Did some BMX stuff this weekend

Cool, glad to see others into the sport. I have a few unbuilt frame, so I think it's time to move one to the front burner....

David S. Wallens said:

Cool, glad to see others into the sport. I have a few unbuilt frame, so I think it's time to move one to the front burner....

There's quite a few of us on here.  I've got a mound of parts that are just wasting away in my attic at the moment do to lack of time and lack of funds.  Funny how life gets in the way.....

-Rob

Wow... I didn't realize how much Hutch stuff might be worth on the vintage market.  I was thinking maybe $50 for my stem, but here's one with a $765 asking price??? 

Ian F said:

Wow... I didn't realize how much Hutch stuff might be worth on the vintage market.  I was thinking maybe $50 for my stem, but here's one with a $765 asking price??? 

I'll give you $51 for it. 

Every time I see these old bike posts I regret selling my master and my performer. Teenage me needed the latest and greatest so the oldest 20 inch bmx I own is my 04 haro mirra frame.

David S. Wallens said:

Ian F said:

Wow... I didn't realize how much Hutch stuff might be worth on the vintage market.  I was thinking maybe $50 for my stem, but here's one with a $765 asking price??? 

I'll give you $51 for it. 

You might.  My plan is to just put everything on eBay with no reserve and let the market decide how much it's all worth. 

Vintage bmx stuff went insane lately. Like beanie babies level of insane. 

Fueled by Caffeine said:

Vintage bmx stuff went insane lately. Like beanie babies level of insane. 

It has. Actually, it did a long time ago, too. I old enjoy the stuff that I have, but I'm not shopping for more. Personally, the retro stuff scratches that itch--it looks cool yet I can still ride it. My next build will be another retro. Then I have a mid-school frame that I should build up, but that one's going to be a bigger project. 

A couple of us at work have taken up mountain biking recently, hitting up a few local trails - and one of our new team members has been going on the trail rides on a BMX! 20" wheels, steel frame, single speed, and no brakes whatsoever. It's kind of like watching a great autocross driver when his regular racer is broken show up with a dually pickup as he takes on switchbacks by putting his foot on the rear tire and throwing the BMX into a slide.

In reply to MadScientistMatt :

Tell him to stop doing that and put brakes on. I saw many really good BMX riders do the no brake thing over the years. It's impressive to watch someone tear up a track, jumping trails, ramps, or a skatepark...... Right up until the split second something goes wrong. Then its over the bars,over a berm, into a tree or wall, or off the side of a ramp deck etc. 

I love the idea of having a GT Pro or Kuwahara like when I was a kid but can't imagine a scenario where I would actually go out and use it, which is too bad. Wait, getting around Solo Nationals on an old school BMX bike would be cool, hmmm.......

Last night I started picking out more parts for my next build. Big thing was finding the right wheels. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Old/mid school? Hard to beat a set of hp48s! 

Saron81 said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Old/mid school? Hard to beat a set of hp48s! 

Did you see that Haro makes a retro version? And this build will be more retro--old styling but not old parts. 

When it comes to wheels, I'm way into Tuff Wheels. I also admit that they're not always the most round wheels. Plus you can't run high-pressure tires. So, for now at least, I'm going to run alloys. I'd like to run black parts, so sadly that rules out the 48s. 

In reply to NOT A TA :

You know, i probably sound like a grumpy old fart, but I dont understand the logic behind not running brakes.  The trend had to have started for a reason.

Is it maybe because cable detangler design didnt progress like stems/headsetts did?

paranoid_android said:

In reply to NOT A TA :

You know, i probably sound like a grumpy old fart, but I dont understand the logic behind not running brakes.  The trend had to have started for a reason.

Is it maybe because cable detangler design didnt progress like stems/headsetts did?

I think I understand the brakeless thing--not that I support it, but I kind of understand it. If you're a top rider riding by yourself or with other top riders, then you own the ramp/pool and probably don't need brake cables getting in the way. That I get. 

As for everyone else not running brakes? I think that's a case of monkey see, monkey do. 

And I'm not defending running brakeless. I run them and love them. Dia Compe MX1000 for the win!

Did some more BMX stuff this past weekend, too. Yesterday was the final stop on the FLBMX series--our statewide skatepark series. Yesterday's stop took place just outside of metro Orlando in Ovideo. The series attracts a mix of locals and out-of-towners--some amazing talent. Admission = $0.

My good pal Chelsea rode, too:

Local pro Trey Jones:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I watch a lot of trey Jones as a result of scotty Cranmer. I got into his YouTube a few years ago because it turned out hes a massive car nerd. Had a horrific accident in Vegas a little over a year ago and broke his neck, paralyzing him. Hes mobile now without a chair or cane, but can't drive manual anymore, so he has an automatic cts-vwagon, which is apparently his second. It's his channel that makes me think about bmx more than anything, because he always super chill and never a scumbag like I see from a lot of the "internet pros". 

Fun fact-trey is engaged to scotty's sister. 

I saw that Trey was recently engaged but didn't know it was Scotty's sister. I knew who Trey was but actually met him via music--we were both at a Melvins show. Since then we have run into each other at other shows, including Slayer and Flag. Not only are he and his brother talented riders, but they're nice guys. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

They seem to be. I've never met him in person, but everything I get from them seems to be super chill, and I quite enjoy trey's riding. 

Also, I don't know where he gets them, but trey consistently has the best shirts ever. He was wearing an oooooold Dennis Anderson grave digger hoodie in a video hot long ago. And they only get better. 

Trey was wearing a shirt? (I kid, I kid.)

A couple of months ago, Chat DeGroot's shop (Mr. Bikes N Boards) hosted a video premier. The whole Jones family was there--including grandparents. Trey and Jabe's mom came up to me and introduced herself: I see you at a lot of events and just wanted to say hi.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Its still cold in new Jersey apparently. 

3:00 or so, big boy catches a few seconds of Chelsea airing it out. She's famous now lol. 

In 1975 I was 12 and the AZ state BMX champion for that age group.  I raced from 11-16 most Saturdays but by the time I was 17 or so I learned about cars and girls and stopped.  Mountain bikes were still a few years away at that time.  The bike I won with in '75  still had coaster brakes.  The lightweight bikes were just coming on strong in the years I raced. 

AZ had a downhill track on the north end of Phoenix that would regularly take out some of the best riders in spectacular wipe outs.  I know I saw God on the long downhill straightaway with the small jump that would launch you 25-30+ feet down track right at the kink.  It might have really been 10 feet but my memory was that you were flying FOREVER.  The straight was so steep that you would pedal for the first 30 feet or so and then tuck in because you couldn't pedal any faster.    The jump was small and not too steep so it would give you distance and not height.  That track was near the end of my racing so probably '78-79 +/-.

Fun times.

Thanks, David!