Just ordered new bike!

[Dingobmxer]

I am GUTTED! that images like these:-







will never be part of new school race reports 

nice choice of bike Clive, I am still rocking my Neal Wood (with Comp 3's) 

Dingo

[sweetbeats]

Just can't get into modern bmx watched two races in the olympics and dozed off.
I could watch re runs of the kellogs all day long and never get bored though....just all seems a bit sterile the modern way.
Back then Characters like Rupe,Leary,Hill,Patterson Brothers where like Gods.....just can't really see modern bmx ever having the same to offer as back then 

[kdubbmx]

Standing on the start hill watching the elite final at the worlds a couple of weeks ago (24hrs after standing on the podium with Rupe and Stupple etc) was anything but sterile! 

60+kmh at botttom of start hill in 1.5 seconds straight into 15metre jumps was pretty insane!! Strombergs choosing gate 8 for the challenge and siphiso spinning a 42/16 through the air at 60kmh was unreal!!!

Conner Fields drift pedalling through turns looking like a speeded up film is absolutely unbelievable too!!!

Seeing the fear on junior/elite riders faces as they line up to hit the 2nd straight in practice (that straight could kill), watching a kid i had just been talking to come up short on the last jump on that straight and snap his bars and frame completely in two!!! Everyone thinking he was dead until he popped up over the jump arms in the air!!   

Watching Shanaze win.

Not at all Sterile   

But i'm lucky enough to have been through (and raced in) both era's and i love them both equally   

[southern andy]

Well put Keith, i think you need to be one brave person these days.


Not for me  my busted up body couldn't cope with any more crashes.


I understand what Jase is posting but i think BMX needs to be watched live rather than on the box for full enjoyment.

[sweetbeats]

Standing on the start hill watching the elite final at the worlds a couple of weeks ago (24hrs after standing on the podium with Rupe and Stupple etc) was anything but sterile! 

60+kmh at botttom of start hill in 1.5 seconds straight into 15metre jumps was pretty insane!! Strombergs choosing gate 8 for the challenge and siphiso spinning a 42/16 through the air at 60kmh was unreal!!!

Conner Fields drift pedalling through turns looking like a speeded up film is absolutely unbelievable too!!!

Seeing the fear on junior/elite riders faces as they line up to hit the 2nd straight in practice (that straight could kill), watching a kid i had just been talking to come up short on the last jump on that straight and snap his bars and frame completely in two!!! Everyone thinking he was dead until he popped up over the jump arms in the air!!   

Watching Shanaze win.

Not at all Sterile   

But i'm lucky enough to have been through (and raced in) both era's and i love them both equally   

That's the beauty of bmx old and new,different horses for courses....new just don't do it for me,I have met many old school legends,Haro,Leary,Fiola,Rupe,Miranda,Dominguz,March to name a few 
Not knocking the modern race scene-just prefer watching the old shit and the old bikes 

[Twatty]

Clive ; From a thread announcing a new bike purchase, this has turned into an excellent one. By the way, when is your gay friend thinking of getting his new safety cycle? I though he was geting one last year after a visit to an Andover track with me which was unrideable other than the first strait due to mud.... Be great to see you both back.....

Anyway, although I agree with your view of the ethos of BMX being more track than MX these days, my own experiences of being involved tell me a different story.

BITD my training consisted of riding out in the woods with Nick & Jon Preece, Steve Jefferies, John Watson and others from the local, digging jumps, and jumping stuff, (gaps, doubles, drops, whatever). I always longed for tracks with bigger and more jumps to enable me to do better, but they never got that rad, (I agree Coxmoore, Wheels, and other were exceptions). I was never a gater, (as I am still not), but always found I was beaten by the power merchants, who would normally jump very rarely. Perfect example, Darren Stock. I remeber reading about him in BMX Weekly I think it was and how much road work he did, and thought whats that all about. Great for old tracks perhaps, but I wonder how that stiff, yet super powerful style would do these days, (is he going to come back so we can find out)?

Move on 23 years, and now my trainining consists of mainly road bike rides into work, and XC rides with old friends I have now deserted from the XC racing scene, (which I never did any good in). Family commitments, and the like stop me getting as much track time than I woud like, even though I only live 8 miles from KDUBS back yard track, so race day is when I hone my manuals, and gain jumping balls. Jason King is a perfect example of someone who has not stayed fit, (sorry Jason), but is racing and being competitive as he will jump most things put in front of him as he has alwys been riding trais.

If I had tracks to race back in the early/mid 80's like we have now I know for sure I woud have done better. I always felt they were never hard enough. I remember after the 84 Poole national, as I had not jumped the dollies, I was in the local woods the following week making a massive set of double with the above mentioned, which we ended up jumping 4 abreast in race style time and time again.

So my point? You WILL NOT see a BMX race being won bt a solely a power merchant these days, even in the more lowly age groups. Its about skill on a bike. I miss the sideways turns & mud, but as per Keith's post, but that really is what 4x covers these days, (but that has gears and suspension). BMX now is about the gate, (as ever), but also who has the skill & balls to get round the track as quick & smooth as possible. I dont thing that has chnaged much at all, and in fact, holds more to the origonal goal......

Hope to see you on the track soon with your gay friend.

MAtt.

[Twatty]

P.S. Clive - £100 if you can clean Cheddar's 3rd strait now, (unless its changed since the brits last year).

[jon_e]

Missed you today Clive...Is this BMX enough ;> Excuse the shorts and kneepads.





On and one for you...

[gossa]

Haha yes this has turned into a quality thread hasn't it!

Keith, I think you've cracked the nail on the head, 4x, despite the big wheels, is more like the evolution of the true spirit of early BMX and BMX racing today is just nuts at WC level, faster, smoother and more professional than ever.  I do take mateys point though, there doesn't seem to be that 'factory factor' in terms of personalities/teams etc?

Jon, nice pics, loving flemdogs style!

Matt, yes, Carl is still a big gay bear but I know I can talk him into getting a bike.  I know what you mean and agree with a lot of what you say, mainly that Darren Stock was a stiffback!

[jon_e]

Some more here

[kdubbmx]

Haha yes this has turned into a quality thread hasn't it!

Keith, I think you've cracked the nail on the head, 4x, despite the big wheels, is more like the evolution of the true spirit of early BMX and BMX racing today is just nuts at WC level, faster, smoother and more professional than ever.  I do take mateys point though, there doesn't seem to be that 'factory factor' in terms of personalities/teams etc?

Jon, nice pics, loving flemdogs style!

Matt, yes, Carl is still a big gay bear but I know I can talk him into getting a bike.  I know what you mean and agree with a lot of what you say, mainly that Darren Stock was a stiffback!

Probably because we were 'kids' looking up to all the 'men' that were US pro's back then, i'm way older than most of the posters on this thread but when i was 15 most of the top pro's were early 20's and seemed like gods to us.   

I've been to a few races in my time including the first ever race in the UK, the first ever World Champs, The biggest race ever held (2005 worlds), The worlds in SA a few weeks ago and thousands of others.
But my favorite event is a local wednesday night race i attended in 1982, it was at a little club track in BROOKVILLE Ohio, the thing that was special about it was it was just outside DAYTON where the first ever world champs were being held a few days later, so everyone who was anyone in BMX then was there for some last minute practice, i was the only Brit and was blown away by the fact that just weeks before this all the US pro's were gods i only read about (over and over) in BMX PLUS and ACTION!!
The pro main that night was every bit as stacked as the pro main at the worlds a few days later, Greg Hill, Stu, Leary, Brackens, Sewell and co all hit the last jump on the long first straight together then Stu just seemed to hit turbo boost and pulled away winning by a fair margin!
I won my class that night too (i still have the trophy) which made me feel on top of the world especially when some of the pro's patted me on the back saying 'good work Brit'       

I cant see any race topping that one for me.   

[dialledbikes]

Keith, I think you've cracked the nail on the head, 4x, despite the big wheels, is more like the evolution of the true spirit of early BMX

I've enjoyed racing 4X more this season, which is why I haven't done any BMX nationals (but I'll probably race at least one day at Bournemouth next weekend to get my 2-digit national number for next season).  4X tracks have all been downhill, bumpy and with pretty big jumps.  It just feels more "on the edge" than BMX, where a pristine track, tarmac'd berms, control and smoothness is everything.

But at the end of the day, it's all about bicycles and dirt (just that there is 50% less dirt in BMX than there was when we were younger).

[sam hudson]

...Is this BMX enough ;> Excuse the shorts and kneepads.

Yes it is... Great photo (nice Ripper as well).

Excuse me for butting in on this but I am trying to get back into BMX. I'm 38 and I remember the old days and being terrified of Wigans one and only 'Whoops' and all the old pros were amazing. I bought a bike and got stuck back in but was amazed at how much had changed. However, I love this new BMX. 

I think the tracks have moved on so much that it takes loads more skill than it did to get around, the bikes are much tougher (maybe not better looking although I like the look of new bikes as long as they're not bloody black). I'm also really enjoying learning the new skills (manualling). I really nailed my local track this weekend and that wasnt just about jumping over everything, I mean, thats loads of fun but choosing the right approach to a jump is also a good challenge.

Old tracks are so boring compared to todays tracks...I loved wigan but I wouldn't want to ride around it today (I will when its re-built though  )

But what do I know??? Just my thoughts cos I was there BITD and I'm really enjoying todays BMX.

What the hell are clips??? Are they like those pedal things on your racers that made you fall over at traffic lights cos you couldnt put your foot down?

[Peter J]

What the hell are clips??? Are they like those pedal things on your racers that made you fall over at traffic lights cos you couldnt put your foot down?

 

Yep 

[sam hudson]

  Not too sure about that development!! Maybe I am too old 

[bmxr]

It's all about jumping the big jumps at today's tracks.  If you don't jump you can't stay with the fastest guys..........just look at the pics above (I'm the one at back of the pack speed-jumping Crewe's 1st straight.... & in shorts Jonny - it was so freakin hot).

Crewe is an extreme example of the trail style jumps at tracks these days and the pump races showed the speed you can squeeze out of a modern track without pedalling and how you don't need power these days at most tracks to win, it's more about jumping skills - checkout the pics of Paddy Sharrock blowing away the 12's? - he can jump everything!

The trouble with getting old is that most of us become more cautious - I'd rather keep racing without jumping the big gaps so I can avoid injury.  Almost everyone I know who races over the age of 30 is carrying some kind of injury...........but I'd love to be able to have the bottle to clear the 3rd straight at the Brits........and live to tell the tale!!!!

[gossa]

Nice style Brett! 

[Dex Dexter]

Enjoying the thread.

Here is my 38.



Nothing fancy on that.  No Kevlar, no Ti and just a cromo hollow GDH axle.  Just around 21lbs I think.

I have since cut the post down and changed to a Fit plastic seat and I will put Kevlar DTH on.  Plenty light enough for me.

I love BMX now.  I loved it then too; when I was 11.

It's changed a lot and I never kept up, having been away from the sport, so it's hard to make an impact now.

But I'm doing my best in Masters and will continue to do so, because I think it is possible.

I think it is possible because the sport still has many facets.  Power, speed, skill, tactics.  They are all still there.

At the Bob Field Grands this weekend, on a track with big jumps and bowled out tarmac berms, there were still loads of moves.  Just ask Reidy about the move he put on Dan Whyte in the Bob Field Trophy semi!

Brett.  i think you are half right.  Jumping makes a big difference, especially for us older stiff backs but if you watch the top boys, even at Crewe, a good jet hop or pick up manual can work as well.

I just don't think my body can move that fast 

I bloody love BMX I do.

[gossa]

Lovely Dex, but why is it in the bath???!!!!

[Dex Dexter]

Ah well.  You have to look after them you know 

[bmxr]

Jet Hop?  I think you'll need to show me that one at Cheddar Dex!!......I think I know what you mean, was that what they were doin over the nipple?

Stiff backs classic!!!  Yeh that's me!

[Dex Dexter]

Well I can't do the jet hope but basically it's a super fast manual hop.

It's like a manual but by the time the back wheel has hit the surface it's up again giving you extra spring and momentum on the downside.

There probably are jumps at Cheddar where it can be used so let's have a go in practice! 

[jon_e]

Lovely Dex, but why is it in the bath???!!!!

Can't believe you asked that....I think the record we had in a hotel bathroom/shower was 8...with 8 bodies staying in the same room...American Adventure circa '92 Brits I think?

And you were there Clive!!

[gossa]

Lovely Dex, but why is it in the bath???!!!!

Can't believe you asked that....I think the record we had in a hotel bathroom/shower was 8...with 8 bodies staying in the same room...American Adventure circa '92 Brits I think?

And you were there Clive!!

Ah true JB!! Hey, fancy a proper road trip? Jag Worlds, Florida, December? Get the gang together?? Bardens can drive again!

[jon_e]

Tempted...but the new bike has sucked my holiday money ;>