Allan's Bmx bikes? what you lot think?

[Taipan]

I've noticed allan's selling a few old school style bikes lately.....I saw this GT performer but its crammed full of re-issue parts? now I do like the look of this one (dunno about the other re-issues he got for sale?) so what do you think of it? is it worth it? would you buy it?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GT-1985-Performer-Custom-Old-School-BMX-Bike-Black-Gold/282767306199?hash=item41d63eadd7:g:nLcAAOSw1QpaLT74

[dp and chopper dude]

I'm quite shocked at the price vs the quality of the bikes he's putting out. If they are selling and the people buying them are happy then that's fine. If the Performer is the green good survivor one I think it is then that's a shame to see an original frame turned in to the one on the link. This is my attempt at being dipolmatic.

[griff]

This is my attempt at being dipolmatic.

I think that was a very good attempt

[Retrodan72]

There's absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Alan Woods was and to some people (Wiganers) still is a UK BMX legend and probably one of the founding fathers of the BMX scene back in the 1980s. He's a very good friend of a lot of RADsters and very generous to RADBMX when it comes to MK raffle prizes etc.

However, I'm pretty certain that he employs a load of high haired, bearded, skinny jeans and Vans wearing 'dudes' to knock these bikes together using some of the shite that's been repopped over the last 10 years. For Alan it's probably a very lucrative business move and he is probably rubbing his hands at the sudden top up of his pension fund. There's no way Alan has put his hands on any tools to build these bikes, they're the work of someone that were born 5-10 years after the 80's finished (see seat post height and bar angle).

They're throwing these bikes up on Instagram on a daily bases, I even offered a few opinions on tyre choice too, to make them look more 80's, only to be told that this is a customer's bike and the tyres follow the spec that they've listed, then the same bike ends up on Alan's eBay listens list.

You know me, I love a repop part, but in moderation.

It's a shame really, but I see what AW gets out of it*


*if they sell.

[hotdog]

These are my observations.
Apart from the price,I do not have an issue with the bike. It's been tastefully built with new and original parts. Compared to some of the 'Ronald McDonald' bikes I've seen knocking about,this looks killer. The seat height and bar angle look spot-on to me (I have an '85 Pro Performer so I know).
I assume Alan knows his market otherwise he wouldn't have succeeded in business for the past thirty years. Ultimately he's a businessman,with overheads,making a living but he's still fully into every aspect of bmx,old and new,still rides his  bike to and from work everyday and supports many old school events in person all over the country throughout the year. Still,nobody's perfect.
And no.... he's not 'me best mate' 

[Taipan]

Interesting views? I was shown this on the net by a friend who basically wanted to know was it worth the price? I know it has a lot of re issue parts (I'm not adverse to a re pop part myself btw  ) Compared to some of the bikes I've seen that they have listed this looks a damn site more in keeping with the era look,I said that should he want a bike built totally from old school parts and used at that? then it would cost a lot more to build and source...so his question is? Is the bike worth the asking price folks? 

[griff]

re-issue parts aside is this particular bike worth the asking price folks? 

you can't put the parts aside, since they are what the asking price is paying for

it's not a bad looking bike, someone out there might like it enough to buy it
if they do buy it, I hope they are happy with it
personally I wouldn't, I'd rather buy original bits over a long period of time and restore bits as necessary

[Taipan]

Griff
 I mean't although it has re-issue parts is it as a whole with the parts fitted  worth the asking price? 

[pickle]

fook that!  I'll stick to my salty MTBs 

[Avro]

The bike high-lighted looks like the first couple of bikes I built; same parts list, same look. That was until I immersed myself in the scene, researched and found out that chasing the parts and restoring the parts is a whole lot of fun. The end result, when you get there, and that may take years, is so much more rewarding.

I am not knocking the Alan's bikes, not at all, I just do not think it has anything to do the my approach nor the approach of many here.

[That Swan Guy]

I'm quite shocked at the price vs the quality of the bikes he's putting out. If they are selling and the people buying them are happy then that's fine. If the Performer is the green good survivor one I think it is then that's a shame to see an original frame turned in to the one on the link. This is my attempt at being dipolmatic.

It's not the green one.....that one is now white

[kalex]

It's definitely not my cup of tea.

I understand the old school frame set but surely anyone can just buy all repop parts and bung them on.

For a bike shop to use an old frame then build it with new repop stuff off their own stock and ask that money is taking the p1ss.

[Retrodan72]

It's definitely not my cup of tea.

I understand the old school frame set but surely anyone can just buy all repop parts and bung them on.

For a bike shop to use an old frame then build it with new repop stuff off their own stock and ask that money is taking the p1ss.

I agree, but also after reading a few comments on their Instagram posts after this post started, I realise that there are plenty of guys out there that either A) don't know the difference between OG and repop parts, B) don't care whether a bikes built with OG or repop parts and C) both A & B, so they actually do have a channel to sell these bikes to.

If anything, I'll admit that I do admire the care free attitude, possibly naivety of these chaps and I feel like a bit of a snob or purist, which I'm not. But what these guys are doing is having someone to build a bike for them, this adds cash and subtracts fun.

What I also noticed about some of the bikes is the choice of some parts like flange less grips, new school pedals and tyres. If they're going to sell a bike as an 80's iconic bike, it should at least look like its from the 80's. Also, none, and I mean none of these bikes will be able to stop when being ridden (yes I know no bike stops with a 15 stone, 45 year old on it) as every bike gets those repop MX1000's slung on them, and they are the worst brakes I have ever bought and tried to use.

[boofy44]

There's a very nice early PK Ripper on eBay cheaper than that and no one bid on it first time it was listed.and no it's not mine.