Author Topic: Everyone - I need your input. (Read 2013 times)

Sidehack Guy · « **on:** December 30, 2005, 04:35 AM »

Hello, I am pretty much a newby here, but Reilley, my brother, told me about this site. I had to check it out! Never been over to the UK, although when Reilley lived there, he did invite me, but from the looks of it, you guys had a blast back in the day.

I have posted a few questions on the other sites that is similar to the following and would like to get everyones input if possible. Read on please.

I like most of you found this website one dark stormy night, while reminising my past and my youth, all of which were good times. I cannot begin to tell you how my life has changed since that night because of this website, its content, its members, and most of all, allowing me to get in touch with items and memories of my past. I for one feel I am a better person because of it, have made some great new friends and gotten in touch with some old ones. Yes, my bank account is not as padded, never really was anyways, as it was before, the UPS guy knows me by my handle and Ebay says I am a A++ buyer, but those things are minor.

What my question to you all is, how has getting back to your roots in BMX changed your life. The good and the bad. How are you different now than you were before. Have you changed as a person? Have you regained your manliness (or womanliness) by riding a kid's bike again? Have you decided to start racing, hence starting fitness training. Have you made your Playstation, XBOX playing kid at home get off their butts and start riding? Please tell your story.

BTW, I am also doing a research paper for college on this subject. I though it would be interesting to see if what I have experienced is similar to some of your stories.

Thanks for your time!

revcore · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2005, 05:37 AM »

Very good question Sidehack Guy. Getting back to my BMX roots has been good and bad for me. I will start with the bad:
I've realised that I am not as fit as I used to be, Also, I've noticed that I have a bit of a fear of trying new things these days where as in my youth I would happily try new tricks and seemingly impossible jumps. Also, I realised how stupid I was to have sold all my classic bikes and parts when I 'lost interest in BMX' for a while in the late 90's. Now for the good things: Upon getting back to my roots I have found out about this site and a few similar sites and sharing my love of old school BMX has rekindled my desire to get back into it and start collecting bikes and parts again. Another good thing is that these days I have more money to spend on bikes, And through ebay I can now purchase the rare old school items that I once had back in the 80's.

Waxintaxin · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2005, 10:41 AM »

Hey sidehack hows things my friend , welcome aboard the good ship rad , we do things differently here, its like the past or dorothy or something like that LOL

Right , to answer your question from my perspective

How has riding and collecting small old bikes changed my life and was it good or bad

have to say a bit of both mate

Bad things are injurys and being ripped into by my non BMX mate s who find the idea of me riding a BMX very very funny.

Good things are the friends I have made and the friends I will make , who share a passion for something that means a lot to me , being able to take part in some fantastic meets and really enjoy the company of us all here at rad. yes the bank balance has taken a hit , but to be fair it would have anyway as i am not too thrifty anyway

Like a lot of people my age in the UK , i am / was a drug taker and this hobby has pretty much stopped me using class As , I have lost weight and feel a lot more grounded because of it.
I can take pride in my builds and take pride in my knowledge that I have good mates here that have been made from taking a chance on meeting people i dont know from adam, and having the balls to stand up and go with what to some seems imature and stupid.

So pretty much all positive from me mate and to be honest I feel we have something special here at rad, the community here is strong and friendly with no censorship and no bitchin, something I for one really appriciate and enjoy, and this has to be a driving factor as to why so many of us really do get on as friends.

Rich

pkradman · « **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2005, 12:01 PM »

welcome aboard sidehack ,,, waxins answer just about sums it up for most of us on here the UK secene is close nitt , and if u like we all one big family :santa_afro: ....lee

oberonspacefruit · « **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2005, 12:07 PM »

well. its like sesame street, but with more bmx.

dordymush · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2005, 12:09 PM »

who's big bird then :santa_grin:.

daz bmx it! · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2005, 12:34 PM »

Hiya buddy,
I guess the other guys have summed it up! The things that stick in my head are the fact that there were people out there who were into the same thing as me that i didn't realise (i.e i thought it was only me?) and also that they had been into it a good while before!(or never actually got out of it) There is the thing that people say Hey! what you riding a kids bike for? but that'll be the Adults,I found that todays bmx kids wanna know about your bikes of yesteryear (is that a word?) and your stories.As a child of the 80's bmx was a massive part of my childhood I probably rode nearly everyday for 10 years.Also getting a computer opened my eyes as to how big it actually was and like mentioned before it made bikes,parts all readily accessible.I have now built bikes i had as a kid,and ones I couldn't afford as a kid also? but this time they will not be sold,they will be either past on to my kids or i'll have the buggers burried with me!

dordymush · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2005, 01:31 PM »

same as above really.i lived on my bike when bmx first started over here.slowly going from a cheap one to better bits and bikes as i got more into it.i dont think bmx ever left me. if i was watching the tv and something came on i was watching it.the same if i saw a bike being ridden up the road. i would always look to see if i knew what it was. i stopped riding in about late 85 and gave away my gt performer not long after that.then all these years later.got my son a pc for his school work and found ebay.a few old school magazines later and an e'mail from billy stupple and i was on radbmx and hooked again.not long after got my first bike followed by 2 skyway streetbeat show bikes with a third being built at the minute.and a new school haro with me back riding and enjoying myself and meeting the best bunch of lads and lasses since my childhood.i have to say though.if not for this site i would proberly have stopped at buying the odd magazine and would have missed out on some of the the best laughs i've ever had :santa_afro:.

Rombloke · « **Reply #8 on:** December 30, 2005, 03:48 PM »

its changed me immensly.....got back into riding via my son who wanted to visit rom skate park which was my local park as a kid....went and had to get a ride of my own rolling....started riding os bikes, but changed over to a new school bike. had a major accident whilst riding which again has changed my whole outlook on life.

And being an owner of this site bmx is now a major part of my life, met some good people, and made even better friends through this site and our gatherings, the list is too long to name names.
Even got my wife involved in coming to meets etc, and she now loves it, so all in all its changed my life in a big way.

oh......welcome to the site....and is your collection anything like your brothers...
enjoy

Dave

danny silverstreak · « **Reply #9 on:** December 30, 2005, 06:48 PM »

great thread mate as the boys above said , were not a bad bunch here , its changed my life , my bird thinks im strange

stidds · « **Reply #10 on:** December 30, 2005, 06:54 PM »

I got back into BMX as a hobby whilst recovering from illness. I contracted bacterial meningitis and was unable to do anything physical for a few months, whilst on the internet one day I discovered a BMX site and through that decided to build a bike from the 80's. I built a Skyway T/A and never looked back.

That was a couple of years ago now and through this site I have made many new and very good friends, I have also started riding bmx's again and have now also decided to start racing again.

Only downside is serious lack of funds now as bmx's consume my day.

th0mas25 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 30, 2005, 08:16 PM »

Hey Sidehack, good question,

I'm pretty new aswell and currently BMX-less but hopefully that will change this year.

I personally had such a blast when I was younger (say 13 - 18 years old) that I've always looked back fondly at those years, and with some sadness because they're gone. I'm a sucker for nostalgia anyway though, alongside newer music I still listen and enjoy the music I was into then, despite not having one at the moment I've always kept my interest of BMX (hell, I nearly bought one of Alan's boxed Haro Masters a few years ago but in the end opted for a 'more practical' mountain bike...Doh!!! , I even bought a MK1 Astra GTE a few years ago because it was my first car, even the magic tree was the same as all those years ago, whenever I stepped into that car so many great memories came flooding back...... Even my friends, although I don't see them as often, are the same ones from way back in primary school.

What's changed? I'm older, fatter, married, have a child, a house, a job, responsibilities... and I wouldn't change that now (OK maybe the older and fatter bit!) but still enjoying the things I enjoyed years back makes me feel good, younger even...

billstup · « **Reply #12 on:** December 30, 2005, 10:01 PM »

I am reborn

Lawrie · « **Reply #13 on:** December 31, 2005, 05:48 AM »

The main change in my life is simply that I spend a lot of time now looking at BMX sites (mainly this one) on the net, now that I have re-ignited my passion for BMX. As Revcore mentioned though, I have a fear of doing jumps now that I never had as a kid. I used to jump ramps that we set up without giving it a second thought back in the day but now think twice about going off a kerb. I built a couple of old school rides with the intention of getting into freestyle and eventually riding a quarter pipe, which has always been a dream of mine. I realised soon after I completed my first build however that it wasn't to be. I suppose when you're a kid you think you're going to live forever and so don't think so much about how easily things can go wrong on the other side of the ramp.

oberonspacefruit · « **Reply #14 on:** December 31, 2005, 10:35 AM »

lawrie...get to a gathering you will be surprised how many learners there are...

jT Racing · « **Reply #15 on:** December 31, 2005, 10:49 AM »

Hey ssg welcome.

I got back into bmx a few years ago but with new school. I have been collecting old school for about 18 months. It's nice to see so many people into the old sport and keeping these antiques in tip top condition.
It is not the same anymore with riding though, too many responsibilities to get injured. The biggest problem is that I have since I was 15 is a back problem that turned out to be ankylosing spondilitis, which is a sort of arthritis that fuses the lower portion of your back together and causes inflamation through other joints in the body (hips, knees, schoulders etc).
Allthough this does not stop me enjoying my bikes, I do have to take it easy and safer now. No more half pipes and big jumps or even the freestyle stuff where you start climbing over your whole bike. I just stick to riding and bunny hopping on and off most things as I go to and from a destination. I think the comunities are a good thing and as I don't live the uk anymore it's nice to have contact with sood and friendly people who are likeminded.

John

subwax · « **Reply #16 on:** December 31, 2005, 10:50 AM »

Startied riding BMX when I lived in Cape Town, South Africa. Parts were next to impossible to get, thanks to the sanctions placed on the apartheid government, but I still had a great time on my bike, racing and generally enjoying BMX'ing. I used to get a BMX magazine sent to me from the UK and drooled over the bikes I can bild today, and thats what its about for me - achieving the dream I had 20 years ago. Its not BMX in general - new school bikes do absolutely nothing for me - it has to be 85 or older. Nothing like seeing a GHP or a Redline RL20 II or a GT, etc etc etc, bringing back memories of seeing the top bike you really wanted to own.

Been here a while now, but just starting to get to know people personally. Met a few guys on here already, and each and every one was a pleasure to meet. Hopefully in 2006 I will meet more guys who share the passion (for BMX, that is - before PKRADMAN has something gay to say), as I am a little tired of everyone I know laughing at the fact I build and ride kids bikes. I hope to get Wendy more involved too - maybe she'll stop going on about getting rid of the "scrap metal" (she'd referring to my sets of SST hubs - sacralige!!) out of the loft.

greentoad · « **Reply #17 on:** December 31, 2005, 01:38 PM »

Hi and what a great post.

Well, it's pretty much been covered but I started ridding a bike when I was about 3 and got a BMX when I was about 9. I loved tricks and jumping and had a great time, and even used to ride 5 miles each way to a race meet, win a trophy and then ride home. Because of spending so long on my bike - I lived on it (racing / freestyle / visiting friends in towns - I lived in a village / doing a paper round) I mastered wheelies and tricks. I gave it all up in about 87 / 88 as girls and motorcycles then cars took me raving. I enjoyed this new lifestyle for many years but didn't really ride much.

I then got a wife had a daughter then a son, and started ridding their small bikes, I also have some very good friends who still had their old BMX's from BITD, and just had a browse - this was about 2 years ago. I just looked and looked and the memories came flooding back.....

I joined other sites, but felt like an outsider and didn't do any posts, just tried to read what was going on, and also did not start collecting any bikes. Then I pushed the boat out this year after being told on Doctors orders that I needed to do some cycling, and now have 12 bikes, some being 16" which I just love - none new school, as they just don't do anything for me at all. I now ride again, and am loving it.....I doubt if I'll do racing (competitively again) after visiting a few race meets and seeing the crashes, and remember the pain too much, but am for sure going to carry on freestyle and parks.

I joined RAD a few months before it changed to the new site and it has totally chnaged my outlook, I get ideas, technical help, can look in the museum and have a good laugh at the same time, and really appreciate the site.

Would I change now, no way. I think the one thing that sums it up for me now is that after having set up and run businesses, having owned land, houses, quite a few cars, boats etc etc all at the same time, you get to a stage where you worry about space / bills etc etc and just collect stuff which all has to be maintained. BMX is so cheap and takes up hardly any room compared to my old lifestlye.....In fact, I just got sent a set of pegs through the post this morning, so outside I shall go and see if I loose some of that Christmas goose.

Jem aka greentoad

StolenHaroAndy · « **Reply #18 on:** December 31, 2005, 07:28 PM »

i cant really remember how i or why i started looking back at old skool bmx?? i think it was because i saw a raliegh burner with skyways on it in wallington high street (for those in south london) and it looked like new! i've always had a facination with wheels though. cars, motorcycles, and bikes. my first encounter was as a teenager who couldnt really afford a "proper bmx" (by proper i mean one of a known name back then) and was always in awe of all the rippers, hutch, diamond back etc as the spokes glistened in the sunshine as they spun round (is this sad or what LMAO! :santa_grin:))
im now older and able to afford what i couldnt as a kid so i wanted to replicate a bike with parts that where for me outstanding back then or the must have bits. ive basically bought and built a old skool bmx that i love looking at. ive ridden it a few times and pulled some old tricks on it, nothing like i remember i used to mind, but im not really into it enough for regular riding. i also have new skool bike as a comparison but thats just a cheap one that hangs on my wall at work and gets chucked around every so often. i do actually view this site a lot but dont participate as i dont ride or have anywhere near as much knoledge as others to give a knowledgable opinion on certain things like bmx history, what parts where fitted to which bikes etc etc although i do read as much of the posts everyone writes as and when i have time too. i do like the pictures of all the bikes i see on here, the builds you guys do are fantastic! all these things make me come back here and take a look around and have a read etc
its all good! :santa_afro:

happy new year all :santa_smiley:

Sidehack Guy · « **Reply #19 on:** January 10, 2006, 03:27 AM »

Great stories!! My research paper is coming together very nicely. Rom - thanks - BTW - my collection does even come near to Reilley's, my wife would divorce me. Seems like Rick has most of the pre-1985 covered, I'm concentrating to the 85 and above. 85 Survivor Quad, 87 Free Agent Limo, 89 Auburn, 91 Free Agent Pro, 92 Powerlite, 94 Powerlite, 94 Haro Group 1 and 94 ELF 24".

Guys - any of your lives worse than before? Divorces

, break-ups

, accidents

due to the BMX Bug? I got have some counter-arguments in my essay.

oldmankev · « **Reply #20 on:** January 10, 2006, 10:43 AM »

I got hooked again after doing an os reunion race last year, i was only doing
it for a bit of fun but now i am totally back into the sport i loved so much 20
odd years ago. I expect most members get the same moans off their other
halfs like you spend more on that bike than me, more time on your bike than
with me etc etc.

Author Topic: Everyone - I need your input. (Read 2013 times)

Sidehack Guy

revcore

daz bmx it!

th0mas25

Lawrie

subwax

greentoad

StolenHaroAndy

Sidehack Guy

oldmankev