Lititz BMX Inventory List

Artifact ID: 26.0032

Artifact Name: Greg Mathias Signed Harry Leary Helmet

Category: Helmet

Source: Leary Locker - Then Shipped for Signature and Return
Collection: Lititz BMX Archive

Location: Lititz, Pennsylvania

Home <<< | Next Artifact >>>

Historical Context

Greg Mathias – Signed Harry Leary Helmet

This helmet associated with BMX pioneer Harry Leary was signed by fellow BMX racer Greg Mathias, representing the long-standing friendship and shared racing history between two riders who were part of BMX’s early competitive era.

Greg Mathias began racing in Arizona during the formative years of organized BMX competition in the mid-1970s. Like many riders from that generation, he competed at local and regional tracks as BMX rapidly evolved from informal neighborhood racing into a nationally organized sport. Over the decades that followed, Mathias remained active in BMX racing and maintained strong ties with many of the riders who helped build the sport.

Among those relationships was his close friendship with Harry Leary. Leary was widely recognized as one of BMX’s early pioneers, gaining fame for his aggressive racing style and the iconic “Leary Air.” The two riders remained connected through racing, training, and later involvement in BMX projects tied to Leary’s legacy.

In later years Mathias raced with teams connected to Leary’s ongoing involvement in BMX, including Fall Risk Racing and Daylight BMX, demonstrating how many riders from the sport’s early era remained active within the BMX community for decades.

The helmet was signed by Mathias as part of a planned fundraising effort honoring Harry Leary. The charity project was later paused at the request of the Leary family while determining the most appropriate charitable organization to benefit from the event. Even without the completed fundraiser, the signed helmet remains a meaningful artifact representing the BMX community’s respect for one of its pioneers.

Within the Lititz BMX Archive, this helmet symbolizes the enduring friendships formed through BMX racing and the deep sense of community that has connected riders across multiple generations of the sport.

Related Media