RADBMX.CO.UK
Old School BMX 1980 - 1988 => Old School Race (riders ready, pedals ready... GO!!) => Topic started by: Mikku on April 30, 2016, 12:19 PM
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So I’ve finally got round to getting this Free Agent built!! It’s an ‘84 frameset (the 8-digit serial - on the non-drive side dropout - is 1284****), and I think is one of the early ones built by Brad Shoup in Beuna Park, California rather than VDC, as Voris Dixon was shutting up shop around that time. With what I believe to be og paintwork and decals, both of which are showing their age, I’ve gone for a survivor look using old school parts wherever possible. Nothing fancy, just a simple build using mostly spare parts, much along the lines of a budget-racer from the mid-80s. Here’s the rundown:-
Free Agent pro frame with matching Free Agent forks
Free Agent pro bars
Tange beartrap headset (with new bearings)
DK “square top” stem
Winner Circle grips
’83 Dia-Compe MX890 brake caliper with matching ’83 DC Tech 3 brake lever
’83 Dia-Compe outer rear brake cable with new inner cable
Dia-Compe pads
DK seat post clamp
No-name layback seat post
Black aero seat (made in Italy)
Araya rims (20 x 1.75)
Suzue sealed hubs
Cheng Shin (20 x 1.75) tyres with Kenda tubes
Victor Beartrap pedals
Tioga 175mm opc (made by Sugino)
Tioga BB (with a mixture of old and new parts)
Tioga CDC-1 alloy chainwheel (44t)
Suntour freewheel (16t)
KMC Z chain
Shimano cable holders
Here are some pics taken today:-
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/FA%20%201.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/FA%20%201.jpg.html)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/FA%202.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/FA%202.jpg.html)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/FA%203.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/FA%203.jpg.html)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/FA%206.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/FA%206.jpg.html)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/FA%207.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/FA%207.jpg.html)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/FA%20April%204.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/FA%20April%204.jpg.html)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/FA%20April%2004.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/FA%20April%2004.jpg.html)
& finally, here's the build thread:-
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,179881.0.html
Thanks for looking! :daumenhoch:
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Looks great Mick. :daumenhoch:
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Tip top. :daumenhoch:
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ace.. like it :daumenhoch:
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I'm liking that a lot, Mick. I love the colour, it's a survivor, and great choice of parts.
Superb, buddy :4_17_5:
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Very nice indeed :daumenhoch:
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Thanks guys! :daumenhoch:
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It's lovely dude! That green was ahead of it's time the Haro Master came out in 85 ?
I'm guessing it was made in 84 and painted up in 85? Paint does look OG though fistblump
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Yeah, made in Dec '84 so probably painted (I think as a special order, as green wasn't a stock colour) and sold in '85. The '85 Skyway Street Beats came in a similar shade of green, so perhaps that was influential in the choice. In any case I like it! :daumenhoch:
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Yeah, made in Dec '84 so probably painted (I think as a special order, as green wasn't a stock colour) and sold in '85. The '85 Skyway Street Beats came in a similar shade of green, so perhaps that was influential in the choice. In any case I like it! :daumenhoch:
It's real nice mate 8) "wantit"
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Tis a crackin bike, and I love the colour, kinda reminds me of the shade Santa Cruz used on their mtb's , always liked that!
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Looks great Mick. :daumenhoch:
It looks very mid school to me Nick. What do you think?
It does look cool - different to everything else that was round at the time, even thought the frame is a standard shape with no bells & whistles :4_17_5:
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I'd never thought of that before but yes, I see what you mean. The chunkier profile of the seat and perhaps the CD disc add to the mid-school feeling, though I have to admit that I'm flailing around in the dark when it comes to that era, as I had moved on to cars by then! :daumenhoch:
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Looks great Mick. :daumenhoch:
It looks very mid school to me Nick. What do you think?
It does look cool - different to everything else that was round at the time, even thought the frame is a standard shape with no bells & whistles :4_17_5:
Perhaps these were ahead of their time Andy. ??? This ones very much the same as mine (in looks) although a little shorter and a flat brake bridge whereas mine has a round one. I would say the bars are definitely of Old School origin though. :daumenhoch:
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I keep coming back for a look at this, really nice build, the colour is ace :daumenhoch:
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Here are a few more shots of the FA that I took on the way to and at the Happy Bike Meeting in Tokyo a couple of weekends ago:-
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/HBM%20023.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/HBM%20023.jpg.html)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/HBM%20027.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/HBM%20027.jpg.html)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/HBM%20100.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/HBM%20100.jpg.html)
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/Free%20Agent/HBM%20106.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/Free%20Agent/HBM%20106.jpg.html)
When I first rode the FA, it felt a lot more twitchy than the Laserlite but the more I ride it, the more I like it. :daumenhoch:
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Something different :daumenhoch:
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I'm robbing some parts from the FA for my Motobecane build, so thought I'd take a photo of it next to my Laserlite for posterity. Hadn't really noticed it before but it was interesting to compare the difference in stance between the 2 bikes. I know the camera angle isn't great and can be deceptive, but you can still see how much lower and longer the FA is. Sure, the Laserlite's a classic but I think I actually prefer the lines of the FA! :D
(http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m572/Trident393/BMX%20Stuff/bike%20frames.jpg) (http://s1132.photobucket.com/user/Trident393/media/BMX%20Stuff/bike%20frames.jpg.html)
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Great looking bike :4_17_5: There's just not enough of these about these days, great colour too :daumenhoch: