Right then children, are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin,
Along time ago in a northern town, far,far away.................
The DP Firebird Freestyler ruled the streets because that was the best f&f at Alan Kay cycles - the local bike shop. I don't remember anyone at school having a haro, gt etc
I can remember 3 or 4 lads having a firebird and that was the bike I badly wanted but never had.
Roll on to the mid 90's and I went round to old school friends trying to track down and collect any old bmx's that were still about.
Ended up with a skyway ta, super tuff burner, ammacco 202 and a firebird f&f. It had the dp cut out just behind the seat post - does that make it a glynn lewis edition? Anyways, I didn't have any parts to put on the f&f and it went to the paper boy for £10!!!!! I don't think the other bikes went for much more than £30/£40 each, how times have changed, I don't think we had the internet or a computer in the house then!!!!!!!!!
At around that time I had become mates with the lad who had my favourite dp from BITD - JP. He still had the bike hung up-side-down in his parents garage and it wasn't going anywhere, ever. Which was fair enough cause I remember him having a physical Saturday job to pay for things he wanted.
Roll on again to mid 2007 and I got the itch - like many others - to relive my youth and get the bike I could never afford when I was a kid. Started checking ebay ever week, then every day for a firebird again. I remember thinking I wasn't going to spend any more than £40 on one. The few that did come up were then pulling £150+!!!!
It was around this time that I found RAD and I have logged on every day since. The more I was thinking about a firebird the more I was thinking what it would have to look like andso in Jan 08 I popped round to JPs parents house to see if I could get some pictures of his old bike. Chuff me, my beloved bird was on its side on top of an old car restoration project and under a folded work bench and god knows what else!!!!!!!!
We hauled it out and I got the pictures I needed to replicate the bike when I got a one for myself.
Anyway, are you still awake at the back there boy?
Afew months ago I got a complete bike off Ebay for £180ish but it was pretty rough and I've been slowly getting bits for it since then.
Then out of the blue on Friday I got a call from JP's dad who said he had cleared the garage and J had given the all clear for me to have the bike if I wanted it!!!!!!!!!
I was as giddy as hell all day and picked it up on my way home from work that day!
So, I thought I'd share the pics with y'all. It isn't a day glow yellow as standard, JP must have taken a spray can to it BITD.
I haven't even managed to contact him to thank him for it yet!
Hope you enjoy
