What is the 'must have' old skool bike for a collection.

[munners]

As it says. I know that it is almost impossible to say because old skool bikes are like football.......its all about opinion, but i just wanna know the general feeling out there.

Nick 

[Waxintaxin]

it seems to change

a few years ago it was TAs

now rippers

and changas

its like fashion

Rich

[diesel]

There are some that will on average hold their price very well.

Some that will go through the roof, but are a very high stake but could easily drop just the same.

and some which will always be lower in general.

I'll give an example of each in my opinion:

Skyway Ta
VDC Changa
Mongoose motomag

My favourite for any collection though has to be a goose - every collection should have a goose or a rattlesnake

[Bob_Acid]

One of the things i noticed about the DC/SE party was that there wasn't a single gusseted Mongoose. Which is a shame as it's such an icon.

[munners]

I KNEW that VDC's would be brought up by nearly everyone and so far they have!

I just dont get them. I had nearly every BMX mag when i was younger and i just dont remember them in there   They dont do it for me. Obviously i remember the bars but the frames..no.

I bet if i showed my collection to xbmxers  they would be more interested in my burner than a VDC if i had one. I think they are SO overated. IMO.  I love opinions!

[mr.magoo]

bitd VDC was a bit like trying to race a skoda, having a TA being all aero etc, my mate got a VDC and i never stopped ribbing him about how i'd beat him if there was a head wind. Didn't keep it for long, before he got himself a Patterson. But too right, didn't see too many on the national circuits either. But than the rarer the more people rave.

[WARDY]

I quite like the dp firebird freestyler. I am suprised that these arnt fetching more than they do .There was nt many made was there?

[Gorgonzola]

Looptail Rippers....

Redline Carrera

but I'm guessing it's down to opinion and personal preference !

VDC's are so expensive, I dunno why as they were not the best made frames BITD !

[munners]

I would say hands down a ripper. I know they were crap to use but they were 'the bike'. 

[phantom photon]

I quite like the dp firebird freestyler. I am suprised that these arnt fetching more than they do .There was nt many made was there?

They're slowly creeping up. A year ago you could get a DP Firebird frame and forks for about £75. Now they're selling for £200+  

For me my inspirational old school bike is the T/A. Always wanted one bitd and loved the way they looked.

[double chevron]

Don't worry Nick, you've got them all already..... 
Gen1, PK loopy, TA,....

Every collector should have a nice cruiser... we're not kids anymore...
I like collectors who own not only high end bikes, a nice mid range super clean survivor always catches my eye, Burner or not ..

[dialledbikes]

Looptail PK is the essential for me.

At one point I had about 6 NOS looptail PKs, a couple of TAs, NOS Hutch Hollywood, NOS looptail Floval, etc.  But just got the 1 looptail PK now and 1 OS race bike (S&M Challenger) and I'm happy with that.

[Zippy]

Team Aero Pro Burner. Well built bike with very good components that was in it's day quite cheap.

[matt]

i have owned and sold most of the above at some point, i had a long think about all this bmx malarky recently and have decided to sell up apart from a mongoose pro class i have just aquired as that was my dream bike back in the day therefore it means more to me than the changa etc i have owned.

[MartyC]

It has to be classic late 70's early 80's rides.  US wise I would say a Haro Freestyler (don't get me going on the Gen1/Gen2 thing - I don't buy it), a gusseted Supergoose, maybe a Redline MXII or round gusset Torker 280 or maybe somthing earlier and lesser known.  UK made would have to be early MRD, Firebird or Rickman.

Does anyone have an early Rickman race bike at all?  Don't recall seeing one in the museum  .

[MizuToda]

I think it has to be a goose really..its was the kid down the street bmx around 1975-80... it was were i was anyhow..altho it was a bit of a mix.
I had a supergoose 2..but my oldskool friends had a mix really..
Pirahna, team murry, motomag..burner..the odd torker..the odd redline..scorpion..kuwa.... the list could go on
I would say one thing tho..the choice was wicked@ that time and it was hard to put a finger on what was best as it was parts aswell as frame sets or complete cycles that made a cool bmx.
i think its all down to where you lived at the time & what was available at ya local shop.
There was only 1 or 2 rippers around..everybody new what they were but few had..
Goose all the way imo..

 

[DIRTBIKER250F]

2 n 1/2 yrs ago i started building os bikes, Mongoose Cali, Ripper, Skyway,Gt,kuwahara,cw, and to be honest the cooks bros bike posted on here and radmans GHP are what i would love in my collection with Steve Ps Team burner a close 3rd. 2 1/2 yrs ago i wouldnt have wanted them and still wouldnt want a VDC  .

Paul

[ORANGEZIPPY]

i'd go with these
loop pk,
gen 1,
t/a
and a carrera or proline with 401's.

and to make any of them really special a pair of oldsckool graffs 

i like vdc's just not on my "to buy" list either 

[jimmyp]

Its got to be the icon bikes, db harry L turbo, Kuwi E.T., Mongoose Eric Rupe, all are quiet rare and very sought after 

[jT Racing]

i think the gen1 haro is becoming an icon of bmx, collectors in europe and america who are into freestyle see it as 'the one'. T/A's are still an icon of 80's bmx. A vdc is just a dear pony and not that special. Loopy rippers ar allways a winner. gusset geese are a 70's icon. jmc's have to be the creme de la creme of quality. Lots of collectors stick to one make, but i think the must haves are a pair of skyways, a tuf neck stem, 401 flight cranks, dx pedals, oakley grips, comp 3's mx1000's, shimano DX's and a kashimax aero. These are the true icons of bmx and appear more or less on every frameset in one build or another. The frameset is your choice, but these are the must have's for any collection.

[gt0733]

there's some good logical posts here. it wasn't just frame sets that became "must haves" of this sport but rather a mix of the best as mentioned in J.T.RACING's post.

my must have frame would be the very first "TRUE" bmx frame that i owned.  an Australian made 1979 mk1 quicksilver. if i ever find one, then my collection of must haves will be complete.
so far i have:
1978 team mongoose in candy blue
1983 prolineII built as a replica of my race bike from BITD
1983 proline dream bike in metallic red (should finish this one this week)

 the others i have will come and go.

[antiquebmx]

Haro Freestyler got to be on your list

a nice looptail pk

531 quad so nice to ride

I am going to stick up for VDC changa complete chrome bike looks stunning

dont like TA's they look brittle, Ive had a few but never kept one

then a nice 70's redline or mongoose


but the list goes on,  VDC, GT et...................

[Broggie]

Personally I'd love a Redline RL20 II...


Er...and both an Orange Mk1 Raleigh chopper plus a Mk2 Special Edition.

I've already got the 84 master and TA 




Ray.

[bodamus]

Not my personal favourites but iconic bikes in my opinion are

Mongoose Motomag
PK Ripper Looptail
Haro Gen 1

bodamus

[Swivel]

Good post Nick... I reckon iconic bikes for me are:

* Haro Master (my fave, always will be)
* Haro Gen 1 (must have bike...)
* Skyway TA (as not every bastard had one and when someone did, it attracted so much attention!)
* GT Pro Performer (fiola or not, this bike has something original...)