I just can't stay away, so hello for the "third" time!

[80s Mike]

Well here I am "again" (third time back)  scrolling through the pages of RADBMX and trying to find a reason to justify spending a small fortune on a bike I used to own in the eighties.

I’m blaming Instagram this time, seeing a guy in a santa suit, riding a red Dyno Compe and pulling a hang five at a Christmas ride out appeared in my feed and got me hooked again. I looked at that picture and thought how much I’d love to go on a ride out. Ever since then I seem to be spending an increasing time on this forum, so I thought I may as well register "again" and say hello "again."

I was on here a few years ago as Radical Mick and posted pictures of a 2001 T1 Barcode I restored. As much as I love the T1, it’s not really my riding era. What I’d really like is something from the mid to late eighties; a GT Pro Performer, 87 Pro Freestyle Tour, Haro Sport, early WAL etc, etc. Trust me to want one of the really expensive old school bikes. Perhaps the time has come to sell the T1 and put the money towards an eighties dream build.

From the age of twelve I absolutely lived and breathed BMX. I rode until my early twenties, but then we hit the nineties and one by one my riding buddies gave up and as BMX more or less died I eventually gave up myself. I still regret that decision. I’m 47 now and spend my riding time thrashing around the woods on my MTB, but you never forget your first love and that’s definitely BMX. I’d love to get myself an old school freestyle bike and go along to a ride out and perhaps take a little roll around the local skatepark and see if I can remember any of my old tricks. Milton Keynes is only just over an hour away, so MK17 is definitely a possibility.

Great forum by the way! 

[BMX1973]

  to   

[griff]

Welcome back 

[deeman]

There is a cheap PFT in for sale at the moment 

[Spen69]

Welcome back Mike

Quick question - is there any chance you could borrow an oldschool bike to ride for 5mins before you give up something as great as a T1 Barcode

Honestly if you intend to ride a bike, your beloved memories of a childhood of Bmx will be shattered in seconds with bad geometry, threaded headsets and shite brakes on an 80's bike....... 

If you have to have it all, go newschool oldschool in disguise mate

[80s Mike]

Welcome back Mike

Quick question - is there any chance you could borrow an oldschool bike to ride for 5mins before you give up something as great as a T1 Barcode

Honestly if you intend to ride a bike, your beloved memories of a childhood of Bmx will be shattered in seconds with bad geometry, threaded headsets and shite brakes on an 80's bike....... 

If you have to have it all, go newschool oldschool in disguise mate

Are you allowed to say things like that about old school bikes on this site?

It’s purely a nostalgia thing. Yes, they weren’t particularly well made and yes the geometry was a bit iffy at best, but it doesn’t’ stop me wanting one. However, the absolutely mad prices they sell for these days may be a bit of an issue. Some of the prices I see on Ebay are insane. Do people acutally pay that much?

The T1 is a lovely bike and I’ll probably end up keeping it, with a couple of additions I could even be tempted to enter BOTM.

I’ve yet to ride a new school bike. I’m sure they’re much better than the bikes of my youth. I must admit some of the new school tribute bikes do look a bit special!

[richiebozza]

What I don't understand about the scene is:

1) who buys all of the cheapo P.O.S. 90s bikes that get revamped and sold on ebay as 'rare old school classics'? I know retro bmx is cool right now, but it's not like you walk down the street and every 3rd bike is old school bmx, and yet if you look at feedback of these dealers they are selling a lot of these done up crappo bikes!

2) who is buying all the new release Skyway wheels? Surely people who want to build an old school bike will buy originals, it's not that difficult to buy old Skyways. Maybe the people doing up the crappo bikes but them, but that means a lot of crappo bikes are selling, which brings me back to my first question, who's buying 'em!?

[Spen69]

Are you allowed to say things like that about old school bikes on this site?

  I know Mike.... but thankfully this site is about one thing only, BMX. Be it a Burner to a WeThePeople, they are all BMX

I love this site and have been through the ups and downs of o/s collecting, but always loved riding them not polishing them. Eventually I got to the point of modifying o/s bikes with midschool 36/13 gearing and then finally newschool 25/9 and trying to enhance the brakes to make them more rideable. I couldn't bring myself to ride a newschool as they just all looked the same and soul-less....

Then a few "retro" frames started appearing which were just copies of the oldschool.... literally copies (ie Haro especially). What's the point of those I thought - if you want one, buy an old one and restore it, get some skin in the game.

Finally Subrosa grasped the nettle and brought out the DTT, and Supercross brought out the Extension and suddenly you could ride an old-school looking bike but with actual newschool technology and geometry. Boom, I wanted one.

But the final stage for me was when I found a few specialist companies had taken to crafting frames that really paid their respects to the oldschool in terms of looks, but added newschool geometry and component compatibility - firms like Knightbikes, Kappa and Eddie Fiola's venture (forgotten the name!). Now you are talking.....

So I'm one of the lucky few who ride an oldschool looking bike that every dad remembers when it's out and about, but when I ride it in a skatepark it is actually designed and built to do just that.....

My advice is buy a secondhand newschool bike, something half decent for about £100 to £250 and ride it as you'll be amazed how good they are. You can then keep your T1 for looking at, as Midschool is the new oldschool after all

[80s Mike]

Are you allowed to say things like that about old school bikes on this site?

  I know Mike.... but thankfully this site is about one thing only, BMX. Be it a Burner to a WeThePeople, they are all BMX

I love this site and have been through the ups and downs of o/s collecting, but always loved riding them not polishing them. Eventually I got to the point of modifying o/s bikes with midschool 36/13 gearing and then finally newschool 25/9 and trying to enhance the brakes to make them more rideable. I couldn't bring myself to ride a newschool as they just all looked the same and soul-less....

Then a few "retro" frames started appearing which were just copies of the oldschool.... literally copies (ie Haro especially). What's the point of those I thought - if you want one, buy an old one and restore it, get some skin in the game.

Finally Subrosa grasped the nettle and brought out the DTT, and Supercross brought out the Extension and suddenly you could ride an old-school looking bike but with actual newschool technology and geometry. Boom, I wanted one.

But the final stage for me was when I found a few specialist companies had taken to crafting frames that really paid their respects to the oldschool in terms of looks, but added newschool geometry and component compatibility - firms like Knightbikes, Kappa and Eddie Fiola's venture (forgotten the name!). Now you are talking.....

So I'm one of the lucky few who ride an oldschool looking bike that every dad remembers when it's out and about, but when I ride it in a skatepark it is actually designed and built to do just that.....

My advice is buy a secondhand newschool bike, something half decent for about £100 to £250 and ride it as you'll be amazed how good they are. You can then keep your T1 for looking at, as Midschool is the new oldschool after all

Cheers for the advice, shouldn't be too hard to pick up a cheap new school bike. Hope you're right about mid school being the new old school, especially if the prices go that way as well! 

[Midschoolfool]

What I don't understand about the scene is:

1) who buys all of the cheapo P.O.S. 90s bikes that get revamped and sold on ebay as 'rare old school classics'? I know retro bmx is cool right now, but it's not like you walk down the street and every 3rd bike is old school bmx, and yet if you look at feedback of these dealers they are selling a lot of these done up crappo bikes!

2) who is buying all the new release Skyway wheels? Surely people who want to build an old school bike will buy originals, it's not that difficult to buy old Skyways. Maybe the people doing up the crappo bikes but them, but that means a lot of crappo bikes are selling, which brings me back to my first question, who's buying 'em!?

I've bought modern Skyways. And they're better than the old ones, too. Firstly the hubs don't collapse and secondly the sealed bearings are lovely.

In 2015 I build a 2013 Ripper with orange Skyways on. I always wanted a ripper with Skyways, didn't have to be period correct for me.

To me a bike is metal. That's all. Just a lump of metal. Did I have lots of fun on my 80s bikes? hell yeah, but what's the point in spending grands on a bike that wasn't your bike?

Memories are just that. They are created more by people than specific things.

I'll be honest and say, I am definitely going through some sort of mid life crisis. However, thank god that I can put things into logic. I'm never going to get back my childhood, that's gone, and it's crazy dumping £3000 on a BMX trying.

And then having to ride it.

Edit. Sorry, where are my manners? welcome Mike, good to see you