BMX - I have been out of freestyl since the 80's, what happened? I dont understand

The so call freestyle bikes look just like the racing bikes, but with giant pegs, the sprockets are so tiny, the seats are to low to use, some ride without brakes. I just don't understand. I'm not putting them down, I just don't understand. Please enlighten me. I just picked up an old 87 gt pro freestyle tour, that I'm rebuilding, I'm old school and love old school stuff, It brings back memories for me. I'm sure the stuff today is better, but I would take old school over new since i'm not doing this for a living.

who knows? Ive always rode with my seat slammed as i started in bmx racing but i remember when i was proud when i moved up to 47tooth sprocket. Ill take the old bikes over these new ones anyday. What i think is funny are they aren't getting any lighter, my 97 Balance Super B even with cheap parts on it weights 19Lbs and its 4130 chromo

They made the frame geometrys smaller to make the bikes easier to control. Gave it bigger pegs for more surface area to grind and made smaller sprockets because they are lighter stronger and they don't hit the coping when dropping in. As for the seats nobody sits down and they also smash your nuts.

Plus it all looks so much cooler lawlzzzzzzzzzz

But seriously, a bunch of the new stuff you brought up is just trendy, but some stuff, like the smaller sprockets and such, do have practical purpose like golden brought up. And the stuff like slammed seats and riding brakeless are usually more of a personal preference. Personally I ride my seat slammed because I only sit down to coast down hills if I come across any, and The reason for going brakeless is because mine broke a few years ago, and I'm too lazy to spend like the 15 minutes it would have taken to fix them.

Plus if your rim is bent to hell brakes don't really work.

but if your head is bent to hell you brain don't really work.

sideshow- here are my three freestyle bikes. The first two are more for nostalgia than anything although I do like to take them for a spin once and awhile. The bottom one is my current flatland bike. While the geometry has changed (my flat bike has a top tube of 18.75" versus 20.5 on the others), some things will not change for me. Two brakes, four pegs and six inches of post. Ride what you like and enjoy it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v175/aj2271/88HaroSport2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v175/aj2271/DSC_7073.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v175/aj2271/Strowler-1.jpg

Two decades happened.

Two decades happened.
Lol

tiny sprockets: why use a dinner plate sized sprocket when you can use a 28/10 gear ratio or smaller? it's lighter, the sprocket is stronger because it's smaller, it's less likely to hit a ledge or rail or ramp coping.

low seats: who actually sits down while riding a ramp or jumping? stand and pedal like a maniac!

"huge" pegs: the tiny pegs from the 80s were crap. they bent axles and ate your shoes when you stood on them. you can't grind on a thread-on, one-inch wide peg. deep-socket steel and aluminum pegs have been around for about 15 years now.

brakes/brakelss: this is a controversial issue. if you can manage to stop your bike by dragging your feet or shoving your sneaker against the tire, brakes become superfluous. i still think a rear brake at least should be used to control your speed, especially around traffic. but i have ridden brakeless and it's a fun, scary feeling. it makes the bike feel more like a skateboard, but faster.

I never had problems grinding with my dinner plate, the small pegs ill agree with they sucked. I'll still take a good ole fashioned acs claw free wheel over a driver any day. I was more of racer in my days and i just welded the seat rails straight to the frame i think the ABA probably has banned that by now. The one thing i don't miss is caliper brakes i never went brakeless, but to each their own.

On a side note: I maybe reliving the good ole days as im currently in lead at a local online auction on a NOS Elf double cross that will make you old school racers drool, its even the half chrome half anodized mint green version, i will not how ever disclose how much ill be paying for it:)

Midschool im loving that top sport is that on bmx museum? i swear ive seen it

This is my contribution to the old school, and a slightly rare one at that, a 19 1/2 pound full 4130 F/F Balance Super B nice and shiny:) Excuse the ****ty seat and cranks they where the only way i could get it under 20LBS on the budget i set for that build
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j210/fizzaly/DSC00178.jpg

Midschool im loving that top sport is that on bmx museum? i swear ive seen it

Yes.

Sweet im not crazy:)