Davemutt

Is that the one with the cut down seat tube? I lost a lot of races to that bike!

If that van's a rockin'...

Well I'm in Port Townsend now so everything's a bit of a commute. I haven't been riding much at all the last few years, but I still have my bikes. It sounds like the series is a success. Will you do it next year?

Hello everyone, Emmett here. I just finished reading all 63 pages of this thread. Good to hear that BMX isn't dead yet. Steve's series sounds like fun! I really wish I was in shape. Maybe next year.

This rule was originally put in place in the early '80s when the ABA was worried about an up-and-coming Canadian (Pete Zablotney maybe) taking the title out of the country. I think gOrk or one of the other magazine editors brought up the rule midway through the season when Leveque started making his run. The ABA had matured enough by this time, but they didn't want to change the rule mid-season. It probably would have been less contriversial if they had.

Any pics Steve?

Someone on another board spotted him in a Fullerton bike shop today.

Great Find! Without a doubt, one of the the best cruisers ever made. Yours is a later model, either a 2000 or 2001 as designated by the rectangular chainstays. They came in two sizes, Pro and Pro XL with 19 3/4" and 21 1/4" toptubes. Colors available were Black Cherry, BADD Racing Green, and Midnight Blue. Enjoy the ride!

I wish I had seen this sooner. I had a horrible ebay experience with them awhile back. Not worth the risk IMHO. Good luck.

I have to admit that Richie was one of my favorite riders to watch when I had the rare opportunity. Pedaling over everything! He's probably not one of the more photogenic riders and pictures don't really do him justice.

Happy Birthday Jim! And thank you for the countless hours of pure joy that white JMC gave me.

Here's my own list from personal experience. Hutch cranks - The spindle didn't even put up a fight. Way too much $ for such a cheesy design. Hutch bars - Snap! Z-Rims - Sure the rims hold up great, but your spokes only last a week.

I will agree that imported BMX bikes gained too large a portion of the market in the late 80s. That said, there was still plenty of high quality stuff to choose from if you knew where to look - S&M, Kasten, Brackens, Phase II, Free Agent, Elf, etc. The quality of these bikes surpassed that of most of the early 80s bikes. The geometry in all cases was greatly improved. Post 85 bikes are often looked down upon by guys who dropped out of the sport in the mid 80s and think BMX ceased to exist upon their exit. Bikes from this era are not as significant as earlier bikes and on the whole will never be collectable, but they are still an important part of BMX history. Though a little crude by today's standards, these bikes were far superior in the areas of strength and geometry. The late 80s and early 90s was a hardcore era for BMX. There were few lucrative sponsorships for racers (not unlike today) and people were in the sport for the love of it.

Kappa is another sponser with a 26". From what I hear, the Fireman's is a comfortable everyday cruiser, while the Kappa has very quick (race) geometry. Both are quality USA- made products.

I just picked up the premier issue of BMXWORLD at my Barns & Noble. If you are at all interested in modern BMX racing, check it out. Tons of race coverage with great photos and just enough freestyle to keep you up to date. I'm not sure where this magazine comes from. A lot of international races are covered and it reads with a slight accent, but at least it doesn't feel like it was written by 7th graders - a rare quality in a BMX magazine. This one deserves to survive so please go buy it now. :smthup: