The BMX (and other bikes) thread

[MelvinsArmy]

I know there's a few of us that are in to BMX on the board, so I thought I'd start a bike thread. I'm mostly in to old freestyle bikes, although I don't do any tricks anymore. I'm a big GT guy. Here's my latest build, a 1984 GT Pro Performer, inspired by my favorite rider, Eddie Fiola.



Next is my Welham cruiser. It's a new school bike, but I tried to make it look as old school as possible. I ride this bike more than any other, just because it's so comfortable and much more practical. Being a 31 year old on a 24 is kinda the same feeling as being an 11 year old on a 20, very nice.



Last, but definately not least is one of my most prized possessions. It's a 1987 GT Pro Freestyle Tour Team Model. The bike I wanted more than any other as a kid. Or adult. I finally got one about a year and a half ago, it was definately worth the 18 year wait. I changed the bars and post to Dyno pieces, I rode a Dyno back in 87. It doesn't get ridden much, it just looks nice hanging from the wall in the kitchen. Every now and then I dust it off and take it for a spin.




Let's see your bikes!

[Eau Rouge]

I was heavily into the vintage mountain bike thing for a while, and even still own a site devoted to old Fat Chance bikes (http://www.fatcogs.com).

I sold everything I have getting ready for our move into a smaller place, and I only have my Reparto Corse Bianchi road bike now. This was the pride of my small collection, though, a 1993 Fat Chance Wicked Lite... set up with roadie tires for the paved paths here.




I'll post pics of the Bianchi and a few others that I had when I find the photos... like the original JMC BMX prototype frame or my fully restored SE looptail PK Ripper.

[badhoopty]

what rise are the bars on your cruiser melvin? mine are like 5". little squatty things... maybe thats why it feels so freaking wierd.

anyway here it is, new-style torker 24" i put together a few years ago. it was listed in the auction for the f&f that it was one of the last american welded frames, but i have no way to confirm that. i had a torker when i was a kid, always liked the twin top tubes. so did bob haro too i guess.



i got an old looptail pk ripper in the storage area in the basement, maybe i'll dig it out here someday and take a pic. i need to get the seat post clamp area on the frame fixed. i shaved down a uni-14 seat to fit it and when i clamped the post down it cracked the seat tube right under the clamp... i was young and dumb, but at least i still got the darn thing.

[Eau Rouge]

Figures you'd have a Torker and a looptail Ripper... ya freak. It's probably powder blue or white, too, isn't it?



If it weren't for that hoopty 'Merican pimp-mobile ya got there, I'd think we were separated at birth. LOL.

[scr8p]

that gt pro freestyle is awesome. i've always liked them. forkstanders and all.

i don't have any pics of my old bikes. maybe at my parents house. i did some hunting around, and found 2 that i used to have.

haro fsx freestyle. mine was like this, but where this is blue, mine was coral.

http://cgi.ebay.com/87-HARO-FSX-SPORT-FREESTYLER-OLD-SCHOOL-COMPLETE_W0QQitemZ260079314015QQihZ016QQcategoryZ98082QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

i also had a haro group1 rs-2 that was just like this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1987-HARO-RS2-BMX-FRAME-FOLKS-HEAD-SET-ORANGE-BLACK_W0QQitemZ110082472509QQihZ001QQcategoryZ22679QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[badhoopty]

hehe, you had a torker too? torkers were sweet back in the day.

my pk was black with lime green components, but being a bored kid i paint stripped the entire thing. what was chromo i just clear coated. i should really think about re-doing that thing someday if i can get the seat tube fixed. i still rode on it for years with it cracked and it never broke.

even though the pk's are really desireable, i'd trade the pk for my old haro sport... i really wish the haro had been the bike i kept out of all the bikes i had.

[scollins]

You guys got me all fired up about my BMX days. I just scanned these vintage shots. Here are some pics of me , and the "older neighbor kid", with my little brother on the far right prepping for a wheelie contest, around 1985-86. I wish I still had this bike, would you belive I traded this mint Redline ST-20 (ST stood for Stu Thompson I think- I still hate him for bailing on Redline and jumping ship to Huffy back then) for RC car crap? I traded the bike away after I graduated high school. Thats me in the second photo ramping up a mound in the neighbors yard. Look at the concentration on my face, hilarious!!!! Where did my black and white checkerd Vans go???? Me on the Redline, middle man on the Hutch, my little brother in "training" on my old crappy Huffy- poor guy!

My Dad took these shots, I cant wait to email them to him for a laugh!......scollins

[MelvinsArmy]

Hoopty, I've got an 8" rise on my bars, they're Supercross Pro bars. Basically 20" race bars. The bike I rode that inspired me to build this one was a JMC 24 and it had pro sized bars on it, I knew I'd have to put them on my bike, just because regular cruiser bars are so tiny. I think maybe they're good for racing, but forget about just cruising. The taller bars will probably help out a lot with your wheelies. If you sold one or two of your RC10's, or that loopy PK, you could get a pretty nice Sport.

Apex, that mtb is sweet. I really regret selling my 94 Gary Fisher Aquila to my buddy. It was probably the best riding bike I've ever been on (well, that and the JMC 24). And, I just re-confirmed that feeling over Labor Day when I was able to ride it again when I visited my bud. I've been trying to get him to sell it back, but he won't. He feels the same way I guess. Anyway, so I'm going to build a new chromoly fully-rigid mtb. They don't seem to sell completes anymore, so I'm building it from the ground up. I think I'm gonna get a Zion 660 f/f and go from there. What kind of tires are on your bike? I've got to get some decent street tires, since I'll be riding this bike to work thru NYC.

[MelvinsArmy]

scollins, those shots are awesome. The wheelie contest shot reminds me of the cover shot for "Joe Kid on a Stingray".

[badhoopty]

haro fsx freestyle. mine was like this, but where this is blue, mine was coral.

ahh the fsx. the econo sport

i went downstairs and snapped a pic of my pk. its seen better days thats for sure. my proflex mtn bike behind it. i always liked the old proflex's, but from the looks of what they list on ebay they aint worth squat.

anyway, looptail pk, uni pro-14 seat, oddysey caliper and stem, dia comp tech 7 lever, robinson pro bars, flight padset, zeronine #plate (really scratched up since it was once used to dig a jeep out of the snow...) and el-cheapo cranks that replaced the redlines that i swapped on my haro.

[scollins]

I haven't looked at these shots in at least 10 years. I was probably 12 or 13 when these were taken. I am still laughing at myself in that second photo...The expression on my face is so ridiculous!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!

[badhoopty]

If it weren't for that hoopty 'Merican pimp-mobile ya got there, I'd think we were separated at birth. LOL.

you best not be dissin' my ws6 ls1, honda boy...

[badhoopty]

I haven't looked at these shots in at least 10 years. I was probably 12 or 13 when these were taken. I am still laughing at myself in that second photo...The expression on my face is so ridiculous!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!

naw, you look stylin in the second pic. calm and cool getting major air...

i totally know the whole 'neighborhood kid' thing. it was either the rich spoiled kid with the sweet bike or the highschool dropout who could bunnyhop firehydrants on a mongoose with those metal mags.

[scollins]

Yea, Hoop- Or the guy who had the sweetest bike and had no clue how to ride it or work on it either.

I have a Specialized FSR mountain bike I bought in 1998 when I was working for Polaris in Minneapolis. To this day i still take it out sometimes and do bunnyhops, tailwhips and stoppies( oh sorry- "Endos") with it. Totally not what it was designed for of course. The neighbors go, who's the jerk with the terrets on the bike?

And yes, I still make the stupid expression when stylin and profile-in'

scollins

[MelvinsArmy]

Tailwhips on a mtb, that's something I've never seen.

Bunnyhops on the other hand, I used to FLY thru campus on the old Fisher. Not only bunnyhops, but ride right down and UP staircases. Oh I do miss that bike. Can't wait to build this totally rigid steel mtb and do it all again.


I had a different experience bike-wise as a kid. The two kids with the two most incredible bikes, happened to also be the best riders. One dude had a loaded Robinson racer. That guy could ride wheelies for as long as he wanted, around corners, everything, he was amazing. Put him on a freestyler and he could do all kinds of stuff. The other guy had a super bad ass 85 Haro Master with Graphite Tuffs and all. He could do about 10x as many tricks as the rest of us. Of course there were plenty of Doctor's-sons-posers-who-did-nothing and weirdo-guys-you-were-afraid-were-gonna-steal-your-bike-but-could-ride-with-the-best-of-them around too. But, those two guys with those two insane bikes just happened to be the best in my town.