A big wheel in Beijing: bicycle built in Yakima

When BMX -- bicycle motocross -- makes its debut at the Beijing Olympic Games, keep an eye on U.S. gold-medal contender Donny Robinson. He's from California, but his bike is from Yakima.

Robinson's BMX bike was crafted by Oscar Camarena, who owns Simple Bicycle Company.

Camarena, 37, is no stranger to high-level BMX racing, having competed in the world championships three times in his early 20s. Three Camarena BMX bikes have been ridden to world titles, and Yakima cycling time-trial specialist Donna Smith won her second world title on a Camarena cycle.

But this is the Olympics, and Camarena is truly excited.

"The BMX worlds, I've been there. I've competed there," he says. "But I've never been to an Olympic Games. It's just amazing, the fact that something I built will be in there."

Camarena began building frames for Robinson long before he became a big name in the BMX world. This is how big: A couple of months ago, Robinson was featured on a new line of beverage cups at McDonald's -- riding a bicycle built by Camarena.

-- Scott Sandsberry