For alot of us getting that first issue of a BMX magazine would change our lives. For me, it helped turn me from riding in the trails and racing my homemade BMX track to discovering real BMX bikes and tracks. The first issue of a BMX magazine was for me the August 1978 issue of the Mighty "Bicycle Motocross Action".


My Aunt, who lived across the river from me in Hamilton Square, NJ shocked me one day. I had a Schwinn Stingray with a conversion kit from Kmart and ten speed parts. I had built a BMX track near my house which was really a circle track with a couple steep downhills and uphills. Wed race one or two laps, copying the Flemington Speedway stars.

She asks as she hands me the magazine, "Is this what your into?". I was in shock. I had never seen a BMX magazine before. I was like , "OMG where'd you get this"? She picked it up at the 7-11 on Rt.33 From that point on everytime I visited my cousins Id go into the 7-11 and look for the latest issue. The first one I bought had Jeff Ruminer tearing it up with David Clinton.

Can you still remember seeing or getting your first BMX magazine?

Racer, that is awesome!! my love for bmx has sooooo much to do with the magazines,,,its one thing being a champion and loving bmx,,,try "not being a champion" but persuing bmx to the fullest??? that is true love!! ,,,,not knocking all the guys with national #'s under there belt, but how about not being so good, yet continuing to pack the car, re-do the bike, and head cross country to a national, only to consistantly not get out the motos??,,,,,heres the first one i ever purchased!!! won it on ebay a few months ago and have read it cover to cover, many times since, just like back in the days!!!!, claude

The first BMX magazine I bought was the BMXA issue with Tinker at the skatepark cover.
I was buying Skateboarder but added BMXA & Action Now.

b.

BMX Action - April 1981
It opened up a whole new world for me.

This one BND? That has to be one of the best BMXA covers. In fact almost everyone was on the wall of my bedroom.

Getting each issue was like Christmas.

Bicycle Motocross Action, I think it was the 3rd issue. It was yellow. I got a subscription card from my local bike shop. I may have been the first subscriber from Hawaii.

Changstar

If I remember correctly it was a Minicycle/BMX Action, July 1977. But the first BMX magazine I really remember was Bicycle Motocross Action, February 1978, with Stevie Skibel on the cover.

I'm not sure if it was 82 or 83, but I know it was BMXA and it had Clint Miller on a Torker and one of the Patersons at an indoor race on the cover tucked going over a jump. As far as I was concerned it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Everyone in mty family knew not to talk to me for a couple of hours after it showed up in the mail box because I would be completely rotten to them. lol

BMX Plus in 83. I can't remember which month. I got one and immediately bought a few back issues from 82. The most memorable for me was the Aug 82 issue with the Haselhorst powerslide on the cover. There was just something about that big 2.125 tire right in the face that looked cool. I got another issue with the Ross MX-Time on the cover from 82.

I bought a few more in '83 and got a subscription every year for Christmas through '87 if I remember correctly

That was my first BMXA one as well. I also had the one from the ABA

For me it was the July 1974 issue of Bicycle motocross news. they were giving them out free at the Yamaha Gold cup Qualifier at Burmingham High school. The feature artical was on the new Yamaha Moto-bike as tested by the OM himself. of course at this stage of the game he wasn't known as the "Old Man" yet. so of course we had to seek out the August issue when it came out. And there on the cover was a pic from the Gold cup race. In the background of that pic I spoted my friends Mike and Larry up in the grand stands! What do 'ya know, almost famous!!

mine was the cover with toby henderson and jeff bottema

I don't remember the first issue I had, they are all long gone. The weird thing is I distinctly remember the cover of the August 78 issue of BMXA as being one I had early on. Strange since I was only 7 years old, but the older kids in the area were into BMX by then so I probably got hooked up by one of them. I kept every issue I ever had of all the mags up until about 1994 when I gave them away to a kid next door to me. Two weeks later they were on the curb in the rain.

I don't remember the exact issue of BMXA it was, I just know that we read it so many times that it fell apart.

That April '81 cover is one of my all time favorites. Back then all of the factory riders seemed larger than life....even someone younger than me like Jasen Jensen. I think the magazines hyped the riders way better back then, especially BMXA. Could an 8 or 9 year old today ever be as "big time" as Jensen was. I remember him at the infamous mud national in Fairfax, Va signing autographed studio pictures of himself. He was a rockstar.

Mine was the Oct. 1979 issue of BMXA with Tim Judge on the cover. I was already racing and did not even know they had magazines on it till my buddy from across the street bought it for me. Before that it was his Boys Life article that kept me going.

Hey Brian! I'm still racing! Never stopped since '79. This week will put 29 straight years behind me and starting on year 30. Man, we're getting old. I'm older now than Clayton Denny and Jerry Farmer Sr. were when we were racing BITD. I used to think they were old at 35. Wow!

June 1980.

On the Cover, and featured racer: Eddy King

Bike Test: SE Quad Angle Killer Kit.

I read that magazine cover to cover, over and over again. And today, I still look through it with the same enthusiasm.

That one magazine got me hooked on a sport that has always been a part of me.

Jason was it this one?


Chris if it was this one, it was June of 82.


Sodbuster


NPSA Rider


Brian. My only Jason Jensen story is from 80? I was staying at a hotel on Landis Ave for the Vineland, NJ National. Jason was staying at the same hotel. We went over to meet him and he asked if he could ride over to the skatepark with us. Mind you he was younger then us (we were 14-16) but still totally amped and were like hell yeah! So we all rode over to the skate park. He rode the streets as hard as he raced. The skatepark had closed down so you couldnt ride it. Thats where the picture of Stu getting air on his SE was taken. Jason was I think 10, but everyone of us looked up to him like he was a Pro lol.

What a great thread ! I think about that same thing from time to time. I can't for the life of me remember what was on the cover or what year or month it was. I KNOW ALOT OF HELP THAT IS ... but the best thing about it and what sticks in my head over the WHOLE thing was , it gave a complete run down of R.L.'s Kuwahara & Buff's P.K. Ripper. For some reason I think it had a Team Murray guy on the cover or a Team Murray bike test in it. But I am probably wrong. Anyways I would luv to get a copy of that issue.

Mark

Haro thanks for the compliment on the topic.
Was this the issue. It has Murray on the cover and coverage of the BMXA trick team. I think this was before RL joined Redline so he may have been on a Kuwahara.

Racer, thanks. That is the one with the yellow cover. I think it was issue #3. To think I only missed 2 issues ever. Never even seen the 2 that came before mine. Just saw the covers when they did the aniversary issue with all the covers.

Changstar

I had that 'littlest factory riders' spread up on my wall, I thought those bikes were so cool..I had to have a DBIV..


I also remember asking Billy Saunders if he was on the cover of the next month..it was Mike Buff..he laughed at me..

anyone remember Billy Saunders from San Jose? I haven't thought of him in years.

Racer I think that is it. I know that is one of the covers I think is the one I wan looking for. Yes you are correct it was WAY before R.L. was on Redline because he was riding for Murray even before Redline and this was even before that. As I said I have not had a chance to look inside that particular issue to see if its the one, but it might be. Does it have a page that shows R.L.'s Kuwahra in it with a complete parts run down ? If so thats it. Hard to see but is it Dec. 81 ??

Mark