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1988 Ozone Method Air

1988 Ozone Method Air - Survivor Bike

I was recently visited by my old friend Jason (Crash-endo) Forsmann. He asked about my old Freestyle Bike. I told him I still had the bike and just could never sell it, as it is a huge part of my past. It has been hanging in my parents basement from 1994 to 1999 and then in my tool shed until now. It is exactly the same as the last day I rode it in 1994.

I started riding in 1985 and my first bike was a Cycle Pro Mag FS that I bought at Wheel Sport in Spokane, WA. I then upgraded to a 1987 Haro Team Master, bought at 1st Class BMX, that I rode until I kept breaking the weld around the top seat post weld. Then in 1989 I joined the craze of bash guard riders and bought a GT Aggressor frame and fork.

Then in 1990 I was able to talk my good friend Scott Rada in Hermiston, Oregon to sell me one of his Ozone frames and a freecoaster hub that I had replaced on my HP Super Pro rim. He only had the frame so that is all I got. At the time he had 2 or 3 and sold me one, after many, many hours of begging.

I then outfitted my Ozone with all of the parts from my GT and made mostly the bike you see in the pics. I rode this bike until I quit riding in 1994. The bike consists of lots of parts that I added as they became the latest new thing of the time. I don’t have any of the original Ozone parts, as I never had them in the first place. This is a bike that was pieced together with the parts I had at the time. The worst thing on the bike is the condition of the stickers. I have no excuse, other than this bike was rode hard and saw a lot of things. I was a flatlander by choice. This bike was awesome for flatland riding. I tried to think of how the stickers got so bad and realized that I used to drive a 1978 Ford Club Wagon van and we would pile 8 bikes and 8 guys into the van to go places. All of our bikes suffered from the stockpiling of bikes.

I got the Redline Flight cranks from my Haro Team Master. The Techmatic sealed bottom bracket I got from Jason Forsmann after hours of haggling—He wants it back now—too bad.

This bike is not as pretty as the other Ozone’s shown, but it is just the way it was back when I rode. I wouldn’t change a thing. My friend says the new lingo is it’s a Survivor Bike. Well it is that. I took some pics of it hanging in the shed and how dirty it was. See my Photobucket account to see that. I have wiped it down and cleaned it a little for the pics. I put air in the tires and it is ready to ride, but it won’t be. I plan on taking it apart and cataloging the parts and really cleaning it over the next month. I will post more info when available.

During my time riding I was a member of the Lewis-Clark Valley Just Say No to Drugs freestyle team and performed in over 30 freestyle shows and just at many parades. I competed in NAFA competitions and had a blast. I would love to ride now, but don’t have the sick time needed for recovery if I wreck. It was a time of my life where strong friendships were made and still remain. It’s amazing what a freestyle bike has done to my life.

I want to thank Jason Forsmann and BMXMUSEUM.COM for allowing these memories of my youth to come back. It’s a feeling that I haven’t had for a while and it feels great.

http://s713.photobucket.com/albums/ww139/Brian332Ozone/

Brian Birdsell

Lewiston, Idaho

1988 Ozone Method Air

Serial # SC80601736

1989 GT Forks

ACS RL Edge HP tires

Front Brake ACS BOA

GYRO

Schwinn Seat

GT double seatpost clamp

Suntour coaster brake rear hub w/freecoaster