Another cruiser convert…

30 01 2010

Spotted a great thread on VintageBMX.com yesterday called I rode a cruiser tonight at the track…and it was fun! written by a guy that usually rides only a 20″.

Sounds like he’s seen the light:

I rode my friend’s cruiser just to get some laps in. Well I ended up riding it all night. I absolutely loved every second of it. Jumps smooth, manuals soooo easy. I was just totally in love.

I had a similar experience…after riding a 20″ for most of my BMX “career”, I visited a BMX track while staying with my girlfriend’s family and was lent a Haro 24  to take a couple laps. It felt amazing and couldn’t believe what I had been missing…it’s been cruisers for me ever since.

If you’re reading this site you’re probably already a convert but it’s still nice to see people showing some love to cruisers on other sites too.  The VintageBMX.com thread is currently up to 3 pages, so check it out and join the conversation. Spread the word…Cruisers rock!

One of the people participating in the thread, BS, also posted a picture of himself taking care of business as part of the discussion. Love it because it reminds of lazy summer afternoon trails sessions…nice!

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Categories : Racing, Trails/Jumping

School is always in session

28 01 2010

Old school.     New school.

Do those distinctions even matter for a guy like Stu Thomsen..still kicking ass after all these years?

Nope.

For Stompin’ Stu, school is always in session.

This shot says it all: catching air and going fast.

Some things never change.


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Categories : New School, Old School, Racing, Trails/Jumping

Dirt: take with plenty of Liquid

21 01 2010

I teased you a while back with a great video from Jeremy Combs riding a prototype of his new Liquid frame.

Well, now it’s time to take a closer look.

I have to say I’m  pretty excited about this new frame…1) because it was obviously designed by someone that knows his way around a bike and 2) because it offers a long top tube and short chain stays (a combo that seemed a long time in coming).

Check out these specs from the liquid-dirt site:

TT: 22″ and 22.25″
BB: 12.7″
CS: 14.25″
HA: 74
SA: 72
ST: 9.15″ center to center
Weight: 5 lbs 3 oz

They’re also 4130 Sanko Chromoly and feature removable brake mounts and routing.

Colors available are:  flat black, pearl plum grey, and limited edition flat bubblegum blue.

And if you’re a fan of 24″ dirt jumping (and really, aren’t we all?) you should really check out liquid-dirt for great dirt jumping photos like the one below:


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Categories : New products, New School, Trails, Trails/Jumping

Showing some skin in Utah

17 01 2010

I’ve asked the question before…and I’ll probably ask it again…is it time to show some skin again?

The skinwall tire, once a staple in the BMX world has all but disappeared. This depresses me a bit because I think skinwalls really make a bike’s wheels “pop.”

That’s probably why I was so pleasantly surprised (and stoked) to see the Fit CR24 that Glenn from Utah has souped up. It’s a new school ride with some old school flava!

The shiny chrome and the skinwalls take me back to the Chrome Hutch Pro Racer I had as a kid. But it’s every bit the modern day 24…from the current geometry, to the taller handlebars to the translucent plastic pedals…this is one sweet ride.

It turns out everyone can get a piece of this retro-cool skinwall magic. Glen tells me that the tires are actually 1.95 Kenda K-rads that SE Bikes had made for their retro cruisers. You can order them through coloredtuffs.com.  I  linked to that page in my earlier skinwall post..back then I was under the impression that they were just generic knock-offs…now that I know that they’re K-rads…well, now I’m pretty tempted.

True, they’re a bit pricey but to finally get a good skinwall tire again…it might just be worth it.


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Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, Old School

Redline runs 2-page Proline 24 ad

13 01 2010

Flipping through the latest edition of BMX Plus! recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find a two-page ad for the Redline Proline 24.

So many companies give short shrift to 24s in their ads,  it’s nice to see Redline step up and recognize that cruiser riders want to see “their” bikes in the BMX mags too. For Redline to do so in a two-page spread makes me respect them even more.

What’s more, I love that they chose the Proline 24 over the Flight 24 for the ad. While the Flight 24 is certainly a sought after bike for the hardcore race crowd (with factory Answer Scythe forks, etc.) the Proline 24 is a simple, well-spec’d bike that works: Chromo forks, Redline Flight cranks…everything you need to win races or ride trails…nothing too fancy, but nothing that needs replacing either.

Even though I’m kind of surprised it wasn’t offered in red, or that cool bronze-y gold of last year, I find that this blue version is growing on me. Great job, Redline.

Respect.


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Categories : New products, New School, Racing, Trails

Vert: the final frontier for cruisers?

8 01 2010

Cruisers have proven themselves at the trails, track, park and the street. They’ve also shown that they are more than capable flatland machines.

That’s why I find it a bit surprising that we haven’t seen more cruisers on vert.  Pictures and web edits are few and far between.

But I’ve done some digging…and this is what I came up with.

If you’re old school, you probably remember this BMX Action magazine cover, featuring R.L. Osborn and Eddie Fiola busting a couple of flatties on the T.O.L. ramp on some 24″ test bikes.

Then there was this picture of Joe Rich tearing up the Terrible One ramp on a Volume Sledgehammer. (I love this picture…awesome style.)

More recently, Ollie Sandles posted the following web edit of Peter Beer shredding a concrete bowl on his cruiser.

Will we see more photos and footage of cruisers on vert? I think it’s just a matter of time.


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Categories : Freestyle, New School, Old School

Too young, too soon

6 01 2010

37-year old racer Bryan Oblad passed away from an apparent heart attack this past weekend following his 36-40 cruiser main event at Rad Canyon BMX in Utah.

I didn’t know Bryan personally but reading about him today made me wish I did. A fixture in his local BMX scene, he was a family man with daughters who raced, a strong competitor and a big fan of SE bikes and vintage BMX. The outpouring of support and prayers on  forums like VintageBMX.com show how much of an impact he made on his friends, family and fellow riders. Steve Spencer’s write-up about Bryan is especially touching.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Oblad family.

R.I.P. Bryan


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Categories : Old School, Racing

Don’t look back in anger

3 01 2010

I had grand plans of posting this look back at 2009 on new year’s day..but a bunch of friends were heading down to Joyride 150 for a session so I opted to go riding instead.  I figured you would understand.

What happened in 2009?

Let’s take a look at 10 things that made an impact on the 24″ BMX scene in 2009…

10. More choice, more parts Not only are more 24s available, more companies are stepping up with more parts like wheels, tires, etc.  Being able to get decent-sized handlebars is nice too.

9. Custom frames Want to have a frame made to order? Companies like FBM and S&M made things easier and more affordable than ever this year

8. Back to the future Old school Pros showed that they still got it…look no further than icons Stu Thomsen and Greg Hill

7. Bike shops Even in era when online retailers seem to dominate, a well-stocked shop with knowledgeable owners and staff is something that just can’t be beat. If you have one nearby, consider yourself lucky.

6. Racing I started racing again in winter 08/09 (after giving it up as teenager) and I was surprised at how much fun I had. Tracks are a lot better now than back in the day and the scene more chill.

5. UK bike mags It seems like all the best mags are coming out of the UK now. The fact that Fastlane runs cruiser bike checks  is pretty cool too.

4. Video parts 2009 saw 24’s showing up more often in videos

3. Age is just a number Riders in their 40s are kicking ass on their 24s

2. Anything a 20″ can do…  Today’s 24s can handle it all… it doesn’t matter if it’s the trails, track, park or flatland…a 24 can take care of business.

1. The Sunday Model-C This bike was everywhere this year…from the updated 24″ geometry to riders on Model-Cs taking things to the next level…Sunday shook things up in a big way this year.

What does 2010 have in store? I can’t wait to find out…

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Sunday Bikes Trailer-Up, Up and Away“, posted with vodpod


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Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, Old School, Racing, street, Trails/Jumping