Monday, July 16

Progression? or What is Old is New Again?

By Douglas English
BMX Online

Back in 1992 we had no money, so we used to go to the local rubbish dump and raid all the good parts we could off the old bikes there. Here's what my bike was then, and the riding we used to do. When you compare it to my current bike and the type of riding we do, something surprising appears!

1992 Bike
Frame: Mongoose Supergoose, nickel plated, cracked and arc welded by dad in the shed.
Fork: Who cares? I had some and that's what counts.
Drivetrain: One-piece with one plastic pedal and one pedal shaft, a TuffNeck ring and steel spider.
Wheels: Skyway Tuff on front, steel 36 on back with ten-gauge spokes (no lie), rusted, and buckled.
Tires: Red knobbies from Kmart, two on back, because I used to wear them out doing foot jam skids.
Seat: Mom's ladies seat with springs.
Seatpost: Yes.
Handlebars: D bars with the V cross piece.
Stem: Imitation GT block with a cracked shaft.
Grips: Duct tape.
Brakes: No.
Pegs: What are pegs?

1992 Riding Style
This could best be described as " No guts-No glory." We used to pedal our asses off at a piece of wood wedged on the curb (because I had a pedal shaft on the left side, this was a risky operation, so I had to keep moving my foot back all the time) and hit it at full speed. Lift like your life depended on it, get about three feet in height and about six feet in distance. Land and hope to hell your handlebars didn't move forward or the pedal shaft/gooseneck/frame didn't snap! Alternatively we would ride to the local school and ride off stuff like stairs and stages. Hit the local dirt jumps and try to "cross up" and "pancake" everything.

2001 Bike
Frame: 1999 S&M Warpig
Forks: Standard STA
Cranks: Primo Powerbites
Sprocket: DK Iron Cross 36tooth
Wheels: Alex with Profile LHD cassette hubs (painted flat black of course)
Tires: Primo Wall (front) IRC Flatlander (rear)
Seat: Haro
Seatpost: Redline micro adjust
Handlebars: Volume Reagle Beagle (cut to about 24inch's wide)
Stem: Standard
Grips: Odyssey Gedda
Brakes: No
Pegs: No

2001 Riding Style
Street and skatepark. I try to avoid the clickity-clack style of the middle '90's, flow around the skatepark trying to pedal or sprocket grind everything in sight. 360 fakies, brakeless lip tricks, trying for height and style. On street: gaps, large bunnyhops-to-manuals, nollies, pedal/sprocket grinds (ledges only, rails would be a dream) trying to be smooth and burly at the same time. I know the trend now is to have brakes, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'll die with no brakes on my bike. Ooops, that's not what I meant.

Surprise, surprise. Through all those years of progression I have basically done one big circle. In 1992 I used to ride a short bike with D-bars, no brakes, and no pegs. And look what I'm riding today, basically the same setup. I'm not saying I have stayed true to the "PURE BMX" style all along. I mean, around 96, I was riding a mongoose DMC with four pegs, both brakes, four-piece bars, etc., nosepicking and tailtapping everything in sight. So I'm not hardcore, but who cares anyway? Back when I started riding (about 91-92) BMX was supposed to be dead! Which was news to our group of friends because we thought it was the best thing ever--period. We used to ride for the pure love of it! No fancy bikes, one American monthly magazine that got to Australia every couple of months, no skateparks and no good bike parts were to be found where I live. I could spend the next few lines talking about how the good old days were "where it's at," but I wont. The fact of the matter is that BMX rocks, and no matter how much it "sells out," there will always be those of us that ride! The more people that ride the better! Even if they don't stick with the sport, they have in one way or another helped it to grow and supported the sports Pros and the BMX community! So, let's all remember why we got into BMX in the first place--just for the fun of it. Hell, in a few years I'll probably be that guy on the "old 4130 Warpig" at your local skatepark. Riding around with a flared head tube, no brakes, and no grip on my pedals, flipping off all those "young" punks on there full carbon fiber space-framed bikes, snaking them while they fakie flair the 15 foot vert ramp! If you do see me, don't cut in front of me, I can't stop because I don't have any brakes!