Andy Patterson (BMX rider)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Patterson was an American professional "Old School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer whose prime competitive years are from 1977 to 1985. His moniker was "Mr. Bigfoot" for his size 13 feet. Patterson was one of the first American racers to compete on the European BMX circuit during its formative years on a regular basis. He developed a large European following.
I know Andy. He left team skyway cause they only wanted him to race nbl and not aba, team jmc gave him 10.000 when signed with them, soon after when he signed he bought a nissan truck. He gave up racing when he got engaged at a young age, but wish he would have stayed in racing longer. His last race was in reno of 2000 vet pro class he place 3rd. Now he lives in Omaha NB with his high school sweetheart.
National Bicycle League (NBL)
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
United Bicycle Racers (UBR)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)**
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)**
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)**
Independent Invitationals and Amateur Series Championships
(NBA)
National Bicycle League
(NBL)
United Bicycle Racers (UBR)
American Bicycle Association
(ABA)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
(USBA)
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
Independent Invitationals and Pro Series Championship
One pedal starts involved rearing back with your arms straight out and almost parallel to the ground with one foot behind and to aside the rear wheel. The other foot was on a pedal that was extended forward and the front tire pushing against the starting gate. When the gate dropped a rider would lunge forward placing his weight on the lead pedal, accelerating him out of the gate. If timed right with a quick reaction a racer can get a jump on the others out of the gate called the holeshot
. By the early 1980s two pedal starts became the mode in which the vast majority of top racers used. It was almost exactly identical to the one pedal start except the trailing foot was on the trailing pedal as with the leading foot was on the leading pedal. The racer maintained his balance with the friction of the front tire pressed against the gate and the racer subtlety shifting his weight to counteract the imbalance. Getting out of the gate was similar to the one pedal start in that the racer lunged his weight forward against the handle bars while pressing his full weight and leg strength against the lead pedal. Simultaneously you use your upper body strength to quickly pull the bike forward with the handle bars.. By the early 1980s most racers felt that this provided a quicker start to the old one pedal start with the advantage of having to find the rear pedal with trailing foot. Since it is already on the pedal you can concentrate fully on starting and getting out of the gate a second sooner than anyone using a one pedal start technique. Ironically, the sanctioning bodies in the early 80's to cut down on gate jumping by those using the two pedal start who could time the cadence of the gate lights because it fell at a set period of time every time (they use starting lights much like those on a top fuel drag racing drag strip). In 1982 the ABA switched to dead man gates in which the green light didn't light and the gate fall in a predictable fashion making timing the gate difficult (the gate still fell the instant the light turned green of course). Concentrating on when the light turn green was critical with reaction time to that was critical. This made two pedal starts even more of a premium making one pedal starts unheard off by the mid to late '80s.
Bicycle Motocross News:
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
BMX Plus!:
Total BMX:
Bicycles and Dirt (ABA Publication):
BMX Weekly & BMX Bi-Weekly (British Publication)
BMX Action Bike (British publication):
Australian BMX Pancake (Austraian publication):
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA membership publication):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The NBL official membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The ABA official membership publication under three names):
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
racer whose prime competitive years are from 1977 to 1985. His moniker was "Mr. Bigfoot" for his size 13 feet. Patterson was one of the first American racers to compete on the European BMX circuit during its formative years on a regular basis. He developed a large European following.
Racing career milestones
----| Milestone | Event Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Started racing: | At 5 years old in 1969 at a local boys club. but this wasn't the true start of his career. Over five years later when he was 11 years old in late February 1975 was the true start. His father had brought him a Dan Gurney monoshock bicycle for Christmas. Approximately two months later he found a track while riding in his bike in Little Lake Park in Norwalk, California. He told his father and he started taking Andy racing. He raced about once a month for a year, then when the LaMiranda Regional Park open up he started racing twice a month. | |
| Sanctioning body: | ||
| Sanctioning body district(s): | ||
| First race bike: | A Dan Gurney monoshock he got for Christmas (Christmas 1974 when he was 10 years old). | |
| First race result: | Fourth in 11 Novice. Indeed, he got fourth in his first seven races. | |
| First win (local): | After seven consecutive fourth place finishes he won on his eighth race. Then he got seven consecutive wins and move up to Expert. He then won his first Expert race. | |
| First sponsor: | ||
| First national win: | In 1979 in 16 Expert at a national in San Antonio, Texas San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... at the post race. In the National itself the day before he got a fourth. |
|
| Turned professional: | November 27, 1982 at age 18. | |
| First professional race result: | Second in "A" pro at the 1982 American Bicycle Association American Bicycle Association The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA... (ABA) Grandnationals in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... on November 28, 1982. He won USD$400, the equivalent of USD$852.64 in 2007 (Cost of Living Calculator). He also came in seventh in Pro Open. He won US$50, $106.58 in 2007. |
|
| First professional win: | In "A" pro at the 1982 Jag BMX World Championship of Bicycle Motocross V (ABA sanctioned) in Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... on December 27, 1982. He won USD$750, which is USD$1,598.70 in 2007. |
|
| First Junior Men/pro* race result: | See "First Professional race result". | |
| First Junior Men/pro win: | See "First Professional win". | |
| First Senior pro** race result: | Seventh in "Pro" class at the 1983 International BMX Federation (IBMXF) World Championships in Slagharen, Overijssel, Netherlands. No pro purse was awarded. In the Pro class he raced against Senior pros like Clint Miller. There was no "B" pro or Superclass category at the time. However, this probably didn't count since upon return to the United States he returned to racing in the junior pro class. There his first Senior Pro race was the 1984 ABA Supernationals in late January. He did not make the main. | |
| First Senior pro win: | ||
| Height and weight at height of his career (1981–1984): | Ht:6'3" Wt:185 lbs. | |
| Retired: | Faded out after the 1986 season. He raced a few times after that but not seriously, similar to Stu Thomsen's once or twice a year pro races at nationals after he officially retired early in the 1987 season. In 1990 Andy Patterson had him reclassified as a single "A" junior pro with the ABA and raced the ABA U.S Nationals in Lemoore, California Lemoore, California Lemoore is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of 230 feet . It is part of the Hanford–Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area... on April 21, 1990. He won |
|
Amateur
- Addicks Engineering:
- TW Racing: -June 1979
- GT (Gary Turner) Racing: June 1979-December 11, 1981
- Skyway Recreations: December 12, 1981-June 1984. He changed sponsorship to Skyway Recreations just before the third day of the 1981 NBA Grand Nationals. He raced for GT on the December 10 & 11 then showed up and raced for Skyway on the 12th.
Professional
- Skyway Recreations: December 12, 1981-June 1984. Andy Patterson left Skyway because Skyway wanted him to continue doing European racing circuit tours and promotionals. Patterson for his part felt like he was missing out on the big money races and the high competition level of the American racers. The lack of coverage of European races by the BMX press in the United States was another factor. According to Patterson, lack of coverage lead to the perception by American readers that he was out of BMX. Patterson felt out of touch due to this and wanted to return to the American circuit.
- JMC (James Melton Cyclery) Racing Equipment, Inc.: June 1984-Early April 1985. JMC Racing shut down in July 1985.
- MBK (Motobecane): 1985. This was his sponsor when he raced in Europe.
- ODI: Late Summer 1985. Not only Patterson was sponsored by ODI he worked for them during the week.
- (largely retired between late 1985 and 1990)
- Cal Custom: 1990
I know Andy. He left team skyway cause they only wanted him to race nbl and not aba, team jmc gave him 10.000 when signed with them, soon after when he signed he bought a nissan truck. He gave up racing when he got engaged at a young age, but wish he would have stayed in racing longer. His last race was in reno of 2000 vet pro class he place 3rd. Now he lives in Omaha NB with his high school sweetheart.
Amateur
National Bicycle Association (NBA)- 1979 15 Novice Grandnational Champion
- 1981 16 & Over Expert & Overall Race of Champions (ROC) Champion*. He won a moped for this victory.
- 1981 16 & Over Expert Grandnational Champion. This was the last NBA Grandnational before the NBA merged with the NBL.
National Bicycle League (NBL)
- None
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1981 16 Expert, 14-25 Cruiser, and 15 & Over Trophy Dash Grandnational Champion (triple)
- 1982 17 Expert Northwest Gold Cup Champion
United Bicycle Racers (UBR)
- 1981 14-22 Cruiser and 14 & Over 16" Pit Bike Grandnational Champion (double)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA)
- None
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)**
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)**
- 1981 16 & Over Cruiser International Champion
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)**
- None
Independent Invitationals and Amateur Series Championships
- 1982 Anglo/American Challenge Cup Champion*
Professional
National Bicycle AssociationNational Bicycle Association
The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...
(NBA)
- None
National Bicycle League
National Bicycle League
The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
(NBL)
- None
United Bicycle Racers (UBR)
American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA)
- 1982 Jag BMX "A" Pro World Champion (ABA sanctioned)
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
United States Bicycle Motocross Association
The United States Bicycle Association was a short lived Bicycle Motocross national sanctioning body based in Tempe, Arizona. It was founded in March 1984 by five former members of the American Bicycle Association : Rich Mann, Dave Cook, Geoff Sims, Steve Schaefer and Rod Keeling, who became the...
(USBA)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- 1982 20" Superclass & 16 Expert Invitational Class Open European Champion (double)
- 1983 20" Superclass Invitational Class Open European Champion
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
- None
Independent Invitationals and Pro Series Championship
BMX product lines
- Skyway Recreations Andy Patterson Signature Tuff Wheels
- Product Evaluations:
- JMC "Andy Patterson Series" frame and fork set introduced August 2, 1984. Only 333 made.
- Product Evaluations:
- BMX Plus! March 1985 Vol.8 No.3 pg.24
Significant injuries
- Broke foot during practice at the Harbor BMX track in San Pedro, California in early October 1983. The starting gate slammed down onto it. It happened approximately five weeks after he won the European Open Championship in France in June 1983. He was laid up for approximately three months.
Racing habits and traits
- One of the few top BMX racers to stick to the outmoded one pedal start well into the 1980s. He couldn't ever get use to doing the balance two pedal start that became standard in the early 1980s. He just felt more comfortable with the one pedal start and felt if he was able to time the gate correctly he could get out of the gate faster than anyone else, including those who used two pedal starts.
One pedal starts involved rearing back with your arms straight out and almost parallel to the ground with one foot behind and to aside the rear wheel. The other foot was on a pedal that was extended forward and the front tire pushing against the starting gate. When the gate dropped a rider would lunge forward placing his weight on the lead pedal, accelerating him out of the gate. If timed right with a quick reaction a racer can get a jump on the others out of the gate called the holeshot
Holeshot
The holeshot is a term used primarily in motorcycle racing for the rider who is the first one through the first turn. In some cases a holeshot award will be given, which is a prize separate from winning the race...
. By the early 1980s two pedal starts became the mode in which the vast majority of top racers used. It was almost exactly identical to the one pedal start except the trailing foot was on the trailing pedal as with the leading foot was on the leading pedal. The racer maintained his balance with the friction of the front tire pressed against the gate and the racer subtlety shifting his weight to counteract the imbalance. Getting out of the gate was similar to the one pedal start in that the racer lunged his weight forward against the handle bars while pressing his full weight and leg strength against the lead pedal. Simultaneously you use your upper body strength to quickly pull the bike forward with the handle bars.. By the early 1980s most racers felt that this provided a quicker start to the old one pedal start with the advantage of having to find the rear pedal with trailing foot. Since it is already on the pedal you can concentrate fully on starting and getting out of the gate a second sooner than anyone using a one pedal start technique. Ironically, the sanctioning bodies in the early 80's to cut down on gate jumping by those using the two pedal start who could time the cadence of the gate lights because it fell at a set period of time every time (they use starting lights much like those on a top fuel drag racing drag strip). In 1982 the ABA switched to dead man gates in which the green light didn't light and the gate fall in a predictable fashion making timing the gate difficult (the gate still fell the instant the light turned green of course). Concentrating on when the light turn green was critical with reaction time to that was critical. This made two pedal starts even more of a premium making one pedal starts unheard off by the mid to late '80s.
- He never won a Senior pro Main at a national with any American sanctioning body.
Miscellaneous and trivia
- Andy Patterson is NOT related to the BMX racing brother combination of BrentBrent Patterson (BMX rider)Brent Hathaway Patterson is a former American "Old School" bicycle motocross racer....
& Brian PattersonBrian PattersonBrian Patterson is a former American "Old School" bicycle motocross racer.Brian Patterson is the younger of the most potent sibling combinations BMX has ever seen. With Brent the Brothers Patterson are the only brothers to both hold the National No.1 Pro title in any major BMX sanctioning body...
.
- He was also a competent freestyle rider practicing flatland and bowl riding routines and maneuvers. He belonged to an informal trick teem called Freestyle Force. However, he viewed himself primarily as racer and not a freestyle rider to the extent of him turning down offers from companies like Pepsi Cola to put on demonstration shows with his trick team. It was just something of a deversion:
BMX Plus!: "Did anyone like Haro ever approach you and ask you to tricks [sic] for them?"
Andy Patterson: "Not really. I don't really want to get that much involved in it. I didn't even want to get involved when Pepsi called up and wanted me to do demos for them. It's just in my spare time when I'm not in a race, and I can earn some money by doing it--then I go ahead and do it." ---BMX Plus! September 1982.
- He had a step brother named Tosh Muraviov who raced 12 Expert class on the CW Racing team in 1982.
- He is known by close friends and family as "Pato".
BMX and general press magazine interviews and articles
- "Burning Ambition" Super BMX October 1981 Vol.8 No.10 pg.44
- "Interview: Andy Patterson" BMX Plus! September 1982 Vol.5 No.9 pg.43
- "Fast Talk: Where oh where is Andy Patterson?"BMX Plus! November 1984 Vol.7 No.11 pg.36 mini interview covering why he left Skyway Recreations.
- "Our BMX Ambassador" Super BMX & Freestyle March 1985 Vol.12 No.3 pg.10. An in-depth article about his racing tours in Europe and why he left Skyway Recreations and joined JMC Racing. In same issue he is posing in the centerfold poster with actress Bobbi Pavis.
BMX magazine covers
----Bicycle Motocross News:
- None
Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- March 1982 Vol.9 No.3 (SBMX)
- May 1983 Vol.10 No.5 (SBMX)
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
- BMX Action October 1982 Vol.7 No.10 in left center insert. In top right insert Jeff KosmalaJeff KosmalaJeffrey Kosmala was a professional American "Old School" Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from -Racing career milestones:----Started racing: 1973...
(27); in bottom right insert Jeff Ruminer (8) ahead of Bobby Woods.
BMX Plus!:
- September 1982 Vol.5 No.9
- March 1985 Vol.8 No.3 in insert. Main image: Stunt BMXer Jose Yarnez pulling off a back flip. Racers Stu ThomsenStu ThomsenStuart L. Thomsen was an American bicycle motocross racer.Stu Thomsen was one of the first of the "Old School" of professional BMX racers who gained fame in the early days of the sport beginning in 1974. His prime competitive years were from 1976-1985...
, Scott ClarkScott Clark (BMX rider)Scott Clark is an "Old School" former professional Bicycle Motocross racer whose prime competitive years were from 1978 to 1985....
and Freestylers Mike Dominquez and Woody Itson can be seen in the audience at the bottom.
Total BMX:
- May 1982
Bicycles and Dirt (ABA Publication):
- None
BMX Weekly & BMX Bi-Weekly (British Publication)
- February 1984 Vol.4 Issue 6 (BBIWLY)
BMX Action Bike (British publication):
- September 1983 Iss.11
Australian BMX Pancake (Austraian publication):
- 1982 Issue No.3
NBA World & NBmxA World (The official NBA/NBmxA membership publication):
Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The NBL official membership publication under two names):
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The ABA official membership publication under three names):
USBA Racer (The official USBA membership publication):