ol'phart
Feb 19 2007, 10:12 AM
you ain't kidding ......
Robert
Feb 19 2007, 10:38 AM
as number 1745 i feel blessed to be part of the community. i have been here since april 03. i mostly read and only posted 45 times. i only have 3 bikes. am i sub human? i still check in but there are alot of newbee whipper-snappers here. just as we all once were. even if it was 1975 and you walked up to your first track and got goosebumps. or bought your first bike as a collector or popped your first wheelie in front of your house...........reflect
Greg_Hanna
Feb 19 2007, 11:22 AM
I celebrate my 11 year anniversary as an Old School bmx collector this April. Back to the Menotomy days Darren, Dave C., K'OD, Jason L., Ben Jerry, Dan Goins, Scott Raynes, Mitch Wolf, Dave Kekesi, Pat Quinn, Ben Joy, Scott Bender, and surely some others that escape me. We battled among one another on EBay for many of those early treasures, it was pretty competitive and expensive even then though there were only a few of us!!! This was even before Bill Curtin was a NETTER, had to talk to him Via Ma' Bell!!! Many have come and gone, but I think most of that original core are still here and active, that is something to be proud of!!!!!
This community has grown and allowed me the privelege of interacting with people that, as a kid, never in my wildest dreams thought I'd ever meet. But, I've finally gotten to interact with as an adult. Stu, Greg, Jim Melton, DY, Harry, Tha Judge, ETC. Thanks to all for that!!
Damn! I forgot Towne (Skiptron, Skiptown, etc.), How could I do that???
[ February 19, 2007, 12:37 PM: Message edited by: Greg_Hanna ]
Keep_It_Warm
Feb 19 2007, 11:26 AM
I joined right about the same time as Rick (Reilley1) after lurking for a few months.
I remember thinking, "d-amn, these guys know EVERYTHING!"
When I started threads with questions or PM'd people concerning more in-depth matters, I was lucky enough to make contact with some really nice guys from the OLDER crowd: Haney, Ray Beard, Jay Stark, Randy, Chris Baron. But as the time rolled on I realized that everyone I was interacting with was cool.
In fact, making new contacts and getting to know more and more people is what makes this website a perennial favorite of mine.
There was a thread years ago about who was your favorite "poster" and I distinctly remember saying Frankenripper. LOL Not sure why that just popped into my head, but I remember it.
I visit this site multiple times each day and have even been razzed for my "off-beat" hours on here (middle of the night, etc) but it's because I love it. I love everything about it - the pictures, the knowledge, the cliques, the bull-in-a-china-shop newbies, the outspoken original members, the humor, the arguments, the S1W's (BillHalRick,E).
Maybe I spend too much time on this site, but when I look back at the past four years of my life, with the exception of my marriage and the birth of my daughter, being part of this community has given me the most satisfaction.
BenOr
Feb 19 2007, 11:29 AM
Imagine where we would be if Bill had not gotten tired of collecting and breeding fish.
Bill has given us a stable platform in which we can waste time. Thank you.
In a round about way, this hobby has taken Bill from construction to a very solid web centered career that can cross many, many industries.
A win for us all.
EMPI
Feb 19 2007, 12:09 PM
I love this site. I dont post much anymore, I feel blessed to be part of this community.
ride on.
Dirty
Feb 19 2007, 12:22 PM
I don't have time to read all 8 pages of this post but I do understand Randy's point. I've been around for a couple of years and this place has changed. Is that bad? Not necessarily, just different.
I've met Randy in person on a trip I was on through Michigan. Great guy! We had beers most of the night together. I hope to hang out with him again someday!
This hobby is about the community. I needs to blend to thrive and survive.
Just my $.02
Tony
jrellis5
Feb 19 2007, 07:11 PM
I think I miss Blazer's trashing Hutch threads the most. That was some funny stuff, and I'm a Hutch guy. I have always lurked more than posted, but I do get what Randy was trying to say. Thanks Bill, Hal, Rick for all you guys do to keep it going.
Thanks again, Jamie.
Socalbmxer
Feb 19 2007, 07:20 PM
Who is this Randy guy?
Reilley1
Feb 19 2007, 08:08 PM
I came in late but there was some "Mcintosh" guy who was always causing drama. Pretty amusing.
pquinnbmx
Feb 19 2007, 08:19 PM
Blazer and I both trashed some Hutch's as much as possible on here. Those were the days...
cheez
Feb 19 2007, 08:53 PM
Hutch trash talkin, I'm up for some
Bill
Feb 19 2007, 10:41 PM
quote:
Imagine where we would be if Bill had not gotten tired of collecting and breeding fish.
I just bought a new tank, a 120 gallon. I'm going to try my luck with African Cichlids.
BLAZERBMX
Feb 19 2007, 10:51 PM
Reilley, I think you mean McMasters..Lots of drama. I miss Bender. we had fun didnt we?
pquinnbmx
Feb 19 2007, 10:54 PM
I thought I saw Bender on here, maybe not, maybe it was evilbay.
Reilley1
Feb 19 2007, 10:58 PM
Everyone called him "Apple"
agentheinz
Feb 20 2007, 08:45 AM
Well, I'm grateful to the founding members here who have made VBMX what it is. I'm relatively new here, but I've gotten to know a bunch of great folks here, met some of you at Rockford and basically got my butt back on the bike! I think, despite 9000 members, it's less than 10% of us that are doing 90% of the posting!
So who am I...I owned a race bike and never raced but instead went trail riding and dirt jumping. Rode street, was into freestyle for a good while. Still ride whenever I can, discovering the joy of skatepark riding. Would like to try racing (at 35!), at some point but need to get in more bike time first---get my butt in shape!
Lotta new folks even since I've been here, but it's still a great place to hang out. Thanks to all!
Cash Matthews
Feb 20 2007, 08:51 AM
I really hated it when riders quit using MotoMags and began using Araya 7B's. And when they went from coaster brakes to hand brakes, to me, it was just wrong. Such is the case with progress.
Vintage has changed, just like the sport. For four years many of us have worn the Vintagebmx.com colors on our jerseys and bikes. This site has become the most relevant site in bmx and has added MUCH to the bmx community. Thoughts are tested here, personalities are revealed, and all of that is combined with a cool home for the historical figures of the sport. HOW COOL IS THAT????
Rick's Bike Shop frames were the originals, but gave way to the mass produced Webco. Same kinda thing, I think. Randy, you are an original !
Wildman
Feb 21 2007, 10:12 AM
The most sure thing is change, and the older we get the less we like it. I know for sure, that without this site, I would have never had the chance to remember good old times with Oz, or talk to some of the greatest BMX racers like Stu and Greg, or even good old friends like Scott Towne. It may not be perfect, but as long as there is a vintagebmx.com, count me in! WM
Rod Miles
Feb 21 2007, 11:29 AM
quote:
I just bought a new tank, a 120 gallon. I'm going to try my luck with African Cichlids.
Bill how much is my oscar worth and what should I ask for him on ebay.........
Rod
TIM
Feb 21 2007, 12:07 PM
quote:
I just bought a new tank, a 120 gallon. I'm going to try my luck with African Cichlids.
good luck. those bastids are eating machines.
twintoptuber
Feb 21 2007, 12:15 PM
One thing for sure, there are less meltdowns on this board now than a few years ago.
stratbike
Feb 22 2007, 12:18 AM
I think it seems kind of funny.... yearning for the good old days of a forum about nostalgia.....
I've been on these boards since the early days (1998) but have never gotten into the real-life social scene.
(Rockford, etc)
Back in the Mnemotomy days nothing was
for sale and there were only about 30 bmx items
total on Ebay. You had to come up with cool trade bait.
Over the years I've only met 2 people from this site and talked to a few more on the phone.
Wow.... I just realized that outside of this board I haven't discussed old school bmx with anybody in several years.
I kind of like it that way. Nobody outside of my wife knows I collect these bikes. It is kind of like my guilty pleasure.
Most of the old timers that were really into the collecting side of the hobby have probably discussed most of the topics ad nauseum and that's why they don't participate much anymore.
I haven't bought or really wanted a seriously collectible part in years because several years ago I completed my collection by finding just about everything I ever wanted as a kid.
The thing that has kept me coming back lately is the posts by the legends. Dennis Dain's posts have been awesome.
[ February 22, 2007, 01:33 AM: Message edited by: stratbike ]
The Red Baron
Feb 22 2007, 12:54 AM
Thank you. It has been my pleasure to share my memories and pictures with the folks here.
What do they call it, "preaching to the chior". I was very fortunate to have such good friends back then, that are willing to laugh at ourselves now.
That was a very special time in my life.
Dennis Dain
The Red Baron
[ February 22, 2007, 01:56 AM: Message edited by: The Red Baron ]
TEAMRICK aka RICK TWOMEY
Feb 22 2007, 06:21 AM
RANDY
i'm a new guy to the site and even late on this thread. you and i met and did a little business together. i thought we might have a friendship started as i did with a lot of other guys from this site. thing is (and it just might be me) you acted like you didn't have time to have a friendship with me.
its all good as not everyone can be friends. hell even the little fluffer boy (reilley1) needs a friend. lol
you are a good builder and have a nice collection of bmx bikes. you even go one step higher in rank as you really know your stuff on this sport.
still your buddy RICK T.
Chris P
Feb 22 2007, 07:46 AM
Boy how the time flies..
Jimmy
Feb 22 2007, 08:09 AM
I remember the Menotomy days. The only names I remember from then would be Darren, DAN, Scottboyboy(?), and a few others that I can't recall at the moment. Right around the same time, ebay had no pics for almost all the auctions, it was all trust of the description. Things have really changed since then,eh?
[ February 22, 2007, 09:15 AM: Message edited by: Jimmy ]
Greg_Hanna
Feb 22 2007, 08:53 AM
Jimmy, still have the NOS Black alum. Rough Rider V-bars I got for you back in 97???
Geoff, I remember when your wife was your girlfriend!!
Things change and times passes, but were still "here", I love this place.
Jimmy
Feb 22 2007, 09:04 AM
Hey Greg! I knew I forgot some names,hehehe. Yes I do still have them, theyre on the low-profile Patterson that I got from Darren around the same time frame. I too still and always will love this site!
Greg Folk
Feb 22 2007, 03:03 PM
I enjoy posts such as this that bring guys back that I haven't seen post in years. So thanks for that.
I don't spend nearly the amount of time I used to here. I've collected a LOT and only remnants remain now. I've even taken a few laps with old friends over the last 6 years. Tell you what though, I can't imagine not having this site around. And I can't imagine EVER losing interest in BMX, even if it's just as a spectator.
Howdy to you guys out there I haven't chatted with in a long time. Good to see you poking around.
-Greg
G-Flash
Feb 22 2007, 07:32 PM
I'm glad I found this place even though sometimes I feel like a thread killer when I post. I'm just happy to be a part the community and enjoy building the WEBCOS! Testing 1 2 3 mic checka! Is anybody home?
REDRIPPER
Feb 22 2007, 08:20 PM
I found this site a few months ago and it has sparked my interest back into vintage bmx.I have since aquired a 81 Mongoose and 3 late 70s CYC Stormers.Just about finished one of them(pics soon.) I really think its great that some of the riders,(great riders that is)are on this site. Keep up the great job
SoCal1982
Feb 23 2007, 01:41 PM
Ditto everything that Strat said, it all applies to me too... especially the funny thing about vintagebmx'ers longing for the old days of.. vintagebmx itself...
I think by definition, if you're on this website, then you're likely to have a thing for nostalgia... this could be collectors items like bikes or cars or other toys... or for people, and relationships, etc... we long for the "way things used to be"... it's just natural to feel that way...
I still love this website, I haven't posted much in the last year or two, but I still check it out all the time, and I especially love to the stories from the old pros (eg Greg Hill, OZ... incredible).
But the best thing about vbmx: When I joined, I was totally blown away by how cool the "older guys" were to me, Code Blue, Muxter, Bob Bohlmann, Bill C., Kristevin, Darren C, Chester (aka hollywood) and on and on... that was special. And I try to "pay it forward" to this very day.
[ February 23, 2007, 02:47 PM: Message edited by: SoCal1982 ]
SoCal1982
Feb 23 2007, 01:43 PM
Maybe we can get Bill to start a new website.... ClassicVintagebmx.com?
stratbike
Feb 23 2007, 08:06 PM
The only thing I really miss about the early days is the trading.
In the Menotomy days the only way you could build a great collection was to go out and scour the shops to come up with trade bait.
It really made the hobby a lot more fun because nothing had a cash value, so you had to find something the other person wanted.
I was a newer collector in 1998 and didn't have anything Ben Joy wanted so he sold me a matching set of early Redline nickel v bars, nickle double clamp stem, and forks. Grand total.....60 bucks shipped! (Ben I still have 'em and owe you dinner if you are ever in Dallas)
I wanted more stuff so I got busy and scoured all of the local shops and even flew out to California to hit the shops out there.
(Yeah.....I was obsessed with this hobby for a couple of years)
A funny tidbit:
At one time the most valuable set of decals was
a full set of Motomag Goose decals.
Nobody had a full set for sale or trade!!
About 6 months or so ago I put a set of CBR decals up for
trade and got half a dozen offers to pay cash, but no trades.
[ February 23, 2007, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: stratbike ]
BenOr
Feb 23 2007, 09:47 PM
Stratbike - You repaid with those rare GLJ decals. If finsihed my sidehack off. BUT, I'd love to go for a Texas steak and Whiskey with you some day.
This thead got me thing about some buddy deals. DAN and did one recently, So did Reilley 1 and I. They are still out there. And the occassional check in via the internets or call from DaveC, BillC, Randy, KOD, TIM or JasonL is always welcomed.
I've met most of the old timers accept ScottBoyBoy/TriplerBMX and Stratbike. Heck, I've met the infamous Namza/Azeman in Singapura and have yet to meet Denver or Texas's finest collectors.
[ February 23, 2007, 11:00 PM: Message edited by: BenOr ]
Namza
Feb 26 2007, 11:11 AM
quote:
Heck, I've met the infamous Namza/Azeman in Singapura and have yet to meet Denver or Texas's finest collectors.
Hey Ben, Bro. Wassup? Been longing to see you again. Hope and your family is doin fine down there,
Besides Ben, I've met the down under VBMXERs. They are a very nice bunch too. GOODAYY, MATE.
TimL
Feb 26 2007, 01:30 PM
Does being Member #120 count?
I've only lost touch here because I've been too busy filming BMX races and making DVDs for the past year!
VBMX is still a great place and the original group of guys are still tops in my book. Remember the first few ROOST/Old School events in Rockford? I missed the first one, but reading about those meetings and seeing the OldSchoolBMX.com message board played a major role in my return to this sport. Thanks for the memories...
Hal
Feb 27 2007, 10:58 AM
I'm still here..I'm here more than I'd care to admit..LOL
BRIAN HAYS
Feb 27 2007, 12:09 PM
^^^^^^^^ This guy's got more internet names than 3 people.
Hal
Feb 27 2007, 01:04 PM
What?...LOL
dmcd
Feb 27 2007, 01:18 PM
I'm always amazed that my member number is as low as it is.
I think I joined in 2000 or 2001 but it doesn't seem that long ago.
I'm here almost everyday, I just don't post much because I don't type to well.
I will admit I have backed off on buying bikes, sort of lost interest although I really can't explain why.
I have enjoyed the recent Dennis Dain thread although OZ appearing here is by far the best memory.
As long as the site is here I will continue to lurk about.
Randy
Feb 27 2007, 01:30 PM
The "Northeast Legend" is BACK!
Elvis
Feb 27 2007, 01:45 PM
quote:
Do you relate to the current scene here?
Yeah.
But then I related to the original scene, and the 12,948 permutations the scene has gone through prior to this single moment in time. At various points, through various permutations, I was more or less comfortable than now, but - and this is an assumption - that's life in digital community.
Me n' RCain had a conversation at Rockford last year, on Sunday, in the rain, sitting on the back bumper of my van, post-banquet buzz cooling down, waiting for our moto to be called up, which came down to this: Back when I first started coming around "BMX" meant racing a bike on a closed course among competitors. Simple, that was it. The board thing was cool 'cause to a guy from Arkansas finding kindred souls of racers on the dark side of 40 and suddenly the world wasn't so big. But that was it: BMX was racing a BMX bike.
Now, as years and thousands of (thoughtful and well-reasoned) posts have gone by, "BMX" has come to mean a huge, just a giant, range of things, collecting, parenting, building, training, maybe retired, on and on and on into this sort of amalgam of people who just have this part of their life having something to do with bikes. Not "kids bikes" or any of that, just bikes. Maybe they don't ride, maybe they don't even own a bike, whatever, they're willing to circle the flame labeled "BMX" for their own reasons. All this time I thought it was just the guys I was in staging with, and now it turns out there's thousands more.
And, see, I would never have known that were it not for this board. And with that said, I would not have discovered "BMX" as a communal vibe were it not for this board.
So suddenly not only is the world smaller, but BMX itself is larger - all due to some software running in the corner of some data center somewhere. And that's really the thing, that's why we're able to weigh in on this conversation as we are: This is more than software humping along, this is something with a heart and soul, a living, vibrant, community. And it's a community made up of moogs like me who moth-like circle that BMX flame - in whatever permutation makes sense to them (collector, racer, parent, etc) - and we're here, together, loving the BMX thing.
How can I not relate to that?
(Also: Bango)
STODD
Feb 27 2007, 09:41 PM
I cosign Elvis 100 percent! Wow!
I discovered this site after a few failed attempts at buying my holy grail. I had been to Roost and all the other sites. It wasn't until I "met" Stratbike here that I felt that someone had the same interests as me(CBR). I was hooked. I then met all the Darksiders(before they were Darksiders) and was hooked - again. VBMX is my home no matter what changes the members and site goes through.
*The OZ homecoming was the greatest thing on this website for me, too.
[ February 27, 2007, 10:42 PM: Message edited by: STODD ]
Rod Miles
May 23 2007, 01:22 AM
I want Bill back DAMNIT!
I came here and joined this great site because of my friend Bill Curtin.
With out Bill and this outstanding website I would not have been able to meet all you great people and connect with many of my old buddies. That includes the Esser brothers and my friend Ken Pliska.
To ALL you guys......
Rodney Miles
Indy BMX 77'-84'
BenOr
May 23 2007, 02:42 AM
Rod –
The last couple weeks have been “strange†around here and “vintage bmx†in general. I personally have been disappointed and surprised with many people. However, I think things will settle down with a little time. I’ve stayed logged off for the most part (as have many) just to let the air clear.
Maybe the market is maturing and segmenting which is fine. But there is room for more than one or two sites. Bill has taken a great deal of hits. Some public that have been settled, some private that continue. I have respect for Bill for making his apology and hope he comes back around soon. Running a site is very time consuming, often thankless and you have to take everyone’s crap. Anyone who has a site knows this all too well.
For me, my favorite days were when this was smaller and more personal. I prefer the more settled vibe and I know Bill has some changes in store!
Ben
QuicksilverBMX
May 23 2007, 04:36 AM
Well all i know is other sites are nice to visit but this one I still call "home"
You'll find the majority of the Australian guys feel the same way. I wish i could have been here in the early days too.
HD #20
May 23 2007, 05:19 AM
I raced for 10 years, 1980-1990 respectively. I raced in the EBA, NBL, ABA, IBMXF and some other miniscule associations. Made BMX Action once and held a few national top 10’s and a 2nd at the Worlds one year. Why should I feel unwelcome here. If you feel that way, start an olds boys club with your contacts or make some friends.
P.S. I have many olds school pics from every NBL National too
waza007
May 23 2007, 05:51 AM
Ditto QuicksilverBMX