I will try and keep it short lol..
It’s the summer of 84 .
I scrimped and saved with a little help from my late Nan.
Popped into Cardiff off Crwys Road on the bus, just 15 at the time to a well know bike shop to pick up my new rebel freestyle pro frame and forks. This was advertised in the local echo paper too replace my Christmas 82 black and gold ultra burner frame which had snapped once again for the second time.
Took the best bits off my ultra did some trades as wanted blue bits then built up my rebel and went out for a blip..
Then my mate Wally (Watkins) pulls up on this unusual but amazing looking chrome framed BMX with mix mash of colours with great specs , unusual frame shapes 531 tubes it just looked so futuristic looking.
I just said Wal that looks stunning mate , what is it.
A TRM just out he said. All my funds went on the rebel and was contented at first. But as the weeks passed secretly I was a little bit gutted , as the tricks he could do pull on that bike BITD was legendary especially his coaster wheelies lol..
I was hooked back then and wanted a TRM ever since but it wasn’t meant to be, as the following year both of us got into crossers, he had a 250 bultaco Myself KX 250 both old twin shocks types blasting off down around the docks.
Then proper bikes , cars mortgages you know the story.
Fast forward its 2015 . Pulled out my old rebel from my attic untouched since 1985.
Then refurb it back using the original parts spokes, levers etc , just changed the parts that perished seat , tyres , and brakes , grips.
But still had this old urge for a TRM .
What a bloody nightmare , they are like hens teeth.
Put wanted ads up but unfortunately no luck messages sent no response..
I also tried to find out what happened too Wally’s old bike but no joy and unreachable as he worked mostly abroad.
So once again decided not meant to be and put it on the back burner.
Fast forward to 2018 . I decided earlier this year to have a good sort out and put some parts up for sale on fleebay and Rad . I use to always update buyers about item posted with tracking information, and randomly ask sometimes what builds are you planning etc , and most would sometimes reply.
I then placed an ad for a set of knarly knobbly national tyres on eBay .
I get a message inquiring about the tyres asking me are they stamped ‘National Tyres’ around the wall . I replied yes and agreed a price. I asked what you are planning etc, got a reply as buyer was building a RL 20 tribute .
I mentioned about some of my builds and the buyer noticed I was from Barry and mentioned he once lived there but moved out some years ago. I mentioned this is a small world , and said about the guys I rode with including Wally , and always wondered what happened to his old TRM, and always on the lookout for one.
The reply I got was unbelievable .
This guy I randomly messaged had bought Wally’s old bike back in 86 for the princely some of £110 yes “his actual bike” to replace his tuff burner , and coincidentally knew most of the guys I rode with.(if I knew he was selling I would have got in first dreams dashed lol)
I said this is mad , so radom to be speaking to someone miles away , plus to actually finally find out the outcome of his old bike and chat to the actual owner was just surreal...
We had a great chat via eBay message about the good old times , what he did too the bike , and the other amazing builds like the Andy Ruffell two replica Streetbeats , other TRM’s builds he had done past to the present day , to find out it’s Cherrypicker on rad. I gave him a great discount on the tyres being a Barry lad and said if you ever know anyone selling one please drop me a message.
A few months pass by. Then out of the blue in June I get a message from Cherrypicker saying someone on Facebook is thinking of selling his TRM .
I couldn’t reply fast enough saying , happy days, deffo interested and asked if you could message on my behalf as I don’t do Facebook.
The guy selling was planning on taking this bike on hols, when due back would get in touch with me direct , great..
But months went by with no response and to be honest a bit disheartening , another not meant to be.
Then out of the blue around early Oct , Cherrypicker gets another message from him that he has finally decided he wants too let her go..
He sends pics of the frame and forks , we agreed on a price and a date but again wasn’t getting my hopes up.
I pic up Cherrypicker , we had a great chat on the way up too Brum talking about Wally bike and the good old days .
As we arrive I said still a bit worried as I think he might change his mind as he was so undecided and vague with his messages.
Finally met the seller called Simon who had bloody three TRM’s, yes 3 , the three colours they originally made . He did mention that he was having second thoughts about selling , and only just split the bike a hour ago before we arrived. We finally do the deal at the original agreed price and let slip his missus had special instructions for him , “you must sell as fed up with it being at the bottom of our bed “ so a special thanks to his missus lol..
So after a 4hr round trip , finally “FINALLY” bloody got one .
Many decades waiting , and a perfect birthday gift to myself as I was quickly approaching the big 50 .
Sorry guys Waffling on..
So back to this bike.
We all do tribute builds to well known guys we use to dream about in the magazine on the telly, but I have decided to do a tribute build to my mates amazing bike he pulled up on in the summer of 84.
Cherrypicker had original pics of himself on the bike in 86 plus knew the exact specs and colours Wally had fitted originally.
This was a very big help to what Wally had, as the years passed I thought it was white originally but it was chrome with a mad mix of colours.
So what you will eventually see when it’s finally build up is what Wally pulled up in 84 , including the araya’s 7x mix mash colours , pro class disc and that still hard to find blue 46t sugino chainwheel he rode.
Another headache is this aeroyal Bmx junior seat as Wally found these better as the bigger seats got in the way when pulling tricks.
A GT winged seat clamp & correct CW bars, all nightmare parts too find , some I will have too refurbish to match if I cannot find. (which is the best part to be honest see pics )
Cherrypicker did swop out some bits BITD including the layback seat which was rusting away for a straight one.
And he has gifted me the original white stem aero pad which was on Wally bike originally.
A big thank you for this mate as I was having issues obtaining this original part.
Wally had coloured Mx1000’s , chrome mx tech 3 levers originally , but cherrypicker had these stolen at school, so he fitted for now temporary blue dia comp 1020 in the pics till he got them back from the guys that stole them but that’s another story ...
So there we are , it’s been a long wait , and finally I am lucky enough to build such great rare grail bike.
It’s going to be emotional..
