BMX Nostalgia

[Doug Hansford]

I found a website with uploaded copies of old BMX magazines circa 1979 through the 80s. Looking at these takes me down memory lane, I'm sure I had some of these magazines at the time. It's fun to read the stories and the ads are funny and interesting. Take a look at one or two if you have interest...and memories.

BMX Magazines

Doug Hansford

Watkinsville, GA

[greenteadrinkers]

BMX Plus, so awesome, or should I say, radical, totally forgot about that magazine. Also, forgot about the full on BMX racing suits, the Haro number plates, and Oakley B1B's, of which, everyone had to have.

Scott

[Doug Hansford]

I remember my first BMX race in 1979 I used a paper plate (the wax coated kind of course) as my number plate although I really wanted a Haro plate. It was in Griffin Ga I think. And I wore my motorcycle helmet. Times were tough! Haha. But, I had a nice Mongoose bike and placed for a really small trophy.

Doug

[greenteadrinkers]

Awesome! I never raced, but, did manage to make it out to a track once. Took a moment to get the start-ramp-balancing-act thing down. Think I managed to pull off a table top, once. I was in Northern VA, everyone was into BMX then, so many brands, love how each brand had its own signature frame design touch. BMX, no lugs, lot's of stainless steel, grippy flat pedals, anodized parts, and beefy knobby tires.

[Doug Hansford]

I had forgotten about table tops! I do remember “whoop dee doos”. That’s what we called the dirt mounds spaced close together and I could never figure out how to jump those gracefully. My bike was Chromoly with red mags and KKT Lightning flat pedals. Good times.
Doug

[masmojo]

I never had a great BMX, bike, But as I do today; I tricked out the one I had with red Tuff Mag wheels and Tuff Neck stem. Around 1978!?

Then in 1981 (after a tip to Southern California) I started riding BMX cruisers and I still ride them today!

BMX cruisers are great because you still get that BMX feel on a bike big enough for old Farts like me.

I've got several:

My Original Schwinn Heavy Duty Cruiser with Red 3 Piece cranks, Mongoose Kos Kruiser forks and Handlebar, Custom wheels with Araya 7X rims!  
Mongoose Kos Kruiser https://photos.app.goo.gl/DkMiFSDmCKi3c54SA

A Kona A'Ha https://photos.app.goo.gl/gnjCA6LhwCqe8X7i7

Breezer - Ignaz X https://photos.app.goo.gl/RST7kNuBBhkTSXRt5

Electra BMX4 - Chromoly frame tricked out similarly to the Breezer above - (no Current photo)

SWOBO Folsom - https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZUd1MMopMH3UhgRN9

Eastern -  Growler that I affectionatly refer to as Big Baby Due to her Corpulent color - https://photos.app.goo.gl/cPeJdWczurdrSJr18

AND

my most recent acquisition - 

Framed - Judgement 27.5 Cruiser -  https://photos.app.goo.gl/D4cAkpMLGQaaXNB87

A Few more not worth listing . . . . 

These are all the Cruisers I currently have; I've sold a few over the years. Most notably a OM Flyer from 1981-2 era

Thus proving that you can get older and never grow up!

Obviously, i don't do jumps anymore, but I am slowly working on reviving my Wheelie game.

Great fun!!

[greenteadrinkers]

Ha, yeah we called them whoop dee doos as well! 

[Doug Hansford]

Those are all sweet bikes masmojo. The colored saddles reminded me that I had a hard plastic saddle with air holes in it on my Mongoose. And, a fluted seatpost!

Doug

[masmojo]

I remember the colored Viscount saddles, luckily I never had one of those!!! LOL.
Funny, thing with these bikes is most of them weren't too expensive, but by the time I'm done upgrading them they double or triple in cost.

[Doug Hansford]

It's funny, I don't remember the hard plastic (red, like my mags) being uncomfortable. But, I was 12 years old and my bum was just happy to be on my bike! Accessories and upgrades for my bike definitely added to the cost. I bought a set of red knobby tires with tan sidewalls at some point.

Doug

[Rob Kristoff]

Without question, I wouldn't be in this group without BMX PLUS! magazine. Where my love of bikes was born.

I was more into the freestyle side of things, but did race once. Crashed in all three motos. Not used to getting sir off real jumps.

Good memories.

[masmojo]

Yes, being young helps, but typically on most BMX bikes (especially 20"ers of the day) the seat was sort of an appendage that didn't get used much. Even today they keep they seat really low. Nice if you're young and you've got good knees.
The gearing is pretty low & ALL climbs are attacked out of the saddle. Today they have what's called "pivot" saddles and posts short posts that are not more than 10 inches long (probably more like 8!) So they can't raise the seat at all!
BMX is definitely a different animal so different I really find it amusing. Low Q factor crank? What's that? Metric is creeping in, but was SAE for many years; I always had 2 sets of tools.

[Taz Taylor]

Doug - what class did you race and how long?

I raced in Griffin, Powder Springs and Peachtree City in 1980 and '81.  16 and up beginner, then 16/over novice for me.  Mostly rode a Mongoose but had a Redline towards the latter days.

- Taz

[Doug H.]

Hi Taz,

We likely raced the same tracks. I raced during 1979 and 80 a few times each year. I always raced beginner class and was never a serious racer for sure. A buddy of mine raced expert and took home lots of trophies. What about you?

Doug

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[Doug H.]

Oh, and in 1979 I was 11 turning 12 so I doubt we raced each other.

Doug

On Tue, Jun 2, 2020 at 4:40 PM Taz Taylor <tazt...@gmail.com> wrote: