BMX arrived in Britain from the United States around the beginning of the 1980s and quickly became part of youth culture. Purpose-built tracks supported organised racing, but much of the activity took place informally. Bikes were ridden in parks, playgrounds, car parks and on wasteland, wherever there was enough room to race, practice jumps or attempt freestyle tricks.

Local clubs, specialist shops, magazines and sponsored teams helped establish a national scene. Television brought BMX to a much wider audience, particularly through the Kellogg’s BMX Championships broadcast on Channel 4 during 1984 and 1985. The bikes were central to the culture too. American brands including Mongoose and Diamond Back were joined by the Raleigh Burner, launched in 1982 and closely associated with the British BMX boom.

The photographs in this gallery were contributed to The People’s Archive by riders, friends and family members. Taken in Hartlepool, Wigan, Dunfermline, Ellesmere Port, Bristol and other locations, they document racing, informal riding and the friendships that developed around BMX.

They show the bikes, clothing and local settings of the period, placing BMX within the wider experience of growing up in 1980s Britain.