The subject line says it all, I've read too many posts on here where guys have grabbed a bike after 20 years and signed up for a race (or two if they were lucky) only to win a trip to the local ER. I've scoped out the track at South Park (I live less than a mile from it) and it is just too darn rad. Heck, the 'Jolly Launcher' would be a speed bump by today's standards. Maybe I just don't have the nads for it. Some would say I never did, but that's a different topic for a different day . At least now I have the excuse of having a Mon-Fri career with a wife and two kids to support. The thing I liked most about old school racing was the speed, not the air. Who remembers flying down the track at Evansville, Ind and peddling your butt off down hill and then hitting that sweeping wall of a last berm at mach 1 - that was awesome! There are plenty of other tracks I could mention.

Somewhere along the lines the sport of BMX should have said 'thank you' to our motocycle motocross big brother for giving us the ideas for a really cool sport and then we should have went our seperate ways. I think the influence of supercross has ruined the sport and it certainly shows by the number of riders that turn out for the local and national events. BMX racing was meant to be just that - a race! Supercross may be cool to some, but I just can't see BMX surviving with the way tracks are built today. I don't think I will be in a big hurry to take my son and daughter over to the track, as hard as it is for me to say so, it's just too dangerous. Sure, I know, BMX is apart of the '08 Olympics and all, but what got it to that point - we did, the roots of BMX.

Long live the open face helmet! ...with a Jofa of course.

I would love to hear your feedback.

Jim

Some of the early tracks (like Saddleback) had a cool mix of speed and nutty sections...but the stuff was built in a way that you usually weren't running into a wall if you screwed up.

Big Supercross whoop sections are like running into walls if you get down into them. It's not the speed, it's the sudden stop that's the problem.

I haven't been to too many current tracks, but I can picture what you're talking about.

Guy B, would you blast through a big puddle on yer
SE?Sorry I had too.Sorry Jim, back to your great thread!

These days, I don't race as much as I would like. If modern tracks were like they were 20 years ago, I wouldn't race at all.

BMX is WAY more fun now.

Nope, I like the tracks the way they are. I'm not 'rad' anymore, quite the opposite - but today's tracks are very fun and a challange just to get around.

Jim,

I'm torn....I enjoy riding the new tracks, on either my cruiser or my 26" jump bike they are definitly challenging. I'm not sure how enjoyable the new tracks are to race on, the focus has shifted to more technical (jumping and manuals) instead of fitness like BITD. I say keep some of the more challenging jumps but make some more room for good ol' cranking.....Things have to progress to keep people interested but maybe things have gone too far.

I got out of racing in 86 because of an injury, raced indoors once 4 years ago and plan on giving it another go when my daughter gets older. See you in the ER!!!

KMart

I raced up until i was 37 years oid, i would still race today if it wasnt for the paved berms, if i go down i want to land on dirt so for now ill stick to rippin down hills on my mt bike eric.......

Another ER visitor here. Got back into it after a 20 year layoff and had my (then) 4 year old (now 5) racing. I knew the tracks have changed, as has my ability/skill on the bike. But, I am by no means a squirrel or anything. I can hang ok, for a 39 year old novice. But, I did get in over my head very quickly at a simple gate practice getting prepared for my first season 'back in action'. So much for that, as I bit it and spent most the summer trying to get the collarbone and ribs back in order.

I have raced bicycles since my BMX retirement (1984) in the form of road, mountain and triathlons...so having fitness as an attribute of the actual race is appealing for me. My skills are ok, but nothing like they used to be. My mountain bike is actually my forte' so it's not like I am some fred trigeek trying to fake it out there.

Today's tracks are designed for expert/pro level racers only. The beginners/novices are struggling and just waiting for their minor screwup that solidifies that ER trip.

To close, I was planning to race before the crash. Now...thinking about it. If the track(s) were vintage-style...h@ll yeah!

Later.

I see what you mean about the tracks. The nearest track to me just paved their berms...I don't think I'll be letting my daughter race now. Dirt is more forgiving than pavement.

Plus, there are way too many jumps nowadays. The racers don't look like they're going as fast as they used to. Pedal. Bump.Pedal.Bump.

I remember West Jefferson's last straightway coming out of a left hand hairpin, with plenty of room to get going FAST and go over a set of 18 foot wide doubles to the finish.

That's exactly what I'm talking about no-endo13, exactly! To further my point, I don't have the time to hone my skills to the expert/pro level, but I can still holeshot and bunnyhop with the best of them - just ask the kids in my neighborhood (or their moms)

I raced in the early 80's and there was two small jumps and a lot of flat turns. Nothing but pedaling. I do not think I could pedal a whole track anymore. But I still race today and I have fell on paved turns and I fell on a dirt turn. I like the paved turns better the tires stick better and you don't have any washout. Ether way it still hurts when you fall.

I had the previlege of racing Corona, Rancho Yarnell, Saddleback etc and though I have the memories of the old days deep in my conscience, I have no probs with today's track (they do scare me a but tho) and will start racing next year. I guess at the speed I go, crashing is not such a scary thing)

This is an interesting thread. I went out to a local track last weekend, that used to be one of my favourite tracks bitd. It used to have a big 'ol flat top jump back then, that if you timed it right, you would land nicely on the downward slope, and gain some nice speed for the second to last turn. The track had some nice fast jumps, and great bermed corners. The racing action back then was fast and fluid. I really really liked racing, and watching.

After watching the racing last weekend, I came away disappointed. The races were slow, and they had replaced the big ol flat top with five jumps in a row. Which meant most people just rolled over them. It actually slowed them down for that second to last turn. And yep, there was an ER case. A thirty something guy racing cruiser come off, and was carted away in an ambulance.

I had been toying with maybe making a comeback to racing, mainly just for the fun of it. But the tracks of today dont appeal to me. I liked the speed, and they lack that now.

And it was interesting talking to one of the officials. He said he couldn't understand why they dont get many spectators nowadays. I think, at least in my opinion, that with the kind of stop start racing now, it doesn't have much spectator appeal.

But, if the tracks of today were like 80's tracks...? H3ii yeah, I'd be there

Just my 2c worth

I find the modern folded back and forth layouts rather unimaginitive and all the same (virtually).

They race with clip on pedals (Insane), because the berms are so big that you never have to take a foot off the pedals. They cover the tracks with plastic every night so they don't wash away. So you can't just go and ride there whenever you want to. And the little kids can't make it up the jumps.

I have no interest in hacking spokes for a trophey anymore, but I did buy an ABA for practice nights, and I enjoy that. But we have an old 80's track, out of comission here, and I am thinking of bringing it to life as a full ABA track, because it is way more fun of a layout.

The old layouts were all unique, and covered lots of ground, and it was fun to go from track to track. They are all the same now, R180, L180, R180, L180.

Some friends and I just watched some OLD california downhill track footages with flat berms, and inside feet hangin over the bales. WE LOVED IT. That looked SOOOO FUN! We got all jacked up, and had it been just down the street, we all would have made a trip to the ER that night!.....

[raises hand] I would not only be racing, I'd be a state champion and winning 2-3 nationals a year.

Pedaling to win, what a grand idea.

Randy, amen to that !! and I'd be on the track without being on the track as in on my head !!! it's real real hard to work on airplanes with 1 hand !!!!!! I tried.......

If they brought Yarnell back or Merritt College or McClaren Park in Frisco, I'd ride em on my Champion at 46 yrs young, wouldn't ride em fast but I'd love to ride around those tracks again, heck, throw in some mud, I ain't afraid to get the Champ dirty or dusty, nothing on my bike worth that much that I'd be afraid to get dirty or bent, me and my Champ have been down more times than a hookers panties on Fri night.

[ December 01, 2005, 02:43 AM: Message edited by: spike ]

I race on a new(ish) style of track and so does my 5 year old son. We are lucky we dont have a paved berm either. None of the tracks in my state do.
Bitd I would take the doubles and triples with a leg or arm thrown off for style cause I was usually at the back of the pack anyway! These days not a lot has changed. I'm still at the back of the pack and the legs and arms come off, only involuntarily!
But the tracks are a lot of fun. I enjoy watchin the pro riders getting massive air during a race and our jumps are made so as the little guys can roll over them easily.
I dont like pedalling fast 'cause I cant!
Heres a pic of our local track 1 minute from my house. excuse the quality, it's from my phone.

I have two tracks withing driving distance from my house, about 30 minutes either direction. The older of the two is Cowtown BMX, a track I raced on as a kid, and Desoto BMX, a new, modern track that the ABA calls "national quality". Desoto is a covered track, well groomed, very wide, great jumps, but not so much fun. The first two straights are pretty cool, but the rythm section sucks for an old schooler like me. I used to run a 47-16 gear because I was a power rider and would muscle my way up, over, and around anything in my way. There is no way in Haites I could run that gear nowadays. There`s no room to really dig in and haul.
If tracks were made the way they used to be I could probably embarrass a few of these young kids. Doubles were just that...two seperate jumps, and you either cleared them or lost the race. Now a "double" is nothing more than a tabletop with a groove in the top. Manual my ***...jump it and get back on the gas.
On a related note, remember when the NBL banned doubles back around 1988 or so? that sucked. Silver City BMX in CT had the most wicked doubles right out of the first turn, we called `em the serps. Turned that into a tabletop and all the ballsy riders felt kinda shafted. Maybe that was the beginning of the end...

i would in a heart beat.... I hate the manualing crap... but I am still out at perris BMX atleast once a week to get my legs back.

The tracks today are slower compared to our time. I've raced a few times at my current age and it didn't do anything for me at all. Whats crazy is thinking I can race and not get hurt. I've never been one to think "what if", but now with kids, I'll be damned if I'll take a chance on getting hurt for a thophy. I'kk stick to auto-x.
I don't think riders today are as fast as our time either. Maybe because of the many more obsticals, I don't know.

Hell Brad, I got hurt slipping on the wet plastic while covering up a monster berm after the race at your hometown track! I bought full elbow/forearm guards just to use on practice nights because of that! And IF I am ever stupid enough to volunteer for that again, I am going to use them for that too! ... AND I am going to do that "wadded up roll of charmin in the pants thing" that little kids do before getting a spanking! If I can break my arse and get black and blue just by pulling plastic...

After reading all the other posts, I have not changed my mind a bit! Nowadays I much prefer 14 inches of suspension, plus a 10 inch padded seat, and snow to crash on ...that keeps me brave (just stay out of the trees!)! And I'll flip on the 150 HP mad-max switches in that venue with ya. But I am still sayin' "leave my charmin padded arse off of the moto sheets"! 80's style track or not!

Yes, I would race more on more tame tracks. In fact, I would start a bmx company, sponsor a team, and race all over the place if it was more "old guy friendly". I ain't about RAD, I am about DAD.

Cash Matthews

i'm 41 years old and rode the local track last night and the most fun for me is the gate to the first turn (then i'm winded) and because the track is so technical. the last straight is a rhythm section and only the older experts and pros can manual it. i'm riding a "24 and i can hardly get the front end up cuz new bikes are lower and longer. i'm not giving up though, it's still fun!
mike

To the original poster, South Park is a lot different than most of the tracks out there. The landing between the doubles on the second straight are pretty much a half pipe. Land on the back side and it transitions directly into the launch of the next double. Bob T was not very happy when he got there and saw the track. I did ride it and jump the second straight at the national weekend during practice but I did not race it. (had a busted shoulder)

The ABA tracks are a lot closer to the BITD tracks than the NBL ones as far as style of jumps are concerned. A lot of the NBL jumps look like they came off of a dirt trail with steep take offs and steep landings.

Old school or new school the tracks are still fun. You have to practice more reserve when riding the new tracks. BITD you could go wide open and not have to check yourself. New tracks you can get over head real quick.

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I have no interest in hacking spokes for a trophey anymore, but I did buy an ABA for practice nights, and I enjoy that. But we have an old 80's track, out of comission here, and I am thinking of bringing it to life as a full ABA track, because it is way more fun of a layout.

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Is that Maple Plain? I heard it was still there, and I know Richfield and Shorewood are no longer. I'm not sure about Brooklyn Park, but I thought that was a lame track anyways.