S&M ATF cruiser grows up

1 02 2023

One of the more popular aftermarket 24″ BMX frames is getting a big brother.

The S&M Instagram let the news drop earlier this week that a 26″ S&M ATF frame was on the way.

In the aforementioned Instagram post, S&M also asked for input on the new frame, specifically what colorways did people want? Taking a “wisdom of crowds” approach, S&M promised that the most popular color suggestions, based on number of comments, would make their way into the production models. (A cool trans orange prototype was shown as an example, see screen grabs.)

Sprinkled in the comments were multiple requests for a disc brake version of the frame…it’ll be interesting to see if that upgrade makes it into production!

Pretty cool, in any event.

I’ve said it before, 26 inch cruisers are having a moment.

Actually, I said that years ago. 26 inch cruisers are showing so much momentum, it’s basically a movement now.

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Sneak Peek: New Sunday Wave C

7 11 2022

The plot thickens….or maybe it’s just been revealed.

Early this year, we got a few teaser shots and realized there was something new from Sunday.

Fast forward a few months and Jim Cielencki is taking on Woodward on what looks to be a new Model C…or is it a Wave C?

Hard to tell but after months of stealthily checking Jim’s Instagram, we now have a better look at what Jim has been riding.

It looks like Jim’s been riding an updated version of Sunday’s premier 24″ frame, the Wave C (which was sadly discontinued a number of years ago).

Based on the comments maybe, just maybe, we could be seeing this in production by 2023.

Zowza!

I think I can speak for the majority of Wave C fans in this situation….let’s collectively cross our fingers that this happens!





Brad Pitt gets Rad

7 08 2022

Rad movie references pop up from time to time. Television shows from The Simpsons to Daniel Tosh have all referenced the 80s classic BMX movie.

However, it was a bit of a surprise to see Hollywood heavyweight Brad Pitt get in on the action.

In a recent segment on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Brad Pitt sat down with Jimmy Fallon for a conversation about his new film, Bullet Train. A film that Fallon describes as “pretty rad”.

It doesn’t take long before Brad Pitt gets suited up to perform some rad maneuvers….all while “Send me an Angel” plays in the background….in an unexpected but funny homage to the Rad bicycle boogie/dance scene.

Word on the street is that Montana Ricky is the stunt double for this. Not sure if that’s true but kinda cool if it is. What a cool opportunity for any BMX dude (or dudette)!

Pretty rad all around.

Kinda dig that they used the #RADPITT hashtag…in the Rad movie font too….so there’s no mistake in what they are referencing.

Check out the Fallon segment if you haven’t seen it yet….and maybe check out “Bullet Train”….it looks like a fun movie too.





Jim C takes on Woodward

27 05 2022

Jim Cielencki recently visited Woodward…and the result was a whole pile of new footage of him shredding on his 24.

What’s even cooler, is that Jim revisited some tricks that he hasn’t done in a while.

Everything from crankslides, flips, wallrides…and even some flair attempts! Jim hasn’t done flairs for something like ten years, so it’s cool to see him going for them again.

Checking in on the crankslide

Going upside down

Wallride action

Facing down the flair…after a long hiatus

All in all, a solid weekend of shredding.

I’m psyched to see more Jim C 24″ footy as the summer progresses.





Haro Freestyler 40th anniversary ride out

4 05 2022

If you’re in California in early July, this might be the event to check out!

John Buultjens is organizing a ride out with none other than the OG freestyler himself, Bob Haro!

It’s all being done in support, and celebration of, the 40th anniversary of the Haro Freestyler.

They’ll be giving away a 26″ Haro Freestyler after the ride, along with a bunch of other prizes (plenty of Haro swag, I would imagine). The Lost Abbey brewery is also aboard for the post-ride beverages and East Coast Pizza will be providing the post-ride carb replenishment.

Sounds like a good time if you can make it!





Something new from Sunday

17 01 2022

Well, well, well….looks like something interesting is afoot over at Sunday Bikes!

It’s been a good while since we’ve seen some meaningful 24″ BMX news from the folks at Sunday (barring the annual upgrades to the Sunday Model-C complete).

Something’s cooking though….they teased it a couple weeks back on the otx design Instagram page….a cropped photo of a “prototype” frame. (There was no indication that it was a 24″ frame though.)

I admit I missed this on their Insta feed.

I picked up the scent however when I noticed that Jim Cielencki had posted some old 24″ riding on his Insta sometime last week. Were we going to see some fresh 24″ riding from Jim C? I was anxious to find out.

The plot thickened considerably though, when Jim C posted a picture in what, I would guess, is a bit of an homage to an old school ad with Eddie Fiola teasing the intro of the GT Pro Performer back in the day. The hashtag #24BMX was definitely there….so could it be? Someone mentioned the otx pic in the comments and then the wheels started turning. This is gotta be something fresh, 24″ wise from Sunday!

Jim C then said he would be at Ray’s MTB this weekend riding it.

I kept my fingers crossed that would mean some riding footage from Jim and the new prototype frame. Jim did not disappoint and we all got to see Jim shredding the tight transitions of Paul’s Boutique at Rays this weekend (on Jim’s Insta).

So rad!

I’m pretty stoked on this!

Granted, there’s no details on the frame itself (geometry or specs-wise) but given that Jim and Sunday are developing it….I’m pretty confident it is going to be pretty rad.

Looking forward to more updates on the prototype frame!





C-YA 2021

31 12 2021

Well, there goes another year in the record books.

It has been a year of ups and downs and a lot of us are still dealing with pandemic-related weirdness (depending on your locale) and just trying to do the best we can…and getting in as much riding as possible.

Personally, I’ve tried to take advantage of as many riding opportunities as possible….really, it’s the best way to keep sane.

With that being said, checking the calendar I’ve noticed that we’ve checked in at 13 years for this wee little blog about big BMX bikes. Thanks again for being along for the ride! I appreciate you for checking out my increasingly sporadic posts.

Hope y’all have a happy and prosperous new year!

Hit me up on the Gram if you haven’t already…I’m a bit more regular there these days.

Talk to you in 2022.

Cheers!

(Pic: unknown source, from Internet)





GT puts the CRU in their new cruiser

27 10 2021

The nostalgia wave celebrating the movie RAD is in overdrive these days. Everyone from Etnies to Mongoose to Flite to you-name-it seems to have a marketing tie-in. And why not? RAD is a classic and something even the most hard-core of BMXers has a soft spot for.

The latest company to get on the Helltrack train is GT.

GT appears to have decided to really put the CRU in cruiser for this new bike and they showcased it this past weekend at the 3-day Classic BMX Festival the Frogtown Classic in Angel Camp, California.

With “RAD SERIES GT” on the the downtube , “CRU” in that iconic typeface on the fork and the CRU Jones-inspired pad set you know they’re really trying to pull on your heart strings for your favorite cheesy BMX movie.

Along with the classic touches, GT added some modern touches to this throwback cruiser. Peep the disc brake and comfy saddle to keep things safe and comfortable for rad dads flaunting their ride as they cruise the neighborhood.

Word on the street that these bikes are supposed to become available some time in December. I’m not sure how ambitious that is with supply chains being what they are but hey, just like in RAD, sometimes the hometown boy (or new bike buyer) has his day.





Big Wheels, Big Fun

17 03 2021

Dan’s Comp recently dropped a video profiling the 26″ Stolen Zeke. The backstory is that the rider/employee featured (Michael Barrow) wanted a bigger bike to assist with his rehab for a broken foot/ankle.

The bike he chose was the Stolen Zeke. His thinking was the bigger wheels, geometry and more comfortable ride would get him back in BMX shape in no time.

As his ankle got stronger, he began jumping curbs and then riding the 26″ Zeke more aggressively. He soon discovered that what he thought would be a “fun toy” to rehabilitate his ankle was much more. He didn’t realize just how much fun he would have riding a 26″ freestyle-oriented cruiser could be.

In the intro, he touches on the bikelife movement, how versatile a 26″ is for commuting and store runs (while dropping manuals in the middle of the video) but then soon starts putting the Zeke through its paces in the streets, skatepark…you name it.

He even adds pegs to get some grind action in and the Zeke does not miss a beat. You can do some “serious riding” on this bike but the result is still smiles and fun.

Just goes to show, don’t judge a bike by it’s wheel size.

When it comes to BMX, you can have a seriously good time whatever size wheel you ride on.





Bentonville Wants Bikers

2 03 2021

With work and home life so topsy-turvy these days, some cities and states (in the U.S.) are offering incentives to encourage folks who are working remotely to pick up stakes and move to their neck of the woods.

While there’s more than a handful of places offering relocation incentives, Northwest Arkansas might have the best offer on record at the moment….especially if you are a bicycling enthusiast.

Northwest Arkansas will give you $10,000 to move, plus throw in a bike (MTB or “Street”) to sweeten the deal! Northwest Arkansas has 162 miles of paved trails, the 37-mile Razorback Regional Greenway and the 322 miles of world-class mountain biking trails.

The city of Bentonville also has the The Railyard bike park which looks amazing!

Barry Nobles posted a video of him shredding the park recently and if that video is any indication of the caliber of biking parks and infrastructure in Arkansas then this offer seems extremely compelling.

(Video link: https://www.facebook.com/BarryNobles95/videos/therailyard-did-not-disappoint-rogers-arkansas-/417877396050423/)

Another notable to shred the park is none other than Mike “Hucker” Clark (See below).

Northwest Arkansas has put together quite the offer…I’m getting the feeling this could become quite the hotspot in the near future!