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A cool history of early BMX.

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That's awesome! We would hack out tracks in the woods behind our houses and ride like crazy all day on our stingrays with "10 speed" seats.

I feel there should be a sort of modern day natural terrain BMX style racing with some sort of 3 speed bikes. Something between a traditional BMX bike and an MTB.

Just go like hell for 3 -5 laps over natural terrain tracks with some climbs, jumps, rough. Styled like this Surly but with 3 speed hub.
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We can’t forget where this whole BMX got its kick start from. All started with the 1971 movie On Any Sunday. The beginning couple minutes of the movie is what got all the kids to begin modifying their Stingrays, Huffys and similar 20” styled bicycles.

We would take off all the unnecessary parts to lighten the bike and resemble motocross bikes. Off went the fenders, chain guards, sissybars, slicks. Replace the tires with knobbies front and back, replace the banana seat with a 10 speed seat, slap on an oval number plate and later on add motorcycle handlebars and grips and head for the nearest dirt lot and build a track with shovels.

This was before the BMX styled bikes that we know of today (straight top bar, chromolly & aluminum).

To be able to see it thru from childhood beginnings and thru out my adult life and seen how far it’s come and the huge impact it’s made on the next generations is just incredible.

I still have the same friends that I raced with back in 71-76 although they don’t ride anymore, but I still do; mountain bike, road bike & cruise the beach on an old Schwinn BMX styled Klunker.
 
We can’t forget where this whole BMX got its kick start from. All started with the 1971 movie On Any Sunday. The beginning couple minutes of the movie is what got all the kids to begin modifying their Stingrays, Huffys and similar 20” styled bicycles.

We would take off all the unnecessary parts to lighten the bike and resemble motocross bikes. Off went the fenders, chain guards, sissybars, slicks. Replace the tires with knobbies front and back, replace the banana seat with a 10 speed seat, slap on an oval number plate and later on add motorcycle handlebars and grips and head for the nearest dirt lot and build a track with shovels.

This was before the BMX styled bikes that we know of today (straight top bar, chromolly & aluminum).

To be able to see it thru from childhood beginnings and thru out my adult life and seen how far it’s come and the huge impact it’s made on the next generations is just incredible.

I still have the same friends that I raced with back in 71-76 although they don’t ride anymore, but I still do; mountain bike, road bike & cruise the beach on an old Schwinn BMX styled Klunker.
Oh yeah. My current project Sting Ray is an OG BMX styled bike with all the Ashtabula goodies.
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Yes!! That’s what I’m talking about. I want to build one just like that too, Old School BMX.

Wish someone would host a pre-1972 BMX Senior Class in the present BMX races. Basically any bike that resembled the old Schwinn Stingray styled frame would only be allowed. So this way everyone young and old person could actually see the actual infancy of the BMX history and appreciate how far it’s come. :)
 
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We would take off all the unnecessary parts to lighten the bike and resemble motocross bikes. Off went the fenders, chain guards, sissybars, slicks. Replace the tires with knobbies front and back, replace the banana seat with a 10 speed seat, slap on an oval number plate and later on add motorcycle handlebars and grips and head for the nearest dirt lot and build a track with shovels.

I literally left one of these put for bulk pick up a couple months ago. 71' Huffy rail conversion with early bmx pinched crossbar and 70s knobby morocross type tires.

I just could not find use for it and have too many bikes. I paid $15 for it in a bulk buy. Everyone seems to want original bikes so I didn't even try to sell the whole bike and too lazy to part put though I believe I offered tires for sale here a year or so ago, but no takers.
 
Southern California was the blace to be in the 70's & 80's for BMX and MTB

Here is a pic of me on my Sting Ray in my back yard in Hawthorne, back in about 75

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And here I am a few year later in 79 at a race in Manhattan Beach on my custom Champion BMX Cruiser

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