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A revisionist view of 80s BMX ... What do you think?

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retrogeezer:
It's the same in the classic car world and one of the reasons I stopped going to Ford shows with my Supersport I guess. Just row upon row of mint RS Turbos, Cosworths, RS2k's etc.

It's always been about the hunt for me, most of my stuff came from the tip or a car boot sale 10  to nearly 20 years ago or from scouring the ads in bmx mags. I think I only own one bike that I have had restored and that is my Ripper and I even regret that as it had that gold anodising under the emulsion paint that was on it but I only found out after I had used wet and dry on it :(

The majority of my bikes are 'survivor' bikes, just as they were found but stripped, cleaned and rebuilt. Yes, I have some nos stuff but I never had the money to buy loads of nos parts, even when they were cheap :) 

I'd never get bored looking at bikes though, nos or otherwise, it's just I find survivors with their 'patina' and history more interesting.   :)

dinglem:
Great thread this  :daumenhoch:

I've enjoyed reading the comments so far and it is interesting to hear why people started in the hobby and how their view points and interests have evolved over time.

The hobby itself has changed with prices going a bit crazy, which in itself changes the direction people go. My first two restorations were Burners. One was my original bike (which I barely touched apart from getting it back up and running) and then my next one was a Mk1 Ultra which I had seen a lot of the older kids around our way out on and always liked. Magazine articles always pushed the Skyway brand and I think most of the lads I knew back in the 80's lusted after a TA, so that was what I hunted down for my third build.

On reflection I was lucky in that the very first one that came up for sale after I started looking was serial number USA 0000003, the lowest known. I bought it, and built it up as I thought fit, but being very new to the hobby at that time I guess I was guilty of building it as I had seen countless others built up. It was a lovely bike, but didn't really press any buttons for me, and to top it all off the wife used to always remind me that it looked 'tacky and American with all of those colours all over it'. Somebody spotted it on the Museum and contacted me out of the blue and offered me a lot for it; I wasn't even considering selling it, so said no, but he then almost doubled his offer. I can only assume he was a serious collector, but I was more than happy to let it go for what he was offering.

I'd never buy another one. I'd never buy a Haro or GT either though, as I think it would be too costly building one a step away from 'the norm' and as they don't really appeal I know i'd only end up selling them at a loss further down the line.

From my memories as a kid it has always been about finding a Birmingham WHEELS for me, and that is pretty obviously reflected in my collection now. I'm not a bit bothered that they don't hold the same appeal to others, and I don't really mind that there is no real guideline on how they should be built. In fact that is part of what I like.

My TA build was steered by what I perceived was the accepted norm, whereas now I prefer building my bikes as I remember them and i'm not too bothered what others think. I have been hunting for a Rickman Pro for several years, not because I remember them from BITD, but because I just love how they look, the Rickman Racing decals (on white or chrome) and for their  :Great_Britain: rarity. I had all of the parts for that build way before I even sourced a F&F.

factory pilot:
Some more really interesting perspectives and Os journeys .. Thanks lads :4_17_5:

I can't get my head around the adding petina idea either...
It's like doing "shabby chic" to a BMX ? I can't see it catching on but who knows?

As for you Rich ( Waxintaxin ) you must be unique in the fact that you in your third cycle of BMX ..love it!!... Absolute craziness ..  :4_17_5:
How does it feel to have passed on parts like DX cranks at £5 when your building your bikes today ?
.. Or do you have a lovely secret stash of NOS parts to use on them that you sourced in the earlier "good times" of plenty?

McQUEEN:

--- Quote from: MartyC on October 02, 2016, 03:26 PM ---
--- Quote from: McQUEEN on October 02, 2016, 07:39 AM ---But I'm not talking rat bikes or survivors - I'm thinking building with a patina to look ridden.

--- End quote ---

So are you saying you are going to build and ride or build to look like it's been ridden?

Seems a bit odd to me but it's whatever floats your boat!

--- End quote ---
ReBuild or Restore it to look like its been ridden. Restore them so they look like original finish but with age / patina. Have you seen the 911's that Magnus Walker rebuilds over in LA?

The trix I'm working on at the moment wasn't really fit to keep as a survivor. But now I've completed all the frame repairs, had it repainted and stuck new decals on it and paired it with either nos or very minty parts, its looking fantastic, but just too 'polished' - so I thought what other direction could I take it in? I'm not convinced yet either but I'm considering trying it - and it ain't no 'shabby chic'!

I did a dry-run/mocked the build and I put a set of newly rechromed cranks onto that I'd saved for it - I took the arms of and swapped them with a pair where the chromes worn off and the decals alittle worn & faded. They looked better, but there wasn't anything I could do about the frame - I know SBDs a genius, but I don't think he can repaint a frame and 'age' it...and thats where I started thinking about where frames or part 'age' or 'wear' and the brake cable on the headtube popped into my mind - I've a set of NOS Comp st's to go on it and thought I'd either swap em out with a part worn pair or fit them to one of my other bikes and skid em around once or twice - who ever had a front and rear tyre with equal thread? We all had manufacturer stickers on our bikes bitd.

I've done the complete resto with nos parts and the survivor builds and am pretty bored with the resto's - they can looked too clinical, but sometimes the survivors look too f**cked. Here's two of my Prostylers. One has never ever been ridden and has loads of NOS on it - the survivor is a rider and looks it, but I think there must be something in the middle....(and I only kept it original finish as it had the coolest original sticker from the bike shop that sold it bitd).....
 
Its like when I was a kid and was into Airfix / Tamiya model kits - you built and painted the models, they looked great, but it was the guys who went the next step and painted on weathering to the planes and soot from the exhausts or mud marks on the rally cars who's models looked best....

fischflo:
aahh that duo is so cool.. 8)

As to the thread i think the reason TA's aren't as valued as they used to be lies smply in the fact that A) many who wanted one bitd have now finally managed to acquire one ..... and B) ...in a spec they found through their research to hold a certain kind of 'regard'.

And the rise of VDCs popularity comes down to Rombloke once commenting that a Changa looks the nuts or summit like that ;D ;)

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