The Official Rockford "Post Mortem" Thread, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (cue music) Options

[Ken Pliska]

The first two Rockford events 2000 and 2001 were in the Redline pits and up against the Redline Team Trailer. In fact, g0rk and crew were the ones that lent the credibility in the early years to get our little event to the next level. They certainly care about roots.

There are excellent hotels surrounding the Clock Tower that are far less than the CT's rates. I pay $207 for all four days (including late checkout so I can shower before my flight home) from Thursday to Sunday and I have a decent sized suite with Kitchen and work area.

* Ive stayed in a lot of hotels recently and the $108 price is too expensive for what you get. Should be more like $80

* what about some way of getting new school /old school together like SE, REDLINE etc having display stands with current bikes amonst the old school stuff. Like Ed and JDB did but with some of the others. Redline has a huge trailer but seems to not be intrested in heritidge???

[Ken Pliska]

You are kidding, right?

I do not think I saw a handful of racers or people from the race at our event at all Saturday.

[sack]

In car show circles, a factory part with chrome on it is considered "modified". 3 or more "modified" parts move the car up to "modified" class.

[cheez]

Because this is ROCKFORD. The reason this has always been so successful is the fact that it is tied to the largest summer race weekend outside of California. In the early years (01-03) there were heated discussions about making it a rotating schedule to other parts of the country but we decided to create a "Sturgis" type event that would stand the test of time. Where else can you see hundreds of beautiful old school bikes and then walk a few yards away and see our Olympians mix it up on one of the World's fastest tracks? The venue, the MidWest Nationals and the racers that still rip it up are what lend tons of credibility to this event.

Anything else and it would simply be about a bunch of Trekkies polishing their carpet queens and making up stories about what they would have been if their Mommy would have let them race BITD. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

+1

Separate from Race week works for me, it is so hard to park and just get around, we would have all the room we needed. I do not think I saw a handful of racers or people from the race at our event at all Saturday.

The reason it has grown to the size it is, is in-part due to the fact it is held durring a National event. Not having it durring the race week-end would be like cutting off your nose to spite your face. This all started because of roots, how else do you keep getting the word out about the roots of the sport if you don't mix the old and the new. I feel we have a responsibility to keep examples of the sports origins out there for the new blood to see. You might be surprised, many of these kids parents didn't race or know what BMX was. There are already plenty of non-race venue bike shows.

This post has been edited by cheez: Jun 25 2009, 11:16 AM

[Mirage1972]

Okay, I see your point guys, about having it on that particular race weekend. Mostly just to be there in front of so many new racers. I can't really see any other reason, but that one reason is good enough for me. If some more space could be found, or something tweaked to where it's easier to get around and see all the bikes as has been discussed, then it doesn't really matter. I certainly do like the atmosphere with the big race. Too bad it's Father's Day weekend. That's always so inconvenient, yet I've managed to make it anyway, so...

[gts340]

Being that it's on Father's day weekend and the fact that I'm a father now make it so that I CAN make the event. I just say "Hey, it's fathers day and I'm doing what I want". I was shocked at the amount of people the first year I went in 2005. Since then I have become used to it and I don't really mind the small hike to get back to the car. I'd want to walk around the race anyway and see what's going on so either way I'm in it. I also don't think the event would have the same energy if it were on a different weekend.
I do like the 1/4 pipe idea. I'd also second a spot/pit for racers that belong to vintage. There seems to be leftover space near the big VBMX truck, maybe it could be there.

[Redlinemxii]

To whom it may concern: I built the copper Redline to honor Rockford and all of the guys that ride, build, race, or show these great old school bikes. I am sorry that some of you think that the build was so outrageous. I easily could have tossed some NOS parts together and called it a day. I spent countless hours (over 200 man hours of polishing) and dollars to bring something different for all to enjoy. Back in the day and still today it was and is all about thinking out of the box and expression of personal taste. Last year Woody brought a 24k gold bike and no one had a problem with that. Jason Jenson had a copper bike BITD. Yes my decals were repoped but 99% of the bikes restored have a repop set on them. BIG DEAL! Yes mine were different but it was a very special build. As far as "But under that copper plating there was no originally available color or finish on many of the parts" that is ignorant because I started with original aluminum (silver) parts. Also for the record my number plates are what I ran BITD at my local tracks. I tried to incorporate allot of different aspects to this build. Bottom line guys I tried to bring a beauty for you guys and to honor you all. The bitching and nit picking hurts when the motive was innocent and sincere. I will NEVER bring another blingy show bike back ever again accept the two I already have. Next year I will try to pull out a historical piece to blow your minds with because I don’t want to upset the "purist". Sorry Mike for causing such an uproar. Jeez-o-peat. ~MX-III

[Mirage1972]

Okay, I withdraw everything except the sorely needed more space due to the explanations that make sense to me now. Everything at the show/swap is so crammed in... if that could be fixed, it would all be perfect, IMO.


This post has been edited by Mirage1972: Jun 25 2009, 05:25 PM

[gts340]

Lighten up, your bike was fantastic. I thought it was the coolest thing I've seen yet with all the copper. Nothing like it. Who cares what other people comment about, all that matters is that you like it. It didn't get to the banquet without being worthy.

To whom it may concern: I built the copper Redline to honor Rockford and all of the guys that ride, build, race, or show these great old school bikes. I am sorry that some of you think that the build was so outrageous. I easily could have tossed some NOS parts together and called it a day. I spent countless hours (over 200 man hours of polishing) and dollars to bring something different for all to enjoy. Back in the day and still today it was and is all about thinking out of the box and expression of personal taste. Last year Woody brought a 24k gold bike and no one had a problem with that. Jason Jenson had a copper bike BITD. Yes my decals were repoped but 99% of the bikes restored have a repop set on them. BIG DEAL! Yes mine were different but it was a very special build. As far as "But under that copper plating there was no originally available color or finish on many of the parts" that is ignorant because I started with original aluminum (silver) parts. Also for the record my number plates are what I ran BITD at my local tracks. I tried to incorporate allot of different aspects to this build. Bottom line guys I tried to bring a beauty for you guys and to honor you all. The bitching and nit picking hurts when the motive was innocent and sincere. I will NEVER bring another blingy show bike back ever again accept the two I already have. Next year I will try to pull out a historical piece to blow your minds with because I don’t want to upset the "purist". Sorry Mike for causing such an uproar. Jeez-o-peat. ~MX-III

[bmxerpete]

Craig,
Your Redline was absolutely beautiful, as evidenced by the fact that it won. I think you're missing the point though. No one is slamming your bike, it's just that it does not seem right for show bikes to be in the same class as restored bikes. And no matter how it's labeled, your bike is indeed a show bike. Don't get me wrong, I still think it came out beautiful and I told you that at the show, but it is so far above and beyond what a restored bike should be that it should not be in the same class.
I don't know how to remedy this, as I don't know how many classes Mike wants to contend with, but the majority of guys are restoring their bikes to accurate condition and the classes should take that into consideration. This was the same thing that happened in the pit bike class up until this year. The guys with real pit bikes had to compete against fabricated pit bikes and it simply was not right.
You did a phenominal job on that bike, and I'm glad UPS came through and we all got to see it. Like Cash said BMX is in it's infancy, and this show is too, and it will all get worked out in time.
Pete