Bike Of The Month

1978 Roger DeCoster Nickel Survivor

From beyond the 617 back to the 603 — this 1978 Roger DeCoster came out of the dirt, dust, and yard-sale shadows with a second life waiting for it.

The only reason this bike even exists inside the Pedal Forever collection is because of years spent posting Craigslist ads across New England searching for: old BMX bikes, forgotten race bikes, banana seat bikes, muscle bikes, old-school mountain bikes, lowriders, and hidden survivor parts collections.

One day an email came through. A seller sent photos of an old nickel-plated BMX bike. At the time, I honestly didn’t even know what a Roger DeCoster was.

So I did the research.

What I discovered was one of the coolest stories in all of 1970s BMX history.

During the late 1970s, BMX Products Inc. completely dominated BMX culture. Their Mongoose lineup had the world by the throat. Motomags. Supergooses. Nickel plated race frames. Aggressive geometry. Lightweight chromoly construction. Factory race wins.

Mongoose wasn’t just popular — they were defining BMX itself.

Meanwhile, Schwinn wanted back into the BMX spotlight. So BMX Products Inc. partnered with Schwinn dealers and created the Roger DeCoster line using the name of legendary motocross icon Roger DeCoster.

These bikes were sold through Schwinn dealer networks and often built as custom dealer-assembled bikes or framesets. That is why surviving DeCosters are often found with: Schwinn components, Ashtabula parts, race-era modifications, and unique dealer-installed setups.

One of the most recognizable features of the Roger DeCoster frame is the famous oval top gusset.

That oval gusset became one of the defining visual signatures separating DeCosters from standard Mongoose frames of the era.

Then there’s the finish.

Nickel plating.

BMX Products Inc. became legendary for their nickel-plated frames, but surviving clean examples today are incredibly difficult to find. Most were raced hard, repainted, rusted, pitted, cracked, or stripped of their original components decades ago.

Finding a surviving 1978 Roger DeCoster today — especially one retaining strong original nickel finish — is considered extremely desirable among serious BMX collectors.

The funny part?

The vehicle I was driving at the time had blown up.

So this rare 1978 BMX survivor came home stuffed into the backseat of my mother’s tiny car like some kind of BMX rescue mission.

Somehow... that made the story even better.