a BMX and True Grit..

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Flying Zombie

Flying Zombie

~:Undead Forever:~
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No, not the John Wayne Classic.. But the same meaning.
I began here in late August, A real Poster Child for Classic Bike Introductions..

I had BMX bikes when I was younger.. A Huffy here.. A Haro there..
even one painted up JUST like the General Lee
[which was later stolen by someone who clearly loved it more at the time]

I remember first discovering my dads stash of EasyRiders in his dresser around twelve,
and taking in [not only the sights ^.6] the details of each crusty, rusty bike I could find in them.
I like a complete restore, don't get me wrong..seeing cars/bikes from yester-year driving about like
fresh off the factory floor, today.. neat.
But when it comes down to it, I'm all about that Lovely,
Natural dark toned Patina.

After those earlier years, I developed more an interest in what I could make my bike look like [again, as
any kid my age, I imagine..] and how far I could take my limited tools with only the most basic ideas to work off.
I had a BMX ..probably some wally world knock-around, and rattle-canned it all flat black, stitched on some
Leopard print fleece to the seat, and stapled it in place from underneath..had some Rustoleum crusty brown/red in flat
and did my spokes and wheels in that... dice caps.. and a little Altoids tin I wire-tied to the frame,
just behind the chain-wheel, and painted it to match.
It wasn't a lot.. it didn't cost much.. but it stood out, and I loved it.
It didnt really register to me at the time I just duked out a cheap BMX and made it rat,..
I just wanted a punk bike for my punk teenage mentality.
Looking back on it, I wouldn't have chosen another bike knowing what I do today, just given
how much fun it was to ride..knowing I did it with what was available.

To me, there is a certain amount of True Grit you can get out of a BMX in youth..
you just cant from anything else as an adult.
Today Im sporting an Otasco Badged Ladies Murray ['68-'69] and most of a '07 Stingray..
I loved that BMX.. but the older I get, the less I appreciate BMX as a style of bicycle.
[despite my memories on them growing fonder]

With my growing experience and knowledge about bikes here, it makes that bike and the work I did on it then..
and all the memorable ones since, just that much neater to me.
Thank You, Members and Staff of RRB.
FZ



​
 
patman73 said:
restorations are great but i like a bike i can ride with no worries & make it how i want it to look !
Click to expand...
Exactly.. its a whole other mindset.. where you would be riding a Beauty, and drive past a metal flange.. or coffee can in the street and just blatantly ride by, considering it trash, you could ride by the same Flange of metal or Coffee can and see repurpose in it.. looking at the rust..then at your bike for where it would fit.. :rolleyes:
 
CeeBee said:
Nice symmetry in your original post.:113:
Click to expand...
Haha, thanks. I was actually thinking about how the words would look as I was writing.. I switched back and fourth formats until I decided on Centering it all for simplicity sake.:blush:
 
So Zombie, what bikes do you find yourself drawn to after being here for a couple of months? Prewar? 50's tankers? 60's middleweight? Newer Dyno + Electra + Felt? I am probably going out on a limb here (and maybe judging you more then I should) but, I figured that you would see some of the steampunk builds on here and put your own spin on that trend!
 
Big Ape said:
So Zombie, what bikes do you find yourself drawn to after being here for a couple of months? Prewar? 50's tankers? 60's middleweight? Newer Dyno + Electra + Felt? I am probably going out on a limb here (and maybe judging you more then I should) but, I figured that you would see some of the steampunk builds on here and put your own spin on that trend!
Click to expand...

Whew.. This gets the gears moving.
I like PreWar Most, I'd say.. I find the shapes and shades beautiful no matter the make or model. Honestly, I enjoy the beefier ones more..
[again, no make or model in particular]
Fat Tanks, Thick Tires [tyres?] Gutter Fenders..Sprinkler top Horns..You name it. I like all the styles of the accessories and how well they compliment the bike with just the right amount of "More".

Id eventually like to turn my Otasco into a tanker, when time and money allow..the 50's tankers some of you Gents have are just completely Dream Garage material..
I could look at them a thousand times and still want to see corners cameras miss. [should I coin that?]
Now that you mention it, as far as "FAVORITE" goes.. Its a toss up between PreWar and Tankers.:rolleyes:

Iffin you wanna know a secret.."Southern Flyer" was what got me reelin' about the site and the work you Kats put into these rolling pieces of childhood lore and adult imagination.

I do like much of what I've seen in the "steam" Genra, here..though I sort of hit it like a phase, which passed quickly in my later teens. I still enjoy the aesthetics that go into designing something half bike custom, half Vacuum Cleaner! Its exciting to see the level of detail put into them, given the range is so vast in use for upcycled electronics to place [and sometimes usefully] mount!

I can appreciate someone looking closer than whats put fourth in terms of style and interest.. Its nothing Id be anything but flattered to hear someone took the time to 'Mole Over'.
I hope this helps a little, I'll try to be a bit more specific on favored style overall at a latter time [if I can make up my mind!:headbang:]


FZ
 
I find it to be true more often than not, that it starts with a draw towards 50s-60s bikes with the tanks and lines. Then it progresses towards the 40's, cleaner simpler, better patina. From there it moves on to prewar. Many can stop there, but a large portion will continue onward (or backward, as the case may be) and delve into teens, then TOC. On a long enough timeline I'd guess that everyone would end up trying for the late 1800's stuff. Then on archaeological digs hunting for remnants of a draisine or wheeled horse or whatever name for whatever early 1800's velocipede you care to pick
 
ozzmonaut said:
I find it to be true more often than not, that it starts with a draw towards 50s-60s bikes with the tanks and lines. Then it progresses towards the 40's, cleaner simpler, better patina. From there it moves on to prewar. Many can stop there, but a large portion will continue onward (or backward, as the case may be) and delve into teens, then TOC. On a long enough timeline I'd guess that everyone would end up trying for the late 1800's stuff. Then on archaeological digs hunting for remnants of a draisine or wheeled horse or whatever name for whatever early 1800's velocipede you care to pick
Click to expand...
I've seen that, in some of the builds threads, in some of the gallery folders, how it progresses to older and older aged models, I'm sure I'm quoting many when I say, I don't feel that I'll end up down that path.. They're just too simple..

I'm strange in that I go through things in quick stages.. not just styles of things, but things in generally speaking. From ChainMaile to Libraries to Beer Connoisseur.. so on and so on.. I've always liked classic cars..My Dad being seventy this year, He had me in his mid forties. I got all the benefits of "Golden Oldies", Car Shows, AirShows [Hes retired Navy] and cool little thrift stores where I saw hints of the Good Ol' Fashioned craftsmanship found in only cool places like this, and musty old Barns.

However.. when I got older, naturally you hear some things just never change.. my love for Automobiles of various era's... my now MORE Immense love for what a Real Bike can look like..

You don't get the luck often of having more than maybe a couple of things you carry with you over the years.. I'm grateful to have cars, Always regular contact with Dad.. bikes, and for the past two years, my Girlfriend Jess.:thumbsup:
 
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Flying Zombie said:
It was cool, but not as cool as the stuff I worked on, and work on now. Dont get me wrong, it rode like butter across skillet, but it just didnt sit right with me..
Click to expand...

Yeah, I sold a buttload of those things, mostly 20"s, and some 24"s. Some days, I thought they were cheesy in a rad way, but other days, I thought they were just plain cheesy. This was back like ten years ago, when they had, like, a bolt-on plastic chainguard. Who puts that on a BMX bike?! (Example: http://bmxmuseum.com/bikes/dk/9984 ) DK does, that's who. Sorry to see that they're a WallyWorld brand now. http://www.walmart.com/ip/24-DK-General-Lee-BMX-Bike-Orange/20658255

The kids who bought the bike just had to have it for the Dukes theme; the serious BMXicans wouldn't be caught dead on it.

But, yeah, I know what you mean about the age-old built-not-bought distinction. It might be fun to build a project around a DKGL frame, or maybe make your own Dukes-themed bike. I think a General Lee 3-bar 26 would rock pretty hard.
 
Bicycle808 said:
Yeah, I sold a buttload of those things, mostly 20"s, and some 24"s. Some days, I thought they were cheesy in a rad way, but other days, I thought they were just plain cheesy. This was back like ten years ago, when they had, like, a bolt-on plastic chainguard. Who puts that on a BMX bike?! (Example: http://bmxmuseum.com/bikes/dk/9984 ) DK does, that's who. Sorry to see that they're a WallyWorld brand now. http://www.walmart.com/ip/24-DK-General-Lee-BMX-Bike-Orange/20658255

The kids who bought the bike just had to have it for the Dukes theme; the serious BMXicans wouldn't be caught dead on it.

But, yeah, I know what you mean about the age-old built-not-bought distinction. It might be fun to build a project around a DKGL frame, or maybe make your own Dukes-themed bike. I think a General Lee 3-bar 26 would rock pretty hard.
Click to expand...
sure would, and give it more of an auto look with the polished bare hubcaps.. license..etc..etc.. I cant recall chainguard, to be honest. [probably stripped by the prior owner]

I think a twin bar would do some justice.
 
Yeah, those chainguards were the first thing to go. I think we'd have sold more if we'd removed'm before they hit the showroom floor.... But the early ones didnt have chainguards, nor did the later models... i think it as like '03 to '07 or something like that.
 
they put plastic chain guards on bmx bike to keep the cost low , cause mose kids will ditch the chainguard anyways
i have a 2007 24" general lee in black , mine is full cromoly frame , not a walmart bike , i like it !
 
DK'd have kept the cost even lower if they just didn't even add a chainguard..... Very few BMX bikes since, like, the 70s have included chainguards. The DKGLs that had them were really kinda weird!
 
Bicycle808 said:
Yeah, those chainguards were the first thing to go. I think we'd have sold more if we'd removed'm before they hit the showroom floor.... But the early ones didnt have chainguards, nor did the later models... i think it as like '03 to '07 or something like that.
Click to expand...
Makes sense, in either case.. it was good and worth free.
 

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