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[Phil Kaye]

Mandel, we are currently working on a BMX information section. It would be great if we could include scans of those magazines. Let me know if you feel like doing it. Talk to Coasty about the best way to set it up for the net.

Cheers

[mandel]

I have an A4 flatbed scanner and i think the newspapers are possibly A3. I will do some test scans and see what I can organise. The book BMX Downunder is A$ and would be fairly easy to scan...I'll just need some time.... Unfortunately I only have the papers I've found so far but will keep looking! Regards Ken

PS If Coasty would like to email me with the best way to do this that would be fine. kenandliz@mac.com

[AjayVBMX]

Hmm, another old Ryde Eastwood regular logging back in...wasn't aware that this site had been regenerated.

Hi Ken!  I have sent you an email...

I see one of my old photos is doing the rounds...here's some more.

One of my favourites... a Ryde Eastwood Trophy Dash (I think) on Track #2.  Chris James leading with me trying to get up the inside for the next corner.


Busaco road track start straight, 1977

[DUNNO]

Ajay good to see you over here to mate.Also good to see you bought your photos with you to
share with everybody.I found a few more photos from the old Ryde days also a riders list i think
it might be from the Quicksilver Grand Nationals Ken mentioned in his post.Maybe Ken or yourself
might be able to help me out here.



This last photo only the bottom picture is from Ryde it is of Toby Henderson of team Raleigh
who came out with Jeff Bothema from the USA BITD the other two are from my last trip to QLD
if my memory is right.

                                              DUNNO

[Phil Kaye]

Great stuff guys and welcome back Ajay. There were some technical difficulties with the site but things seem to be rolling along well.

[mandel]

Hey Dunno,
You know it cetainly looks like a rider list from that era as there were no fomal organisations in the very early days and Quicksilver bikes were only available initially in two outlets in Sydney Chatswood Cycles and Eastwood Cycles and later we had 400 outlets. My boss Steve was very involved in all aspects of the early days of BMX racing. Another interesting fact that Competition Development was the original importer of the Mongoose brand of bikes and accessories. We also impoted Torker, G Boy frames.
Ken

[Adrian H]

These photos and info is great stuff guys, I have no idea about early bmx from NSW and this stuff is great.

Cheers Adrian

[AjayVBMX]

Ajay good to see you over here to mate.Also good to see you bought your photos with you to
share with everybody.I found a few more photos from the old Ryde days also a riders list i think
it might be from the Quicksilver Grand Nationals Ken mentioned in his post.Maybe Ken or yourself
might be able to help me out here.

Yeah, I think that might have been from the first Quicksilver Grand National.  I'll check it out and see if I have any similar documentation, I still have quite a lot of stuff from back then.

Ajay

[Phil Kaye]

Guys, we lost some photos from the great crash of 09. If you put some in and they are not here anymore, feel free to add them again.

Thanks
Phil

[digger]

I raced at ryde eastwood for about 5 years.  Eastwood cycles was a great shop and I built my first bike from there with a eastwood frame, who remembers those days anyone.....   Memories of the first track.  Very fast, took skill and guts,  the first straight you got so much speed leading into the two big doubles dropping down hill into the first big berm.  I have memories of getting air of the second double squeezed between a few riders and it got your heart pumping.  After getting through the first berm you hit the table top and down into the next right hand berm, it had a sort of jump leading into it.  I always cut this bloody tight and dived inside everyone, a great spot for over taking, then into the last deadly left hand berm.  I do say deadly as this is were a lot of accidents happened with everyone trying to dive inside, or cutting off, or forcing over the top of the berm.  I have a distict memory of leading a important race into this berm and having one person dive on the inside, and other driving around the outside.  I was sandwiched and ended up with both bikes raming thier pedals into my spokes and smashing the front and real wheels, busting most of the spokes.  man it brought tears to my eyes as I relised I had to save up money to buy new wheels.

Once the aussie nationals came on the opening day of the new longer track, these nationals were sponsored by WANG COMPUTERS, I sort of lost interest.  That track did not take as much skill as the previous one as far as I was concerned.  I found myself at a distinct disadvantage to the bigger and stronger guys and bursts of speed were not good enough as it was a bloody long track and a bit boring as far as I was concerned.  I stopped racing and went surfing instead.

Meet heaps of great guys there and wondering if anyone else out here raced primarly on the old track

[Phil Kaye]

Hey Digger, welcome to the site! and thanks for the story, it was cool!

[AjayVBMX]

Digger,

FYI the first track you describe was in fact the second track at North Ryde.  The first track was over the other side, where the third track ( the one that turned you off racing) was built.

Many people agree that the second track at North Ryde was one of the best tracks they rode.  It certainly had a good mix of requiring skill and speed and was a blast to ride.  One of the best tabletops I ever jumped as well.

[digger]

Digger,

FYI the first track you describe was in fact the second track at North Ryde.  The first track was over the other side, where the third track ( the one that turned you off racing) was built.

Many people agree that the second track at North Ryde was one of the best tracks they rode.  It certainly had a good mix of requiring skill and speed and was a blast to ride.  One of the best tabletops I ever jumped as well.

cheers ajay, I have one memory of the track that turned me off, that was during a pratice I was up on the starting gate next to you for a pratice run  and I had in my mind to just beat you out of the gate ( Im sure you copped that everytime you went up for a pratice run).  Lol, I use to love watching you and that guy that was sponsored by sunshine racing on the track I loved, yeh, great tabletop hey, many memories.  There was one guy in your class that wasnt the fastest at the track but my goodness the beautiful way he handled his bike in the air over that jump was amazing.  I think he rode a pk ripper, but Im not sure.

[taupey1]

I had my first race at Ryde eastwood. Raced with "The Professor" and "Magic Mick Wiltshire" at liverpool as well as ryde, in fact bmx took me to most states. Also had the honour of sharing a place with Damon Bevan on the JMC team. Lately I have dusted off the old JMC and am restoring it to its former glory. At 46 I am getting kinda nostalgic about those days. Stumbled accross this site while researching JMC history. You have brought back some memories. Thanks for putting up the photos, really excellent.

Chris James

[AjayVBMX]

One of my favourite photos from Ryde Eastwood...taupey1 showing me the way, probably in a Trophy dash, this photo was taken in early 1981.