Photo Credit: http://www.iracebmx.com/racers/pro/ericrupe/index.htm
Opening the magazine, ads of brightly colored Freestyle bikes jumped out at me and that was the time when Freestyle BMX was starting to gain popularity.
Photo Credit: http://www.singlespeedshop.com/oldschoolbmx/rl20_8.jpg
Later came FREESTYLIN magazine which was dedicated to Freestyle trick riding but you would still see ads for straight racing BMX bikes and even skateboarding coverage and ads. Riding BMX and having a skateboard wasn't uncommon because if you can afford a BMX bike you definitely can afford a deck with trucks. Not all BMX heads skated but the point is that it was not uncommon and the sports, some would say "ways of life", shared the same streets and ramps. I would say the only obvious difference in getting into BMX was the price of the bicycles and many kids in my neighborhood chose to skate because of it. I would often meet skaters who wanted to ride but getting a bike was next to impossible. Likewise, those that did get bikes didn't last long in the sport for various reasons.
Photo Credit: http://www.bakerpools.net/collection/myhre2ad.jpg
Nowadays, getting a decent bike for cheap is not as impossible as it was years ago and although the bikes are specialized for street, flatland, dirt, and/or racing, one can get a bike and modify it enough to get started in any of the specializations. Back in the day, we would ride anything and everything like some flat, then go street riding downtown(Before the Daley institutional crack-down). We would ride a mini-half pipe in the summer in someone's back yard(Respect to Brian's "Big-Daddy" ramp and Skate Church), then hit Rotation Station(R.I.P.) or 4 Wheels Out. It was all good and it was all fun. We would ride the whole city, all hoods, and even end up in the suburbs.
Although things are different now and cities are changing, there is no reason one can't get a bike and ride anything and everything. That is what Freestyle BMX is all about. I posted some bikes and frames that are cheap and can work for all round riding, even racing. I mean, if you get good on a heavy bike, imagine how good you will be on a lighter one. My first bike was a CW California Flyer... It was heavy as living f^ck, AND I had mags on it! So get a bike, look and study how other bikes are set up either for racing, street, or flat and get on it. Here is a hint, make it as light as possible, compact, and tighten up everything while maintaining high pressure in the tires. If anyone needs advice on how to turn a department store bike into a ridable stunt machine until you get enough money to get a better one, holler at me on myspace... GET YOUR ROLL ON!Here is a decent bike from JensonUSA that you can start doing street, ramps, and racing right away on but also modify for flatland. For Flatland, just slap a front brake on there and keep them working well with grease and tightening. You will also need another set of pegs and you are ready to ride some Flatland. For racing, get some "nobbies" or racing tires. You will know them by the bumpy tread on them...
Photo Credit: © 2008 JensonUSA
The New DK Opsis Is ready for Flatland.
http://www.flatlandfuel.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1322
The Travis Collier frame is versatile and strong. A top of the line frame from MacNeil.
http://www.macneilbmx.com/blog/?p=677
Also, if you guys are in the New York area, Brooklyn specifically, check out Post Bikes.
http://www.myspace.com/postbikes
In Chicago, check out Grand Cycle, they have helped me out allot.
http://www.grandcyclebikes.com/
Some other places to find Flatland and BMX bikes:
http://www.flatlandfuel.com/
http://www.danscomp.com/
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