I don’t think words can describe how stoked I am on this video. If you remember the Haro team back in its heyday, you know how great that team was. So many awesome memories…It’s great to see these guys back in action.
I know I may have said that something else was possibly the best thing on YouTube, but right now this one takes the top spot for me.
If you were a BMX kid in the 80s and 90s, Freestylin’ magazine was your bible. Before that it was BMX Action magazine. Put out by Wizard publications they set the standard for BMX magazines everywhere. Regretfully, by the early 90s they were no more. There’s some debate about caused the demise of these great magazines…you can google a bit and find out the theories.
Recently, with a lot of hype, the limited-edition Freestylin’ book was released by the original editorial team of Andy, Lew and Spike. It was an attempt to capture those early, heady days when freestyle bmx came into its own. It’s a pretty good look back from what I’ve seen. But it didn’t capture everything. Steve Emig, a former staffer, seems to have had his experience there glossed over..well, actually left out of the book completely. Feeling miffed, he decided to post some of stuff that was left out of the book….and it’s some of the funniest, most addictive BMX-related writing you’ll find on the web. Topics range from Windy’s Boobs to riding with Craig Grasso. This is like the True Hollywood Stories of Wizard Publications. You have to check freestylinmagtales out.
Rick Moliterno might be some kind of crime-fighting superhero by night in addition to his already full plate with Standard Bykes, Goodtimes Superstore, and still killing it on his bike.
According to this news story, a local kid had just been in Rick’s shop, Goodtimes, and had gone across the street to grab a sandwich at Wendy’s. The kid did not lock his bike up and it was promptly stolen by some 14-year deliquent. Rick’s girlfriend saw the theft go down and told Rick. Rick put on his shoes, grabbed his bike and gave chase. Keep in mind that at this point the thief has a two-block head start and Rick is 30 years his senior. In most cases, that would mean that bike was long gone. But not when you have a BMX legend giving chase. Rick got the bike back and gave the kid some advice I’m sure he’s not going to forget:
“Don’t steal bikes, especially BMX bikes.”
Seriously, I’m beginning to wonder if Rick might be Batman.
In somewhat related news, I’m pretty stoked on this Standard 125R cruiser I stumbled upon on flickr:
Drawing on the frame and then clear coating it, the sweet green bars and forks…this is a nice bike.
We’ve been seeing some unseasonably warm temps in these parts recently and its making me even more antsy for spring. It’s warm enough for riding but with the snow melting and salt on the roads…it’s a sloppy mess. Still, sneaking a few minutes out of the office got me thinking about hot summer days and fun times at the trails.
The warm snap will be short lived though…they’re already calling for snow on the weekend. I console myself by remembering that both the Toronto International Bicycle Show and the Supercross are just one month away…
*Don’t ask me who the guy in the pic is…stumbled across it on the internet somewhere a while back…nice tuck jump though.
It’s a new year and a time for quiet reflection…an opportunity to put our differences aside and realize that we’re all in this crazy world together. Whether we’re out street riding or at the race track…it’s important to just chill and enjoy the camaraderie of other riders.
Kinda like these laidback guys in the 35-39 cruiser class…
or these two crazy kids…
It’s 2009…just pretend like you’re in the lumberyard and go balls out!
cruiser revolution 