The completion of these bikes got me thinking. Ever since before Schedule was dedicated to BMX, friends of Schedule have always gotten hookups on bikes and I put a lot of effort into keeping them rolling. As recently as a few years ago though, getting a light, modern bike was a real challenge. When I first started working with used bikes before high school, my budget was never more than $100 so the best bikes I could buy were old, heavy customs from the 90's. Bikes like my old Volume Dinosaur and Haro Mirra 540 were cheap and strong enough to last a few years, so we were satisfied. But around the time I started college, I had been working at Cyclepath long enough to make money and connections for good mid range bikes. Fit and Mirraco completes were lighter than what we were used to and still strong so we became satisfied with them. Even when we got an aftermarket frame like our Subrosa Villicus v1, we ran OEM parts on it because it was what we knew, and we considered these bikes the best we would ever need. Now Schedule BMX riders have high end customs like my Subrosa Silva and Quinten's Fit Mac. I don't use stock wheels any more. I always custom lace my own unique wheels with aftermarket parts. All my sealed bearings run like butter. I see new parts coming out and I don't feel the need to buy them because my parts are well chosen exactly as i like and trust them. And yet I don't spend any more than I did in high school on bikes. I still buy used or on sale only, and I almost never spend more than $100 on a bike at once.
So how did the used BMX market go from a Haro F2 costing $100 to a Dartmoor Yuki or a Cult costing $100? How did it go from a 35 lb. bike with big gears, tiny bars, 1-pc cranks, and loose-ball bearings all the way to full chromoly, sealed bearing, 25 lb bikes with tubular cranks and modern geometry in about a decade? Well I got into it in my previous rants, but basically machining technology has gone up, production costs have gone down, and BMX has turned from a fashionable mode of transportation back to a genuine sport in the mainstream since the slump in 90's to mid 00's. Because people want bikes that are strong and light, companies have been getting more competitive, so you can get a full chromoly bike for under $500 new. With a warranty and free service, the shiny new options are pretty tempting. Keep in mind a decade ago that 35 lb Haro cost that much new. This means that BMX bike have an inherently lower resale value, but at the lower price they are easy sales to riders who do their own bike repairs or are on a budget. They can be hustled for a reasonable profit or to realize a squad goal.
So first I build Nash's bike. I contacted an friend and picked up the Dartmoor Yuki frame that hasn't been used in a while. It's full chromoly, light, and has super tight responsive geometry. The removable brake mounts and low stand over checked Nash's needs for a park setup, the slimmer seat will allow the better range of motion he wanted, and the wheels and tires are from Revenge Industries and Animal respectively, and will give him the durability to ride a little street when needed. The last thing on the list of requirements for this build was a subdued colorway with a heavy emphasis on black, white, and gray.
Julian's bike had fewer specific requirements. He's been a friend of ours since high school and he's been riding the same bike since. It was a bad bike when it was new, and every part had worn out over the years. Anything would have been an improvement. He requested that the seat be reasonably low and that the frame be gray to go with the gold Black Label wheel I had lined up for him. I felt he needed fresh tires, so I found a barely used set of Premium Refuse/Resist fat tires. A full chromoly frame was obviously a requirement, and this Cult checked that box with good street geometry. Other than that, this build was fairly open but came out feeling solid, stable, and comfortably spaced out despite being built on a budget.
Building each of these bikes, starting from a stock complete and building up could have come close 800 each easily. On a budget of $100 each, I managed to build two solid, modern setups where even the stock parts are of reasonable quality. If I worked a little sales magic on the used market, I could easily double my money selling these bikes. If I hustled hard and pushed a tough sale, I could sell them for much, much more. I could then start all over again, and make another lump of profit with the next setups.
These bikes aren't for profit though. They're for working on the BMX community on a grassroots level. They're for friends who ride and want to get more serious, and they're for friends who have strong social circles outside of bicycles. Every rider they bring into the fold strengthens the BMX community, and every new rider is a potential opportunity for Schedule BMX. The More, the Merrier.
Fat, Jolly Christmas and a scintillating new year from myself and the rest of Schedule BMX
-Peter Collins
