I kinda freaked out when I got my first look at the 2017 SE Floval Flyer last summer.
It was so retro-cool, chock full of throwback parts and gold ano…it got me right in the feels.
Now, SE’s back with a promo video for it that evokes the scratchy VHS vibe of old BMX videos.
It’s pulling at my heart strings all over again.
Dang you SE and your clever marketing!
Cult Bikes and Vans just dropped a video of street phenomenon, Dakota Roche, trying out the 26″ Cult x Vans collab tire.
The tires we checked out last year at Interbike and come stock on the 26″ Cult Devotion.
You would think that Dak would just grab the 26″ Devotion to test out the tires…but Dak had other plans.
Dak went in a bit of a different direction…mounting them on something a bit more “beach-inspired”.
I won’t say that hilarity ensued…but it is kinda amusing.
Check it.
Here we are…at the end of 2016.
A bunch of stuff happened this year in the cruiser world and while I was planning on doing a standard “Top Ten”…it seemed like four key items stood out to me the most out of all the possible ones that I could highlight.
So, without further ado, the top four cruiser news stories of 2016:
4. The 22″/OS20 wheel size gained some serious momentum this year.
More complete bike, frame/fork, wheel and tire choices made this a more viable choice for many riders to try. Yes, 22s are more sized-up 20s than small cruisers…but there’s often quite a bit of crossover in riders that are interested in 22s and 24s.
With that being said, I’ve been posting about the 22″ phenomenon as far back as 2010 but given that Cruiser Revolution is a cruiser-focused site, I launched Big & Tall BMX in June to do a better job covering both the growing 22″ scene and 20s that are set up for tall riders. Expect to see more stuff there (on B&T) on this topic in 2017.
3. Collabs, Retros and 26″ Cruisers…this year these trends collided.
These trends were already starting to show legs…but this year, we saw two to three of these trends showing up on the same bike! This was clearly in evidence at this year’s Interbike, as well as throughout the year. The Shadow Subrosa collab was one, GT’s 26″ Pro Performer, the SE/Public Enemy Big Ripper…the list goes on.
2. The mellow head angle/disc brake-equipped 24.
Combining the mellow handling of a 26″ dirt jumper with the “flickability” (is that a word?) of a 24, we saw versions of this throughout 2016. Graham Stanley’s custom Curtis was the first one we saw in 2016, followed by Roy Sutton’s custom Invictus. Later we found out that an industry icon, Harold “McGoo” McGruther, had bought into the concept via Commonground Bikes. Then we learned even S&M Bikes had developed a version…which they debuted at Interbike.
1. Yess introduces a belt drive cruiser…and wins a cruiser title with it!
Yess debuted a belt drive cruiser in April and it definitely caught our attention. Belt drives had been attempted in the past…but were quickly discarded (due to middling success) for more conventional drive trains. This time, it seemed a more robust version had been developed. But like most “innovations”, the best way to judge it’s success is out in the field.
Well, Yess did it in the most convincing way possible. Yess-sponsored rider Drew Motley rode a belt drive-equipped cruiser all the way to the USA BMX #1 Cruiser title at The Grands! This was the first time a non-chain bike had taken the title. Hot damn.
After a long hiatus from the race scene, Mongoose is making a bit of a comeback.
According to the company, they saw a need for more affordable, race-ready complete bikes and developed the new Title series of bikes to fill that void.
In terms of affordability, they definitely hit the mark.
The Mongoose Title Pro 24 is a steal at $250 (US).
Especially for a bike that features a 6061 Aluminum frame (with euro bb), full cro-mo 3-piece cranks, and Arisun tires.
So how does the bike cost so little?
When you peruse the spec sheet you can quickly see where the cost savings came in to play. The forks and bars are hi-ten steel.
Not ideal, but not out of line for an entry-level bike either.
I could see someone picking one of these up as an inexpensive starter bike…and if they watch the fence line at the local track for some lightly used forks and bars, they could get this bike upgraded for just a little more cash.
So what are the specs?
All and all, not too shabby for an entry-level race bike.
Available at mongoose.com and Amazon.
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably starting your Christmas shopping right about now…and freaking out.
Unfortunately, it seems to happen to me every year.
Now, if you’re buying something for a fellow rider, want a few suggestions for your family…or maybe you’ve come in to some early holiday cash (yeah!), I’ve got a couple suggestions for you.
(Of course, because it’s so late in the game I suggest opting for the expedited shipping if you’re hoping to get them in time for Christmas.)
Ride of my life by Mat Hoffman with Mark Lewman.
A classic. Mat Hoffman, the Stuntman’s Stuntman needs no introduction. And Mark Lewman, one of the OG players from Freestylin’ magazine’s “Master Cluster”, makes sure the words flow. Can’t go wrong with this book…multiple eras of freestyle and non-stop radness and hijinks. Wish I could find my copy. Maybe I’ll buy another.
Ray’s: The Inspirational Story of the World’s First Mountain Bike Park by Johnathon Allen and Ray Petro
Ray Petro’s story of turning his life of alcohol and drug abuse around to go on to build the world’s first indoor mountain bike park in Cleveland is inspiring, reads like a movie, and will make you even more stoked about one of my favorite places to ride. Definitely worth checking out.
Rad Rides: The Best BMX Bikes of All Time by Gavin Lucas and Stuart Robinson.
Get all bike-nerdy over the holidays…This book covers multiple eras and includes details on both the bikes and the collectors. Fun to flip through and check out all the cool builds.
Edwin grips by Animal. Probably my favorite grip. Super comfortable. Get some.
Upgrade your look already. New year, new threads.
(This one will probably arrive after the holidays…but hey, it’ll give you something to look forward to, right?)
I didn’t catch a lot of The Grands livefeed over the weekend but I did have the dumb luck to tune in at just the right time to see a little bit of BMX history go down.
Here’s the setting: Drew Motley was in the gate in the no-joke 46-50 cruiser main.
He needed a win –and only a win– to take the overall cruiser title.
No pressure, right?
Well, he got it done.
From lane 7, if I remember correctly.
That’s an accomplishment on its own…but what might be more exciting is he did it on a bicycle with no chain!
Drew pulled off the impressive win — and the title — aboard a YESS cruiser kitted out with a belt drive drivetrain. (Just like the one we talked about back in April.)
This is the first time a non-chain bike has taken a BMX title!
Motley is in good company…just check out these former #1s congratulating him. (You know Carnes and Rupe ain’t no slouches.)
Motley’s performance and title certainly add some additional legitimacy to YESS BMX’s innovative concept.
It will be interesting to see if this now prompts other riders (and companies) to jump on the Belt Drive bandwagon.
(Pics: BMX News & USA BMX)
After numerous requests and a few bouts of procrastination, I’ve fired up the t-shirt machine again.
Click on over to this link to have a gander.
You’ll find the OG Cruiser Revolution tee…
Along with a few new(ish) designs for your torso-covering pleasure.
This one is particularly suited for busting out abubacas in.
Watch for additional designs to be added in a semi-sporadic fashion.
Bonus info: Save 20% today (on the site) with code CYBERMON
The Dyno Compe was my first freestyle bike so I’ve also had sentimental feelings for Dynos.
To me, they were there the slightly cooler cousin to the more “mainstream” GT Pro Performer…which, as you know, has been re-imagined for the modern age as the GT Performer Pro 26″.
The kid in me wished that GT would’ve brought back a souped up (and scaled up) version of my old fav but to this point…I’ve been out of luck.
But now it appears my luck is changing.
While GT snoozed, Gary Turner (the OG G.T.) cruised….right into my heart with a 26″ Dyno-inspired 26er called the 26D Legend Cruiser!
Sporting the iconic (in my mind anyway) frame platform, this is the cruiser to rep if you got the soft spot for Dynos like I do.
It’s American made and full cro-mo, just like nature intended.
As far as specs go, there’s some customization available but the standard issue is as follows:
Custom bits:
You can go OG with an American BB or modern with mid BB. You also have the choice of 990-style or V-brake mounts.
I think the only bummer in this situation is that Gary didn’t go with the classic Dyno fork with the bend in it. The 26D Legend fork is cool in an old-school Bottema fork way, but it’s not the Dyno fork I remember.
Still, I think the frame/fork combo is pretty cool.
Word on the street is that a 24″ version is also on the way…I’m really looking forward to that!
Ready to relive the glory days of “The Coca Cola Cowboy” Toby Henderson?
If so, you’re in luck.
Hutch dropped the news this past weekend that their new 26″ cruiser frame kit, the XL26, is now available in limited quantities on the HutchBMX.com website.
All chrome-plated (and all full cro-mo) the frame features the following specs:
The frame is also paired with just about every other Hutch part you need to build it up (sans wheels).
We’re talking a heckuva lot of bling-y chrome…as you can see by the picture below:
And that looptail…swoon.
Don’t sleep on this though…they only made 25 kits available, so they’re probably going to go quick.
The SE STR-29 turned our heads from the very first time we spotted it.
A classic 20″ frame, reimagined as a 29″ complete….it was one cool looking bike…and as Stompin’ Stu (the ST in STR) demonstrated, a more-than-capable wheelie machine.
However, as cool as it looks out of the box, it’s always interesting to see how someone customizes their bike to suit their tastes.
Yet we just haven’t seen much of that to this point with the STR-29. Actually of all the ones I’ve seen, they’ve been bone-stock.
But that all changed this week.
SE shared a picture in their social media feeds of Clyde Akers STR-29…and he definitely souped it up.
With fresh paint, a liberal sprinkling of gold ano and larger tire* in the front…you definitely have a fresh take on the original factory-version STR-29.
*shucks, it’s not a tanwall
(All pics: SE Bikes)
cruiser revolution 