The Bikes Of My Life...
by Nickey James
Mar 14, 2010
Everyone remembers all the great loves of their lives.
You remember the good times, not the bad.. The things you’ve learned, not regretted. I will always remember...the pain...every break, fracture, pulled muscle and scar that I will bare for life. I will endure all this and more, over and over again...to keep doing what I love the most: Riding my bike! I have been riding since I was 16 years old and I have had my fair share of bike love. I recently was able to gather up all the pictures of all the bikes that I have ever owned since I started riding mountain bikes 8 years ago.
Here they are in order with the stories that go along with them,
You remember the good times, not the bad.. The things you’ve learned, not regretted. I will always remember...the pain...every break, fracture, pulled muscle and scar that I will bare for life. I will endure all this and more, over and over again...to keep doing what I love the most: Riding my bike! I have been riding since I was 16 years old and I have had my fair share of bike love. I recently was able to gather up all the pictures of all the bikes that I have ever owned since I started riding mountain bikes 8 years ago.
Here they are in order with the stories that go along with them,
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My first real bike was a Norco 250cc complete with Marzocchi Z1 forks, FSA 3 piece chromo cranks, single speed with a rear v-brake! This bike saw the likes of CBC, Neds, Ladies Only and every square foot of Downtown Vancouver. It was just the start of a long obsession.
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When I felt my 250cc just wasn’t enough for all the types of riding I wanted to do, I did two things. I begged my mom to move us back to North Vancouver from Coquitlam, which she did - Love you mom! And then I started taking every paycheck to John Henry Bikes in North Vancouver to buy a brand spanking new Norco 4by off my old buddy Jamie who worked there. (I only have this pic of the bike from after I put the most beat Boxxer ever on the front.)
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I sold my 250 and built up a stellar hardtail- an On*One 'the gimp'. It was a sick bike for sure! She was a chromoly dirt jumping machine. I had her rolling on atomlabs, Chris king hubs and FSA everything else..Single speed, rear brake only and a Manitou Sherman up front. One of my worst crashes ever was on this bike!
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Next, I sold the 4by and bought a Cheeta Proline DH. A girl I knew rode one when the company was still going, so I got one! It was the coolest piece of crap I had ever ridden. The suspension design was actually quite nice, but the low end fox shock and play in the rear end (they had major problems with the bearings) caused constant headaches. The only real good thing about it was how cool it looked (or so I thought when I was 17). I threw on an '02 Boxxer, single tracks, a Shimano drive train and some other cheapies to get the bike rolling. Eventually I stripped the paint off so that it was raw metal and rode it like that until I came to my senses and sold the damn thing.
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The love of my life came in the form of a 2002 custom made Chumba Wumba Zulu DH. I sold the Gimp and the Cheeta and bought the Chumba frame off of the lovely Cheryl Beattie from the Bicycle Cafe. The frame was an extra small, one of a kind. I thought that was pretty kick ass... I had a sweet build on it (at the time) with Hadley’s, 729s, floating rear brake- Hayes, a Blackboxed Boxxer, MRP chainguide and Kenda Nevagal / Blue groove tire combo. It was the fastest, sweetest, most stellar bike I had ever ridden. It railed corners, jumped with ease and made me feel more confident than any bike ever had. It actually fit me and it was light, weighing in at just over 43 lbs. I took it to shred some Whistler BP for my first full DH season ever and I also cleared CBC for the first time on this bike. I was madly in love! Riding became a priority and this bike was the pioneer.
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I came across the opportunity to move out of the house. So I reluctantly sold my beloved Chumba to a friend of mine and said my goodbyes. I moved to Kamloops in the interior of BC. It was beautiful, cheap cost of living, and the views and riding were impeccable. I bought my next bike off my buddy Andrew Cho. I thought it was pretty bad ass that I had a bike that a super sweet rider from the superheroes rode. He threw in a few copies of Superheroes 1 and 2 too. I still have a copy of each, still in the wrapper! (on VHS no doubt!) I bought the Santacruz Heckler already built, it was the first time I had ever bought a complete bike. It had Profile cranks, WTB wheels, a RockShox Psylo fork and a 5th element rear shock. I rode the Ranch, Rose Hill, and some local jumps regularly on this thing. It was sweet ass, but when I took it to Sun Peaks,.. my inner need for a big bike overcame me!
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I traded it for a Bullet! I bought a Boxxer off of eBay and switched all the parts over from the Heckler and called it a day. It was a great ride, definitely more of a freeride bike than the DH lovers I had previously owned. I rode as much as I could, but eventually life happened and I packed up and moved again (reluctantly) to Calgary. I rode the local hill and felt extremely let down. Hard times came and with the cost of living in Calgary so high and enrolling in College I took her apart and sold the Bullet piece by piece.
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A couple years passed, I was lonely and sad and all I had to ride was my banana yellow cruiser bike from work to the gym every day. When I finally did what my heart told me to do, I packed up my VW Golf and moved back to my Hometown and place of birth - North Vancouver. I had always kept in contact with my buddy Derek who bought the Chumba off me four years prior. A magical thing happened and he put the bike up for sale! I immediately told him to sell it to me - No ifs, ands or buts! I didn’t have much money to build up a sweet DH rig to get me riding again, but with the help of many friends and donations I built up my Franken bike. You always get funny looks when it’s 2009 and you are riding a 2002 era bike - No matter how cool it still looks! I stood up for her though, every time. I got a job at John Henry Bikes as Willie had remembered me from when I bought my 4by, and all the trail days I had put time and energy into. It was nice to have been remembered after so many years. I needed a job and I knew I would do great things at the shop and I delivered. It was a great experience and it allowed me to go full throttle back into the bike industry. Everything had changed so much in the 2+ years that I was MIA.
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Before long I had sold enough parts off the Franken Chumba and had birthday wishes come true that I was able to get a sweet deal on a brand new 2008 Demo 7 straight from Specialized. (One of the perks of working at a shop!) I hung my Chumba love on my wall where it still is today, and where it will always stay. The Demo is a dream, I got it in late July and have been riding 3-5 days a week ever since.
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When I got the Demo I switched the bars to purple Race Face Atlas as well as Race Face cranks, BB, chainring and guard. A WTB Devo seat was given to me and I loved the extra couple millimeters of height clearance I gained. Since then I have upgraded a few parts that I felt weren’t the greatest as well as getting the bike ready for the upcoming race season. The worn out Specialized grips have been changed to gold ODIs with gold Straightline end caps that are graced with my friend Stacy Glaser’s Painthouse Customs company logo. My stock 66 has been transformed with nickel coated stations, rc3 cartridge, soft spring and custom oil level. I went for the Maxxis Minion/Highroller 3C combo when the Chunders wore out and I just put on some NRG low profile pedals. This is how she sits today!
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To me, riding is my meditation, my relaxation, my solitude as well as my source of companionship. The greatest friends I have were all met through riding. My bike is a little piece of me, it says a lot about who and what I am. Everything I do is shaped around the fact that I would rather be riding my bike right now!
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| nickeynixxjames.blogspot.com |
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60 Comments
- + 4 Show
Why is it 90% of people start out on norco long travel hardtails? people if you work in a shop start suggesting legit jump bikes and not bikes that keep breaking
- + 12 Show
its probably cause Norco was known as the biggest company back then, and Norco was one of the first companies to make "freeride" kind of bikes, and what do you mean "legit jump bikes and not bikes that keep breaking"?
- + 20 Show
ooooooo wow. i feel dumb through that entire article i thought u were a guy. i thought that pink whip guard was a little weird for a guy to have...
- + 3 Show
I remember the Bullit and Heckler fondly. It was the best trade I've ever done, though I remember getting those Profile cranks off your Heckler was a major PITA!!
- + 4 Show
viccityburner... back when the Norco 250cc first came out there were few other options, especially if you didn't have money or connections. Most of the bike companies you would likely choose over those bikes may not be around if it weren't for companies like Norco who put out a dirt jump/urban bike before skinny jeans were and neon hoodies existed. I don't ride Norco currently but those bikes have some good nostalgia... credit where it is due.
- + 3 Show
viccity: juest because it is good to start on a long travel hardtail when you think you are into gravity mtb. You sort of scout what is your primary area of interest in MTB, you learn the essential skills faster and better on HT of which the most important one is to use your legs.
There's not much worse things than starting on a Dh rig! I see rich daddy's kids riding their WC worthy rigs, riding super stiff, thinking that it is the bike that should handle the obstacles, jumping big stuff with no idea what they are doing just because the bike forgives most mistakes. then I see discburners in bikeparks on Dh rigs having so much suspension that they cannot control actualy so every time they brake hard they are super close to OTB, and as these bikes just dont turn if you dont go fast, these guys just flop...
There's not much worse things than starting on a Dh rig! I see rich daddy's kids riding their WC worthy rigs, riding super stiff, thinking that it is the bike that should handle the obstacles, jumping big stuff with no idea what they are doing just because the bike forgives most mistakes. then I see discburners in bikeparks on Dh rigs having so much suspension that they cannot control actualy so every time they brake hard they are super close to OTB, and as these bikes just dont turn if you dont go fast, these guys just flop...
- + 1 Show
yuzzr i rode a 05 rockymountain flow for 2 yrs lawl (hardtail) it was a decent lil bike i learned so much about using my body to control the way the bike handles and also how to pick the smoothest line possible....once i switched over to a big bike i went from just cruising the trail to straight rocketing down the trails with eaze because i was confident in my riding. I couldnt ride a hardtail now though without feeling like my legs where about to blow in half though 
- + 3 Show
WAKIdesigns: I had so many HTs before buying a proper fulsuser, but there is something true about what you're saying. One of the things I cannot get over with is the fact that, because I am so used to HTs, I tend to ride my fulsuspension bike as stiff and use it like I was riding a HT instead (so, in the end, I break them).
About learning all the basics with a HT I think you're right. My experience tells me you should always prefer a HT + flats (no clips in) to get on with the basic stuff. When I see these kids going over things not quite understanding that it isn't them who are actually pulling the trick but the setup they're riding, I begging to understand why is it they get stuck in the old rut for so long. And many will say "SPDs boost my confidence up" or "I am more pedal efficient on SPDs", but they're missing a critical point here. First you learn to ride; then you do whatever it takes to gain advantage over you're competitors. It makes sense for Steve Pete or Sam Hill to ride their bikes on SPDs, but if you're still learning, SPDs won't help you improve your skills in this sense.
About learning all the basics with a HT I think you're right. My experience tells me you should always prefer a HT + flats (no clips in) to get on with the basic stuff. When I see these kids going over things not quite understanding that it isn't them who are actually pulling the trick but the setup they're riding, I begging to understand why is it they get stuck in the old rut for so long. And many will say "SPDs boost my confidence up" or "I am more pedal efficient on SPDs", but they're missing a critical point here. First you learn to ride; then you do whatever it takes to gain advantage over you're competitors. It makes sense for Steve Pete or Sam Hill to ride their bikes on SPDs, but if you're still learning, SPDs won't help you improve your skills in this sense.
- + 0 Show
NO i just find it kind of dumb on bike shops, like if a kid like myself 4 years ago walks in and says im doing stair drops and trails and they sell me a norco bigfoot! i broke that thing so many times even tho i took amazing care of it. then i built up a proper dirt jump style bike and it rarely brakes, the amount of money i would have saved if i bought one to begin is enormous.
- + 1 Show
norco hardtails were sick because they had geo that could make it down a steep trail and if you were broke as f*ck like me growing up riding, its a bike you can afford.
- + 1 Show
viccity: 1.if you break couple of frames there's some indication that it's not the frame's fault sorry. 2. People at shops are not always qualified just as in any other job, though it's kinda strange to say: I want a bike handling stair gaps and trail riding... well a do it all HT is the best choice then if you have no idea what do you actualy want. And forementioned Norco is one of those.
smeckma: depends what you do on HT, I don't know any good HT trail/DH rider who rides flats. It's simply impossible to shred rocks and roots without something that keeps your bike connected to your feet. You have some pretty good (if not the best)HT DH scene up in UK so just look at these guys. Furthermore HT is good for honing skills at any level. If you ride full sussers all the time, you just get too stiff on your legs. Any time you spend on HT in the woods just makes you smoother. That's why it's hard for me to understand how come HT riding comprimises your FS riding. Please explain what you mean
smeckma: depends what you do on HT, I don't know any good HT trail/DH rider who rides flats. It's simply impossible to shred rocks and roots without something that keeps your bike connected to your feet. You have some pretty good (if not the best)HT DH scene up in UK so just look at these guys. Furthermore HT is good for honing skills at any level. If you ride full sussers all the time, you just get too stiff on your legs. Any time you spend on HT in the woods just makes you smoother. That's why it's hard for me to understand how come HT riding comprimises your FS riding. Please explain what you mean
- + 1 Show
It is rather the other way around. I don't ride FSs all the time but HTs and I hate clip-ins if you're asking (you will never see me riding my bike in those). What I am saying up there is you go and try flats first when you're starting (not clip-ins) and once you get dialled, maybe you can move on to clip-ins if you like. Clip-ins do encourage bad practice in that they will give you the confidence boost you should always gain through long hours of hard practice. I've never seen no kid pulling a bunny-hop straight on those. They just pull srtaight up with their feet instead of using their shoulders. This is the reason why I say "they get stuck in the old rut for so long". If you only rely in your setup to become a better rider you don't progress do you? But again, I was only saying it because of the fact you were already hintin at it in you previous post (forgiving equipment). I was just picking it up where you left it mate.
- + 1 Show
no no I agree, no one should start with SPDs but everyone should try them for some longer time. I didn't wanted to be picky, I see that my comment was that a bit. I just wanted to know what do you mean, I got it slighlty wrong then 
CHEERS!
regarding bunny, well that's a bad habit builder with SPDs, leading in general to lower development of jumping skills and weight shifting in general. At the same time flats are building a bad habit of putting your foot out to often, which results in other bad habits: not putting the weight to the outside of the bike while cornering, problems with railing burms etc. I just hope we don't start clips vs flats discussion...
CHEERS!regarding bunny, well that's a bad habit builder with SPDs, leading in general to lower development of jumping skills and weight shifting in general. At the same time flats are building a bad habit of putting your foot out to often, which results in other bad habits: not putting the weight to the outside of the bike while cornering, problems with railing burms etc.
I just hope we don't start clips vs flats discussion... 
- + 1 Show
gregmazo...waiting to ride your bikes??? waiting for what? you can ride in BC all winter....i have done SFU Mt. a doz Xs, the Shore, even Sunshine Coast [ Mach Chicken etc ] on Xmas day....almost no snow this winter... waiting for Whistler? no excuse. i'm 67 and i still rip with my 29 year old son [ i do pretty good on the DH trails but you young uns' do the dirt jump thang out of sight! i'm always impressed.
- + 0 Show
PS. hey gmazo...i guess if you live in keebec i can see why you are waiting for Whistler...but my point is: MOVE HERE! jeeeezus on a stick! why would anyone want to live in igloo land [ i lived in Ottawa for years ] you will never go back once you got a taste of year round rippin.
- + 2 Show
jcinkits, lots of people would love to pack-up and move. But not everybody can. It's wonderful that you live in BC and have the opportunity to ride your bike year round! Some people have family, jobs or other situations that might not allow them to relocate quite that easily.
As for your comment about Quebec, La Belle Province happens to be a beautiful place to live! Comparing it with an igloo is a little unfair don't you think?
As for your comment about Quebec, La Belle Province happens to be a beautiful place to live! Comparing it with an igloo is a little unfair don't you think?
- + 1 Show
that is awesome, i would need a few pages to do the same thing with all the bikes i have gone through! But your right, you bike becomes a little part of you!
- + 3 Show
I know that going-to-the-university-and-having-nowhere-to-ride feeling all too well :/ I had to move from the lovely trails in the black forest to northern germany. Everything is flat as a pan, DH is virtually unknown here. So last fall I bought a nice road bike for training and leave the fat tyres at my other home until I get a chance to ride there again. Hooray for the summer to come!
- + 1 Show
Cute article. I am so glad you got the love of your life back, even if it only hangs on a wall now.
A Norco 4x4 (as it was called in its first year) was one of the best bikes I've ever had - I think it was my fifth or sixth full-suspension bike. I loved the low BB, it railed!
A Norco 4x4 (as it was called in its first year) was one of the best bikes I've ever had - I think it was my fifth or sixth full-suspension bike. I loved the low BB, it railed!
- + 1 Show
I have never broken a bone before. Does that mean I'm not living hard enough? Sometimes I wonder. Sprained plenty of extremities. Still...
- + 1 Show
cool write up.im sure alot of us here on pb can relate to this...amazing and life on the saddle is indeed beautiful
[Reply]
- + 2 Show
I so can relate to those "getting-all-pumped-up-for-a-new-something-to-an-old-race-horse"-kinda feelings. From a wallmart bike to a intense. Only bad thing about memory lanes is realizing how old you actually are...
- + 2 Show
This is one of the best articles I've read in a while, I couldn't stop smiling! I'm really happy for you! "It was the coolest piece of crap I had ever ridden. " made me laugh some haha.
- + 2 Show
Haha, Kids,..I started out on a norco bushpilot with canti brakes, before suspension was invented. Sorry bud your not old school. I'm 34 now and still rippin', you got a ways to go.
nice- + 1 Show
Hey Nickey. Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a cool piece! You are my inspiration for the day! Ride hard and always do what you love!
- + 1 Show
This was a greta idea for an article and got me thinking about all the rides I've owned too. The Heckler and Bullit are in my collection too, but I stuck w/ SC and progressed to a VP Free, then Nomad then V10. Nice read, thanks for writing it.
- + 1 Show
Great article, I really enjoyed that!
got me thinking about the first time I discovered mountain biking... I’d love to build up a dream late-90’s hardtail again, with z1 cr’s the lot, just to see how it would ride these days.
got me thinking about the first time I discovered mountain biking... I’d love to build up a dream late-90’s hardtail again, with z1 cr’s the lot, just to see how it would ride these days.
- + 1 Show
I still ride my 03 Hard Rock Comp. I've built it up and replaced everything, but theres nothing that will make me get rid of it. I still rock the Vee brakes too. Not to say I dont enjoy new DH bikes, I ride a big hit for the bigger trails, but I love to fly down the hill on the old bike once in a while... it gets the looks.
Definitely feelin the love for the first bikes.
Definitely feelin the love for the first bikes.
- + 1 Show
awesome to see and know that there are girls addicted to the sport as much as men you are so lucky to have had so many bikes in your life, i'm jealous. Your proof that not matter the costs involved and how many bones you've broken, the passion still lives and can go on. thanks for the inspiration. cheers
you are so lucky to have had so many bikes in your life, i'm jealous. Your proof that not matter the costs involved and how many bones you've broken, the passion still lives and can go on. thanks for the inspiration. cheers
[Reply]
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