Dear Sirs;

First of all I want to congratulate BIKE Magazine and Mike Ferrentino for the Air Apparent article in your May ‘98 issue, a commentary long overdue acknowledging BMX’s influence and connectivity to Mountain biking. However, a few of your facts regarding the original sponsoring organizations and promoters of the sport are not quite chronologically correct.

Ernie Alexander’s National Bicycle Association (NBA) was the first recognized national BMX racing organization, originating in 1973. They promoted BMX races in Van Nuys, San Fernando, Lancaster, Sylmar, and Orange, California just to name a few regional locations. He promoted their first National event in Tucson during the last weekend March in 1975, where I first met a 13 year old Tinker Juarez racing BMX for Kawasaki. I have numerous issues, dating back to 1974, of Bicycle Motocross News publications documenting these dates.

As one of the early pioneers of BMX in Tucson, Arizona, I feel it is important to set the record straight - I opened a BMX only shop The SPOKESMEN in the fall of 1974. Developed a local BMX association (BMXA), and built Caliche Park, located behind my shop, one of Tucson’s first BMX tracks. I was one of the first individuals nationally building 20" BMX wheels that incorporated freewheeling hubs, most BMX’ers were still using Bendix style coaster brake hubs in those days. Additionally I worked with other local bike shops and a parent association to help develop BMX racing facilities within Pima County Parks (Reid and Pantano Parks). A platform and program that helped in launching several of today’s Arizona mountain bikers and MTB racers.

 

Stuart Kleinberg
Spokesman Enterprises
Cave Creek, AZ