FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

Then every so often I take the time out to drive to one of the local bike shops to check out the actual part I’m interested in. But once you’re in a shop where spandex and clipless pedals already make you feel uncomfortable buying a set of tires, you really wonder where the true core shops are at. This is not easy, since just carrying BMX products won’t make anyone rich, shop owners should know...but then you have the shop that has been around since Eddie Fiola was ripping up Upland Skatepark. These shops have a true BMX feel and most of the owners have seen the sport evolve, unlike their customers, who consist out of 14-17 year old punks and just want to hold that new frame and watch videos, they end up not buying. I personally like these shops, since I am amazed how good a 1982 PK Ripper still looks in a great condition. I have always believed, if you dedicate your life to a sport and/or product you want other people to buy and know about, having some historical knowledge about it can only increase sales. This leads me to one of my most recent stops at one of the new shops in my neck of the woods. Lighten up your bike can be a costly thing to do and since the BMX kids in my neighborhood told me this certain shop had some good deals, I didn’t mind checking it out. Once arrived at a hard-to-find place, it seemed to be promising from the outside. FIT, UGP, S&M, PRIMO all had their banners nicely placed in the windows and so once inside it all looked great. The right bikes, parts and clothes. A lot of kids fixing their bikes and DVD’s where playing on a screen, bigger then your dads. After picking out some magnesium and titanium parts...I seemed to wonder if they might have this movie called Aggroman. And this is where the anger starts. The owner of the shop has apparently never heard of it and even thinks I’m joking. Hmmm.. I wonder, but Head First or Ride On did not ring a bell with this non-interested owner. “I’m 29 and I’ve never really seen videos, when I was young.â€?- he claims. If you don’t sell it, that’s one thing, not knowing about a trilogy of movies that practically changed the sport FOREVER, is another thing. So he was more into reading magazines he said, but even then Go Magazine did not flow well in his ears... instead he went out to help some kids that needed some spokes, while I am waiting to pay for some expensive parts, that could buy some kids a complete bike. I never thought there was such thing out there in the BMX world, but apparently there are people that focus more on the $ sign, then the sport itself. I know it is not an easy game, but please take some time out of restocking and research the sport you are trying to promote. I love the sport and I rather pay for overnight shipping or wait a couple weeks, then buying it from some dickhead, that thinks I’m just another punk on the street. So support your local “realâ€? BMX shop and help them stay alive, this way you might end up knowing more about BMX, then just the names Dave Mirra or Mat Hoffman. -Michael “Choqâ€? de Wit Rad: Dans Competition, A-1 Cycle. Lame: Epic Sports, Jax Bicycles