ROOTS
By Brian
Ok, flashback, circa '85, here I am on my newly outfitted GT, with totally customized parts, Haro stem, bars, the new Shimano pedal, the strongest, lightest rims I could find and bulletproof hubs (supposedly).
I was a crazed bmx fan, not only of freestyle but of bmx racing.
I had no money, but all my time was spent on my bicycle while other guys were playing the new Odyssey video games Atari.
I didn't know any tricks, but tried to come up with whatever I could, getting it from the weak BMX zines. then just at the peak of my BMX'ing -BAM- the sonofabitches stole my bike.
Unfortunately, I had no regretful parents, and my BMXing career came to a quick halt.
No one else pursued it, except my best friend (who now is an attorney) in San Francisco, we were raised in Littleton, Colorado, where I still am.
So for the next 8 years I start working, going to school and partying. no BMX'ing.
'91 comes along and a guy walking down the street offers me a cheapo Specialized mountain bike, for $80 bucks I say yeah, sold. Thus begins my mountain biking adventures. Up until this year, I was getting the greatest off road experiences of my life on sweet singletrack outside of Denver in the mountains, but all the while missing my BMX bike.
So now at the ripe ole age of 29, I figure if I wait any longer, my dreams aren't coming true.
With a company buyout, I was laid off, so in comes unemployment.
I'm designing websites now, so 70% of my time is online. Then I see the bikes are actually affordable and my girlfriend (soon to be wife) supports me in whatever I want to do. - I got real lucky with her.
So I start looking for another BMX bike...
Holy shit! These bikes are strong, thick, and advanced, I didn't realize such a technological breakthrough came about. I was riding backwards on my BMX, balance tricks, and 180 handlebar tricks, because the spin system then was unaffordable for me.
So I picked up this new GT X-games freestyle for about $250 and its right where I left off, but now the bike is ten times what it used to be.
I plan on doing the things I could never do before and more.
Wait til I hit 40 , then Ill be kickin' ass.
Brian