Before
BMX. What did we do? I was too young to be part of the skateboard uprising,
although right at the start of the 1980's, I had a polypropelene board.
Sure we had bikes, but they had no purpose. That was until DaddyRad
introcuded me to a BMX magazine (BMX Action Bike, August 1983). From
then on we were hooked. First BMX I saw on TV was Andy Preston on Saturday
Superstore, riding in a sports stadium indoors, doing one hand kickturns,
and 540 rollbacks. Rad. A kid who lived around the corner called Barry
Franklin had a Puch Murray. We had to wait until Xmas. Xmas 1983 . .
. . .
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Xmas
1983. Me and bro both got "BMX" bikes. Like most other 8-15
year olds did that year. They were lame. But at the time we were'nt bothered.
The bikes we had were called BMX 2000 or Superstar. Featured FAT yellow
snakebelly tyres. RATTRAP pedals. BASTARD ROCK HARD grips. COTTER PIN
cranks. HARD plastic rad pads. BARS WELDED to stem. Rad. I run my bike
for 2 years (although it got modified to the extent that only the frame
and dodgy cranks remained at the end). DaddyRad got himself a Superfox
round about April 1984 in order to pursue his racing career . . . |
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The
racing career started Xmas 1983. At Bingley Hall. Indoor BMX track.
Hoopty wooden jumps. Rad.
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This
Superfox was so rad. It was featherweight. After the BMX 2000 with heavy
steel rims and hoopty parts this was a dream bike. Soon got modified with
Rebel forks, Reynolds 531 Pro bars, SM Mushrooms (super super soft). Stock
parts included Dia-Compe brakes, 3 piece alloy Suntour cranks, Sumo Alloys,
Fluted seat post, full cromo frame (BMX 2000 was full hi-ten). The parts
that were upraded from the 'Fox were soon utilised on my BMX 2000. At
that time we just used to jam in the street outside the house, or at the
shops or whatever doing endos and stuff. DaddyRad was master at bunnyhops
on the lightweight Fox, clearing 10 people. I was busy working on my own
wank style. Don't forget that this was the year that pegs came out, and
you could'nt buy them. You had to make your own. Later that year we started
using pegs. You can take them for granted now but back then they opened
up a whole new avenue of riding . . . . |
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. . . . although you can't beat endos. I can do every endo in the book.
Check out the Aero race gear. Check out the Krytens head style Max-Star
helmet. These pics taken summer 1984. The race gear shot is Xmas 1984.
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Xmas
1985 saw the arrival of a new bike for me. I was 12 years old. The Fox
4Styler ruled. The frame was not too dissimilar to a TRM freestyler.
I wish I still had it. Spec includes Aero Zytecs, Powerdisc chainring,
full Cromo everything, Dia Compe brakes with Tech-3 levers. That bike
rode so well. Later fitted with GT wheel discs, but never really changed
from the original spec. Until towards the late 80's, when I had gathered
up many BMX's from people who no longer wanted to ride. I had: 2 Zappers,
a Supergoose, an old Burner, and a new Super Tuff Burner, a Prolite
and a Series One Haro Freestyler. All have which have been sold (about
10 years ago) and have disappeared without trace. Except for the Supergoose.
Stu rides that now.
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Check
the Xmas day tricks on the new bike. Extended lawnmower. And when was
the last time you saw someone do a Gumbie?
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I
rode solid until 1989, when I got a motor bike. By 1991 I had sold/binned
almost all of my BMX bikes, although I kept the mountain of BMX mags.
It wasn't until 1996 whilst on holiday I spotted a GT performer in a bike
shop. I still wanted to ride. I bought a Redline RL240 in June 96. DaddyRad
bought a carboot bike soon after. And once again, it was on. The pic is
of my DNA flatland bike. This was bought for basically the same as what
I used my BMX2000 for. Flatland. Can't do a Gumbie anymore though. I can
do a Vanderoll . . . |
