BMXmuseum.com Forums

About two years ago I set out to build an exact replica of the Redline 500A that I raced my first year of BMX on. Like so many here I wanted to remember those special years, riding miles everyday on that bike and ultimately, placing in the top 10 in the GA NBL 12 Novice class. So here's the story:

My Grandparents essentially raised me and like every other 12 year old BITD, I wanted a Redline 500A to start racing with. Nothing else would do, I remember that bike being in EVERY single issue of BMX Action and BMX Plus. I had to have it. So for Christmas that year my Grandad took me to Tara Schwinn and I picked one out. I officially got it on Christmas Day- time to ride!

I really got into racing and of course quickly wanted to upgrade parts on the bike. Wise man he is, my Grandad told me that I had to prove to him I was serious about racing and if I did well he would get me the upgrades I needed to stay competitive. So I set a goal to get into the top 10 even though I started racing late in the season. Long story short I made it and wound up placing 9th in points that year at the finals in Rome, GA. Wow, it felt better than any other trophy I'd ever won in baseball or football. I remember propping the number plate up in the rear window of the Buick on the way home so the people on the highway would see my accomplishment (the simple joys of being a kid!)

The original bike and number plate are long gone. Pretty sure my mom tossed the plate along with a bunch of other trophies at some point after I moved out and got married (thanks a bunch Mom!). But the nagging thought of that bike and the journey we took stuck with me.

I bought a nice 500A frame and fork a few years ago but never finished it. I wound up selling it and decided to look for a true survivor if possible. Another long story short I found one here actually last year. Finally, I now have the bike and it's almost complete!

First task was reconstructing the number plate. What a task that wound up being! I have this posted in an older thread but I'll copy/paste here for continuity's sake:

I began a search in earnest to find an image of the plate, going through home photos came up with nothing. So I turned to the good 'ole Interwebs and viola! Found this -



I carefully measured everything and came up with this as a reference -



Next I sourced an incredibly talented graphic artist and had him recreate the plate using that picture and a NOS Zeronine plate that I bought from Jeff Haney. Incredibly, he came up with this (and I still can't believe how accurate this is) -



With the graphics file in hand and my NOS plate ready for the transplant I had the design put on vinyl. Again I went to lengths to make sure the thickness, opacity, etc were as close to the original as possible. I found a vintage number 9 Zeronine slant number and went to work






I'm very happy with the outcome. Even the jagged edges from the number nine sticker are still there, just like the OG.

VERY VERY happy and excited to finally have this in hand! Next it goes on the bike that's sitting down in the basement.

So here it is, the "near" replica of the bike that I raced BITD. The only thing not OG (and true to what I was running) are the pedals, the grips, and the brake cable. I need to get a pair of Suntour XC-2's, a black pair of Oakley O-Wings, and a black Terry Cable to complete the bike.










Part two of the build is sourcing a Hutch Pro Racer F/F to build the next bike I raced after getting my #9 plate.Profile box cranks, GT bars, DK Pro XL stem in black, GT Epoch headset in white, white Dominator seat, GT layback seatpost, and some other nice goodies. Gonna be expensive but worth it! The fun part is the chase, right!

This bike now sits in my office, I think I stare at it more than wife nowadays!

And yes, I do ride it!

Last edited by OldBiker (2013-01-15 6:04pm)