FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

Name: Bill Ryan
Hometown: Apple Valley, CA - USA
Started riding BMX in: Torrance, CA - USA
Number of bikes in your collection: I have never counted —— and I am afraid if I do the number will scare me.

Since you were part of BMX in the early days over in California do you wish you had saved more from the early days?

A brief clip of a 1979 skateboarding doc. that first aired in 1980 on public access. This clip features Marina del Rey skatepark as well as my father and myself skating doubles together. It was hosted by Tony Alva and Dave Hackett.

BMX at 48 seconds in.

BMX Action Trick Team | Behind The Scenes | R.L.Osborn | Mike Buff |

Name: Karl Chalk
Country: UK
Number of bikes in the collection: I've had many bmx but always only owned 1 at any time

Do you remember the moment that you decided to start collecting BMX memorabilia?
Karl Chalk: I'm not a collector of memorabilia but enjoy seeing people's BMX related memorabilia.

Who were the first people you came across that helped you out to find the stuff you needed?

LEARN HOT TO FREESTYLE LIKE THE PROS! AWESOME AERIALS & GNARLY GROUND MOVES!

We got Exclusive Access to see one of the Largest S&M Bikes BMX Collection in Europe. This Anonymous Owner has one of the Largest Collections of Mid School Custom BMX Bikes, Including S&M Bikes that ONLY The King Of S&M Would own....

Name: Cash Matthews
Hometown: Shawnee, OK
Started riding BMX in: 1972

Like many in the very early days who could not afford a motorcycle, the bicycle was turned into a motorbike look-a-like. What were some of the things you did to reach that goal?
Cash Matthews: Like most, we made lots of cool 2-stroke motorcycle sounds with our mouths!! As our group of friends who rode progressed, we started riding “flat track” style in a circle. We emulated Kenny Roberts and my Uncle, Jerry Matthews who were all accomplished Flat Track Stars. I conned my uncle out of a number plate from his motorcycle so that was the first cool-mod of the Schwinn. As many Flat Track guys, we added cardboard, grip covers to save us from rocks and things that never really mattered but they looked cool. In those early days, just having a set of waffle grips was epic, so we began there,

DIRTYFEST 2 // VINTAGE BMX RACING // INSANE!

The first pic I ever saw of some over tweaking something was Todd Anderson, who at that point in time-1985-was riding for Redline. I picked up a magazine in a mock 711 next to Faze 7 BMX centre in Waltham Cross, Todd was cranking a twisted lookback with his feet on the cranks arms, and his front wheel hitting his shin, I'd never seen this before, until that point a pic of a look back was anything with bars passed 90 degrees and the back end high.

Name: Stu Thomsen
Started riding in: 1972 (I Think)
Teams represented: Three Majors: SE, Redline and Huffy.
Some of the smaller and short term teams were: Dirt Master, Webco, DG, FMF, Motobecane (One Weekend), my bike shop (Stu Thomsen’s Family Bicycle Center), Southridge Cycles (on MTB and BMX). A short stent back on Redline and now representing SE again.

What was the first bike you used to ride Bicycle Motocross?
Stu Thomsen: Schwinn Stingray

In 1973, what were people using at the first few races you entered?
Stu Thomsen: Modified Stingray type bikes and a few custom garage builds by ingenious fathers.

You've seen the BMX bike development firsthand. What kind of full suspension bikes did you get to ride?
Stu Thomsen: I had a custom made Monoshock bike I would race now and then at the Corona downhill