Three BMX bike enthusiasts show off their agile moves and tough bikes. One of them, Diamond Filippis, pointed at the bicycles. “These bikes probably came out in 1982,” he exclaims.
For the three men, BMX bikes are still a dream. One of them, Alan Hanley said, “This is a re-creation of the bike I rode in the movie Rad released.”
Like the main character in the classic 80’s film, Alan spent his childhood cycling to deliver newspapers.
“Riding a BMX as a kid was a freedom. We’d be out all day, waking up to mischief with friends and looking for anything to jump on.”
At that time, BMX bikes were very popular, as Alan Hanley said, “For young teens, this bike is everything.”
Now some of the bike enthusiasts are back to pedaling BMX to show their love for the bike to their children. Diamond Filippis said, “My wife said, why don’t I make BMX like I used to do with my friends. Since then, it all started.”
Filippis’ son John said: “It’s a father-daughter bond. It’s great to have something together, which we’ve both been doing for so long.”
But these bikes are not cheap. Some of the bikes sold for up to $5,000. Among its appeals is nostalgia for anything in the ’80s.
It’s been almost 40 years since the film BMX Bandits made the bike popular. The riders may now be a little older, but their love for BMX has not changed. It proves that we can be BMX bandits at any age. [ka/ab]