Does Your Bike Have Character ?

[nickyw]

Talk about taking over the thread kris ....

[duane]

Hi All,

I have only been riding since April and live in Dubai where thereare no other riders, so I was never going to be able to come up with a master peice, but at least I got the ball rolling.

My own bike is a Base TA26, so only scores on the V-Brakes, disc cutter and liquid metal, hence a bit of a bias to V-Brakes that work. I am also old and realy wish I had been into trials when bikes were steel and had seats. Anyway thats just me and my limited experience, so come on lets have some more categories from some of you who 'expect more'

How does trials forum feel about after market anodised components ?

Bottom bracket rise ?

Stickers ?

DIY Polishing

DIY Paint Jobs,

Replica bikes

Positive points if your bike is in X video, negative if its in Y video

Positive points if its from X Shop, negative if its from a catalogue

Second hand components,

Drilled rims

Anything shimano

etc

[eskimo]

You could possibly get an automatic win if there wasn't any Deng products on your bike?

Although why would that be a high scorer? Because that is a rare thing?

I like my (echo) bike.

[nafan]

Zilch

That sucks

I think we should make a thread taking the piss out of "old-style" riders!

EDIT: Scored 19 on Kris' post - Cheers mate I have ow redeemed myself...

Nathan

Edited November 26, 2006 by nafan

[oakley]

- 50 on the original 'old school' post!!!

and a full 21 on kris's. oh yer!!

Edited November 26, 2006 by oakley

[Ali C]

my ashton scores 0 on the origional idea (though I should get points for a rear ve )

scored 18 on Kris's

[Janson]

You could possibly get an automatic win if there wasn't any Deng products on your bike?

Although why would that be a high scorer? Because that is a rare thing?

I like my (echo) bike.

I won. My bike is 100% deng free, and has been for a fair while!

I scored 360.

[bhups]

got 0

[Endohopper]

Scored points like I was dabbing all over the place , but points aside , my bike's character is " playful ."

[Ross McArthur]

add 10 points if your running a chain which has loads of different types and makes of chain on it,

for example, bits of a sram and a connex or something....or a Z chain lol.

[ramps]

My bike is deng free It was made in taiwan though (onzas are arn't they?) No seat etc but i didnt do the points scoring bull.

[RobinJI]

I think what people are missing in this thread is that its about how much character your bike has, its not saying that its bad in the slightest, it could be an amazing bike, but still not have much character.

Personally I think that some things that give a bike character , whether there a good or bad thing are:

• Creaks/groans.
• 4/5-arm cranks.
• Small British/European companies components (hope, white industries, etc.)
• Self modification (rims drilled by yourself, bits fixed/re-welded instead of replaced, etc)
• An old battered Maggie built out of several different original breaks is just as characterful as a vee.
• Non-trials specific parts, (raceface, easton, Thompson etc)
• re-sprayed/finishparts.
• Made by a small European/American based manufacturer, or just being rare in general.
• and just not looking like you bought it yesterday, being battered, old tyres, that kind of thing.

Loads of this stuff in in no way a good thing, it just adds character to a bike.

If you have just bought a brand new, latest thing out, shinyblingg thing, then its probably not going to have much character, it might work amazingly, but therearn'tt the memories of denting it, there arn't the memories associated with how it got to be where it is today. It just doesnt have much character.

Few thing I would add to the original post:

50 point for aMaggiee that has been made from old bits.

1 point for each % through there life your tyres are.

3 points for each time you've fallen off the bike.

100 points for each bone you've broken on/falling off the bike.

50 points for each I-pod/phone you've broke riding the bike. +20 if they stillwarrantedd it!

75 points for each year you've owned the bike.

20 points for a creak/groan.

50 points for a part that should probably be replaced but your too fond of it to bother.

50 points for each time the frames been re-sprayed, +20 for each component that's been re-painted/polished/finished.

5 points per large scratch through to the paint.

10 points for each noticeably sized dent.

150 points if since the initial build/buy every single part has been changed other than maybe the headset/pedals.

50 points for parts that have been used on more than 2 bikes.

100 points for any home-made/one off parts.

My Iolo got 210 originaly, but something around 500 including my stuff.

Edited November 27, 2006 by Dont you Just Hate it When...

[Brian Bleech]

my bike is shagged and has part of a beer can stuck on the front! Does that means it has character?

[RobinJI]

my bike is shagged and has part of a beer can stuck on the front! Does that means it has character?

Hell yes it does! that's what I'm talking about, it doesn't have to be good to have character, and it doesn't mean its bad if it doesn't. Its just nice if it does.

Some of my previous bikes had a lot more "character" than the ones I have now, but nearly anyone who has been riding for a while can tell you that your "favorite" bike isn't necessarily the best choice to actually race with. Although it's fun to be a "BMX snob" and criticize everything from entry-level bikes to neon paint jobs, doing so obscures the most important thing about BMX bikes: If getting on your bike makes you smile, if you'd rather ride somewhere than drive, if you can hardly concentrate at school (or work) thinking about riding, your bike has character. It doesn't matter if it's an old MX-II with Bottema forks and a drum brake or one of the modern alumino-wonder-scoots - it's your bike.

Nothing else really matters - not your friends, not the races you lose or win, not crazy Jim Boswell and his crazy quizzes. It's you and your bike. And if you find the same joy in riding I have found, I think we can award ourselves a perfect score on any "character" quiz. I think Mr. Egan would agree.

I think he got the Idea, just replace the word BMX with trials/trials bike and race with trial and you get the idea!

Edited November 27, 2006 by Dont you Just Hate it When...

[poopipe]

-40

does running asda innertubes give it character?

[Luke Williams!]

I thought this was going to be a good thread. it sems to be more orientated toward giving point's to old school bike's, do new bike's not have character or something?

to keep the frame is to love the frame, to buy a new one your selling out on your old one and have to build up the love again lol

[Fixed Pants™]

Do i win? 860 including the two suggestions after the original set?

[Jamie_Neal]

Surely there should be bonus points for putting it together yourself - extra points for building the wheels (definatly adds character and a bit of fear first time you ride them).

Extra points for every bodge (back to the magura made of different bits and the chain with different links).

[eskimo]

How many points for a chain that ratles?

[Onza Kieron]

160

[paolo]

Soundless brake add 300 points

Add 700 to that if it's a magura hs33.

All handmade parts add 300 points

Add 450 points if it's a homemade frame

Or 200 for a part using something that had another use (like a spoon for a chaintensionner )

Squeky cranks are +/- 100 points depending to what extent and what's your income.

Loose pack bearings add 50

Not using bearings add 400

Having a suspension fork +/- 200 points, depending on how good a rider you are (sucky and sick ass riders, +200, mediocre riders and posers, -200)

I think were getting some where, now...

[poopipe]

+ 200 for a bike that weighs over 30lbs

[duane]

I like that last one, I am 200 points better off now.

[RobinJI]

Haha, over 30lb for a trials bike is kinda excessive!! mines 26lb and that's steel frame, steel forks, BMF, Seat, Downhill stem, steel booster etc! Don't really see how I could add 4lb to my bike without just being stupid.

[Mat Smith!]

0. Lol oops.

Mat