Renny Roker, Jag and chips and the birth of UKBMX

[RATTY]

The old saying that you learn something everyday is soo true...

While on facebook some one suggested a friendship with Renny Roker, of Jag BMX fame.

Well Renny posted some pics on facebook, it turns out that He and Jag was involved in THE BMX episode.

This episode was the famous one that kick started bmx in the UK, getting the likes of Andy ruffs, Keith Wilson, Cav strutt etc to

build replica BMXs out of old Grifters which inspired Ammaco, Ace and Alans to start importing in a big way.

[se]

Amazing letters those, nice find. Nowt more old school than a typewriter too.

[billstup]

Who`s that with Keith, Tone ?

[RATTY]

Not sure Bill, Im sure Keith will remember

[kdubbmx]

His names Ian Bales, he was a schoolfriend and he was  there with me in 1978 right at the beginning of BMX, gave up shortly after though.

Great that people are crediting us grifter boys with getting the ball rolling here.   

We didnt do that intentionally, it was just that we wanted to BMX then and there were no BMX bikes in the country so we just built our own   

In fact there will be an article in the next FASTLANE magazine about the Grifter days and how they came about   

[gossa]

My mate works for Disney and is a budding film producer on the side. He wants to make a UK version of Joe Kid on a Stingray and call if something like 'Joe Bloggs on a Burner' and document the history of the early days of BMX.  Good idea?

[kdubbmx]

Burners were way too late to be part of the 'beginning' of bmx, our grifters and even the mongoose's that everyone got after their grifters were years before burners got popular.   

[MartyC]

Burners were way too late to be part of the 'beginning' of bmx, our grifters and even the mongoose's that everyone got after their grifters were years before burners got popular.   

Absolutely, should be more like the Ammaco kid, although a few of us still have fond memories of ACE Racing 

[dialledbikes]

Renny Roker is Lenny Kravitz dad.

Greg Hill wasn't very pleased over on Vintage a while ago when it was touted that Renny Roker wanted to promote BMX races again 

[PK6061]

i started about 1980 and for me it was all about mongoose and team murry,
for sale in the motorbike shops. no burners for a year later thank god

[kdubbmx]

Renny Roker is Lenny Kravitz dad.

Greg Hill wasn't very pleased over on Vintage a while ago when it was touted that Renny Roker wanted to promote BMX races again 

Yes its all going off on faceb**k now.

[58 delray]

snapped a pair of grifter forks around about 80 in the Blackheath dips then put some puch moped forks on it.
met billy on the dips around 80/81 and got a murry then a goose, PK etc etc
burners came a couple of years later, late 82 early 83? never had one so can't say for sure

[gavking]

I take it you mean Isaac hendersons motorbike shop Gary!!
I had an early team murray and would say a burner was a better bike although they still werent as good as a proper bmx!
MMmmm Isaac hendersons I can smell that shop thinking about it!!!
Washington track was the bomb back then!!!

[teamsano]

My mate works for Disney and is a budding film producer on the side. He wants to make a UK version of Joe Kid on a Stingray and call if something like 'Joe Bloggs on a Burner' and document the history of the early days of BMX.  Good idea?

bit late with that one.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BARRY-GRIFTER-UK-OLD-SCHOOL-BMX-VIDEO-2-X-DVD-/280423252605#ht_1363wt_941

courtesy of ross milne.