Re-Up: Preserving BMX History. Episode 74: Jeff Utterback (USA)
Name: Jeff Utterback
Started riding in: 1969-1970 after seeing On Any Sunday with my friend Mike Brinkley. His father raced scrambles. We put motorcycle handle bars on our bikes around that time. Went to my first race in 1973 at BUMS. Started racing regularly in 1974.
Teams represented: Vans Bike and Key in Long Beach Ca. Dan Gurney, Yamaha (Raced a Moto Bike for a few weeks waiting for our Race inc. frames), FMF, Scot Enterprises, SE Racing, GJS So Cal. Almost rode for R&R (after Dan Gurney) and Race Inc.(after SE Racing). Bill asked me and offered to pay me a little something. Never went past the first meeting.)
What was the first bike you used to ride Bicycle Motocross at BUMS?
Jeff Utterback: Schwinn Jr. StingRay
In 1973, what were people using at the first few races you entered?
Jeff Utterback: Modified Schwinns for the most part. My Dad met Marvin Church Sr. and started modifying my frames with his as inspiration. The first he did was a Schwinn girls frame with more ground clearance and a straight top tube.
You've seen the BMX bike development firsthand. What kind of full suspension bikes did you get to ride?
Torker BMX is BACK! Welcome back to Torker....
Re-up; Preserving BMX History. Episode 73: Òscar Quatredosdos (ESP)
Name: Òscar Pallarès (aka Òscar Quatredosdos)
Hometown: Alella (Barcelona, Spain)
Started riding BMX in: 1985
Number of bikes in the collection: Around 50
Do you remember the moment that you decided to start collecting BMX memorabilia?
Òscar Pallarès: It was in 2010. I decided I wanted to find a Monty 109, which had been my first BMX bike back in 1985. Montys were made in Barcelona and, at that moment, were the most competitive
Name: Jim Fisher
Hometown: Gaines, MI... Denver area now.
Started riding BMX in: '79
Number of bikes in the collection: 20 plus
Is your focus on BMX bikes from the period you raced in mainly?
Jim Fisher: Mainly '79-'84, I have to say I’m more a collector today than I was a racer back then. I just had and rode a few of these bikes when I was a kid/teen in small town MI. We didn’t have a track but we had a couple sweet bike shops and lots of places to ride like maniacs and we did. I dreamed of moving to California getting a Toyota 4x4 and racing with the pros back then.
Did you manage to get the bikes that you really wanted when you raced?
Jim Fisher: I was blessed to have some nice bikes... I followed BMX thru the magazines and got to know the guys at the local bike shops so I built up a few really nice bikes back then.
Name: Sean Ewing
Hometown: Costa Mesa, CA, USA.
Started riding BMX in: Early '70s
Number of bikes in the collection: 21 complete at the moment .. .. at one point had close to 40, but now it's mainly SE Racing
You never know when you find something good at a swapmeet. What's the latest score you had while strolling from booth to booth?
Sean Ewing: The bike is a piece of junk, but it has rusty CW handlebars on it.
How much would you offer for the bike at a swapmeet?
Sean Ewing: I have bought a few bikes just for one part.. I got a junkie bike for $40 but it had 1st gen
Re-Up: Preserving BMX History. Episode 70: Brian Britt AKA: SmokinEndo (USA)
Name: Brian Britt AKA: SmokinEndo
Hometown: Stratford, NJ, USA
Started riding BMX in: 1985
Number of bikes in the collection: Today around 12 and maybe 10 or so frame sets. At the height of it all close to 50.
Next to BMX products, what else are you collecting?
Brian Britt: My Goodness where do I start? I guess with Hot Wheels... Collecting Hots kinda laid out the foundation for everything I collect. I do vinyl but sold off the bulk of it. Vintage toys like Joe’s,
Name: Rod Miles
Hometown: Indy .... Georgia since '84
Started riding BMX in: 1977
Number of bikes in the collection: 20+
Is your focus on BMX bikes from the period you raced in mainly?
Rodney Miles: Yes, I have a thing for the smaller companies and East coast brands MCS, Thruster, J&G Cheetahs and White Lightning.
Being away from California, did you manage to get the bikes that you really wanted when you raced?
Re-Up; Preserving BMX History. Episode 68: Tyler Collins (USA)
Name: Tyler Collins
Hometown: Simi Valley, CA
Started riding BMX in: 1999
Number of bikes in the collection: I’m up to 8 old school BMX bikes right now, always looking for more Redlines and Champions from the '70s that I don’t have yet.
Where does your love for BMX bikes come from?
Tyler Collins: When I was really young my dad collected BMX bikes with his childhood friends and I was always alongside him to see what his new score was. He mainly collected Mongooses so living in Simi Valley, it was also a part of my home towns history and with me living only a few streets over from where
This is from the Pro Flatland class at the wolrds in Cologne 1996, both qualifying and the finals. Phil Dolan won.
The Union tapes Episode 24 with ex S&M UK rider James Cox, we go back to the start of his BMX journey coming out of Portsmouth in the mid 90s and the routes he took a long the way.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.