Those of us that were into BMX racing in the 1980s will remember the Skyway TA.  The teardrop-tubed “Totally Aerodynamic”  Skyway frame was legendary, and many top riders of the era raced on them.  The TA was an American-made frame that was exotic, extremely well made, and very lightweight - even by today’s standards.  Today, it’s considered one of the finest representations of the climax of BMX development during the 1980s.

:: The classic Skyway TA lives again - click on image to enlarge ::

When the freestyle craze began in the mid-80s, the Skyway shifted focus from racing to freestyle.  The TA was phased out in 1986, while the Streetbeat became Skyway’s top of the line freestyle offering.

Well here we are now, 20 years later and the BMX-retro wave has been rewarding BMX collectors with retro-inspired products from several companies.  Yes, the Skyway TA has been reborn, but not as a new product - no, this is much different.  The TA you see here is original Skyway tubing from 1986, recently welded and powdercoated to be brought back to life again as a complete BMX frame and fork set.  Read on for the complete story…

:: Decals are not reproductions, but 1980s originals - click on image to enlarge ::

Over a year ago, Ed Ferri, owner of ColoredTuffs.com — a Skyway dealer here in Florida — found an old stash of never-welded TA tubing in Skyway’s warehouse that has been in storage since 1986.  Through a lot of legwork and coordination, Ed arraigned to have this tubing brought to Florida, where it would be welded by Greg Esser, formally of MCS bicycles.  Once welded, the frames would be powdercoated and stickered with original, new-old-stock Skyway TA decals.   These are true TA frames in ever sense of the word, down to the threaded forks and original geometry.  I closely inspected my TA frame and found the white powdercoat to be smooth and flawless, and the welds are of the same high quality as the original frames built in the 1980s.

:: Powdercoat and welding are flawless - click on image to enlarge ::

The downside is only 150 of these frame and fork sets will be available - once they’re gone, there will be no more.  I was fortunate enough to secure two sets - one to be built, and the other that will remain an unassembled frame on display in my office.

If you want to take a ride in the Skyway time machine, these frame and fork sets are still available, though you better move quick because the waiting list will fill up very quickly.  For the chance to own a piece of history, email Ed at ColoredTuffs.com.  The price for the frame and fork set is $510, which is a bargain when one considers the prices these frames are going for on Ebay.  If you’re an old-school BMXer, this will probably be your only chance to own a new Skyway from back in the day.

Related Links:

• ColoredTuffs website