I really really want a....

gtvlusso
gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
edited July 2012 in Commuting chat
BMX

I really miss my old Raleigh Chrome burner. I was lucky enough to have a BMX back in about 1981 / 1982, I was given a Raleigh Chrome Burner for Christmas and I went everywhere on it.

Unfortunately the bike broke, thinking about it, it was only the headset that broke and it could have been fixed. Anyway my dad shipped a Kuwahara back from the USA for me when he was on one of his business trips.

I really miss my old BMX, I wonder if I would actually be able to ride one?

Comments

  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,341
    What?

    No zigga-zig-aahh?

    EDIT: ^ I'm not even sorry :P
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    I once got stopped by the police for speeding on my BMX when I was about 10, he looked disapprovingly at me and asked if my Mum knew I rode like that? Told me to slow down and be more careful.

    He obviously had a profound effect on me.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • iclestu
    iclestu Posts: 503
    Where does the name BMX come from?

    Dunno why i have never wondered this before but now i have it seems really odd....
    FCN 7: Dawes Galaxy Ultra 2012 - sofa-like comfort to eat up the miles

    Reserve: 2010 Boardman CX Pro
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,341
    iclestu wrote:
    Where does the name BMX come from?

    Dunno why i have never wondered this before but now i have it seems really odd....

    Bicycle Moto [X]cross
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • ShandyH
    ShandyH Posts: 555
    I used to have a Night Burner and put some black Skyway mags on it. It was amazing. My mum sold it in a jumble sale when I was 19. Still devastated by my loss.

    I've always coveted a Mongoose Pro Class.

    Kuwahara is a blast from the past. Do they still exist?
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    I humbly offer;

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/b ... -uk-25635/

    Frighteningly I was almost tempted myself (remember bunny hopping park benches in the early eighties and the Bowes Lyon skate park in Stevenage)
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    I had a Haro Shredder, in the mid to late 90's i loved that bike untill i crashed into a kerb and broke my wrist in several places and broke my two front teeth!

    Still being used by one of my nephews to this day.
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    how on gods green earth do tall people ride bmx's?

    i would always wack my self in the face with my knees if i rode anywhere on one

    (im 6ft 2 so not exactly mahoosive)
    Keeping it classy since '83
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Was cycling up the Peyresourde and I (just about) passed a chap going up it not much slower than me on a BMX....

    Impressed.
    _
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    there's always a couple of old boys (around 50-60 years old) messing around on BMXs up by the ballet school in Richmond Park. Quite a sight!
    Dolan Mythos
  • ShandyH
    ShandyH Posts: 555
    I used to commute on my BMX. It was 3.5miles and it took about half an hour. I was young and quite fit and you can't sit down or you'll knock your teeth out, as Mudcow says.
  • jds_1981
    jds_1981 Posts: 1,858
    MTB book I have recommends using a BMX some of the time to increase your skills...
    FCN 9 || FCN 5
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Was cycling up the Peyresourde and I (just about) passed a chap going up it not much slower than me on a BMX....

    Impressed.
    Saw someone unicycling up Alpe d'Huez the other day. :shock:
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,341
    JonGinge wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Was cycling up the Peyresourde and I (just about) passed a chap going up it not much slower than me on a BMX....

    Impressed.
    Saw someone unicycling up Alpe d'Huez the other day. :shock:

    Said as though it's on your commute and you ride it every day.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    JonGinge wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Was cycling up the Peyresourde and I (just about) passed a chap going up it not much slower than me on a BMX....

    Impressed.
    Saw someone unicycling up Alpe d'Huez the other day. :shock:

    Hero.
    _
  • Yukirin
    Yukirin Posts: 231
    I had a burner, snapped a dropout on it. My first new from a shop bike ever was a chrome '98? GT performer with the curved top tube and a radial front. Loved that but sold it to get a Hoffman George which was so nice to ride. Broke my ankle coming off, lost my nerve and got a skateboard instead.
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    I had a Redline Squareback with some plastic mag wheels that you could flex sideways and kind of 'pop' off them.
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    Considering buying junior a 'mini' burner as her first bike - maybe renovate an old one.
  • PedalPedant
    PedalPedant Posts: 185
    mudcow007 wrote:
    how on gods green earth do tall people ride bmx's?

    i would always wack my self in the face with my knees if i rode anywhere on one

    (im 6ft 2 so not exactly mahoosive)

    My lad (15 yo) rides one and as far as I can tell you just *never* sit down. He has the seat at the lowest possible level and tilted back to a degree that renders it useless anyway.

    He also insisted on removing the front brake "'cause they're ghey". It could be worse, one of his mates has removed both brakes (and no, it's not fixed) and has very nearly come a cropper overshooting junctions on several occasions :shock:

    PP
    People that make generalisations are all morons.

    Target free since 2011.
  • Yukirin
    Yukirin Posts: 231
    PedalPedant wrote:
    mudcow007 wrote:
    how on gods green earth do tall people ride bmx's?

    i would always wack my self in the face with my knees if i rode anywhere on one

    (im 6ft 2 so not exactly mahoosive)

    My lad (15 yo) rides one and as far as I can tell you just *never* sit down. He has the seat at the lowest possible level and tilted back to a degree that renders it useless anyway.

    He also insisted on removing the front brake "'cause they're ghey". It could be worse, one of his mates has removed both brakes (and no, it's not fixed) and has very nearly come a cropper overshooting junctions on several occasions :shock:

    PP

    post is low so you dont smash your bum after a jump. Seat is angled up so you can grab it superman style in the air, no sitting down. Front brakes are ghey unless you're doing flatland, but thats a total different bike like a hybrid is to a timetrial.
  • mossychops
    mossychops Posts: 262
    I've seen these kids with no brakes. My BMX did have brakes they were just completely useless (MTB had the front wheel stolen first day of college so I bought a £10 BMX to use). Came down Church Hill in Solihull on it once on the pavement (sensibly because it was too dangerous on the road with rubbish brakes ;-)), some people blocked the pavement so I bounced up the grass verge and bounced clean off the pedals - not sitting down in the first place I got all the way to the bottom of the hill holding onto to handlebars for life and flapping about behind the handlebars like Superman.

    Saw a Grifter the same as my old one (before the BMX) at Brooklands the other day too .
  • Cuddywifter
    Cuddywifter Posts: 15
    Check out www.radbmx.co.uk . The for sale section has scary prices for old BMX bikes and parts. I can't believe I sold a gen 1 Haro freestyler for £100 back in the day. They now go for crazy money!

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