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BMX General => BMX Chat => Topic started by: 20to26 on January 31, 2014, 06:56 PM
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I often wonder why certain brands are looked down upon - ones that in my mind have old school roots but are never going to see the top of the BOTM podium no matter how good the spec or attention to detail....
Brands like Powerlite, Dyno, TNT, Titan and MCS come to mind, and there are others - bearing in mind that MCS still make stuff and did for many of the 'cool' companies - I just don't get it - they're rock solid by the looks of things.
For example there have been some very sexy Cycle Craft builds lately too but you won't see anyone going ape over them. Sad.
What are your thoughts?
:popcorn:
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Cyclecraft are lovely bikes
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I tend to aim for the stuff I remember or wanted BITD, I'd never walk past a Meteorlite or Falcon Pro to get to a Gen 1 Haro. :daumenhoch:
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Some brands are overlooked,why?,most of the time its fashion,but when someone doe's a good job of say a Powerlite it makes people sit up and look ;)
Its always the same,someone doe's a belter, others want one :)
There's many a bike thats never had a proper job done..........
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some people only go for the "high end stuff" whatever the fook that is.most usa built f&f BITD were pretty similar in price.
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A lot of lads round my way used Lander parts. Purely because we had a local stockist. They did the job. Same with Lee Chi. :)
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I think the lesser done stuff is better , more quirky , different and when done right , look the nuts :daumenhoch:
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I have my MCS Spyder(approx. 1980) ... one of the finest made frames I possess. + a Race Inc RM2... both equally unmentioned.
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I often wonder why certain brands are looked down upon - ones that in my mind have old school roots but are never going to see the top of the BOTM podium no matter how good the spec or attention to detail....
Brands like Powerlite, Dyno, TNT, Titan and MCS come to mind, and there are others - bearing in mind that MCS still make stuff and did for many of the 'cool' companies - I just don't get it - they're rock solid by the looks of things.
Back in the day I always found the the cheaper stuff fooked up easy. Victor beartraps, the Suntour XCII copies, always fell apart, often falling off the axles. Cheap CW bars that crushed if you showed them a stem :D Lee Chi MX1000's that bent and snapped easy Their Tech 3 copies weren't bad though :daumenhoch:
I have built nearly all my bikes using parts that I used back then and some with parts that are just suitable to the bike. My Kastan that I have just built was out of comfort zone and I did enjoy learning about the parts that I have used on it.
I do agree there is a lot of snobbery in building BMX's but, you wouldn't fit a Landar 1 piece crank to a Hutch would you ??? where as I think Redline flights look out of place on a Torker LP.
I do have something that will please you coming along though :daumenhoch:
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Free beer? :pilky:
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I love the unloved "low end" stuff & agree there is snobbery when it comes to parts fitted to builds, people forget that's all the vast majority could afford bitd
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For me it's who rode them bitd.....that's where the 'want' or snobbery came from.
Don't remember anyone being sponsored to ride with Landar number plates or lee chi brakes............
Top brand American then, the same now. Look at Dyno - it was marketed as a low range GT, and that's stayed with me now. I havent got a UK bike in my collection either - they just didnt cut it for me. I build now what I wanted then.
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There's a lot of Powerlite power bars around though, possibly better thought of as the first generation stuff was Voris Dixon made. I got back into osbmx (for the second time) when I found a powerlite pro on eBay. The postage was more than the frame and forks. Great Frame,got three of them now.
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Its a tough subject this one as there will be so many people with different opinions. Im just building whatever floats my boat, Mongoose to Hutch and just how I want them. :daumenhoch:
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All the brands originally mentioned have made some great stuff,Powerlite bars are my personal faves,TNT made loadsa great frames,the stems were ace :smitten:
Personally i love Cyclecraft stuff, they started in 84,and made Zeronines frames :daumenhoch: ,their Fredz forks n bars are fookin lush :smitten:
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Not that long ago you could have added Torker and Redline. Now Torker not so much so...but Redline?
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I don't agree at all that there is snobbery any longer.
A lot of builds over the past couple of years have been low end or street models, the kind we rode when we were young and I see nothing but praise and positive comments for these builds.
The only real 'snobbery' as such that I have seen lately are with the retro Skyway and Hutch builds and lets face it they were high end stuff bitd.
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Not that long ago you could have added Torker and Redline. Now Torker not so much so...but Redline?
Theres always been a love for Torkers in the North due to Alans,though I know what you mean about Redline,not loved in the main,were solid bikes BITD :wtf:
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Main problem for Powerlite and Dyno was Seattle Bike Co who bought them as part of the GT purchase, they became pretty much low end, cheap and heavy/nasty bikes. Prior to the purchase they were pretty good bikes, early Powerlites especially and the first gen Dyno Freestylers were awesome. Titan made fantastic race bikes but broke a lot, MCS have always been a solid performer but nothing really outstanding, they survived by making stuff for everyone else as far as I can tell. Torker went bust and SBC (again) bought the rights along with Redline; turned both into low end brands although Redline seems to be on the up again.
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There's a lot of Powerlite power bars around though, possibly better thought of as the first generation stuff was Voris Dixon made. I got back into osbmx (for the second time) when I found a powerlite pro on eBay. The postage was more than the frame and forks. Great Frame,got three of them now.
I have a lovely set of powerlite bars (unknurled) on my 1980 supergoose, think they are a great looking bar, another item i think is a bit understated are DK square stems, a little on the skinny side on the clamping width compared to a tuf neck but the wedge grip can't be knocked, feels more positive when tightening than the tuf neck.
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There's a lot of Powerlite power bars around though, possibly better thought of as the first generation stuff was Voris Dixon made. I got back into osbmx (for the second time) when I found a powerlite pro on eBay. The postage was more than the frame and forks. Great Frame,got three of them now.
I have a lovely set of powerlite bars (unknurled) on my 1980 supergoose, think they are a great looking bar, another item i think is a bit understated are DK square stems, a little on the skinny side on the clamping width compared to a tuf neck but the wedge grip can't be knocked, feels more positive when tightening than the tuf neck.
DK stems are the dogs :daumenhoch:
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I don't think MRD Rickman and Curtis stuff was considered high end bitd . All the British stuff unless u had somebody like my Mother who recignised the great British :Great_Britain: engineering and quality workmanship and influenced me 2 buy my MRD bitd . Hence why they r sought after now .
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Two threads posted today within two minutes of each other
MCS 1 reply in 5.5 hours (probably the only one in uk, and only a couple on bmxmuseum)
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,171020.msg1717716.html#new
SE 8 replies in 5.5 hours for yet another ripper (no offence meant to the owner or rippers it is a lovely bike)
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,171021.0.html
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Two threads posted today within two minutes of each other
MCS 1 reply in 5.5 hours (probably the only one in uk, and only a couple on bmxmuseum)
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,171020.msg1717716.html#new
SE 8 replies in 5.5 hours for yet another ripper (no offence meant to the owner or rippers it is a lovely bike)
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,171021.0.html
One's in the Old School Race section and the others in BMX Chat - more through traffic in the Chat section. You'd get more replys in BMX Chat, but obv. better place to put it's in the OS Race.
I'm guilty of not checking any of the OS sections myself.
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not by any means have I built every bike going but the best one I ever built and the best one I rode,which would have been considered low end bitd was my titan tx turbo,so smooth :daumenhoch:
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I love the high end rare stuff but I also have two Titan framesets, awesome bit of kit.
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I love the high end rare stuff but I also have two Titan framesets THAT I'M GETTING SHOT OF, awesome bit of kit.
::)
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What are the titans Adam ? Pro?
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What are the titans Adam ? Pro?
Tinky-Winky and Tinky-Winky long
so absolutely no use to a vertically exaggerated person like yourself Neil :LolLolLolLol:
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:nuts:
Ill ring you on monday Steve ^"^
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Main problem for Powerlite and Dyno was Seattle Bike Co who bought them as part of the GT purchase, they became pretty much low end, cheap and heavy/nasty bikes. Prior to the purchase they were pretty good bikes, early Powerlites especially and the first gen Dyno Freestylers were awesome. Titan made fantastic race bikes but broke a lot, MCS have always been a solid performer but nothing really outstanding, they survived by making stuff for everyone else as far as I can tell. Torker went bust and SBC (again) bought the rights along with Redline; turned both into low end brands although Redline seems to be on the up again.
Redline make the best out of the box race bikes available, and have done for a number of years. The were also the first major player to bring out a full carbon, modern race frame. Haro, GT, Supercross all followed...
Same as in the 70s & 80s ;)
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Two threads posted today within two minutes of each other
MCS 1 reply in 5.5 hours (probably the only one in uk, and only a couple on bmxmuseum)
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,171020.msg1717716.html#new
SE 8 replies in 5.5 hours for yet another ripper (no offence meant to the owner or rippers it is a lovely bike)
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,171021.0.html
One's in the Old School Race section and the others in BMX Chat - more through traffic in the Chat section. You'd get more replys in BMX Chat, but obv. better place to put it's in the OS Race.
I'm guilty of not checking any of the OS sections myself.
this is a prob with the separate chat set up, when there was only 1 bmx chat bikes were posted from different sections that encouraged peeps to look further than their interest base. interesting stuff is being posted in separate sections but a lot of it goes unnoticed. anyway, back on topic........
IMO GT pro frames are grossly underatted, they look better, ride better than skyways n SEs (aint really rode a hutch, so cant compare) but I bet they are made better than the horrendously overatted hutchs, deffo on par with the better JMCs and there seems to be nowhere near the numbers of them than the usual suspect big hitters everyone lusts over. A GT BITD was a fookin nice thing, wha'appened? ???
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The last Powerlites before GT went pop were pretty cool machines. 8)
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/u206/b45t4rdtorker/powerlite_zps06125a73.jpg) (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/b45t4rdtorker/media/powerlite_zps06125a73.jpg.html)
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The sections do need clearing up, but personally they're mostly irrelevant because I tend to just click on 'view all unread posts' and read everything
I tell the mrs it's in the interests of moderation but actually it's how I've spent the last few years on here :teef: you never know when something interesting or funny is going to pop up or a thread get diverted
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The sections do need clearing up, but personally they're mostly irrelevant because I tend to just click on 'view all unread posts' and read everything
I tell the mrs it's in the interests of moderation but actually it's how I've spent the last few years on here :teef: you never know when something interesting or funny is going to pop up or a thread get diverted
Ditto.
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The sections do need clearing up, but personally they're mostly irrelevant because I tend to just click on 'view all unread posts' and read everything
I tell the mrs it's in the interests of moderation but actually it's how I've spent the last few years on here :teef: you never know when something interesting or funny is going to pop up or a thread get diverted
Ditto.
yup view all unread, means I don't mis a drop of my favourite drug !
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I love seeing the out of ordinary stuff for sure - its refreshing. Even the cheap old school street bikes that guys build are great to look at cos you know that the builder had a connection to it and that gives it value. Nobody's trying to dress mutton up as lamb either - they are what they are.
I keep going back to see Jaymz's MCS for example, now there's another one in there too. They're great bikes. Now my interest is stirred.
It's easy to miss the effort guys put into their builds but like some have already mentioned the unread posts is the place to find them..
It seems like the 'love for the unloved' movement is gaining some momentum and personally I'm looking forward to seeing more & more of these bikes built and maybe even having a few of my own to enjoy.
Maybe there can be a "built this month" thread where new or updated builds can be shown - no voting, no prizes, just bikes to check out and maybe links to a build thread if there is one?
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I think you may be right 20to26 (sorry don't know your name but I'm sure I met you at mk once!!)
As much as I like a good hand shandy :LolLolLolLol: over a nice ripper, Haro freestyler, kuwi et etc there is still a hell of a lot of them out there, they were expensive back then and people hung on to them, whereas the lesser known and cheaper brands were generally discarded as a stepping stone to the bigger brands, these are the bikes now that are rare and generally more interesting as you rightly said, the back stories are far better, like costas tensor, pickles building the lowest of low end burner the GS, Sam built the team Murray he had as a kid, Steve and Phil's british collections are just wow, and they just ooze interesting, all with stories and provenance, and most importantly memories which bring big smiles to their faces, my final resto will be my first ever pos BMX, I managed to score one last year, and in few years my littlun will be ready, and his first BMX will be the same as I had when I was a kid
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A lot of Mongoose bikes came with Lee Chi MX1000s and levers, they always seemed ok. :daumenhoch:
I often wonder why certain brands are looked down upon - ones that in my mind have old school roots but are never going to see the top of the BOTM podium no matter how good the spec or attention to detail....
Brands like Powerlite, Dyno, TNT, Titan and MCS come to mind, and there are others - bearing in mind that MCS still make stuff and did for many of the 'cool' companies - I just don't get it - they're rock solid by the looks of things.
Back in the day I always found the the cheaper stuff fooked up easy. Victor beartraps, the Suntour XCII copies, always fell apart, often falling off the axles. Cheap CW bars that crushed if you showed them a stem :D Lee Chi MX1000's that bent and snapped easy Their Tech 3 copies weren't bad though :daumenhoch:
I have built nearly all my bikes using parts that I used back then and some with parts that are just suitable to the bike. My Kastan that I have just built was out of comfort zone and I did enjoy learning about the parts that I have used on it.
I do agree there is a lot of snobbery in building BMX's but, you wouldn't fit a Landar 1 piece crank to a Hutch would you ??? where as I think Redline flights look out of place on a Torker LP.
I do have something that will please you coming along though :daumenhoch:
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Maybe there can be a "built this month" thread where new or updated builds can be shown
In my humble opinion that is what BOTM is for... 'Build of the month'
Survivors can be VERY cool but just buying a bike someone else built years ago and putting it in means you can miss the personal input (& theoretically it could be sold on each month and entered by the latest owner)
I also don't understand why people wait ages to submit them after they're finished - tactical entries?
It's a bit of fun but I guess some will always take it seriously :teef:
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I'd pop a build in a built this month thread that had no voting. Wouldn't enter the BOTM thread though as it's not me bag, although I have voted in it.
Survivor builds aren't necessarily bikes that have just been regreased and cleaned with a toothbrush after finding em in a barn and then presented - they can be a build that the owner sources survivor (ie not polished to buggery) parts for and builds up accordingly :)
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I'd pop a build in a built this month thread that had no voting. Wouldn't enter the BOTM thread though as it's not me bag, although I have voted in it.
Survivor builds aren't necessarily bikes that have just been regreased and cleaned with a toothbrush after finding em in a barn and then presented - they can be a build that the owner sources survivor (ie not polished to buggery) parts for and builds up accordingly :)
We ran a vote whether to keep BOTM as a competition or have it as a section with builds of the month but no vote.
I preferred builds of the month no voting but it was a MASSIVE vote in favour of keeping BOTM as it is.
We do not want to add in new sections as people already feel the site is too complicated (fooking dumbass window lickers).
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they can be a build that the owner sources survivor (ie not polished to buggery) parts for and builds up accordingly :)
not talking about 'survivor builds' Dan - if it's been built with NOS or manky old bits it's still been built :daumenhoch:
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Totally agree that more sections would detract for deffo - and not dissing BOTM or entrants in anyway - it's ace but not me cuppa :)
Someone could always start a build of the month thread in the Chat section? Just one ongoing ma-hoosive thread, bringing the servers to their knees? Single piccy or summit per post with a linky to the actual build thread in the appropriate section.
@Griff - sozzer John - got man-flu (well feels like an elephants done it's nasties in me lungs) so not reading right :)
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Price of parts means fook all IMO
I've got several builds that go over the thou mark.
With nice parts , but my fave is the catalogue model
That I got & it's been a joy to build.
imm 90% there on it , & I'll never part with it
Even if it is Shoite parts on it :smitten:
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We're I lived, Diamond backs were the coolest bit of kit, they looked awesome and Harry Leary was the bad boy of bmx. Super foxes and silver foxes were common and that's about it, I went burner, pro burner, nike kagool, Patrick kagool, porn, booze, weed, football rivalry....never knew to much about mongoose in any of that time line.....