Fun Ride Through Town

Just a quick spin around Downtown San Antonio on my Redline Monocoq cruiser. Always a blast to ride this bike around and finally getting to editing a few of the clips. Just a test run until I find some editing software I like.
 

BMX Plus February 1983

 

There have been so many memorable magazine covers from the likes of BMX Plus and BMX Action, but there was always one from BMX Plus that stood out to me. And remembering the first time seeing this as a twelve-year-old at my friend Adam's house. WOW! Bob Haro, playing peek-a-boo on that chrome Haro Master, riding in some futuristic world, this cover was it!  And at the time when Star Wars Return of The Jedi were coming out with other 1983 classics like War Games and Krull, this was the perfect cover for the time. And forget about all of us needing those Graphite Skyway Tuff Wheels after seeing those gold hubs! 

It was always nice to see a little more freestyle making it to the pages of magazines during this time. I can still remember trying these bar hops in our gravel driveway out in the country. Hahaha! And I'm still looking through a few old boxes of stuff hoping to find my copy of Bob Haro's Freestyle Moves book. But it looks like that might be lost along with all of those copies of that Atari Video games.

Now, there is so much to unpack here. When I was doing these post regularly, I would not normally do a post of three pictures from a "bike test", but this one was too good to pass up. And as a huge bike and automotive nerd, the history of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch brand is something that is an all-day research fest and a possible call to one James May from The Grand Tour.

Now mixed into all of the "rich" Daimler-Puch" history, there was an agreement with a New Jersey frame builder named Speed Unlimited. These American produced frames to the naked eye look to be just a normal run of frames from this era of BMX, but upon closer look, they have a list of amazing frame building features. Ovalized top and down tubes, gussets at the seat and chain stays, plate gussets with logo embossed into them, and tubular brake mounts. Nicely produced frames, and I would love to see one of these in person.

Nelson Canada and D.D. Leona battling it out in a tough 17x main from the Huffy/ABA Grand Nationals. Looks like D.D. Leona took the win, and a very fast Steve Veltman took the Amateur and Cruiser Titles. 

RL Osborn X-Up 1984

RL Osborn, x-up over the BMX Action Trick Team quarter pipe. From the October 1985 issue of BMX Action, shot at the Murray World Cup. 

Sunday Klunker Spin

Went for a fun Sunday Klunker spin around the Semmes Library Park up to the Commanche Tower. This old Klunker bike rides so good. 

Time For An Update

The old Redline cruiser is ready for some maintenance and updates. Not sure what is to come for the ride, but it has been a great bike. 

Fredericks Of Hollywood Redline Addition

El Cid in front of Fredricks Of Hollywood, Redline mounted with a fresh pair of Chuck Taylors. Two page spread from the June 1986 issue of BMX Action.

 

Club Homeboy Ad

More form the January 1988 issue of Freestylin'.

Great Bikes Over At Vintage BMX

Spotted these over on Vintage BMX. MarcMc posted these up the other day. View the rest of the post here.

http://www.vintagebmx.com/community/index.php?showtopic=27057918

http://www.empirebmx.com/store/empire_index.asp

BMX Action--March 1984

I am not sure what is most impressive? R.L.'s air. Or all of the crazy captions on the cover. They really tried and fit as many on there as they could didn't they. Didn't really matter to me when I was younger, great cover shot and freestyle tricks I could do, I was SOLD!

At the time I had no idea about NBL racing, San Antonio had only two ABA tracks and I am not even sure where a NBL track was located in Texas, and to tell the truth, I still don't. Great Brent Patterson shot.

What was the difference between the #1f on Rod Fehd's plate and the #1 on D.D. Leone's plate? I am actually wishing they would have had one of those drawings of this tracks layout. From what they showed it looked really good.

Here is the top side view of the cover shot. I actually think I like the cover shot better. Well, minus the free prizes of course.

http://www.empirebmx.com/store/empire_index.asp
http://fairdalebikes.com/
Cult Goods. Did the band The Cult ever get back together? Or did they never really break up?

BMX Action--January 1984 Part Three

And here is part three of the January 1984 issue of BMX Action. So much good content in this issue, a must download for everyone. Here is the direct link to the PDF file. http://oldschoolmags.com/mags/BMXA_8401.pdf

BMX Action--January 1984 Part Two

More from the January 1984 issue of BMX Action. Mostly the rest of the Redline Carrera II test. Enjoy.

Visit this post BMX Action September 1983 and let me know what you think.

BMX Action--January 1984 Part One

"Factory Kuwie ace, Troy Daniels, takin' care of biz at the NBL grands." That is what the inside contents description says. Not sure who Troy was, but he sure scored a kick ass cover on his 24.

I always get a kick out of seeing some of the reader submitted photos. And when the names Todd Anderson and Hugo Gonzales are attached to two of them in the same gallery, you know I would have to post them. Legends!

For the longest time I wanted a Redline, and when they introduced the Carrera II, I wanted one even more so. Well, that never really happened, but damn, the Carrera II is one of the coolest bikes Redline produced.

Cult OS Classic Frame at Empire BMX

Visit the BMX Action September 1983 post.

Visit our friends at Demolition Parts, they have had a kick ass year!

BMX Action -- November 1983 Part 2

So much to add from this post http://edwardkoenning.blogspot.com/2011/06/bmx-action-november-1983.html Issue was so packed with great coverage. Here are a few more really good shots.

Kink 2012 Curb BMX Bike (Purple, 20-Inch)
BMX Plus

Freestylin' -- May 1985

Nice cover with Woody Itson pulling a one-footed flipper somewhere on a brick kick turn ramp. The turned slide on the cover seems to have popped up a few times in Wizard's history. This one of Eddie Fiola being one of my favorites. And also is seems Rippin' might have a little history with Wizard Publications also.

Last month I posted this sick picture of Dave Vanderspek from the Joe's II contest. Good to go back and revisit this issue. That ramp looked so perfect and the guys were killing it. A two page spread of Fiola doing a feeler air? Keep reading on to the next section to see.......

.......the picture I would have liked to see in that two page spread. Hugo Gonzales with a kick ass one footed look back. Hugo was always trying cool stuff at contest, and look back variations are something that was not being done at the time. Also nice to see Joe the owner of the ramp getting some love. Nice hand plant shot. Is that even what that trick is called? Excuse my lack of skating knowledge. Where is Animal Chin anyway?

Rick Allison laying down a track stand out in the street in front of Joe's house. If you look closely you can see some pretty big names in that crowd of riders.

Online over at Facetube there is footage of this show in France with RL Osborn and Eddie Fiola. I still find it crazy that these guys used to kill it on such narrow ramps. Oh the good old days.

Also good to get Mike Dominquez coverage after getting better from a broken leg.  Dude was always going way high and had the best variations. One-hander, one-footer while teammate Woody Itson looks on. Also you have Ron Wilkerson laying a little hip hanger in downtown San Francisco.

Todd Anderson Top Side Can-Can

From the December 1986 issue of Freestyle Spectacular. Head over to the Old School Mag Site for more issues. http://oldschoolmags.com/index.html

BMX Plus
Ride BMX (1-year)
Rad TV The Sequel (VHS) BMX PLUS

More From The Texas Vintage BMX Meetup

Here are a few more photos from the meetup yesterday.