Who had backyard tracks growing up?, pardon my "waxing nostalgic" here for a moment... Options

[daveolear]

Racer, mine is a Mongoose frame and assorted parts, we all had Mongoose, our first cro mo bikes, the next year we went more exotic: Patterson, GJS, Cook Bros, etc. I've seen your posts on the JC Armory thread, I'm sure we ran into each other 1980-82 in Jersey, I raced there about 10 times at Craigmeir, Howell, the Armory, a few others. I'm from Ct, I was born in 64 so I might be older than you.

[Racer]

I left NJ fall of 81. I raced only ABA in 81 and half NBL and ABA in 80. But was out all summer of 80 with an injury. It looks like you raced alot of NBA and we probably maybe were at a National or two same time. I went to just a few Nationals. None in 79 and just 1 or 2 in 80 due to the crash. Just 2 again in 81. I was stupid for not hitting all the Nationals regardless of sanction.

I had a place like yours Dave also. It was in the next town over in New Hope, PA area. I bet its still there in the woods. It was on Windy Bush Rd. On the right side as you came from River Rd.
Sounds exactly like yours minus the berms. The place in New Hope was just a huge circle in the woods. But had several ups and downs and one killer jump. No pics.

This post has been edited by Racer: Jul 6 2010, 01:22 PM

[rotortype]

I had a small backyard but still found a way to get a few jumps to have fun with..

Attached File(s)

 9219_1197960838679_1518267250_533880_3310078_n.jpg ( 53.99K ) Number of downloads: 71

 

[Dante]

Well it was not a back yard but it was Delaware parkland, Delcastle recreation, baseball ,football,soccer,basketball and tennis courts. We built a single lane track in this wooded area, nice jumps, empty river beds, did mainly a game called bike tag. Very cool in the summer heat, spent many summers in there.

[Moosegoose Nick]

Well my backyard bordered with the infamous Honda Hills in Sylmar Ca. Known for being the premiere Motocross riding area in the San Fernando Valley from 73 til about 82 or so.
Also, Yarnell was about 2 miles from the house.

[CDB3]

My back yard was Orion Park (mid 80's), literally the track was less then 100 yards from my back yard. It was one of the few perks to living in Military Housing.

When I started racing around '79, my dad let me build a backyard track. 2 great things about it: 1. I had a cool place to ride and 2. NO MOWING!!!! My yard was small, the turns were tight, it wasnt exactly a "speedy" track and each straight only had 1 jump but I can remember how much fun it was to build and ride...especially summer nights with the porch light lighting up the yard. We'd have occasional informal races even. (and boy was my gate ghetto...even for back then, LOL)

When I quit racing, the track grew over but dad left the jumps and berms in place. When I would go visit my parents after I grew up, I'd always have to take a peek in the back yard to look at it.

My mom sold the house six months after my dad died in '98. Last week while serving warrants, I ended up in my old neighborhood. I drove by and there was a lady outside working in the yard of my old house. I stopped and talked to her for a second, told her it was my childhood home and asked if I could peek in the back yard for a second. The yard had obviously been redone but I could see where two of the jumps remained. (now just weather worn earthen/grass humps)


Building in your yard as a kid. Informal races. Anyone else have good memories like that????

[daveolear]

Well my backyard bordered with the infamous Honda Hills in Sylmar Ca

Also, Yarnell was about 2 miles from the house.

Sure, rub it in

[mxmug]

My old friend Ernies family owned a vacant lot. We were given the go ahead to build a track on it. We had 3 small berms, One with a ditch behind it, and 2 or 3 jumps. We always had a battle going on. I would build up the jumps, Then Ernie would get the shovel out to make them them smaller. Ocasionally local kids would come over to race me. Initially i would just smoke em and they would head home. Later i would let them win a race or two so they would hang out and ride longer. We had some pretty good times there. The lot is still vacant today.

Mx Mug

[thebondtrader55]

When I started racing around '79, my dad let me build a backyard track. 2 great things about it: 1. I had a cool place to ride and 2. NO MOWING!!!! My yard was small, the turns were tight, it wasnt exactly a "speedy" track and each straight only had 1 jump but I can remember how much fun it was to build and ride...especially summer nights with the porch light lighting up the yard. We'd have occasional informal races even. (and boy was my gate ghetto...even for back then, LOL)

When I quit racing, the track grew over but dad left the jumps and berms in place. When I would go visit my parents after I grew up, I'd always have to take a peek in the back yard to look at it.

My mom sold the house six months after my dad died in '98. Last week while serving warrants, I ended up in my old neighborhood. I drove by and there was a lady outside working in the yard of my old house. I stopped and talked to her for a second, told her it was my childhood home and asked if I could peek in the back yard for a second. The yard had obviously been redone but I could see where two of the jumps remained. (now just weather worn earthen/grass humps)


Building in your yard as a kid. Informal races. Anyone else have good memories like that????

Great story!

My little brother got us started in BMX racing in the 70's. The first thing he did was build a big backyard track. Him and his buds just got shovels and went at it. they piled up dirt right next to where they dug it. We had a really big yard right in the middle of Sweeny, Texas so the track meandered over a pretty big area. Heaven only knows what my Dads water bill looked like!

It was amazing how many of the kids would come over and ride the track all day and half the night. It was a non stop BMX happening! Some kids even brought their sleeping bags and small tents. We grilled nearly every night. There were KUWAHARAS everywhere.

I didn't realize then what a special time and place we were all in. If I had I would have appreciated it a lot more.

Not bashing the Nationals scene but it was really astonishing how much fun we had before we didn't know what we didn't know. Your backyard and the local track was the center of the universe.

Good Stuff!