BMX in Beijing and McDonald's

[Cru Jones]

So, I was ordering a deluxe breakfast from Mickey D's and I see a bmxer on the bag. It's Donny Robinson. I guess he's on a cup, too. BMX is officially big time. I pumped to see it in the games. Makes me wish I was still racing.

Scan...

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/3295/drmcdonaldslz3.jpg

[CHepler]

dR is a great rep for the USA and bmx. This is a site my girl and I go to for the gymnastics stuff. Go Donnie !

http://attblueroom.com/sports/teamusa/tipsandtraining/athletes/mediaplayer.php?dcm_channel_nm=Donny%20Robinson&content_id=178341&cid=178508&tabs=bio

[Arkayne]

That's good to see. My local BMX track's attendance is way down compared to 18 years ago when I was racing. I hope BMX come back, BIG.

[don]

Cru, didn't Mc D's sponsor or at least co-sponsor a BMX team BITD? There were a few big brands - Eagle Snacks and Jolly Rancher stand out. This is in the mid 80's before things just went flat.

BMX Racing... IDK where to start. I did a reunion race last summer and it was a blast but something about the local track seemed to change. Maybe it was all the clips and the little ones falling over on the gate if their dad didn't help them. Maybe it was the lack of said dads not racing... Our old-school gate was just dudes that raced at that track in the 80's. But I remember there was always a gate of a few dads racing back then.

I came home thinking, a night at the track is cool but for 3 hours of my time, I can be at the trails and ride the whole time vs. just my motos.

What else? Track design, number of nat'l's, all levels at nat'ls (#1 beginner??! WTF?), local races not being just fun but for points. So much more. I have 3 kids, that I wouldn't ever think to bring BMX racing and I grew up living it. I hope the Olympics changes things up for the better.

[jasride]

What else? Track design, number of nat'l's, all levels at nat'ls (#1 beginner??! WTF?), local races not being just fun but for points. So much more. I have 3 kids, that I wouldn't ever think to bring BMX racing and I grew up living it. I hope the Olympics changes things up for the better.

I just like going on practice nights and doing gates. The race seen around these parts is pretty bare, you're right, not like it used to be. Just seems so lame duck, I would way rather be in the woods. At the same time, if I'm lucky enough for my son to take an interest in bicycles I will definitely let him learn on the local track. Fundamentals.

[Cru Jones]

Cru, didn't Mc D's sponsor or at least co-sponsor a BMX team BITD? There were a few big brands - Eagle Snacks and Jolly Rancher stand out. This is in the mid 80's before things just went flat.

I believe it. I don't remember any big name sponsors during my years. But, it reminds me of RAD when the guy is sponsored by Coke and Cru is like "Wow, that's big time."

BMX Racing... IDK where to start. I did a reunion race last summer and it was a blast but something about the local track seemed to change. Maybe it was all the clips and the little ones falling over on the gate if their dad didn't help them. Maybe it was the lack of said dads not racing... Our old-school gate was just dudes that raced at that track in the 80's. But I remember there was always a gate of a few dads racing back then.

I came home thinking, a night at the track is cool but for 3 hours of my time, I can be at the trails and ride the whole time vs. just my motos.

What else? Track design, number of nat'l's, all levels at nat'ls (#1 beginner??! WTF?), local races not being just fun but for points. So much more. I have 3 kids, that I wouldn't ever think to bring BMX racing and I grew up living it. I hope the Olympics changes things up for the better.

Yeah, I see what you're saying. I haven't been to a track in years, but I can tell it's definitely different than when I was doing it. It seems a lot more serious than it used to be. Also, there is a huge separation now between bmx racing and freestyle... it is like completely different sports. There was some of that back then with Mat Hoffman and others doing the ramp thing, but almost everybody else that rode bmx raced bmx. I'm sure kids could still learn the basic skills without racing, but it sure does help. I can pretty much always tell if a rider raced bmx when they were younger just by watching them ride. Like WCH, for example, rides with a smooth racer style.

And it's funny that you talk about only riding in your motos. I don't know if it's still this way, but when we were racing, we rode pretty much the whole time we were at the track. We would practice non stop b4 the races, then we would always have some little dirt jumps or something to goof around on. I also remember just riding wheelies around the parking lot, having bunny hop contests, and playing foot down. To me, those were some of the best things about racing.

Haha, just thought of this, did you ever have slow racing? Where the last person to the bottom of the starting hill wins? Those were fun.

[don]

Cru - yup the huge seperation now might be the biggest thing hurting the racing. I loved racing but during the week I'd be riding my 1/4 pipe and of course the jumps I had in my back yard. Do some gate starts and speed jumps but try to get some tricks as well. We all would try some flatland as well. I think it's all serious now - like I said little kids being clipped in - WTF?

And I remember what you mean about riding in between motos. I would bring my skateboard and skate a bit as well. Of course we would be looking for that small jump someplace. It's hard to fart around like that when you have the ballet shoes on and aluminum frames. There were some great in-between-motos memories: hitting a nasty fly-out jump w/ Mike Miranda at my home track, seeing Dave Clymer hit a small lip at Woodward (yes, Woodward had BMX racing BITD) and just explode on the landing and get up laughing, sessioning a big ol' double that Corey Unger built at some Nat'l in NY and watching Chase Digit suicide no-hand it but flap his arm like he was a chicken riding shirtless, no helmet and w/ 1 3/8" wheels.

There still might be some of that left but not sure how much.

[LeRoy]

I know this has been posted before (and it is garbage quality) but I wanted to get it up here to get people excited about how awesome the races are gonna be at the Olympics. The track is incredible.

http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=KC-Di-DkkDM

[Savage_Animal]

nevermind...

[buckoW]

The Swiss BMX scene is alive and well. I coach the little ones once a week for a club called the Bicross Club Chablais http://www.bicrossclub-chablais.ch/images/team-bcc2008.jpg

that is a pic of only a fourth of the total members that come to practice. I try and keep it fun for them in my trainings and they have a serious practice on another day with another instructor. Before I came it was only racing and no freestyle but after a couple years everyone has their signature moves and I have a super fun jump session once a week with my little buddies. They are rippin racers but I think if they are going to stay involved in BMX then they need to have fun on all sides. The races over here sound a lot like what you guys said it was like for you growing up. http://swissbmxrace.skyrock.com/ Dino and Jeremy are the best kids in the club. Jeremy loves his whips and one footers. He is currently trying to table one foot.

[jasride]

I think it's all serious now - like I said little kids being clipped in - WTF?

exactly, it gets way serious way to young. The track around my local area doesn't see huge turnouts but you can tell the ones that are there seem to be really serious. I think it takes away from the point of keeping it fun, in a sense the olympics i think will only push that to an even higher level. It has become way more "jock" than it used to be. When i was younger, we would ride our bikes to the track and on our way there the only thing i would think about was wanting to clear what seem to be a huge table into the first berm and just hitting all the jumps. In a sense competition is good, but at what age should it start getting serious?

[Durt]

Kyle Bennet will win the Gold. MARK IT DOWN!

Back in '99 when I really started to get serious about bmx, there were 7 different tracks in the Houston area. One of them was indoors. The scene was huge, Saturday night locals were pushing 50 motos. Less than 10 years later, we're down to two tracks and 10-12 motos.

I guess all the kids grew up and/or gave up. Personally, I gave it up voluntarily. It just got to be too serious and too dangerous. Guys were trying to wreck you in a Saturday night local. They were willing to cause you serious injury just to win a cheap ass plastic trophy. Dude leaned on me, trying to run me over the top of the berm while fighting for the top spot. We balled up, he wrecked, I finished 5th, him last. When I went over to shake his hand, he wanted to fight me. That was my last race. It just wasn't worth it, it wasn't fun anymore. Sure, DJing is dangerous also but, a fall at the DJ's is my own fault. I'm not at risk of being taken out purposely or by someone else's crash.

Maybe it's the freedom and creativity of freestyle that is attracting the younger kids these days. It is certainly a hell of lot cheaper than trying to race and keep up with points. Racing is too rigid and inflexible. Freestyle you can ride just about anywhere at any time. And nationals....jeebus: tremendous expense to travel to races, ever rising enrty fees, all to sit around ALL DAY LONG bored out of your mind just to get 3 or 4 laps around a track that was built so 5 year olds can get around it. No thanks man.

[sperkins]

Yeah i'm glad that BMX is making a stand in athletics! the olympics should be pretty awesome this year!

[Mr Tiles]

I ride my 20 b/c it's fun...

seriously though, it's amazing how many kids these days can't ride a bike PERIOD! I have some inlaw family kids that are in middle school and don't know the basics of riding a bike. There's another 6-y-o kid in the neighborhood that's plum sketchy on a bike but he can throw a mean fastball. cycling has taken a distant back seat to organized sports in our neck of the woods. I had a neighbor's kid ask me the other day if my wife was my mom b/c I was out in the driveway riding my 20...hahahaha...tripped me out. now I don't feel so old.

Point of all this is, when I was a kid, there were no options. if you wanted to have fun, you had it on a bike rippin' it with your pals. skateboards came later but for the main part, it was all about two wheels and a coaster brake (depending on the era). I'm really instilling that in my son. I hope he runs with it...

[OGRipper]

I rode BMX way back in the day, starting from before freestyle became popular. I loved bmx bikes and did a little racing, but was always annoyed at super competitive kids and the structure - I really just wanted to have fun on my bike. I pretty quickly learned that freestyle was the way to do that without the BS, and spent the rest of my 20" days riding ramps, flatland, and trails. I remember being even more annoyed when they started doing freestyle comps - all the same problems with bmx racing - plus subjective judging, great. Racing and comps exist for many reasons, and I'm glad some people get their kicks doing it, but I always wanted to just go ride wherever and whenever. Still do.

[trust4130]

Cru, didn't Mc D's sponsor or at least co-sponsor a BMX team BITD? There were a few big brands - Eagle Snacks and Jolly Rancher stand out. This is in the mid 80's before things just went flat.


If memory serves me correctly, Steve Veltman rode for them (McD's)...

Serioulsy, why do I remember things like this and forget so much other stuff... wierd.

[trust4130]

If memory serves me correctly, Steve Veltman rode for them (McD's)...

Serioulsy, why do I remember things like this and forget so much other stuff... wierd.

Shoot, look what I found on wikipedia under a serch for Steve Veltman...

McDonald's: Mid 1987-Late October 1988. McDonald's, like it's competitor Hardee's, fielded a BMX team but the McDonald's team lasted two years compared to the one the Hardee's team lasted. McDonald's shut down its BMX effort in October of 1988.[16]

[don]

Great post Durt - I agree about the competiness - can't shake a hand after a race isn't cool at all especially a local. I'd rather hoot and whistle for someone riding trails. DJ's might be a bit more dangerous but all I have to worry about is myself.

[don]

Shoot, look what I found on wikipedia under a serch for Steve Veltman...

McDonald's: Mid 1987-Late October 1988. McDonald's, like it's competitor Hardee's, fielded a BMX team but the McDonald's team lasted two years compared to the one the Hardee's team lasted. McDonald's shut down its BMX effort in October of 1988.[16]

How could I forget Steve Veltman and McD's. Although '88 was when I was getting out of BMX racing for college.

[hardtales]

Yes, I remember the Eagle Snacks team...! and went to Woodward camp for racing (always wished I was in the freestyle program... foam pits!), footdown is the best!, Chase Digit (who I beat at Woodward Nat'ls... cuz he slipped his pedals), raising hell inside the hotels and skywalks at the best race of the year, XMas Classic in Columbus, OH. Found a letter the other day from Joe Rich after a summer at Woodward, when he was a JC or something... haha, good memories.
http://flickr.com/photos/budesigns/2622060422/

[Mr Tiles]

hahaha, you guys were pen pals...actually, that's pretty awesome.

[Savage_Animal]

http://i47.servimg.com/u/f47/11/77/23/43/yeti_b10.jpg

"Jared Graves is headed to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and this is the bike he will be riding. The Yeti Super X was designed specifically for Jared and his input helped shape the frame. The frame will be available in the fall as a production model and weighs in at 3.8lbs. Price yet to be determined."

Check put more on the yeti website: http://www.yeticycles.com/

[Stoked]

that yeti looks killer!

[kOlsen]

The Yeti SuperX is the sexiest looking bmx racing frame out there!

Makes me want to start racing again just looking at it.