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Seperates the men from the Boys Dave?
I guess BMX Hall of Famer Cash Matthews is a boy since he broke BOTH wrists at the ABAs legendary Rockford track.
I guess BMX factory superstar of DG and Powerlight fame Kevin Harlow is a boy cause he crashed so hard he broke his back at the ABAs legendary Perris track and just broke his face at another legendary ABA track in central cal.
I guess Im just a boy since I wont race these ABA tracks. I guess only cowards point out that hard jumps can ruin the fun of racing. I guess I should head Ken Pliskas advice and stop complaining and train more. And if like Ken I crash and split my leg in half with multiple compound fractures, I should suck it up, forget about all my bills and just train more once I can walk again and save up enough money to buy a new car after my current ride gets repossed while I miss months of work.Man whoever complained about a track or jump being to hard or unsafe should just suck it up. If you rupture a spleen at a race like Mike Franze of Fullerton Bikes did, it just makes you more of a man.
You bastard Brett you got a number 1? Man everyone got a number 1 but me. But yeah, I feel ya Brett, I didn’t start racing to get a number 1 either lol. In fact I didn’t even know they gave out numbers when I went to my first race.
My racing started as I pointed out in a Vintage thread was just bunnyhoping puddles and jumping over trash cans with wooden ramps. Long before I knew what a NBA or NBL was.
BTW we used cinder blocks to make the ramps. If I remember right it was two cinder blocks upright like on a wall and one on its side to jump the trash cans. Please do not attempt this at home without adult supervision.
Why was the guy allowed on the track with no helmet? Was this a non race day and he snuck on? Is he ok now?
Welcome. May I recommend a Redline Proline Cruiser (What I ride).
Its complete and ready to race basically, and it wont cost you a bunch.
Tracks are way harder so dont waste the $$ till you really get into it. I cant work hurt so I cant race.http://www.redlinebicycles.com/bmxracing/bikes/proline-pro-cruiser.html
Plus your supporting a company thats hardcore racing non stop since the 70’s.I hate working on bikes. Thank god for Pedalers East, Martys and Action Wheels BITD. Now I take it to Bike Alley or Fullerton Bikes.
Brett is that you announcing with the painters hat?
Also you guys ever see Phil Finkle ride? Last time I hung out with him was 81. How good did he get I’m wondering. He wasn’t as good at racing as me or Paul (Washington) but he was as good jumping and better at tricks then me. Paul (His buddy that became my best friend) couldn’t jump or do tricks lol . Paul became NYs first Pro I believe and got a ABA National pro (85?) number back when they used dollars earned for points..lol 4130.
I bought my ABA license in 2005 hoping to race. My local track charges $5 to practice. I paid a few times and said screw it, tracks too hard to race on why waste money paying for gates. Almost no ones paying to practice. End result the track that used to draw up to 60 motos on a Friday night if not more cant fill 20 motos (sure 20 motos but 3 riders each or 4 lol).
Some riders, myself included, would just show up to do gates and sometimes got talked into racing. Thats happening less now that you have to pay just to practice. I remember once at Coal Canyon. Was there just to hang and do some gates. This 22-30 cruiser guy wanted to race adults not kids so he asked me and Claude Svenginy to race. We said ok. (We beat him all three motos (he thought I guess cause we didnt race we must not be good), he got so pissed, he even tried to crash me).
That entire class happened cause Practice was free. If it wouldnt have been 3 less racers woulda raced.First Pros and factory stars would race it. The number of nationals were increased, more districts were added Cal went from 4 to like 23. District now meant next to nothing to many. Pro and Factory riders stopped racing but kept practicing. Then they started charging for practice (see Democrats tax plan). Less people showed up and it became less fun to go do gates even. Then they raised taxes (read entry fees). Even less started going. Now there were even more nationals and tracks got so hard- could you risk injury on a local?
Hardly anyone showed and now the tracks in SoCal usually cant break 30 motos and often don’t break 10.
If I ran an indoor track Id race it every week in the winter. Then on the off weekend day have an open jam session for like $5-10 all day for members of the sanction ($15-20 for non members or whatever covers extra insurance costs). You can work on gates and sections without worrying about tiring yourself out. You can ride the ramps and the off track Jumps if you dare and insurance allows. Both days you’d have food and beverage and some parts in a Pro shop or trailer. Id have a lounge with a TV and videos. And a spinning class for caveman.
ROFL. You guys all crashed just one to many times without helmets on.
Sneakers for BMX racing? Vans, Period. No socks also and you can really feel the pedals. In fact Im gonna go to Vans and see if I can order some to match my new DG, not sure if you can still custom order colors.
Inopia http://www.inopiausa.com/ Still just a placeholder 🙁
Vans http://www.vans.com/vans/index2.asp
Man they dont make the old Vans (#95s I think they were) A sad day for me.
Dam the bastards, dam them to hell!
(for those that dont know me thats hyperbole).Joey is a great guy, hopefully it will take off for him. I may drive out Saturday and check it out, renew my ABA membership if its easier then the old tracks its replacing.
Post the pics!
I raced ABA indoor Jersey City Amory, Lakewood Red Pony Indoor and Howard County, MD (I also raced some NBL indoor back then also). The races always drew more motos then todays tracks draw outdoors (mostly).
Asking if kids will race indoor in the Northeast in the middle of winter is like asking them if they want candy at Halloween. Usually a resounding yes.
Good luck ant getting a track in a city. I bet if you contacted City Urban Parks and Planning youd find them open to the idea in an existing city park like Braddock was in. Also many cities have large abandoned old factorys etc that an indoor track could go into. Might take a grant to get it started.
Red Pony indoor was in a barn in Lakewood. The Amroy was in an old govt building in Jersey City. You just have to think outside the box also. For instance and old supermarket in the city would be big enough to house an indoor track, freestyle area and Pro Shop. Try getting a grant and a partnership with a bike shop. The shop puts in a pro shop to pay for the lease. The city gets taxes from the bike shop sales and payroll. The city turns an empty building into something positive for the community and for its youth. Could even make it so so low income reisdents get to race or ride the park for free and make sure that a loaner bike and helmet program is set up from day one, so the newspaper and city knows everyone can get into BMX. No rider left behind.
Brett unfortunately some of us do care about #1’s. I tried for years to get a district number 1 and never did. I always looked up to the top riders with low numbers. I chased points in 79 (novice) 80 and 81 (expert) and 89 and 90 as a Cruiser. 5 years of chasing points (other years raced, just didnt chase points) and no number 1. To this day it bothers me that the only number 1 I earned was taken from me by the ABA, to get a track to run ABA (that was 79).
It also bothers me that I never got to race with a #1 on my plate. Ive gotten #2 a few times and #4 and #6 but never a #1.
I can still picture Stu’s number one when he rode for SE. I can still picture Sal Zeuners #1 when he rode for Thruster. I can still pictures Richs #1 when he had Bicycle World on his plate. I’m chomping at the bit to chase that number 1 plate but todays tracks are just to dangerous.
But when I wasnt at the track I was building jumps or jumping them. I only stopped building jumps and riding in fact in 2000. I always liked free riding, but liked it more when it was part of my goal of getting a number 1.
