Born in New York and BMX'ed in the Syracuse-Liverpool area back in the early 1980's..... stole money from my aunties+uncles safe to finance my bike addiction (better than stealing money and doing drugs, right?). Spent about $2,000.00 on a beautiful Pro-Neck "National Pro" with Redline Flight 180mm cranks - DK alloy hubs - super light 20"x1.5" Araya aluminum alloy drilled-out rims - all sealed-bearings - raced it in the EBA with some promising results - got stolen.
Did hard labor as a busboy in a restaurant in NYC at 13-14 years old and saved enough dough for a new Skyway TA ("Totally Aerodynamic"
) with Profile cranks (a more manageable 175mm) DK alloy stem/headset CW handlebars two sets of Skyway Tuff Wheels (color-matched Tuff brake pads does not leave color-matched brake-pad smear on Tuff wheels!) Dia-Compe MX-900 brakes and so many other good stuff I can't recall. I was one of the top bunny-hoppers in New York back then. Moved overseas that year and never BMX'ed again.
I'm a reborn cyclist now, thanks due in part to media coverage of the Tour De France and Lance's story as an athlete and competitor. Bought a 24" mountain-bike-like jalopy for only $79.99 at the local Targets (didn't realize until later that the sticker on head-tube says: "Ladies Bike"
but looks like a heavy-duty guys' bike!). But the dang thing weighs 38 pounds and is quite difficult to even maintain 21+MPH on flats!
But I've been riding HARD FAST and LONG on it for the last few months with much climbs to boot here in the eastern Los Angeles area where I've been living for the last 10+ years. I think my 36y.o. body need more recovery time! My urban riding experience from childhood days in NYC has prepared me extremely well for the urban traffic conditions here! I'd be blazin' rippin' & zippin' through local traffic and its laws in both daily commutes as well as fiery leisure rides........ JUST WAIT UNTIL I GETS ME AN 18 POUND ROAD RACER!!! (as long as i don't kill myself first). Any recommendz? The Fuji Team in "Plutonium" seems like a hot value, but I don't dig the triple-chainrings at the front; preferring the 2-chainring which is all I need from my experience on my $79.99 jalopy.