Does Your Bike Have Character ?

[duane]

Hi,

I liked this old article on BMX Basics - http://www.bmxbasics.org/new/bmx0698.html

How about a trials version, heres my starter -

If you current bike is over two years old gain 10 points

If the company that made you frame no longer makes trials bikes or parts gain 50 points

If your actually any good on your old, out of date, obsolete bike, add another 100 points, but only if there are real people that your friends can also see that are telling you this

10 points if your bike has a seat and a proper seat post

20 points if you have a quick release on your seat post allowing you to raise and lower the seat to get around

50 points for having this quick release and never ever using it,

If you have ever, ever ridden your bike with the seat up loose all your points and kindly join another forum somewhere else.

Gain 50 points for front and rear v-brakes

Gain 150 points if you can set them up so they work

Add another 50 if you did it without a grind

Add 50 points for a steel frame

Add 50 points for a frame marketted by a European company

Loose those 50 points and 50 more if the frame was welded in an asian sweat shop

If you have used a dremel, disk cutter, drill or hack saw on your frame gain 50 points for each

If you have used liquid metal to repair your frame add 50

Loose 200 points if the liquid metal repair was a direct result of your dremel, disk cutter or hack saw

Anymore , anyone ? so far I score - 310

[Joe_Elding]

HAHA - 0 points

[Dan6061]

HAHA - 0 points

Same.

[omgnoseat]

my bike is a 2007 model so i don't think i will get alot of points

If you paid for your bike yourself, add 50 points.

If you have a front brake, add 50 points.

hmm thats about it

100 points

[Joe_Elding]

Although it's fun to be a "BMX snob" and criticize everything from entry-level bikes to neon paint jobs, doing so obscures the most important thing about BMX bikes: If getting on your bike makes you smile, if you'd rather ride somewhere than drive, if you can hardly concentrate at school (or work) thinking about riding, your bike has character. It doesn't matter if it's an old MX-II with Bottema forks and a drum brake or one of the modern alumino-wonder-scoots - it's your bike.

Nothing else really matters - not your friends, not the races you lose or win, not crazy Jim Boswell and his crazy quizzes. It's you and your bike. And if you find the same joy in riding I have found, I think we can award ourselves a perfect score on any "character" quiz. I think Mr. Egan would agree.

[Jsy Ben]

Regarding my Pashley - 260 and er... my Control - 50

[T.McMillan]

Zilch 0 make some new rules up

[eMAyaRKay]

470 What do I win?

[Walleee]

I thought this was going to be a good thread. it sems to be more orientated toward giving point's to old school bike's, do new bike's not have character or something?

[mat hudson]

380

[Matthew_Gibson]

476

[Ali C]

my iolo came out to 410

[paolo]

My my new old frame I'd get 290, but if I built my old warrantied frame I'd get a whooping 540, yes it got all the tools mentionned, it's steel (made in the usa) and got liquid metal because the seat post was actually melted off, I forgot to lube it properlly... But it actually has more caracter than that because it was used for racing hardtail downhill before I bought it oooh and may I forget, it was warrantied because I broke front triangle in two. Weird thing, on both frames, the companies don't make frames anymore...

I think you put to much points for V brakes... setting up v-brakes to work isn't worth 150, not that I ride them either.

EDIT: I think you forgot the oh so important "# Give yourself 1 point for every time another rider questioned your sanity for riding "that piece of junk".

# Rebuilding your own hubs is worth 50 points, 25 more if you put the hubs back together with less bearings than originally. "

Edited November 25, 2006 by paolo

[Greetings]

Expected more from this thread Having ignored the point system, my answer would be no, my current bike (A1) has no character, it's just a heap of pipes welded together to give maximum durability and nothing else. My old bike (221Ti) had lots of character, gave a great feel on rocks, was springy and well... just different. It's hard to explain, on the A1 I feel as if I was sitting on it, whereas the Ti felt a part of me.

[Deonn h]

I thought this was going to be a good thread. it sems to be more orientated toward giving point's to old school bike's, do new bike's not have character or something?

I totally agree...

If your bike has a seat deduct 7000 points

if your bike has any sort of hydrolic brakes fr and rear or a avid add 1000

If you have a grind add 150

i scored 1150

Edited November 25, 2006 by Deonn h

[matt rushton]

I scored 0

Edited November 25, 2006 by matt rushton

[Christophe']

470 What do I win?

Never mind the points,,,what frame is that?

a pashly ? :$

Edited November 25, 2006 by VillageDave

[bob87]

Never mind the points,,,what frame is that?

Its a Pashley 26mhz, man i wish mine was still going.

[Gandalf the Yellow]

40 points for the giant

0 points for my aorta.

personally i think this is giving too many credit to old skool bikes/and absolutely nothing for new.

its all based around custom steel old skools/V-brakes.

don't really get how setting up v's well can give the majority of the points

if i were to make 1 i'd put + points for old skool features and - points for new skool features

and the more + points the more 'character'?

steve

[tipsy Jock]

If your bike has geometry that is actually in this century add 50 points.

If your bike has no seat but is still a fully functional trials bike add 100 points.

If your frame is Alu and has lots of sexy CNCing add 100 points.

If both your brakes actually work add 100 points.

350 pour moi

[eskimo]

I scored 250 for my echo lite mod.

Only from running a front vee.

It does say front and rear. But if that is the case then 0.

But i like to think it does.

[GTF]

0 here

[Thurston]

Its a Pashley 26mhz, man i wish mine was still going.

No you dont, yours was a raft

[JT!]

0 and proud of it.

People with steel frames and v's, living in the past, get with the times grandad!

[Krisboats]

Better scoring method... I think the problem is your saying if its not old its shit, and thats a personal opinion so can't really be given out as an "either your cool or not" approach as people like different things. Something like this will let everyone feel like their prized possession isn't an uncharacteristic lump of crap.

When you climb on the bike and prepare to do something does your bike?

A. Obediantly allow you to do what you want.

B. Creak and groan.

C. Break just before you go to do something.

When you fall off and get hurt in some way and look back on the event do you conclude?

A. You messed up and as a result got injured.

B. There is no possible way the move couldn't have worked.

C. Your bike broke and as a result your were injured.

Generaly speaking, when your trying to do things does it?

A. Come naturally without really thinking about it.

B. You can manage it but it was tricky and your sure it wasn't done especially well.

C. You weren't able to do it till you tried it about 50 times and even still you need to improve on how it should be done.

When people see your bike do they?

A. Tell you its a nice bike and that they wished theirs was more like it.

B. Say they like it but then go on to give you a load of improvements they would make if "it was theirs".

C. Get off quickly and say they can't ride it and wonder how you can ride it either.

When people see you riding your bike and pulling off something trialsy do they?

A. Say thats fantastic/generally congratulate you and say you make it look easy.

B. Ask how long you've been doing it and give you advice on how to improve.

C. Laugh and say "better luck next time".

Usually when you want to learn something thats within your riding ability how many attempts does it take before you manage it?

A. 1-5

B. 20+

C. The amount of times seems to have been forgotten in the days/weeks you've been trying.

When people ask where you got diffferent components from can you?

A. Name the shop and how much.

B. Can't really remember but it was from somewhere.

C. Give a short and random story about where its been and how much of a bargain you got it for.

Right then, the fun bit... add em all up (3 points for A's, 2 for B's and 1 for c's). Then read the description based on what total you have.

7-10 Points:

Your bike is old and battered, has a complete mind of its own and if it doesn't want you to do something, you won't do it. This bike is one of the more eccentric ones out there but you obviously love it or else you would have changed it or given it away. This bike is a right old beast to ride and takes the utmost control and manlyness to use but you'll get a lot of satisfaction when you do eventually manage things. The mardy old sod of bikes.

10-15 Points:

Your bike has eccentricistic tendancies and verges on being an mardy old git but does try and have fun once in a while and some people actually don't think it's all that bad to play on. Its not the best bike in the world by far but with some tender loving care and a couple of improvements it'll be fine. The Mid life kind of bike, might be slow but gets things done.

15-20 Points:

This bike is fun and usually easy to ride, your well suited to it and wouldn't really change it much at all despite what others might say. It might creak now and then but it'll usually hold together and let you show off on how your "becoming a smoother rider". Its a bit of a hottie but with some refining could be a supermodel.

21 Points:

You could say this is an almost infantile machine, its solid, is specially evolved and generally makes life easy. Everyone thinks it looks nice but some might say its slightly boring and fits with all the other bikes that are in this style, its yet to acquire its eccentricity. Be careful of scallies, this shiny piece of kit is likely to attract unwanted attention.

Obviously this isn't a true guide, but a bit of a mess around, don't take it seriously and if you want to add more Q's/A's then feel free, just remember to try and keep it to the character of the bike not about you as a person.

Edited November 26, 2006 by Krisboats