Skyway frames out now…for a lucky few

10 09 2012

Planet BMX/Colored Tuffs announced last week that the long-anticipated 24″ Skyway T/A frames were about to be shipped out.

This modern-day adaptation of a classic cruiser frame (only made in small quantities in the original incarnation for the company’s factory riders, not the general public) understandably sold out quickly.

Will another run of these frames be made?

Not sure.

What I am sure of is that I’m dying to see some of these bad boys built up (the chrome ones with black Tuffs and skinwall tires are my kryptonite).

Oh look…maybe the white frames are OK too.

Eva Gabrielle on one of the original Skyway cruisers.

For more background on the Skyway frame check out this early post: Does the  T/A stand for totally awesome?





USA BMX not showing 22s any class

5 09 2012

Responding to the growing interest in 22′ bikes, I’ve heard that USA BMX/BMX Canada will now allow 22″ bikes on the racetrack for the 2013 season.

But only under strict parameters.

Namely, that they can only be used in the cruiser class.

Seems like an odd decision.

I can’t remember the exact rationale…probably because it didn’t make much sense to me…but it seemed to boil down to the importance of maintain the integrity or sanctity of the 20″ class.

But why the rigid adherence to wheel size in the “20 inch class”?

In cruiser, we already have 24s, 26s, BMX cruisers, mountain bikes…you name it.

Why not a slightly bigger wheel size for your “class” bike?

BMX RACING: 22″ wheel BMX first race win in 20″ class Faction Bike Co. from Faction BMX on Vimeo.

I would bet that most people considering (or already buying) a 22″ bike are doing so to replace their 20″ and not their 24″.

In an era where everything on a modern-day BMX race bike has changed spec-wise…handlebar size, top tube length, materials… there still seems to be a slavish devotion to wheel size.

Maybe that’s where the problem lies.

Maybe from here on in, race bikes should just be referred to “class” and “cruiser”…with 22s being part of the “class” segment.

What do you think?

Have your say.





Cruiser Rev tees…get one today and save

29 08 2012

Forgive me for the over-the-top sales guy headline…but in these tough economic times, it’s important to save a few bucks whenever you can.

And if you can do that while still scoring something cool, so much the better.

So just in case you missed it on the Facebook page, there’s a couple of coupon codes to save on Cruiser Revolution t-shirts and other assorted CR merch.

The catch is the coupon codes are only good till 8/30/12.

SummerStyle$5
(Save $5 off $25+)

SummerStyle$10
(Save $10 off orders of $50+)

So get in, while the getting’s good.

(And don’t forget your girl…she’ll be stoked if you pick up a Cruiser Revolution fitted baseball tee for her…trust.)

You can visit the webstore by clicking here.





Holmes turns 22

21 08 2012

S&M just announced that the new Holmes Frame, 22″ Pitchfork and Revenge wheels are now available.

From the looks of the things a large group of people are ready to jump on these and roll twenty-two style.

Choosing a new bike just got a whole lot more interesting.





From Olympic Games to video games

15 08 2012

In the wake of BMX’s much hyped second appearance in the Olympics, it seems only fitting that BMX racing has finally made it’s way into the video game arena.

It’s doing so by way of Turborilla’s Mad Skills BMX (a sort of followup game to their Mad Skills Motocross game). Supercross BMX, Fly Racing, Kicker, Go Pro, and Red Bull have all lent their support to this game so it promises to be good.

Of course, there are have been a number of BMX video game titles available through the years…most notably Mat Hoffman’s Pro BMX, Dave Mirra’s Freestyle BMX and (gasp!) BMX XXX…but this is the first time we’re seeing something more racing focused ( there is still a liberal helping of jumping, tricks, etc. to keep things interesting though).

Sure beats Excitebike, that’s for sure.





S&M unveils Speedwagon Cruiser frame

31 07 2012

After much anticipation, S&M has unveiled its new Speedwagon race frames.  And while they have made some tweaks to the the 20 inch version’s geometry for the 24″ version they have stuck with the tried-and-true geo found on the 24″ 38 Special.

In terms of updates, Jay Skwarlo of S&M said they:

…ditched the mono stay and put the dropouts on a diet. We also got rid of the cable split cable stops and went with three guides.

Looks dialed.

Another thing that caught my eye was the addition of a new stock size, one with a 22″ top tube.  Definitely a plus for the bigger guys.

Color options are Gloss Black, Trans Red and Chrome.

Specs

  • Butted/air-hardening Super Therm tubing
  • Bullet tipped tapered chain and seat stay
  • TT lengths: 21.5”(4.3lb), 22”(4.35lb)
  • BB Height:  12”
  • Chainstay Range:  14.75″ – 15.75″
  • Head Angle:  73°
  • Seat Angle: 70.5°
  • Standover: 9”

For more details and pictures of specific parts of the frame, check out the S&M Bikes website.

Can’t wait to see one of these babies in chrome.





Cro-mo continues its racing comeback

27 07 2012

Back in March, we talked about the comeback that chromoly race forks were experiencing in the race community. Now with more and more people switching to chromoly forks, it seems like the a trend is starting to develop towards chromoly race frames.

Sure, chromoly frames have always been available from the industry stalwarts, S&M and Standard. But beyond those two companies the choices for “steel is real” advocates was noticeably slim.

That’s beginning to change.

In a recent Vintage BMX forum thread, a reader was showing off his SSquared chromoly cruiser prototype frame and said,

Now that they made this first cromo frame for me; I think it has reenergized their desire to do a full cromo run.

Which is pretty compelling when you consider that SSquared is one of the more popular race companies at the moment…they obviously think there is a market for these frames.

Other big names in the race community, like Supercross and MCS have also had cromo frames in their lineups for some time now  (the Bolt and Speedfreak respectively) despite the widespread use of aluminum frames in the race community.

And as further evidence of the chromoly trend, there are rumblings that GT and Mongoose are also testing out Chromoly race bikes.

Looks like we might have a cro-mo resurgence on our hands in the next few years. I for one am kinda looking forward to it.





Tested: Mechanix gloves

19 07 2012

While not made with cycling in mind, I have been noticing that a lot of riders have been singing the praises of Mechanix gloves on different forums and websites.

So I decided to put them to the test.

Mechanix gloves, if you’re not familar with them, are an all-round glove made for mechanics.  They’re designed to be durable but still thin enough to afford mechanics the ability to work on machinery, small parts, etc. without taking their gloves off.

But do they work for BMX?

I took them to a Thursday night race at the local track to find out.

How did they compare to the regular name-brand gloves that I usually wear?

Very well.

The gloves were very comfortable. They didn’t feel hot (despite the record temps that day) and were thin enough to give a great feel for the grip and lever.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to test their ability to withstand a crash (because I kept it rubber side down that night) but I really got the sense it would take a lot to tear these gloves…they looked like they could stand up to a lot of abuse.

In the looks department you can’t really go wrong either…the ones I tried kinda reminded me of old school Oakley gloves…and they’re available in just about any color or color combo you can think of. Matching them to your current gear definitely shouldn’t be a problem.

Would I recommend them? Heck yeah.

They stack up easily with any of the big-name gloves out there right now.  And you can get them at most auto/hardware type stores at considerably lower price then you would pay for “riding-specific” gloves.

If you’re in the market for gloves, Mechanix gloves are definitely worth checking out.





Is tubeless the next big thing in BMX?

29 06 2012

Alienation, taking a cue from the MTB world, is bringing a tubeless tire system to BMX later this year.

Called the Tubeless Compatible System (TCS) Tire and Rim system, this looks like it could be a game-changer if it lives up to the hype it’s starting to generate.

The benefits? A drastic reduction in flats and…according to Alienation…a quick way to drop a pound off your bike.

For some proof of how flats could be a thing of the past with the setup, check out this video:

It looks like the icepick doesn’t stand a chance of causing a flat with the sealant doing its job in the TCS system.

In terms of weight-savings,  Zach Taylor of Alienation broke it down in a recent Vintage BMX thread with the following example:

…you’re not only cutting weight in the tubes, but the rims as well. Our Runaway rim is roughly 425 grams whereas the Malice TCS rim is 325 grams. An average tube is 115 to 120 grams. That is 100g + 100g + 115g + 115g = 430 grams (454 grams to a pound) savings. Our 20 x 1.85 TCS Graffiti tire which is as wide as a popular 20×1.95 is only 430 grams. That is another 70 grams savings x 2. We can pull a pound off most if not all bikes with our system.

Sounds like they may really have something here.

No word yet if a 24 inch versions will be made available but if this tire and rim system starts getting traction, I’m sure we’ll see one (or more) in very short order.

For more details on the Alienation TCS system, check out the TCS page on the Alienation site or the writeup/podcast on BMXNews.





Cool pics from Mongoose…just be KOS

27 06 2012

Mongoose posted some cool cruiser-related pics on their Facebook feed today including this one by Mongoose rider Chris Akrigg letting loose on his KOS Kruiser.

Classic style on a classic bike.

Chris is well known in the MTB world for his big, creative moves. Kinda makes you wonder why Mongoose hasn’t set him up with one of the Mongoose Thrive 24s (previously discussed on CR last year).  I think you’d really see Chris go off on one of those bikes…

Mongoose also posted this great vintage ad for the Mongoose Two/Four, with the caption, “The original Kos Kruiser. Did you miss it?

So cool.

Probably the coolest pic of the day though is the one featuring the custom Kos Kruiser they built for Jeff ‘Kos’ Kosmala’s wife, Vicky. It’s painted pink  in recognition of Vicky’s battle with breast cancer and her successful recovery.

So stoked on this. Nice work Mongoose.