The first step is admitting the adiction...

Discussion in 'Introduce Yourself' started by 2wheel_lee, Jan 15, 2007.

  1. 2wheel_lee

    2wheel_lee Active Member

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    My name is Lee, and I am a bikeaholic. I don't recognize my biking is a problem, but I figured I'd share my addiction with the rest of you.

    Like many of you, I started riding at a young age. I thought I was hot shi@ when I was about 8 when I replaced the banana seat with a solo seat on my 1973 Schwinn Stingray. I was really cool when I replaced the frame with a Webco when I was 10.

    Fast forward a few years, and I was working at Buena Park Bike Shop. Remember the guy who founded Dyno (later bought by GT Bicycles)? We worked there together. Also, Dave Hanson, who now owns Jax Bicycles, also worked there. I later worked at Sunny Hills Cycles in Fullerton, and I was there until 1987. I'll buy lunch for anyone who remembers the owner.

    Ever hear of the Parks BMX track in Fullerton? I think about it every time I ride by the old location when riding the Fully Loop. Does anyone remember this practice track? The area has changed considerably.

    After high school, my interest was redirected. This was partly due to a crash on a BMX bike where I tore my ear off, fractured C5, and broke my left wrist (the 2nd of 4 times). I just couldn't race [BMX] anymore.

    Had a few crappy mountain bikes after that. You know, those that had the bar welded to the stem. Those sucked. It never did work for me.

    In 1993, I bought the latest in suspension technology: a GT RTS 1 with 2-3/4 inches of travel. That thing was so trick. But I hate how it felt. Everyone thought I was nuts when I installed a 90mm stem and a set of Answer riser bars (yeah, the ones with the gold shims). People thought it was goofy looking with a short stem and riser bars. I thought it was the wave of the future.

    Even though I could still jump this oversized BMX bike, I had lost all my stamina. After all, I hadn't ridden a bike much in the prior few years. I don't think I could make any of the hills on the Fullerton Loop, the same trail that I use to have no problems with my singlespeed BMX bike for so many years before. Even with all of the gears of the RTS, I specifically remember a few hills that I couldn't imagine people riding.

    1994/95 was when I first started riding downhill at Snow Summit. I think it was '96 when V brakes were becoming popular. I didn't understand the hype, and thought it was just another fad. Even at the speed I was riding the RTS with its monster 2.2" tires, the cantilevers worked great. Who'd need anything more?

    Fast forward a few more years, and I first said the same thing with disc brakes. And after my first bike with Hayes hydraulic discs in 2000, I wouldn't even consider building a mountain bike with V brakes. Forgot all about cantis.

    Last January, I had a bad motorcycle crash where I collided with another racer at 80+ mph on the bomb run of a desert race. After a heli ride to the hospital, and a couple surguries later, I got to wear a cast for 5 months on my left wrist. It wasn't the broken bones that were the problem, it was the dislocated ones that are still a pain. No, I didn't stop riding and, in fact, got pretty good at riding one handed. Some of you may have seen me on the loop with a red cast. It sucked, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

    Anyhow, I enjoy all kinds of riding. I still have a BMX bike that I occasionally ride (although the occasions have become rather rare lately). I most often ride a Surly 1x1, an Intense 5.5, and an Intense VPX. I also have a GT ZR1000 road bike, but it hasn't been getting used much lately either.

    I see a few names on this board of people who I've ridden with, and I look forward to doing more rides with you, as well as those I don't know.
     
  2. tkblazer

    tkblazer Zack Attack

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    thanks for the good reading, very good background story of yourself and your biking progression. Hope to see ya around the trails dood
     
  3. roadkillross

    roadkillross New Member

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    welcome i have no clue who owns that shop since i was born while you were on the way out of it
     
  4. TurboJared

    TurboJared Overstimulated

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    WOW excelent read man, Welcome to the Family
     
  5. 2wheel_lee

    2wheel_lee Active Member

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    Downhillross,
    Del Cerro Local? Isn't that somewhere around PV? I work in Torrance, and I've ridden PV, but I've heard that Del Cerro is nearby. Is that so?

    The owner of the shop passed away a couple years after I left that shop.
     
  6. TurboJared

    TurboJared Overstimulated

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    I work out in torrance too. If you ever head in on Del Amo you may've seen me riding, I Commute by bike from Lakewood about three days a week. Del Cerro is a park at the end of crenshaw, just past a ranger gate are the trails. It's a nice place when it's not crowded.
     
  7. 2wheel_lee

    2wheel_lee Active Member

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    I take the 91 from Beach Blvd most all the way to Torrance. I do make a right from Western onto Del Amo, but I make a left at the next street. Is your route relatively safe? (lane width) I've thought about commuting, but I haven't found a decent route.

    The gate you describe, itsn't that at the top of PV? Last time I rode PV, a gal who was with us broke her elbow trying to jump a small 6-pack at the bottom of the hills. Man, that sounds bad, but you know what I mean.
     
  8. TurboJared

    TurboJared Overstimulated

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    Lane width Is fine, and if there isn't a bike designated lane, it is pretty wide. There is a mile stretch from Orange to Cherry that can get hairy but if you need to you can cut into a neighborhood. I've met a guy while riding that does the ride from Fullerton to torrance and he says that Del Amo is the best straight shot. Of course he was on a Super nice road rig, not an MTB with slicks like me.

    Yeah thats the gate, I don't know when the last time you rode was but there is a growing number of trails on the next ridge over. After you get to the tank at the bottom you make a left and go back uphill to a white fence, make a right and It'll take you to the next ridge, you can take the first right and get a fairly easy trail or take it to a cliff, follow the cliff and you'll get to more technical areas. then just hit the fire road back
     
  9. Pain Freak

    Pain Freak Dead or Alive

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    Welcome Lee. I ride my 1x1 when I usually do the loop too. But I don't get over there much anymore. Nice story. I've had the displeasure of broken wrists also , 7 different times 3 on one 4 on the other, so suspension is a must for me. Hope to meet up and ride with you soon.
     
  10. SAR_boats

    SAR_boats Booze Bikes n Boomsticks

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    Welcome, Lee. I am just learning the "joys" of riding one handed. Thanks for taking the time to write about yourself and welcome to the family
     
  11. 2wheel_lee

    2wheel_lee Active Member

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    SAR_boats,
    What happened? I haven't seen the thread describing why you're riding with one hand. It's challenging. If I could offer one bit of advice it would be to use the best tire you can find. Even though the speeds are slower, and you're not riding technical stuff, having a good front tire really helps. A fatter tire, albeit slower, offers a lot more stability.

    Pain Freak,
    Despite my better judgement, I've been riding the 1x1 with a rigid fork on the loop. Fortunately, the loop is really smooth these days. I just haven't found a godd 80mm suspension fork that is reasonably priced (and black). I had a SID 100 on it a couple years ago, but I felt the bottom bracket was too high.

    Fortunately, the bumps aren't too much of a problem, but what is the problem is the limited range of movement (5 months in a cast causes an excessive amount of scar tissue buildup). I can't move it up and down much, or seemingly even worse, side to side. As you know, when you pedals standing, you rock the bike from side to side; my wrist doesn't move much side to side, so I find myself actually releasing the outside of the bar on each pedal stroke.

    Over the holidays, I rode the Slickrock trail in Moab and Gooseberry on the VPX, and doing three to four-foot drops to flat aren't much of a problem.

    The problem: Falling. I can't fall.
    (Reminder note to self: Don't fall)

    January 22 celebrates the one-year anniversary since my crash. If I had more time on my dirt bike, I'd consider doing that race this year just for kicks, but I don't have enough seat time yet.
     
  12. guero

    guero iFroth

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    welcome lee, did you ever come across Scott Breithaupt (sp?) back in the early BMX days? we used to ride Mid-Zone as youngsters over off of willow and the 605. matt hoffman would frequent there as well as eddie fiola.
     
  13. 2wheel_lee

    2wheel_lee Active Member

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    Willow and the 605 was a little far for me to ride as a kid, but Scott, Matt, and many others used to come to Parks a lot. It was regularly used by a lot of the pros for practice. The magazines often came there for testing and photos as well. BMX Action even got a 1/3 page full-color shot of me doing an upside-down tabletop when they featured Parks as a local practice track. That was so long ago! I don't remember the issue date, but the cover had a gold Hutch on it. Kind of funny, but do you remember Tim Judge? I still see him from time to time, since he's heavily involved with Jet Ski racing.

    I did race at Harbor Raceway off the 110 back in the day. It was really close to SE. I also raced BMX at the Ascot track back then. I'm saddened every time I drive by the old location.

    There was a skate park in Whittier that I used to frequent on my old Webco and Powerlite called Skate City. It's where Michael Dominguez and Fiola first became famous. I could go on and on talking about old-school BMX stuff. Actually, a friend of mine, who has a much better memory than me is way hardcore on vintage BMX stuff over at vintagebmx.com. I wish I would have saved all my old BMX bikes.

    Speaking of, my vintage buddy just got a modern cruiser (to replace his Torker and Floval Flyer 24" bikes) and has been going to the track. Is there anyone here who currently rides BMX or wants to? I'd like to get to the track again sometime soon.
     
  14. uzziboy

    uzziboy hi Ron...it's Ron

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    Boy does that bring back memories. I used to ride BMX until I was like 22. I had a webco, se quadangle, pk ripper, hutch pro racer. I lived i oc and we had a great track in centenial park in Santa Ana. Stu Thompson and Pete Loncaravich used to ride there. I wished I had saved my bikes also. Probably would have been great to jump on them every once in a while. But gettin a crusier sounds like alot of fun. Do any of the old bike companies still make crusiers and if so where can I get one? I would love to go back to a track and do some jumping.
     
  15. tkblazer

    tkblazer Zack Attack

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    i went with my buddy to the orange y track off chapman and the 55 last week. it was pretty cool watchin the kids race out there. I'll probly be there tomorrow night, the race starts at around 7 and lasts about an hour. i think they have practice sessions from 5-7
     
  16. Neccros

    Neccros Technically Canadian

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    Lee, I'd still like to try this one of these days... Also I said I'd polish up your GT for you!!!! :D Speaking of keeping old BMX bikes, I miss my CW I ended up selling back in '92-'93ish... :(
     
  17. 2wheel_lee

    2wheel_lee Active Member

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    Ah yes...the track in Centenial Park. I only raced there a few times. Tall, lanky "Pistol" Pete. He also used to come by Parks. One memory of him I have is at Orange sometime in the mid 80s. On the third straight-away with the whoops, he would fly down the far right side, boarderline off the track and just pass everyone while missing the whoops. No one ever called him on it.

    I'd like to get to the Y on Wednesdays or Fridays, but since I work in Torrance, I could never get there with sufficient time left to ride. Maybe Sunday? I haven't been to the track in Bellflower lately, but I hear they improved it (it had no rythem).

    I still have a GT Pro Series 24" bike, but I need to clean it up and put some air in the tires.

    Uzziboy, it sounds like you had all the dream bikes back then. My vintage buddy recently scored one of the old-style Quad Anchors...ahem...Angles like he had when he was a kid.

    These days, you can get a really nice cruiser for an awesome price - or at least compared to the cost of high-end bikes back then.

    tk, are you racing or watching?
     
  18. Neccros

    Neccros Technically Canadian

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    There is a HUGE park over in Whittier Narrows that recently rebuilt their entire BMX track and built a new starthouse and anouncers tower.... I rode around there when it was closed up about 2-3 years ago but havent been back since. I'd like to trek out there and have a look at what they did...
     
  19. guero

    guero iFroth

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    wow, all this talk of the o.g. bmx days is really taking me back! we used to go to ascot to watch the sprint cars. SE, Powerlite, Torker...my very first BMX bike was a Cycle Pro.

    did any of you guys ever race at the track in irvine? i think it was off of jeffrey or jamboree? i did a few races at the orange y track too.

    i still have my gt interceptor frame hanging in my parents garage, i think it has a dk gooseneck on it.
     
  20. Neccros

    Neccros Technically Canadian

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    When I was a kid, I'd go to Brownies Bikes on Cerritos and Beach Blvd and DROOL on the Torker!!!! Damn I wanted one so bad but I was a poor kid!! and my dad had no idea why a bike should cost as much as they did....

    Now I want one of these but in 24"
     

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