Author Topic: Where You Rode BITD. (Read 3998 times)

Retrodan72 · « **on:** July 19, 2015, 05:24 PM »

Probably been a similar thread before, but today via the 'On This Day' app on FB, I was sadly reminded that last year, I took the dog for a walk around the track we rode in the 80s.

I say sadly, because as you can see, it barely resembles a track. Ok, it wasn't actually a 'proper' track, but it had a start hill wide enough for 3 bikes, 2 decent table tops, a set of doubles, and a good berm.

Proper, or not, me and my mates spent every available hour there from about 83 - 86/7ish.

Coincidently, with Carl's ride a few days away, his route takes us through Lilford Woods where there are a load of trails and jumps, still intact and rideable, since Carl's teenage years, it makes me a bit jealous tbh, as I've though about all the other place in Hawarden and surrounding areas, where we used to ride, and I've got nowt.

So, have you got any then, and now pics of your old BMX haunts?

Retrodan72 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2015, 05:27 PM »

This is my mate Mike, on his Extra Burner back in 1983,

pickle · « **Reply #2 on:** July 19, 2015, 05:36 PM »

Superb picture Dan

nosepickben · « **Reply #3 on:** July 19, 2015, 05:48 PM »

I did a thread on this subject about 2yrs ago, "the first place you ever rode" i think was the title (someone with time on their hands will be along with a link shortly...)
My early bmx years were split between Crookes cemetery tip, less grim than it sounds, and the Bolehills.
The former is overgrown, the latter is still an amazing place to ride. I finally manned up and jumped the legendary back straight 8-pack last week, for the first time in about 10 years. I've been a regular there
since 1983. Guess that makes me the oldest, saddest individual for many a mile.

kalex · « **Reply #4 on:** July 19, 2015, 06:03 PM »

Well there's houses on the make shift track I used in the mid 80's

Ady · « **Reply #5 on:** July 19, 2015, 08:48 PM »

My make shift track a few mud ramps and berm is a housing estate now..
And my second regular haunt we had loads of old large oil barrels and made Ramps and whoops Now is a bloody Asda.
Our proper track was a 20 mile ride and one year twenty of us rode from Barry to llanedeyrn in cardiff it was great as we stopped traffic ..
This was the only proper race track in Cardiff and was a very quick track as they placed it on a very steep incline snaking down the hill..
When it ended there was a 6 foot bank to make you stop but I thought it was part of the track and went flat out over with loads of air time I mumbled to myself in mid flight this is going to hurt..
Was a great day but had to do the long ride home with a few battle scars and snapped bars again..

Now I think is grass over now..

Bob_Acid · « **Reply #6 on:** July 19, 2015, 09:09 PM »

Dartford Heath, Bexleyheath co-op car park, there was a little track in some woods out the back of Bexley station, Crayford industrial estate, the Dell in Crayford, the jumps in the woods on Barnhurst golf course, then later Barnhurst BMX track, Fanny on the hill in Welling, Bursted woods and ROM when we could get a lift over there.

Hmoon27 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2015, 09:34 PM »

In the wooden bus shelter if she'd had enough beers

Pooch · « **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2015, 07:28 AM »

Hounslow.. No pictures because your camera would have got stolen..

Retrodan72 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 20, 2015, 07:36 AM »

What's more upsetting is when these places haven't been redeveloped into flats or car parks, but are still there, just overgrown and unused.

I guess it was a sign of the times in the 90s - BMX being less popular, computer games taking over, etc.

pickle · « **Reply #10 on:** July 20, 2015, 08:38 AM »

Bowes Lyon skate park
Knebworth skate park and track
Bottany bay scrambling track (Stevenage)

chownie · « **Reply #11 on:** July 20, 2015, 08:55 AM »

Rom, virtually lived over there at weekends and school holidays. 5-6 mile ride there, a double session (8 hours) then ride home. I feel so lucky to have been part of it bitd.
Also over Harold Wood park where I live used to be a paddling pool which, when empty which was most of the time was awesome for jumping out of, many a time landing in a heap tangled in my bike. I wish I had some photos from back then but have none.

insectbones · « **Reply #12 on:** July 20, 2015, 09:36 PM »

I lived in Andover 81-84, so the 70's concrete skatepark was a regular haunt.

It was practically derelict by then, we used to force the corrugated iron fence open to get in. It's houses now.

Also a place called locally (Andover again) 'the plannies'. Basically huge craters in the woods with bowls, jumps and real dangerous shit to ride, went back there two years ago, it hasn't changed, still gets ridden by motocrossers, trials bikes, bmx's and scrotes on stolen mopeds.

Taking a bike there this year to relive the past

bigfatolly · « **Reply #13 on:** July 22, 2015, 11:35 PM »

We used to divide our time between

Poole BMX track
Slades Farm Skatepark
Bournemouth BMX track
Chestnut woods in Wareham occasionally.

We were lucky we had loads of places to ride.

Poole track is now overgrown,Bournemouth and Slades still there I think,not sure if there is anything at Chestnut woods any more....

nosepickben · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2015, 11:09 AM »

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,155995.msg1545280.html#msg1545280

fugazi · « **Reply #15 on:** July 23, 2015, 12:13 PM »

Never a lot of riders but in my little old hometown we had some ramps round the back of the ymca, now houses/flats. Our handbuilt track/trails is now an old people's home. Our national track is now also houses/flats. We spent our evenings riding the streets but mostly riding flatland in the bottom of a multi storey car park, there was a few lights & it was mostly dry, in the summer we rode up top for a bit of class/light/heat!
Also used to go to wicksteed, stevanage & rom skatepark, which was cool when we started driving but a bit of a mission by train......

markstrong10 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 27, 2015, 06:24 PM »

Rom was the main place we rode, a place called the western in Dagenham east, we also built our own track on a bit of waste ground near lullington rd in Dagenham. Proper good times.

markstrong10 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 27, 2015, 06:28 PM »

Quote from: markstrong10 on July 27, 2015, 06:24 PM

Rom was the main place we rode, a place called the western in Dagenham east, we also built our own track on a bit of waste ground near lullington rd in Dagenham. Proper good times.

this was all around the early to mid eighties.

Bigbadsam · « **Reply #18 on:** August 02, 2015, 12:21 AM »

We used to ride up Billinge hill in the woods and on the grass track at the side. The grass track was a small circuit wit a camel jump at the end, mostly grown over now. The woods are still popular with mountain bikers.
And a place called blue hills out in the fields near Garswood, a big double hill with various holes n ramps dug out by us in the 80's. My nephew still rides up there now and again.
Nothings as good as it used to be when your older, it's like looking back through rose tinted specs

Jonny too talll · « **Reply #19 on:** August 04, 2015, 07:04 AM »

Quote from: nosepickben on July 19, 2015, 05:48 PM

I did a thread on this subject about 2yrs ago, "the first place you ever rode" i think was the title (someone with time on their hands will be along with a link shortly...)
My early bmx years were split between Crookes cemetery tip, less grim than it sounds, and the Bolehills.
The former is overgrown, the latter is still an amazing place to ride. I finally manned up and jumped the legendary back straight 8-pack last week, for the first time in about 10 years. I've been a regular there
since 1983. Guess that makes me the oldest, saddest individual for many a mile.

No I doesn't I used to ride crookes cemetery tip at the same time as I lived in crosspool and remember building the jump on the straight bit after the big berm and dead mans drop! We also managed to make the same dead mans drop into a sort of half pipe. I cant believe someone on here remembers it, I thought I was the only one.

Tel-boy75 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 14, 2015, 10:32 AM »

I was lucky enough to have a track that was 5 minutes ride from my house - Grove - which was sometimes referred to as Wantage BMX track.

Any of you that rode in the South Central series may remember it as it was used as part of the Regional racing series.

This is it as it is now - That's my lad on his Redline coming over what was the second jump. Behind him is the start ramp which looks a lot smaller now!

The hump in the foreground was the final berm which led to a series of whoops to the finish line - where the concrete ramps are now.

I had a little ride around, its more like a singletrack MTB trail now.

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #21 on:** August 14, 2015, 05:56 PM »

raced there many times... but remind me where in Grove it was.. cant find it on google maps.

HUTCHMAN · « **Reply #22 on:** August 14, 2015, 05:59 PM »

Quote from: HUTCHMAN on August 14, 2015, 05:56 PM

raced there many times... but remind me where in Grove it was.. cant find it on google maps.

don't worry, iv'e found it.. Denchworth Road !!??

Tel-boy75 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 14, 2015, 08:45 PM »

Quote from: HUTCHMAN on August 14, 2015, 05:59 PM

Quote from: HUTCHMAN on August 14, 2015, 05:56 PM
raced there many times... but remind me where in Grove it was.. cant find it on google maps.

don't worry, iv'e found it.. Denchworth Road !!??

Yes that's it.