The 4X thread.

cheers
just got an old norko manik frame running ss at the moment.
forks are shot and no brakes, dj was what i wanted to do but might start up racing.
bike is like 20kg
 
Just painted my new frame today. Getting it ready for next year. The forks have been painted to match as well.

Parker1.jpg


Parker2.jpg


Parker3.jpg
 
Looks great mate, the Jamis Parker is a really underated bike, when the chainstays aren't snapping that is
 
nick_dales said:
Looks great mate, the Jamis Parker is a really underated bike, when the chainstays aren't snapping that is
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Yeah, i was really really impressed with mine.
Very close geo to a yeti 4x angles wise.
Pity the pivot broke in mine, and ive seen about 3 or 4 snapped in the back end and in the pivots. If only jamis had refined it instead of disposed of it.... :rolleyes:

Love those forks though, they look so cool!
 
going to stick my neck out and you lot can laugh at me if you like. i'm a rookie to riding, took it up at 40 (long story) and rode bmx states that year on the mid north coast. surprised myself too how well i did. back racing a few years later after health issues, and copping flak from the usual type of haters in my club, going to ride regardless.

so. bmx seems to have lost it's sex appeal with the local young guns, they have the skills i would give my right leg for. when i'm doing my training laps at my local these young guys are playing on their downhill-capable bikes and doing stuff that i, as a bodyworker by profession, stand in awe of. but they don't want to race bmx with us because it's daggy. bmx has lost it's cool factor, at least here.

our club president has pledged me that he will run a gate for these guys on our regular race nights, on their hardtails if they could front three to a gate. i've put my hand up to eat their dust on my Manik just to make up the numbers....

so help me sell racing to these young guns. so they don't want to wear the long-sleeve jerseys and full-faces we do, bad luck, that's Aus-wide safety standard, yes? what can i do to bring riding with us back into the cool zone? where can 4x take them, when it's not as widely televised as other bike disciplines?
 
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4x is the ultimate format for tv... think about it. You can have teams, but at the end of the day, also individuals who are heroes to the kiddies or whatever (ala football). You can have lots of sponsor opportunities, the racing is quick and exciting. The opportunity for great commentary has been proven (rob warner anyone?), and the accessibility of the sport is greater than dh due to the bikes being not as quite specific (though some might not agree with this one).

That being said, i've had to take up 20" just due to a lack of 4x racing. Its pretty disappointing, but yeah, something needs to be done about the state of it. Just look at 4x in checz (spelling) and the UK. Its hammering along at a great pace, so why not in aus?

Like for me, at the moment, i feel that if i wanted to do something with my racing, bmx if by far a better chance to do that, with much more regular/bigger race meets.
 
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Burrito_Boy said:
but at the end of the day, also individuals who are heroes to the kiddies or whatever (ala football).

just going to stir on this quote....footballers aren't the best of role models, IMO. (SV's bold and opinion, still learning to use the multi-quote function)

Like for me, at the moment, i feel that if i wanted to do something with my racing, bmx if by far a better chance to do that, with much more regular/bigger race meets.
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bmx on the mid north coast here is dying thru lack of interest. the money seems to be in the freestyle arena, don't quote me but from what little i've seen that's where the sex appeal is. we are not attracting these amazingly skillful riders to our club to race, because they can't see what they would gain from it, when they get to use our track when we aren't racing, for free regardless.
 
Shrieking Violet said:
just going to stir on this quote....footballers aren't the best of role models, IMO.
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haha, don't you worry, it was solely for the example. Football in Australia amazes me, the amount of money thrown at people who cannot even carry themselves in society as decent and respectable human beings....anyways end rant.

Shrieking Violet said:
bmx on the mid north coast here is dying thru lack of interest. the money seems to be in the freestyle arena, don't quote me but from what little i've seen that's where the sex appeal is. we are not attracting these amazingly skillful riders to our club to race, because they can't see what they would gain from it, when they get to use our track when we aren't racing, for free regardless.
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It is hard, freestyle is has much more promotion in terms of mass market media. As only since the olympics was bmx racing really accepted or acknowledged by the greater public in Australia.

Assuming your local doesn't have quality dirt jumps or it would be more than likely the kids would be down there sending it or what not. Bmx tracks generally are just the place to go to send it, as the council won't build proper jump parks and the likes, and if they can ride for free... then why join. Racing means trying to someone who doesn't really care too much, and sadly for alot of people, tying means a little too much effort... as opposed to that elusive freestyle deal that you just "get" for being awesome van radenstein... (or whatever the kiddies think of these days)
 
not the best of links but this is a vid made by one of the girls who regularly kicks my tail on the track :)P) and this *is* the track we ride: Sawtell BMX Track i happen to think our track is pretty challenging. it certainly gets used by the local hardtail boys.

i don't have a great deal of experience, i came to racing very late. but out of Southlake, Liverpool, Moree, Tamworth, Casino, Grafton and recently again Taree tracks? love my home track. technical but not stupidly dangerously so.
 
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Have a couple rounds that are free entry, most should already have mtba insurance, and then just waive the race fee. Most young kids will enter if it's free, and once their hooked they'll start bringing their friends down.
 
I bet they are not racing due to the cost, they are not racing because they simply dont want to. Alot of people dont race simply because they don't want to turn a fun little hobby into something serious. I started racing simply because i had a competitive itch after stopping moto racing (plus in my opinion, being able to slay a bmx track is way cooler than doing a backflip or something)
 
i'd say you're right, Hayden. racing does take commitment and discipline....i'll keep bugging them to come race with us tho :) especially now i have the mtb itch myself!

Burrito_boy, you should see the looks i get from people when i say "yes, i race bmx" but then there's not that many women in their forties who do :p
 
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Shrieking Violet said:
going to stick my neck out and you lot can laugh at me if you like. i'm a rookie to riding, took it up at 40 (long story) and rode bmx states that year on the mid north coast. surprised myself too how well i did. back racing a few years later after health issues, and copping flak from the usual type of haters in my club, going to ride regardless.

so. bmx seems to have lost it's sex appeal with the local young guns, they have the skills i would give my right leg for. when i'm doing my training laps at my local these young guys are playing on their downhill-capable bikes and doing stuff that i, as a bodyworker by profession, stand in awe of. but they don't want to race bmx with us because it's daggy. bmx has lost it's cool factor, at least here.

our club president has pledged me that he will run a gate for these guys on our regular race nights, on their hardtails if they could front three to a gate. i've put my hand up to eat their dust on my Manik just to make up the numbers....

so help me sell racing to these young guns. so they don't want to wear the long-sleeve jerseys and full-faces we do, bad luck, that's Aus-wide safety standard, yes? what can i do to bring riding with us back into the cool zone? where can 4x take them, when it's not as widely televised as other bike disciplines?
Click to expand...

Same deal here in Rocky in Qld. Most of the young guns you are talking about don't have an interest in racing I believe. All they want to do is ride and have fun. We use to have a hardtail class at our local BMX club and each Friday we would pull up to 8 riders sometimes more for that single class. This was about 4-5yrs ago tho. The reason this classed died is because all they wanted to do was have fun, they didn't care what place they came in each race. But you're not allowed to have fun at BMX. The club officials were wankers and soon enough the Mtb riders were seen as a nuisance and they lost interest.

For me, I've raced BMX since I was 4. I have been brought up into racing. I got my first HT when I was 15 and had my first DH race probably about 6months later. It was just a natural progression for me. As Hayden has said, these guys may have never raced before in their life and are just happy keeping things social and having fun. Keep bugging them though haha.
 
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Coming soon to my front yard, the ultimate in cross training techniques.... a PUMPTRACK!

Finally convinced the parents, and as it turns out, dad the ex moto racer is secretly all about it, pointing out trees i can cut down, telling me where to dump the truckloads of dirt etc.

So excited...... just gotta wait for the rain to piss off
 
Put up the architecturally inspired plan ;) haha.
Seriously though, pump tracks are amazing for bmx and 4x fitness. You can do laps using just certain muscles and the likes if you are familiar with the track.
 
Burrito_Boy said:
Put up the architecturally inspired plan ;) haha.
Seriously though, pump tracks are amazing for bmx and 4x fitness. You can do laps using just certain muscles and the likes if you are familiar with the track.
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Not to mention that they're soooo much fun!
 
i want pics and plans :p one of the guys from circus school is building one for his sons, i've put my hand up to help if i get to play on the track :) and he lives just down the road from me :)
 
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