Midschool date, year, era, decade etc. I need your input

[stidds]

OK so many a discussion has been made about the midschool date.

I am putting this out for a one time decision about how the midschool guys want the midschool date.

Firstly I want to have some ideas about how it should be run and then I will put up a vote.

This vote will be the last time we ever have this discussion so please take it seriously as after this decision any threads or posts about it will be deleted without notice.


Now there are many options, it can stay as it is i.e. a year start and end, that year start can be anything you want 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 etc.  It can a decade i.e 1990-2000 (the 90's), it can be the old school racing rules 1" headset and caliper brake etc etc.

The choice is 100% yours.

Please think about the conotations (sp) of any start date etc as somebody mentioned to me that it should be the 90's however you have cross over bikes like Auburn, GT etc that have the same model in 1989 as they do in 1990, you would then have the argument of why should my 1989 Auburn be classed as oldschool but somebody elses 1990 classed as midschool.

It has to have a start and finish date as we need to be able to define the 'school' for Show and Shine competitions.

So fire away, let me see your ideas and lets put this to bed.

[Discostu]

I've always said the start should be 89 for freestyle bikes, the start of the bashy era.
The end for me would be when the bottom bracket changed from being an American type on most of the bmx,s, whenever that happened? Mid 2000's? 

Part of me also thinks that mid should be split into early mid and late mid, so from 89-97ish from the bashy era to the start of the aheadset era for early mid and late mid from 97 the aheadset era to when the bottom bracket started to change from a pretty much bog standard American one.

The thing is, this question will keep popping up more and more as midschool is becoming very collectable now, it's good that this debate is getting tackled early.

To be honest in the midschool period there was so many changes it was unreal, for me the progression throughout this period was pretty amazing, but I guess that was down to the rider owned companies coming up with stuff that actually worked.  but how can you put an 89 bike against one from the mid 2000's they are both so far apart it is unreal. But equally both are lovely and technically from the same era.

I would like to throw another suggestion into the pot as well, when did new school begin? And we should be the first forum to rename new school as in another 20 years new school isn't going to be new anymore. So what name should we give to new school stuff? 

[Gish]

1989 - 1999 I class as mid school 

But everyone has their own opinions on dates

Sean I think you've just opened a new can of worms AGAIN 

[ED209]

the whole 'school' thing is over really... in 84 my DP was new school / in 2033 my Supercross will be old school

just go with the decades and let people call their bikes what they like 

70s
80s
90s
00s
10s

[stidds]

the whole 'school' thing is over really... in 84 my DP was new school / in 2033 my Supercross will be old school

just go with the decades and let people call their bikes what they like 

70s
80s
90s
00s
10s

That is my favourite Ed, that way we are not limiting ourselves to a 'school' or era, simpy put a bike in the year it is from. 

As I said though you will get issues with (for example) and 89 Auburn being judged in S&S against a 1980 Cook Bros, Torker etc which will get people moaning.

I just want everybody to be on the same side and singing from the same song sheet.

[Dannywhac]

the whole 'school' thing is over really... in 84 my DP was new school / in 2033 my Supercross will be old school

just go with the decades and let people call their bikes what they like 

70s
80s
90s
00s
10s

This - deffo. There's too much crossover I reckon in the later 80's and post 2001ish to put a bike into either school tbh, and I think this'll be the easiest crowd pleasing way to do it.

Also (and this is gonna sound mega ghey) 'Mid School' wasn't just about a start date *runs off muttering it's a state of mind man* 

[ED209]

the whole 'school' thing is over really... in 84 my DP was new school / in 2033 my Supercross will be old school

just go with the decades and let people call their bikes what they like 

70s
80s
90s
00s
10s

That is my favourite Ed, that way we are not limiting ourselves to a 'school' or era, simpy put a bike in the year it is from. 

As I said though you will get issues with (for example) and 89 Auburn being judged in S&S against a 1980 Cook Bros, Torker etc which will get people moaning.

I just want everybody to be on the same side and singing from the same song sheet.

Its a bold move to do what you've done Sean ... and nothing will ever satisfy everyone ... but if we get a consensus then thats as good as it gets 

[Discostu]

The decades is a good idea, fook all the schools off. 

[fischflo]

at last - dord's order, invented in a flash of genius by a man apparently with the name dordymunch, and observed and analysed by bmxologist Rod Rodruigez, finally gets the recognition it deserves!

or we could change the categories every year ..... to keep the topic alive lol

[Discostu]

Ooh fook, every yeah, now that is a good shout! 

[stidds]

at last - dord's order, invented in a flash of genius by a man apparently with the name dordymunch, and observed and analysed by bmxologist Rod Rodruigez, finally gets the recognition it deserves!

or we could change the categories every year ..... to keep the topic alive lol

So that would be the way I set the sections up initially when we launched the new site and people moaned about eh?  Fooking Dord's order my arse.

[DIRTBIKER250F]

I think Ed's gave you your answer Sean, it will take some argument to beat common sense, that's why I'm thinking it probably was Dordys initial idea haha

[kev-s]

the whole 'school' thing is over really... in 84 my DP was new school / in 2033 my Supercross will be old school

just go with the decades and let people call their bikes what they like 

70s
80s
90s
00s
10s

That is my favourite Ed, that way we are not limiting ourselves to a 'school' or era, simpy put a bike in the year it is from. 

As I said though you will get issues with (for example) and 89 Auburn being judged in S&S against a 1980 Cook Bros, Torker etc which will get people moaning.

I just want everybody to be on the same side and singing from the same song sheet.

This would be best

there is always going to be someone who isnt happy, for show and shine purposes why not use the categories above then have 2 sub categories

so overall 80's winner is ..........

then best pre 85 bike...
and best post 85 bike...

no need for a expensive prize just some thing small to acknowledge each sub categories

[stidds]

the whole 'school' thing is over really... in 84 my DP was new school / in 2033 my Supercross will be old school

just go with the decades and let people call their bikes what they like 

70s
80s
90s
00s
10s

That is my favourite Ed, that way we are not limiting ourselves to a 'school' or era, simpy put a bike in the year it is from. 

As I said though you will get issues with (for example) and 89 Auburn being judged in S&S against a 1980 Cook Bros, Torker etc which will get people moaning.

I just want everybody to be on the same side and singing from the same song sheet.

This would be best

there is always going to be someone who isnt happy, for show and shine purposes why not use the categories above then have 2 sub categories

so overall 80's winner is ..........

then best pre 85 bike...
and best post 85 bike...

no need for a expensive prize just some thing small to acknowledge each sub categories

Fooking hell Kev, we are trying to make things simpler mate not more complicated 


Great ideas guys keep them coming and then we can think about the 'answer'.  There is no rush and no time limit,

I just want this sorted and after that we can all sit back and

[gary4130]

just go with the decades sean,think its the most common sense option,like others say you won't please everybody 
fooking minefield mid school 

[fischflo]

So that would be the way I set the sections up initially when we launched the new site and people moaned about eh?  Fooking Dord's order my arse.

really? LOL, i guess the time was't ripe for this then

[stidds]

So that would be the way I set the sections up initially when we launched the new site and people moaned about eh?  Fooking Dord's order my arse.

really? LOL, i guess the time was't ripe for this then

I am ahead of my time 

[kev-s]

the whole 'school' thing is over really... in 84 my DP was new school / in 2033 my Supercross will be old school

just go with the decades and let people call their bikes what they like 

70s
80s
90s
00s
10s

That is my favourite Ed, that way we are not limiting ourselves to a 'school' or era, simpy put a bike in the year it is from. 

As I said though you will get issues with (for example) and 89 Auburn being judged in S&S against a 1980 Cook Bros, Torker etc which will get people moaning.

I just want everybody to be on the same side and singing from the same song sheet.

This would be best

there is always going to be someone who isnt happy, for show and shine purposes why not use the categories above then have 2 sub categories

so overall 80's winner is ..........

then best pre 85 bike...
and best post 85 bike...

no need for a expensive prize just some thing small to acknowledge each sub categories

Fooking hell Kev, we are trying to make things simpler mate not more complicated 


Great ideas guys keep them coming and then we can think about the 'answer'.  There is no rush and no time limit,

I just want this sorted and after that we can all sit back and

its not rocket science ffs

just tell everyone this is what it is and thats that!!!!!!

its bmx for ffs!! go ride em!!!!!!!

this is why i never went to car shows

[GavinDavis]

I think the decades thing is a good idea, as Ed said......a new school bike that was bought a year or too ago, cant be classed as new school in twenty years time.  The current classification really only applies to a time span of say 40 odd year and doesnt account for anything outside of that.

But youll always have another arguement arise at MK if for example... Somebody owns an 89 and a 90 Master, which are essentially the same frame....and they then have to be split up into two seperate tents 

[OrgasmDonor]

I agree with gish, 89 - 99 for forum ballparking. Show n shine should be down to the individual deciding what class they think their bike fits best to, an 88 GT same model as a 91 GT should be judged as mid. Common sense and knowledge should prevail when entering or judging any completion, a couple of years either way if the models are the same as older or newer dates should be irrelevant, we all should know what we are looking at 

[stidds]

I agree with gish, 89 - 99 for forum ballparking. Show n shine should be down to the individual deciding what class they think their bike fits best to, an 88 GT same model as a 91 GT should be judged as mid. Common sense and knowledge should prevail when entering or judging any completion, a couple of years either way if the models are the same as older or newer dates should be irrelevant, we all should know what we are looking at 

That would work if there was any common sense, but there isn't.  We do need a definate on this as believe me Show and Shine judging is hard work and made even harder if the judges have to start moving stuff around also this wouldn't go down well with somebody who put their 88 GT in oldschool just to see a judge decide it was midschool.

[rodriguez]

I don't know why this is specifically in the mid-school section, for example, the end of vintage and the beginning of old school is also a huge grey area in my opinion.

I can see what people are saying about whole 'schools' thing meaningless but thats just the way it is, the hobby developed out of a group of people having an interest in 'old school' bmx which to us was the golden age of BMX what came before and after has just been tacked on and I think we are stuck with them and overtime the parameters will change, nothing should be set in stone.

I'd go for:-

Vintage Pre 79ish

Old School 80ish - 89ish

Mid-school 90ish - 04ish

New School 05ish on

There will be cross overs and it's up to the entrant and the organisers to sort it out sensibly, using criteria like year the model was introduced and then the year the model was changed, for example 1988 Haro Master is old school 1989 Haro Master bashguard is mid school.

Using decades is the easy way out but it's also meaningless and lacks sole ignoring how the hobby came about in the first place.

Please just use the classifications for the S&S and let the forum continue the way it does with things finding their place.

FFS don't listen to Ed he's been harranging people in the mid school section put tan wall tyres on bikes that really should have black walls because of his black wall phobia   

[fischflo]

i see what you mean - interesting -, but if one follwed this, we would have to agree on the periods. So what's the 89ish and 04ish devides' reasons for then?

That, and secondly ......what's in future, NS just goes on and on from 05ish ..with subcats emerging....? like f.ex New SchoolII from 12 on just as an example...? Like that?

[stidds]

See how confusing it is for us?

None of you have agreed at all on anything, but something has to be agreed on.

We have to have definitive dates as that is the way we run things.


This is why I want some kind of decision to be made by you guys as this is the how we will be running the site.  If all the other 'schools' can be happy with pre 80's, 80-86 (as it is at the moment) etc then midschool better make a decision too.

[bobbbbsy]

89 - 96 id say for me being 36 ..