I am one of those old school types. Raced me first race in November 1980. Raced until late '85/ early '86. Turned pro around the end of my career, so didn't get to do much pro stuff, but a little. I quit due to dwindelling interest by other racers in my trendy town. I really couldn't stay competitive, and college was taking more time, working full time, etc., etc.
Anyway, I kept my bike, rode it occasionally, and then it sat. Recently, my interest has been resparked. I am restoring my Quad to its former glory, using all of the original parts (except the tires; pretty well shot.)
So, in reading these and other forums, I thought to meself "Why not get on the track again?" Sounds like fun.
But... this new riding style is weird to me. The thing that trips me out the most is this manual business. I never could do it on a skateboard, and really doubt if I could do it on my bike.
Back in my day, a racer did the power wheelie deal over smaller single jumps, stayed low over the step-ups, and flew over the doubles.
In watching vids of modern racing there doesn't seem to be any doubles, step-ups, and all of the jumps seem to be rolling type affairs. The tracks also seem ultra smooth and I have even seen paved berms. Really weird considering the tracks I raced BITD were sometimes rutted, sometimes downhill, and sometimes rough.
Now, mind you, I am not knocking the new stuff. It just seems really foreign to me. I will however go to the local tracks as soon as I get my bike finished and do some practice laps.
If I do nothing more than build up the old, cardio vascular system in doing so, I will be stoked.
Hopefully, the younger punks won't laugh to much, or too loudly...

I quit racing around '83. I never manual'd (or even jumped very well) either. I certainly never turned pro. I started back several years ago w/ my older brother and my nephew. Coming back to racing was pretty much me starting as a noob... and it's been a blast. At 42 years of age I really enjoy it. I'm enjoying the learning process, met lots of cool people, and it serves as motivation to stay in shape. Get your arse out to the track and do something you've always liked.

i don't think i would use that old quad to get back on the track.
the new tracks will eat that thing alive,you better get something newer.
i also raced back in the early 80's and i can tell you the tracks are way more technical.
they are harder and if you might think that all the manual stuff with less pedaling looks easier.
try going out and pumping a track without pedaling it's very taxing.
i suggest you pick up a newer cruiser and hit the track on that for a bit to get your bearings back.
trust me you will be glad you got the bigger bike at first. good luck

This is the 1st time I've ever heard Bakersfield described as being "trendy"

Bmx has really gone through some changes, its kind of like supercross/supermoto mix. The closest thing these days to motocross on bicycles is 4x.

Yepper! I couldn't agree more. The tracks now are alot more technical than I remember. I still went for it and kept on practicing. Eventually I will get there, but I'm not a quitter and never have taken defeat lightly. Not that I'm a sore loser, because I understand that I have to lose to learn how to win.

As far as the tracks being more rolling type of tracks maybe your just going to those types of tracks. I know at my home track there's Tables, Step ups, Doubles, Triples, and whoop-de-doos or rollers (whatever). Some have lips that encourage jumping and some don't. Yes the burms are paved now, but I've seen tracks that don't have paved turns. So I guess it all depends what track you go to.

As for the Quad, I wouldn't race it. I'd restore it and just ride and treasure it as a piece of history.

That's my .02 cents.

Give it a try.. But I can tell you that the tracks are way harder to ride then ones of the early 80's.. Now there are some tracks that you don't have to jump much but do manual and then there are other tracks that you better be jumping or hitting the brakes... A couple things that are most noticeable is from old tracks is much stepper backsides and 3+ jumps per straight. very little pedalling..

Watch your mouth!

(I bet he was living somewhere else then.)

btw, Rod Beckering lives there in Bakersfield now too. He used to race bitd but has somehow managed to adapt to todays style. He comes out and races a few times a year and can still give trouble to those of us that ride all the time.

You have a really great BMX scene there in Bakersfield. You can ride every day there except Sunday. There used to be a pretty big older guy 20" scene there as well with quite a few novices. I would encourage you to get back out to the track. If you don't see older guys at first just keep coming, they are there. Take it at your own pace. You will get it.

I like where I am now but I do miss the Bakersfield BMX racing scene. A LOT of good people down there.

Get out there and try it! I raced from '82 - '86 and believe that the tracks are much more fun now than they were back then. And, the fact that people roll things doesn't mean you can't still jump. Wait until you start jumping different lines though a rhythm section - it's a blast. Manualing is a lot of fun (and efficient) too. Generally, today's tracks are less about pedaling and much more about pumping speed.

You have to get a new bike though. Not that your old Quad isn't rad, but the geometry has come a long way and is so much better now.

Shoot man, I'm 54, have a heart that runs on batteries, am used as the "Before" picture in BMX training videos, and race weekly. It ain't that big a deal. It's different from what you're used to, but that's it.

It's the same thing as it was back in the day if you're an old schooler. The jumps are bigger and closer together then before and that's about it. Paved turns makes zero difference aside from allowing you to hold more speed on a smoother turn. If you were flying over doubles back then you can still do the same today if you have the skill/confidence to do so. Tracks now have tighter rhythm sections and if anything are far more technical. Get out, ride, and adjust if you love the sport.

When I first returned to the track after 15 years off I never thought I could do it. The jumps were twice as high as I remembered and the rhythm section ate me alive the first 15-20 times I rode it. Eventually I adjusted and now I'm having a blast again. Never say NEVER....

Hey BS, when did you live/race here?

And as far as the trendy thing goes... Late '70s/ early '80s BMX was the thing. Bikes everywhere. Started fizzling out mid/ late '80s. Skateboarding was the big thing then. Skaters all over the place.
When dropped mini trucks were the rage, everybody seemed to have them. Then they disappeared and Fast and Furious cars took their place. Now you can't go anywhere in town without ginormous 4x4s running you down.
Trust me, after living here most of my life, this is one trendy town...

You just described 95% of US Cities.

MOST IMPORTANTLY...don't let what you read on these internet forums affect your opinion of bmx...your experience at the track will be much more fun than internet bmx

It's analogous to life in general...you (hopefully) enjoy your life and family, but when you watch CNN and all of the politics, you start thinking how crappy life in America must be

1998 to 2008

This kid that use to race BITD showed up and raced and started running evryone off the track and riding real agressive ... he ran a dude off of every straight everyone was pissed at him in the moto....I was laughing and walked over and told him its against the rules to run someone off the track on the last straight and he said "where's the fun in that!" I told him agressive riding went out 5 years ago and he said "man I quit"

That's exactly right.

I raced 81 to 84. By 87 I hardly rode at all anymore, and basically had barely touched a bike until this past Spring. I jumped right back into racing having completed my bike only 24 hours earlier. It is really a lot of fun, and you if you had the riding chops before your body will remember.

I race a 20" because there are classes and more opportunities and levels to race. The new bikes are very long and low compared to the old school bikes. They fit better for an adult. But don't underestimate the old school bikes. I've competed against a couple of riders on old school Diamondbacks and Maximums and found they are hardly a handicap if they still fit you.

One word of caution, your speed and desire to get rad and mix it up like you used to will come before your skills do. DO NOT discover, when you're flying top speed over a double, that you've forgotten how to land your bike.
Chances of injury are greater now than they were when you were a teen.
I suggest padding up. Getting up a bloody mess after a crash just isn't quite as fun as it used to be. And don't use your hands to break your fall if you go down.

That aside, I have to say that racing now at 42 is everything it was back when I was 15, and in some ways it's even cooler. There are few attitudes now. They guys on the gate are just happy to be up there competing. The younger riders seem to enjoy riding with us old schoolers, and find us an odd curiosity. Little things like seatpost height really seem to confuse them.