POWER disc origin ????

[bobbbbsy]

I hear one or two of you know a thing or two about bmx history ! 


me and a mate of mine want to know what area the powerdisk originated from. was it race or freestyle?

we know gt adopted them on freestylers but we both where under the impression that they came from the race scene some time before !

thoughts please.. thanks people 

[Discostu]

You have a mate? 

[BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN]

Would it come from racing ? as in Power when pedaling hard ?

stu no cake for you 

[bobbbbsy]

yeah -uncle BENDY !  

ANYWAY !!! whats your answer? hold on now-you are bound to say haro invented them for freestylers.
anyone but stu??  

[Discostu]

I've got a feeling gt did them first in 83/84. 

[Discostu]

I'm sure everybody's favourite little Turk boy will be replying to this post with a long winded answer to clarify this. 

[bobbbbsy]

if he utters the letters DYNO its getting deleted ! 

[Taipan]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the powerdisc originated from motocross sprockets? they were made from the surplus metal that was stamped out of the middle when making the sprockets bitd

[Peter J]

The reason I used (and got told to use one) one BITD for racing is so we could change gearing quickly for the tracks.

It was a cast off from MX as they use to do the same 

[ozone]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the powerdisc originated from motocross sprockets? they were made from the surplus metal that was stamped out of the middle when making the sprockets bitd

Allan's did that with their Mirage power discs but I'm sure MX sprockets were steel and most power discs are alloy.   

[kungfunky]

wouldnt be the only part to originate from MX..

[GavinDavis]

The reason I used (and got told to use one) one BITD for racing is so we could change gearing quickly for the tracks.

It was a cast off from MX as they use to do the same 

Makes good sense  ....looking more like a racey type origin by the sound of it.

[bobbbbsy]

makes sense peter !

what i always thought. more power applied on track but i also appreciate freestylers apply a lot of power in quick bursts so maybe carried over to freestylin!

[bobbbbsy]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the powerdisc originated from motocross sprockets? they were made from the surplus metal that was stamped out of the middle when making the sprockets bitd

Allan's did that with their Mirage power discs but I'm sure MX sprockets were steel and most power discs are alloy.  

probably adapted/produced to sell after people complaining the steel ones were too heavy !

[rooski]

This is my version of events

Cranks without built in spiders(opc,flight cranks etc) used separate spiders which were pressed steel or aluminium,this arrangement required loads of machining etc

A powerdisc is a spider without the extra bits cut out,this saves time and money for the manufacturer ,and also allows additional drive holes,and bcd patterns to be drilled

Powerdiscs were about before freestyle it think,you dont need a strong drive like race starting for freestyle

[Glynnyboy]

As far as time scale, if you go by the magazine adds then the 1st power disc spider I can find is in the July 1980 edition of bmx action.
So racing then.
Looks like the universal element was the biggest sales gimmick.


Then Everything bikes started advertising them in September 1980 too.

[bobbbbsy]

thanks for the info peoples !