A Q&A with Harry Leary

A pro BMX racer, a husband, , the owner of his own company, a motocross racer, and now a new dad. Harry Leary has been all of these things. Harry Leary is still all of these things including a Pro BMX racer at the age of 41. Harry took time out of his schedule to talk with us here at ROOST about where he came from, where he's heading, as well as his side of the story with the incidents between him and Chris Moeller of S&M. There are a lot of Harry Leary fans amongst Old School BMXers. For you, this is a look into the life of one of the most recognized names in BMX history.

ROOST: Harry lets go back to the beginning. When did you discover BMX and who introduced you to it?

Harry: Well I was ten - eleven, so that would be 1969-70. I had a Royce Union it was pretty cool, Candy Apple Red, front hand brakes, nice banana seat. I was into reading about motocross and I just wanted to ride like the motocross guys in Europe, Roger DeCoster, Ake Johnson guys like that. I always wanted to race motocross, but my parents felt that it was way to dangerous, and it is if your not real careful. I wanted to do nothing but jump, as far, as high and as sideways as I could. I first started learning how to wheelie and jump when I was eleven in my front yard. My dad would not let me ride in the street until I was twelve. Then I found a riding partner; a guy named Glen Fetters. We rode everywhere together. We would build these jumps then have our own personal jumping contests, just him and I. I would judge him, he would judge me. Needless to say we argued a lot about the results but it was great fun. The only way to really win was to just jump the farthest. It worked. We spent a lot of time on the fire roads. We would race down and then ride back up to do it again, again and again. We road together for about four years, then he moved, I got a job. I started working at the local bike shop to pay for my parts. My parents really did nothing to support my riding, other than maybe giving me the time to go do it. One day at the bike shop a flyer came in from the Parks and Rec. Dept. They were putting on a bicycle race at this kind of Nature Park near my house. I went, raced and won. After that day I was hooked on it. So I would say I never really new what BMX was going to be, I just new at this time and place there was nothing more free than riding my bike everyday and hitting my favorite jump. It took years before there was any consistent kind of racing taking place near my house. BMX was centered out where Clinton was Sylmar, Simi Valley area. I was never able to get out there and race those guys in the real early 70`s. So I stayed in my home town and raced down the fire roads and just jumped a lot. Worked on my bike all the time, adding weld where needed.

ROOST: Did you have any role models? Anybody that you looked up to?

Harry: At 41, the way I think is changing, and changes on a daily basis. The things I feel now, I never imagined them to matter. This is a question based on where you are in the time line of your life. There will always be a different answer. Right now, I guess I would say this: You know what most people put here is, "mom & dad". Don't get me wrong I love my parents, and I would not be here without them, but I had no choice in the matter. At this point I want to be more, much more than my parents were. I think a role model is some one who has excelled far beyond the standards of life or at least what we think are "standards" in the game of life. That is the problem with the kids today, no true role models, or direction. I think that role models vary based on your interests and what makes you who you are. But I would say for the meaning of what life is; a role model to me is a soldier. The men and women that are sitting waiting for war, these are the ones that at the time of war put their lives on the line for what we have always known to be freedom. I cannot and do not think anybody else (unless you have been there)can comprehend what that must be like, going to war killing, getting killed, never really knowing what the hell is going to happen from one day to the next. That's real life, and I am very fortunate that I never had to go, knowing how I am, I would have come home in a box! My role model is my "Uncle Richard", he served in the Korean War, and he was always so proud of that, and I never understood why until lately. He was a good man! With all that said, my role model during my early days in my bicycle riding would without a doubt be Rodger DeCoster! To me he was what I wanted to be. Every picture you saw him in, he was always in perfect form, the perfect uniform, everything that was motocross at that time Roger was. Then came a photo of David Clinton in the magazine "Bicycle Motocross News". First of all it was the first BMX magazine that I had ever seen, and then to see David doing this Flatty, in his Kawasaki uniform with his chest protector and Jofa mouth gaurd, it was the coolest thing ever. I was this kid working at a bike shop in West Covina wanting to race, with nowhere to race, then I saw that magazine with these guys decked out in the uniforms and stuff. The Watson brothers, Stu, Bottema. I had to go where they were. I went to this track Western Sports Arama and they were all there! I had to race them because then it was 14 & over only, yeah right I thought. I got so smoked it was bad. I went back home and started working on the things that I needed to do better to compete with them. It got better but it took a lot of time and a lot of bloody elbows. I don't think I ever beat Clinton in his prime, he was unreal to watch! He still rides at Simi Valley / Sycamore BMX, and you can still see the style!

ROOST: What was the first BMX Team you rode for?

Harry: I would have to say the first team would to be Jim Melton`s JM Cyclery Team. Jim put together kids, parents and the effort it took to make the whole thing happen, and whatever it took to get us to the races. It was a dream come true, I had a sponsor and teammates that shared the same desires as I did. We did a lot of local racing as a bike shop team (which is all there really was back then), at tracks that two years before I was getting waxed on. The team support made such a big difference for me, I was representing a sponsor. Then when Jim started doing the frames, wow, I was factory now! There was a lot of time and energy put into the development of those early bikes. We got factory slick too, Bill Walters leathers, matching jerseys, the JMC van, we would show up and kick butt, it was a great maturing part of my life. I learned a lot from Jim, more than I could ever put into words. Some of what I learned about was integrity, and doing what you say your going to do, never promising more than what your capable of doing. The hardest thing I ever did was quit JMC to go to Diamond Back. But, I needed to go racing on the National scene, and at that time JMC just could not do it. He was honest with me and I will always respect him for that. But I did remain as an employee at JMC working on the production of the frames while I was sponsored by DiamondBack. That worked for I while but I got lazy, and was not doing the job that Jim needed me to do.

ROOST: How did you meet Jim?

Harry: I do not really remember how I met Jim, I think I heard at the track that there was a bike shop guy looking for riders, so I rode up to his shop and inquired about getting sponsored and he said yes! So that was pretty cool, that was the start. Not soon after I got sponsored I started working there building up wheels for this large bike distributor, CYC. It was a great learning experience!

ROOST: Did you have any direct input into who Jim chose for the team at the time?

Harry: You know, Jim had a good eye for talent back then, so I would have to say no. Jim being the guy he was, I remember he would always have a team meeting and discuss adding someone new and how we felt about it. That was nice! So we never ended up with anybody that did not share the same goals as the other team riders. To this day I still use a lot of what I learned from Jim in the running of my team.

ROOST: What is your relationship with Jim today?

Harry: It's just been lately that I have had a conversation via E-mail with Jim. Before that I would say, it had been 13 years or so since we had talked. I think the last time we had really talked before that was at a JMC reunion that Larry Barker (he was the first welder and had major design input into the first JMC frames) had put together. Everybody that had ever been on the team was there, from the late 1970`s team members to the National ABA winning team from the mid 1980`s, it was nice. That's the kind of person Jim was, and everybody owed him a lot for his efforts and getting together that day was just a small way that everybody could try and say thanks. I never knew that Jim was keeping up with the sport, we had always thought he was just catching fish in the lake he has on his property! All this time he has kept up with the sport. What's that say about his roots? It would be great to sit down and have some beers and do some bench racing with Jim!

ROOST: What was more fun, dominating the NorCal scene when you were on JMC... or touring Nationally with Diamond Back?

Harry: Fun would go to the JMC days, and I would not change one for the other. Once I got on Diamond Back things changed. I changed. I had to, this was how I was making my living, I was a Pro now.

Touring on the road with DB was an experience, it was full of stress. We had to perform every time we were out on the road. With a large company paying the bills they expect nothing short of winning. So that's what we did, not all the time but the intent and pressure was always there. I worked hard to get the ride I got with DB, I worked twice as hard to keep it for 12 years. I don't think riders today really understand how lucky they are to be sponsored. It's a privilege to wear a jersey that some one gives you. There is a certain amount of responsibility that goes with it. When I look for riders, those are the types of kids I want. Anybody can win races, but being loyal and not always trying to scam your sponsor for your own personal gain is where its at, it should be looked at as a partnership. It should be an " I'll do for you, and you do for me" kind of relationship. I know a lot of guys who have just bounced from sponsor to sponsor, then end with no ride, its too bad.

ROOST: Who were some of the most entertaining guys to tour with? Any practical joke stories while on the road?

Harry: Without a doubt it would be Greg Hill. Man that guy had no mercy. Whatever we did really only happened on a Sunday night or on the way to the next race, I was never one to go out late on nights before a race. But come Sunday night, we had fun! I think the best was on the road coming back from Texas, I was in the DB van with Bob Hadley, and Greg was in his truck with Clint Miller. We were raging this road war, I think it went on for 11 hours of driving time. We would stop just to get more ammunition, and then resume the battle at 80-90mph. I was passing trucks on the shoulder at 90mph while throwing plastic bags full of grease. It was stupid; I had all my fun on the road in rental cars (as most did). On the way back from dinner Friday night before the Pontiac Silver Dome race, Eddy King and I were doing some laps in the snow covered parking lot. Picture about 10 acres of parking lot covered in a sheet of white snow, and a stupid kid from California, in a rental car. We would get going pretty fast and pitch it; we would just spin, and keep spinning. One lap we spun right into the snow bank. I think that was the one the Cop saw. I went to jail that night for reckless driving, stayed until 2:00am. The worst part was the big boss from Diamond Back (he was there that one time) bailed me out. But I did redeem myself, I got second in the pro main behind Greg, and won the Pro open main. Got a cool photo from the race in BMXaction. So the boss was ok with that! But he suggested I should not do that again, I said OK!

ROOST: Did you ever have a problem personally with any of the guys you race with?

Harry: There was never anything away from the track. The only problem I had was I wanted what they had, and they wanted what I had, and that would be positions on the track. Sometimes that would lead to on track wars, but that's racing, true racing. You will always get a guy who's only way to beat you is to take the angle in a corner and take you out, anybody can cut the angle in a turn and ram you. Lets try and race fair or as close to it as possible. So yeah, there would always be some little war going on, but we would settle it pretty much on the track. You get me now, I'll get you later kind of thing. I would say I have more in the last 3 or 4 years, than I did before. I think that being a bald headed old fart pisses off the younger pros and that seems to provoke some things. I have the same attitude as I did before, I'll get you back, may not be today or next month but it will happen, right fat boy!? One down and two more to go. Be ready, its going to happen on the track, sometime, someday. You know I have always found practice to be the perfect time to ring somebody's bell! That is the way it has to be, can't count on the track officials to see anything to protest, so, here we go. I will come out ahead, you can count on it! I think we know who I mean!

ROOST: Harry, you have a jump named after you. You've had your own signature bike with Diamond Back, and you are still a competitive racer today. To what do you attribute your success in the sport/history of BMX?

Harry: I love doing it. It was something that was never forced on me by my parents (like a lot of kids that race today), I had to earn the money to buy my bikes and parts, I had to find my way to all the races that I ever went to. So it became a passion, a way to express myself. When you see somebody ride, you're watching a part of their soul, they are expressing who they are when they ride. That's why I think jumping is so cool. When you're in the air you're free from everything, for those short few seconds, its your time. Riding is such a personal thing that most don't understand, I think it is a form of art. When you're watching Leveque ride, you're watching an artist at work! I enjoy the preparation part of racing as well, the training, and the practice, its everything that it takes to do well. That's what I really enjoy. I truly don't think I had it in me to be a multi-pro champion, I think that is because I did not have somebody pounding it in to me on how important it was to be that. I just enjoyed the racing and training part. To this day, I am the same way. After you put in all the work, it all comes down to that one race, or lap, you do it perfect. You get to reflect on the lap(s), and look for areas to improve on. Come back next time and be a little better, a little stronger and a little faster than you were the week before, or maybe you completely suck, it was still fun because you put out your best effort. Every time I ride I learn something new. God has been good to me with injuries and all, which has enabled me to race as long as I have. I wish more of the older BMX`ers out there would get in shape and come back out, it does a lot for the mind. There is nothing better than getting on the old 20" and heading out for a killer 2 hour hill loop, and while your grinding away on the longest climb, your mind reflects back on how last weekend you kicked some ass, had a good time, or maybe you got your butt kicked, it does not matter, you still cant wait for the next race. Or it could be, I am just plain stupid and don't know any better? I like to think it's the first one! But some would say it's the second, good thing their opinion means squat.

ROOST: How important is it to you that we remember the roots of BMX and see that the kids racing today are aware of the Patterson`s , the Anderson's, and the Clinton`s of the sport?

Harry: The guys who still are involved in the industry, that maybe still race, or who bring their kids out to race as a second generation, people should know what kind of influence that person had on the sport. As for the people that walked away for whatever reason, I think they should be a part of history. I think that at this point in time they are history, and if someone wants to know about the history of the sport then it should be available some way. To force feed the history of the sport I do not think it is necessary. I am out there still, Greg, Stu, Clint, Richie & Ronnie (with his kids), Clinton works in the industry and still rides. I wish more people new what kind of influence Clinton had on BMX, if he was able to be around the races more and maybe even race once in a while I'm sure more people would, and that would be good. But it's hard to talk about ghosts. We did what we did because we just kind of grew into it. I don't believe that any of the old guys ever really planned on the sport being what it is, or what we ended up lucking into doing in the sport. I know that I never did, I just stuck with it because I had fun and it just turned out that I was in it long enough to get something out of it and hopefully contribute something to it. I'll tell you one thing, if I trained then like I train now, I would have won more than anybody, that's a fact! I'll argue that with anybody that can take a breath! I never trained, only play rode, and raced, that was stupid!

ROOST: Given the current dirt jumping scene and your exceptional talents there, would you have pursued racing or jumping? Any thoughts to hitting a contest today, just to let everyone know that a "turn down" is actually a "Leary"?

Harry: Thanks for the compliment! You know maybe if they had a class for old guys I would, but then I would have to go against Bill Madden and he's still pretty good at the zero gravity stuff. I think that Brian Foster has got it pretty wired, he wins in both, that's tuff, so I would try it that way and do both.. Jumping is way more dangerous than racing, I guess its all relative to your base of skills. I don't think my body could go through another learning curve! As for the "Leary" thing, that's what I mean by if you're out of something you become history. I'm sure that if I was involved in the Dirt Jumping scene then a "turn down" might be known as a "Leary". I know that some of last years "Dirt Jumping" series that was on ESPN, its when Mike Redman was doing the commentating they were referring to it as a "Leary", but that ended.

ROOST: Flashback: Your on the gate in third main of the ABA Grands with seven other guys including Ellis, Hill, Crazy Ronnie, et al...The money is on the line. The cadence starts.. What's going through your mind?

Harry: Yeah, you forgot to add, we are all tied up on points... Well, the chances are good I'm in lane eight, so I'm thinking "killer snap, and cut over on every body", the next thing I know I am dusting myself off, shit, hit the gate again!!!!!!!! That's happened many times! To answer your question, "nothing", at that point of the day, its repetition. Do the same thing that you have done all day, that's what got you there. I'm very relaxed and waiting for the word "the", right before "lights" that is my only connection to the outside world, at that instant, total commitment takes place, your training takes over, and you go as hard as you can, if you try too hard, you will ball yourself up, and wont get your spin going, be relaxed over the first jump, don't rush it, let it come to you, get good back side on the jump, and spin the cranks out to the first turn! After that its have fun and show your stuff!

ROOST: You are still a competitive A pro today even at the age of 41. What keeps you going?

Harry: I think that it's the challenge that I put on myself, and that I can always jump and have some fun on a track. I realize that there are levels of fun, and we all have our own level that we ride at and in that level we all seem to have a really good time. But when you have been on this certain level for so long, its kind of hard to accept the fact that age, nothing else, can take that away from you. Now I am not an idiot, I know that there will be a time when I am just not going to be able to do certain things like I used to. I think that too many people give in too soon to the aging thing. You see athletes in all kinds of sports who based on other peoples pre-set standards (I'm not sure who sets these standards) that they are old for what they are doing. I think its the opposite, I think its "your too young to not still be doing what you love". If more would realize that the human body is capable of adapting to basically anything you throw at it, more then would remain doing what has been a part of, or is their life. Its not that they are afraid to give it up, but why would you stop doing something at any level if your still having fun doing it? There may come a day when I get up look at my BMX bike and say "you know, that's it, I'm done, 40 years of racing is long enough" . That will be the day I learn how to fish!

ROOST: How long do you plan to race in the pro ranks?

Harry: Well I'm not sure, now we are doing Vet Pro, that's a step down from A Pro. If I have my way, maybe we can do, 45 and over Vet Vet Pro. Pro is a word that is not taken as seriously as it should be. Just because someone gives you money to finish in a certain percentage of the riders that have signed up, means nothing. I think Pro is how you respond to the challenges that present themselves, competition, conditioning, improvement, stuff like that. There is way too many that have a pro license that have no idea what it really means, and what that means has been predetermined by the riders that have come before him and set the standards. But who am I to judge? To really answer your question, I am not sure how long I will ride pro, or try to maintain my current personal level of competition. Only God knows, and he has not told me yet! Free time is what will determine how long, how much time do I have to train/ride everyday?

ROOST: Lets talk about your company, Leary Dirtwerx. How did you come up with the name Dirtwerx?

Harry: It took some time, I wanted the name to kind of reflect the intent of the product and represent who I am, and where I have been. Its something that has yet to realize its potential, I need to put a lot more time and money into it before we can be what I want it to be.

ROOST: Are there any new products that we can be looking for in the near future?

Harry: There are always new products on paper, takes money to bring them to life. Little frames, little guy parts. All done in cro-mo.

ROOST: I'm sure racing and the company keep you busy. What does Harry Leary do in his free time outside of BMX?

Harry: You mean there is more to life than BMX? The wife and I just had a baby girl, Breyana Nikole, she is four months old so that right now takes up a lot of time. It's even cut into my training. Oh well! We have a jet boat that we keep at my parents house in Lake Havasu. It's fun to get up there and rip up and down the river, do some skiing, drink some beer, be with non BMX friends and not even mention BMX once. I do this the weekend before a big race; it seems to clear the mind and recharges the batteries! Motocross is the newest thing; I have been racing pretty consistent now for two years, just got moved up expert, what a cool sport. What is so fun is that for what ever, 28 years now, you had to make it happen in less than 35 seconds. Its a blast to get in a battle with a couple guys for 15 minutes, your throwing rocks at them their throwing rocks at you, who's going to jump the triples from the inside, who can go fast for the whole moto and not get tired. I also really enjoy training; I fill a lot of time up just riding my bike on the street. I do a lot of private training with kids; I am a certified personal trainer so that helps with the whole program. It's more of a lifestyle so I don't look for any thing more to do with my time.

ROOST: What are most proud of in your career?

Harry: The 1982 Murray World Cup, at the time the biggest and richest race ever, got first, got 5k for 30 seconds of play, Hall Of Fame's ABA / IBMXF, all the covers 26-30, I am not sure exactly how many. Always being a threat in the gate! The commitment I have made to the sport, as a racer.

ROOST: Name Association, I'll give a name, you give me your thoughts...

Harry: For the most part, there are only a couple of these guys that I ever really got to know. When I raced them, I did not want to know who they where. I had a saying to myself, "had to hate them, to beat them!"

Stu: Nice guy, power, could be really good friends with Stu but its a time thing. Had more fun racing him than anyone else. You beat Stu, you beat the Man. He would always race you fare!

Kevin McNeal: Hated him, the way I knew him, I had no respect for this guy, and he for me. I got the ABA #2 Pro plate to him in 1983, that sucked! I got Six #2 Pro plates, that sucked! Kevin is Kevin!

Greg Hill: Hated him too, until I got to know him. He is a hard guy to get along with! A great racer that stopped too soon (in my opinion).

Brent Patterson: Seemed like a nice guy, was real fast. Never thought he was that great!

Jeff Bottema: The Webco and then DG days were the best for Jeff, he had the best of everything back then. To see him at Western Sports Arama all decked out and going fast was the best.

Oz: Did more for BMX and me than the current crop of spoiled little brats will ever know. We would all be "nothing burgers" (as Byron Friday would say) if it were not for OZ and the Original BMXaction. Me, Stu, Greg, all the old guys were made in the pages of the "Most Factory Mag". Oh yeah, doing a photo session and getting to look at Windy was not all that bad either! Thanks Bob & Windy!

David Clinton: Started it all for me! The fastest, the smoothest, even when he wasn't fast he was still fast! We spent a lot of time riding mountain bikes together while we were both working at Diamond Back and you should see this guy go down hill on a mountain bike, I could never keep up with him, it must have been in the genes! Set the standards for all else to follow, he was bad!!!!!!!!!!!

Scott Clark: Happy guy, never really knew Scott. He could go pretty good when he wanted to.

Chris Moeller: My buddy! What can I say about Chris? I think he is a baby. He whines more about nothing than my little sister. Here is one example: One month he is bragging about how he took me out in Ontario, then the next month he is whining about that fact the he got paid back for it. He needs to know there are certain rules to the game that he wants to play. I am ready to play now. I finally scored in Lemoore. It's just the start! Here's another thing from his little article that he writes, he says he made 3 out of 4 of his mains, but did not make enough money to pay for his trip. It's hard to earn the money when finishing in the back of the pack all the time. I have found that practice and training is a good way to improve your results. You should try it! He also seems to think that people care about what he is actually saying. You should have seen him on the starting hill before for the second set of Pro mains in Lemoore. It was the best. He was so pissed off he could not control his thought process. It was after I clubbed him in the back of his head and knocked him over his handlebars, talk about looking like an ass! He is up there yelling this stuff that made no sense. I was looking at all the other pros up there and they are all just kind of rolling their eyes as if "this guy is a loon", he is. Chris is under the misconception that I care about what he says, he should just be careful that he doesn't slander my name, that will not be good. As far as the on track stuff, its a game, he has taken me out for whatever reason three times, that I can remember. Clayton saved him in Santa Clara, but I was able to pay him back for Ontario, right now the score is Chris - 3, Harry -1, and there is plenty of time on the clock! He seems to have something more than mush between his ears, S&M does well, so I know he can think for himself, but he should use a little more common sense. The sad thing is it takes no balls to take someone out in a race. Anybody can do that. He can get away with it because the track officials will protect his fat ass. He has seen the last of those days! I heard that after he took me out in Ontario, he crossed the finish line, and it was like he was still racing his moto. He took off and hid out in the parking lot, what's that say, he`s a pussy as well! It was funny we were at the ABA Winter Nationals, witch was the first race for the new Vet Pro class, I heard someone ask him why he is not racing in the Vet Pro class. He proceeded to bag (that's all he knows how to do) on how old and slow the riders in Vet Pro were and felt that he was faster than that, but come Lemoore there he is, racing Vet. Funny, I don't remember him ever being out front, so I am sure it was not as easy as he had hoped it would have been. The next day he raced A-Pro, could not handle getting beat by the old guys! It tells me he is not capable of thinking clearly. So maybe I should accept the fact that he is who he is and let it go…not! He is always yelling shit like, how I take racing to seriously, but its obvious he has no clue what it means or what it feels like to actually win in the pro class, and I am not talking about one race one time once in a while. I am talking about the time, and effort that it takes to do it right. He never has and surely never will, and maybe he chooses not, that's his choice. That's too bad, because that's what BMX racing is all about, ass wipe!

ROOST: What do you think the future holds for you, both short term and long term?

Harry: Only God knows, and he has not told me yet. Being a good husband and a good dad, that's at the top of the list, and that scares me! What happens if I am not? I think the repercussions are a little worse than coming up short on a set of doubles. Getting a lot better on my motorcycle, but doing it in a safe way. Making enough money for all that to happen. Oh, and continue to kick some ass on my 20"! I think that should cover the next 40 years pretty well.

ROOST: Any last thoughts? Words of wisdom? Thank you`s, you`d like to shout out?

Harry: BMX came into my life at an early age. I often think of what I would be, have done and become without it, and how the good people that I met have made me who I am. Jim, Larry, Rick, Dennis, Mike Bobrick, Denise, Clint, Stu, Greg, The Arndts, The Nigo`s, Blanchard`s, hell even Chris. They're some really good people out there, doing some really good things for their kids, and for each other. We seem to all be moving in our own little directions, doing our own little things that we think really matter, while all the while losing site of the things that we should really be caring about. I think we are all taking ourselves a little to seriously, I know I do. Thanks for letting me vent!

ROOST: And thank you for the time spent with us.