I just arrived home from the Fort Lauderdale boat show, where we were invited to Bomardier Recreational Products’ introduction of the new Evinrude 250 H.O. outboard.  I never cover the Fort Lauderdale show, choosing to attend the Miami boat show instead since that is the show where manufacturers introduce their new products for the world’s press.

So, I had some fun with east-coast Florida traffic and the madhouse that these boat shows usually are.  It’s fun sometimes, and being a part of any major product introduction is always a worthwhile experience.  Some may ask, where’s the Evinrude 300?  Not yet, people.  It’s coming though…

:: Evinrude booth at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show - click to enlarge ::

It’s been almost two months since my injury and I finally got myself back to the BMX track tonight. I’m really not supposed to ride the bike on the track until November, but I just took it really easy, so no harm done. I just couldn’t stand waiting anymore, and watching people riding for weeks while I couldn’t just made it that much more difficult. I’m still afraid of falling and possibly ending up in the hospital with a punctured lung, so I’ll have to be extremely cautous for the next few weeks. Come November, I suppose I’ll be back to my usual looping-out-and-falling-on-my-ass self. : )

:: New Scream And Fly BMX fork decals - click on image to enlarge ::

My weblog photo gallery is now online.  Instead of integrating the gallery into this site, I thought it would be better to have it situated as a stand-alone installation.  That will allow greater flexibility and update manageability.  For now, the gallery will host photos highlights from my event photo work at Scream And Fly Magazine and BMX photos.  It likely won’t be a comprehensive photo gallery, since I’ll only be updating it when I have free time and this is really just a personal project.

For the time being, I’ll be tweaking the gallery and possibly making some changes to it.  If you have any suggestions or photo requests, please feel free to contact me anytime at screamandfly@aol.com.  Until then, keep checking back as I populate the new gallery.

:: New photo gallery is now online - click on image to enter ::

The retro-BMX craze is in full swing now, and for guys like me that actually remember the original 1980s BMX explosion, it’s a topic of excitement and interest. SE Bicycles seems to be leading the charge with their lineup of reissue P.K. Ripper and Quadangle frames, and limited edition completes.

So here we have Haro’s next move - a “reissue” of the original Haro Freestyler, which is considered to be the very first BMX bicycle designed specifically for freestyle riding. This bike has been the subject of discussion for a very long time and it appears that it will be a reality at last.

:: 2008 Haro Freestyler - click on image to enlarge ::

I’ve always been a fan of Haro’s products, and I’ll probably own this one too. The new frame is 100% 4130 chromoly, true to the original Freestyler design in most respects, with the exception that it has updated geometry, a mid bottom bracket, 990 rear brake mounts, and 14-mm axle dropouts. Wait, where are the front brakes or 990 mounts on the forks? No front brakes without even an option for them? Isn’t the Freestyler a flatland bike?

Judging from the photo, componentry on the Freestyler is on par with the Haro F3. In other words, low-end components. I hope this isn’t the case on the production bike, or better yet, that this will be sold as a frame and fork set. Haro tells me it will be sold as a complete, around $550.

I have another month until I can ride again - or at least attempt to - but I still like hanging out at the Cape Coral BMX track. Lately I’ve been shooting some photos of the Audiobahn race team, and I thought I would add a gallery section for my BMX photos. I also found it interesting and somewhat educational to study the sequence of frames shot, since it gives me a better understanding of two things I want to get better at doing - jumping and manualing. The more I look at the photos, the harder it is to fight the urge get back on the bike. BMX riding really is addicting - even with my limited skills. : )

I’ll start working on ideas for the gallery section soon. I haven’t decided if I’ll add it as a module or just create pages here. Either way, I should have something up fairly soon.

:: Cape Coral BMX starting gate - click on image to enlarge ::

I thought Chuck might like this post, especially after our discussion about vintage BMX parts that never get used. So, here’s a 1990 Dyno Detour freestyle bike that is literally new, as it was packaged in 1990. Right out of time, it even has the original sales receipt indicating that its price was $199.95. It’s 100 percent complete and everything is still wrapped in plastic. The box of hardware is still sealed. Even the chain has its original coat of oil on it.

It’s a cool bike, but I really don’t have any desire to build it. Heck, even if I did I wouldn’t ride it, but if I did ride it I would surely be made fun of as this Dyno looks like a cheap Wal-Mart bike compared to modern freestyle bikes. It’s still a cool bike though, and it reminds of a time when BMX was caught up in everything that the over-the-top 1980s were all about. I remember those days clearly - the big-name bikes, wild colors, silly advertising, and skin-tight uniforms. Yeah, we laugh a little about it now, but the new riders today don’t have any idea what they missed out on back in the 1980s.

:: 1990 Dyno Detour - click on image to enlarge ::

Another item from the vintage BMX files - a NOS 1985 Haro Master frame and fork, complete with fork standers. For the record, I’m not a BMX collector, however I do have an appreciation for 1980s-era BMX bikes, parts, and magazines. So here’s another item of interest to those that like this stuff too. It’s totally new and mint - it’s never been out of the plastic bag either.

The Haro Master was considered the first bike designed specifically for freestyle riding, and there were several design changes made to it throughout its production run. Personally, I like the 1986 models better, since they had a paint/chrome finish combination instead of the solid colors the 1985 model had. What will I do with it? I really don’t know - maybe I’ll build it one day. Yeah right.

:: 1985 Haro Master frame set - click on image to enlarge ::

If you want to know more about the Haro freestyle bikes of the 1980s, check out www.harofreestyler.com.