing, it’s an observation based on the responses of my work colleagues as a cross section of the wider public.

I think bwaarp and Phil have it actually. The bikes look too small – ‘kids bikes’ was the comment. And (again speaking from the view of my colleagues reactions) while the event will be more exciting when the racing starts – as has already been seen during the primer segment shown on the beeb – the general opinion is exciting but not an olympic sport.

Most casual observers will never take it seriously as an ‘adult’ sport.

Shame really.

another question. Clearly track design is not fixed (I don’t remember a tunnel in Beijing) but does it have to have certain sections?

It will be better once they add the windmill and all the other crazy golf favourites.

I think in terms of risk, competition and difficulty it’s as much more of an Olympic sports than beach ball It’s about time some olympic sports carried a greater degree of risk.

It’s about time some olympic sports carried a greater degree of risk.

Short, long or pure lottery on the fuse length in those pingpong balls?

Today was just the somewhat bland appetiser to the Olympic BMX event.

Tomorrow is when the good stuff starts (proper gate of 8 racing).