While reading SPRFLS, and listening to a conversation with an old school racer at my new trails tonight.... I was thinking about how each of us has a weird and long history with bikes. Some of it is cool and worth bragging about. And a lot may not be. Looking back there are probably bikes you wish you had had but didn't. Along the way I rode wack bikes and rad bikes. Sometimes even the wack bikes were rad because of what I did on them.
So this is my list (in order of aqcuisition). showing how i've been simultaneously in flatland, park/street, and trailz). Borrowing a bike for a week or riding your friend's bike doesn't count--must be actually yours. Omissions like random beer-run beach cruisers is acceptable.
1. Murray dept. store bmx (obsession with bikes began)
2. Schwinn mtb 24" (crap)
3. '87 Diamond Back Hot Streak, meticulously applied grip tape all over the f*cker. (learned basic flatland)
4. '87 Haro Master (learned more basic flatland)
5. '88 Haro Master (learned rest of basic flatland)
6. '87 Mongoose Decade (learned to jump out of ditches)
7. '89 GT Pro Series race (briefly tried racing again)
8. '86 Haro Freestyler (weird bike but looked cool)
9. '92 GT Pro Freestyle Tour (classic - learned more flatland than any bike i've ever had)
10. '87 GT Pro Performer (flatland experiment)
11. '91 S&M Holmes (learned to ride miniramp and skatepark)
12. '94 Powerlite XXL race (learned to manual)
13. '94/'95 Homeless Pornstar XL (learned to ride street)
14. ’94 S&M Widowmaker cruiser (learned to jumpa nd ride trails. classic)
15. '95 Powerlite freestyle (Trevor Meyer/Kevin Gutierrez era) (short lived experiment. proved i could ride flatland on a 20.5"tt ramp bike).
16. ’95 Homeless Mack (1” head tube) (still have and love this bike)
17. ’95 Standard Shorty (1” head tube)
18. ‘95/’96 Hoffman TAJ (cheap trade at the trails but fun as hell)
19. ‘98/’99? Standard Shaman (bobby fisher rules)
20. ’96? Schwinn Azrael (sickest flatland bike ahead of its time)
21. ’01/02? Standard STA R-Model 20.5”tt (prototype or first run)
22. ’01? Mutiny Undertaker 21”tt (handmedown from neal harrington)
23. ’02? Mutiny Raven (cheapo bin at empire)
24. ’04? Fly Mosca 19.8tt (bmxboard acquisition. lightest new school bike thus far. flatland/street/park crossover)
25. ’06 DK Xenia 26” (impulse buy. why not try 26?. great decision)
26. '05 Haro Backtrail 24" (short lived craiglist trade)
27. ’06 DK General Lee 24” (set up for flatland. ongoing experiment. rarely ride but still f un.)
28. ’06? Macneil Deuce Deuce (ongoing experiment. bigger feels better these days.)
29. ’07 Terrible One Garrett Byrnes (so sick i didn't deserve it)
30. ’05 Specialized P-Street 24” (wack, but experimental value)
31. ’08 Union Street Molly Maguire 24” (sweet but somehow never quite jibed, maybe will soon, tweak some setup)
32. ’08 Blackmarket MOB 26” (amazing. new world of riding. i get up at 6:30 before work to ride this bike, cut out at lunch to dig, and ride and chill with a new crew of riders with this bike at my side)
So this is my list (in order of aqcuisition). showing how i've been simultaneously in flatland, park/street, and trailz). Borrowing a bike for a week or riding your friend's bike doesn't count--must be actually yours. Omissions like random beer-run beach cruisers is acceptable.
1. Murray dept. store bmx (obsession with bikes began)
2. Schwinn mtb 24" (crap)
3. '87 Diamond Back Hot Streak, meticulously applied grip tape all over the f*cker. (learned basic flatland)
4. '87 Haro Master (learned more basic flatland)
5. '88 Haro Master (learned rest of basic flatland)
6. '87 Mongoose Decade (learned to jump out of ditches)
7. '89 GT Pro Series race (briefly tried racing again)
8. '86 Haro Freestyler (weird bike but looked cool)
9. '92 GT Pro Freestyle Tour (classic - learned more flatland than any bike i've ever had)
10. '87 GT Pro Performer (flatland experiment)
11. '91 S&M Holmes (learned to ride miniramp and skatepark)
12. '94 Powerlite XXL race (learned to manual)
13. '94/'95 Homeless Pornstar XL (learned to ride street)
14. ’94 S&M Widowmaker cruiser (learned to jumpa nd ride trails. classic)
15. '95 Powerlite freestyle (Trevor Meyer/Kevin Gutierrez era) (short lived experiment. proved i could ride flatland on a 20.5"tt ramp bike).
16. ’95 Homeless Mack (1” head tube) (still have and love this bike)
17. ’95 Standard Shorty (1” head tube)
18. ‘95/’96 Hoffman TAJ (cheap trade at the trails but fun as hell)
19. ‘98/’99? Standard Shaman (bobby fisher rules)
20. ’96? Schwinn Azrael (sickest flatland bike ahead of its time)
21. ’01/02? Standard STA R-Model 20.5”tt (prototype or first run)
22. ’01? Mutiny Undertaker 21”tt (handmedown from neal harrington)
23. ’02? Mutiny Raven (cheapo bin at empire)
24. ’04? Fly Mosca 19.8tt (bmxboard acquisition. lightest new school bike thus far. flatland/street/park crossover)
25. ’06 DK Xenia 26” (impulse buy. why not try 26?. great decision)
26. '05 Haro Backtrail 24" (short lived craiglist trade)
27. ’06 DK General Lee 24” (set up for flatland. ongoing experiment. rarely ride but still f un.)
28. ’06? Macneil Deuce Deuce (ongoing experiment. bigger feels better these days.)
29. ’07 Terrible One Garrett Byrnes (so sick i didn't deserve it)
30. ’05 Specialized P-Street 24” (wack, but experimental value)
31. ’08 Union Street Molly Maguire 24” (sweet but somehow never quite jibed, maybe will soon, tweak some setup)
32. ’08 Blackmarket MOB 26” (amazing. new world of riding. i get up at 6:30 before work to ride this bike, cut out at lunch to dig, and ride and chill with a new crew of riders with this bike at my side)
