Sometimes you have to get a little crazy

7 06 2012

What do you get when you combine the manic energy of Bobcat Goldthwait, the over-the-top delivery of Ric Flair  and an over-caffeinated Monster Truck Rally announcer?

You get this guy.

Archie Dann.

Check out this video of Archie promoting opening day at Virginia Motorsports Park BMX.

I bet you’ve never heard a BMX track described as:

It’s fast…it’s crazy…like a bullet train covered with Vaseline going down…the belly…of a whale (1:10)

Fast forward to about 1:45 where his manic delivery starts to go supernova.

Be there

VMP!

Speed!

Fury!

BMX!

and from there it just keeps on building…to the point I think Archie’s head might  just explode right there in the video.

Check it out.





Praise the Lord

14 04 2012

Looking at this picture, I can’t help but wonder if some intern at the local architectural firm mixed up the blueprints for the new church with the ones for the town’s new skatepark.

(from BMX Museum)





Spot the Cruiser Revolution sticker

11 04 2012

I always find it interesting to see where Cruiser Revolution stickers will turn up.

I was especially amused to see one show up in this picture (found the other day on BMX Museum).

Turns out Rockabilly Jay from S&M put up his beloved custom 22″ TT 38 Special for sale on eBay and he used this promo picture to advertise it.

(Eagle-eyed readers will notice that this is the same bike we featured way back in 2010 on Cruiser Revolution.)

Before you ask, I’m not sure who the model/rider is…but I will say she has excellent taste in knee/shin protection.





Seat posts: where do you stand?

4 04 2012

Seat posts have been getting the shaft in the modern BMX era.  In recent years, seat posts have disappeared nearly as fast as brakes on a new school street bike.

But is the tide starting to turn?

Here and there you will see someone rocking their seat posts proudly…still low by old school standards but higher than what’s been the norm (which for a long time has meant slammed).

Perhaps it’s time to take a poll and find out where you (and your seat post) stand on this issue.





Which racer is using cloak of invisibility?

1 04 2012

In the lead up to the 2012 Olympics, racers, along with the companies and countries they represent, are pulling out all the stops to give themselves the edge going into the big event.

Whether that’s a carbon fiber frame, a 20mm axle set up or top-secret training technique, no stone is going unturned.

To what length are racers going to give themselves an advantage?

Would you believe cloak of invisibility technology?

Cruiser Revolution has uncovered some top-secret spy photos of a racer (nationality unknown) using the cloak of invisibility.

Check out this photo taken at a top-secret training facility in remote area somewhere in Nevada. The red bike is clearly being piloted by an invisible man!

Rumors have been circulating in the smoke-filled backrooms of the BMX industry about how long this technology has been in the works.

No one knows for sure.

But this undated photo clearly shows the unnamed rider piloting an early-90s model Haro.  It also highlights how far the technology has come–in the present day — as the cloak of invisibility, in this iteration, clearly can’t quite cover the rider’s 100% cotton riding attire.

Where will we “see” the invisible rider next?

Again, no one knows for sure.

But it may be sooner than we think.

Check out this photo that ABC News confirms was taken from their special doppler radar satellite orbiting Chula Vista, California this weekend. Satellite coordinates indicate it was taken just outside the Olympic Training Center.

The plot thickens.





Backflips in 10 easy steps

22 02 2012

Joe Cicman and Danny Sirkin are back again with one of their fun videos.

This time they show you how to master the backflip in 10 easy steps.

Step #1?  “Tell everyone you’re pro”.

Step # 2? “Get Zen”

(Have I mentioned that you should follow this tutorial at your own risk?)

Check it out.





Lawnmower season is almost here

17 02 2012

Sure, many of us are still dealing with old man winter…counting the days till spring gets here so we can get back outside for some serious riding time.

There’s light at the end of the tunnel, though.

The days are already starting to get a bit longer.

And word has it that down in Florida, guys like Wayne Keller are already breaking out their lawnmowers.

That means spring can’t be far behind.





WTF…why the fender?

27 01 2012

There’s a thread going on right now over on Vintage BMX discussing the pros and cons on installing rear fenders on race cruisers.

Yes my friends….fenders.

Turns out GHP racer Todd Parry is running a carbon fiber (?!) fender on his race cruiser to avoid “being sucked in between the tire and the seat”.

And while the different sanctioning bodies tend to frown on these kind of things, it appears that track operators are letting the use of fenders slide.

Seems a little goofy to me.

What do you guys think?





Tested: The Park Pizza Tool

10 01 2012

Park Tool products have a strong reputation for quality.

When you’re using a tool from Park you know you can rely on it.

I like using them because it appeals to the bike geek in me to be using the same tools that bike mechanics use.

That’s why I was so stoked to get the Park Tool PZT-2…their Pizza Tool!…for Christmas from my good friend Lynn.

Featuring a large diameter stainless steel cutting wheel and a large handle for easy grip, this thing cuts through pizza like nobody’s business!

I tried it recently on a Delissio Hawaiian Pizza and it worked like a charm. If you’re into bikes and you like pizza, I highly recommend the Park Pizza Tool.





Top ten of 2011

31 12 2011

Wow, it seems like 2011 flew by.

So before we ring in the new year, let’s check out the top ten things that went down in 2011.

10. Sunday and S&M kicked off the year by introducing two of the most of the popular frames out there right now: the Sunday Wave-C and S&M 24″ Dirt Bike.

9. This was quickly followed by news that a lot of people had been waiting for: 24″ forks with front brake mounts. S&M was first to market with their 24 “Pitchforks with 990 mounts which was quickly followed by Sunday’s 24″ forks with 990 mounts (although they were testing prototypes much earlier).

8. Some great 24″ flatland vids surfaced almost immediately after from Joe Cicman and Danny Sirkin. (Could this be related somehow to #9?) Heck, even flatland legend Bobby Fisher surfaced a few months later riding flatland on a Sunday Model-C.

7. Low-rise traditional handlebars for cruisers dying off.  The tall handlebar trend is firmly established in the freestyle end of 24″ bmx but it looks like it starting to take hold in racing too. MattyJo Shelley (of BMXActionOnline) tried it out on his race bike in a special guest post and he found taller bars had advantages for racing too.

6. “Older” guys  continued to make their presence felt in BMX on their 24″ bikes.  From the older cruiser classes in racing to a skatepark rider proving that age is just a number it’s great to see that there is no age cut-off for having fun!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

5. DK introduced a line of bikes in Wal-Mart, including a 24″ version of the General Lee. Is this good or bad for BMX? The jury is still out.

4.  Mongoose, Stolen and InDust introduced new 24s to the scene. Great to see companies responding to the demand for bigger wheeled BMXs.

3. Cruiser Revolution celebrated its 3-year anniversary this year. A great milestone and a testament to the great cruiser community that is continuing to grow.

2.  The 4130 rides. I was lucky enough to participate in the 4130 Sin Series ride in Las Vegas back in September and it was one of the best times I have ever had on my bike.  Bombing the streets with a couple hundred of your fellow BMXers is something everyone has to do at least once.

1. Having a good time on your bike. Sure, it’s fun to debate the pros and cons of how tall your handlebars are, talk about the latest parts and comment on the latest video edit but when it comes right down to it, when you’re out there riding none of that really matters. Whether its with your bros, your kids or just by yourself, you can leave your worries behind and let the good times roll as soon as you step on those pedals.

Happy New Year!