Moody pedalled the whole way through

22 01 2013

It was through riding BMX that Joseph Moody discovered that he had cancer…and it was by riding BMX that he was able to beat it.





Enjoy the great indoors this winter

19 01 2013

Dealing with old man winter can really bring you down.

Unless you’re lucky enough to live in one of the sunshine states, have an indoor skatepark nearby (that allows bikes) or are down with practicing flatland maneuvers in parking garages, winter tends to force even the most rabid of bikers into a bit of forced hibernation.

And even if you have an indoor skatepark nearby, they’re often overrun by scooter kids, fruit booters and the like.

Thankfully in recent years, the indoor bike park concept has begun to take off. Usually with a “MTB” in the name, these parks have a little something for everyone…BMXers especially.

Let’s take a look at what some of these parks have going on.

Ray’s MTB

The original indoor bike park, Ray’s MTB is the one that all other bike parks are compared to….it’s basically the one that started it all.  Created by Ray Petro as a way for him and his MTB buddies to escape Ohio’s cold winters it has grown to be an international destination for bikers from across the world. Tucked away in an old industrial building, it doesn’t look like much from the outside…but wow, is it ever fun inside. (Two locations: Cleveland & Milwaukee)

Joyride 150

Inspired at least partially by Ray’s MTB, some Canadian MTBers decided to put their own spin on the indoor bike concept and bring it over the border to a suburb just outside of Toronto, Ontario (Canada). Joyride 150 is also loads of fun and happens to be the closest one to Cruiser Revolution HQ so it’s also the one I happen to visit most often. Drew Bezanson filmed one of the craziest videos of 2012 here (and tends to hit the park on a semi-regular basis too) so you know this park has some fun stuff to ride.
http://vimeo.com/33575654#at=0

Cranx

Located in Syracuse, NY, Cranx is another good bike park. A pumptrack, jumpline, and a recently completed wooden bowl are just some of the highlights.  It hasn’t been open that long but things are constantly being updated and refined. You can read more about Cranx in the recent post Cranx: shreddin’ in Syracuse. Definitely a great place to check out.

The Lumberyard

The Lumberyard brings the indoor bike park concept to Portland, Oregon. Haven’t been to this one yet but I definitely like what I see. Jump lines, pump tracks, and skatepark-style stuff make this another good one to put on your list of parks to check out. An interesting thing that the Lumberyard has is a full-service restaurant.  Being able to get some BBQ and a beer or two after a good session seems pretty awesome.

What’s your favorite bike park?

Anybody planning a trip to one of these places?





The Prophecy Scud 24 in action

16 01 2013

In December, we shared the news that Prophecy was planning on releasing a carbon 24.

Pictures were scarce, so we did not have much to go on beyond some basic specs and a picture of their 20″ model.

Thankfully over the weekend, FastlaneBMXMag managed to not only track down some pictures of the Prophecy Scud 24 prototype but a web edit of Trevor Stamford putting it through its paces at a BMX track.

As you can see, the Scud 24 is not going to weigh you down.

prophecy-scud-24-weight

The prototype built up into a full-on race machine.

prophecy-scud-24 build

And the prototype in action.

What do you think? Would you race a  24″ carbon frame?





4130 Subway Series hits the 3-year mark

12 01 2013

Three years already…Wow.

The world famous 4130 Subway Series ride celebrates its 3-year anniversary tonight.

4130 3-year anniversary patch

The 4130 Subway Series is pure BMX and that’s been the secret of its success.  Looking back at a CR post talking about it in 2010, nothing’s changed:

….cruising the neighborhood with friends.

Nothing quite replaces the joy of roaming the streets, hitting spots and feeling free as you roll along on your bike.

The 4130 Club has captured all those things in their monthly rides.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a street rider, a racer, old school or new school…all are welcome and the positive vibe is contagious.

4130 sin city ride with Randy Franklin

(Randy Franklin and me (Ed) all smiles at the 4130 Sin City Ride).

That being said, I’m kicking myself for not being down there with the 4130 Chromies for what I’m sure will be an epic ride.

I’m sure even while I’m typing this, people are already doing the final checks on their bikes and making their way down to the meet-up spot in Hollywood.

4130 3-year anniv. plate & Mayor's ride

The main man behind the 4130 ride,The Mayor of Hollywood will be rolling on his sweet twin top tube Tribute 24, complete with a custom 3-year anniversary plate from Crit. (As you can see, Morty the guard dog will ensure no one messes with it before the ride begins.)

So if you’re riding tonight, be safe and have fun.

If you’re not riding, start thinking about when you can attend a 4130 ride in the future. This a must-do for any BMXer!

For more on the 4130 Subway Series, check out 4130 Subway Series is pure BMX and 4130subwayseries.com.





Something new from Subrosa

9 01 2013

So this is what Wayne Keller‘s been so coy about.

Looks like he’s been rolling on a pre-production double-top tube Subrosa 24″ frame and Villicus fork

Here’s a side-view pic of it in his shop:

wayne-keller-Subrosa-double-top-tube-DTT-cruiser-shop-tour


And an advance look at some promotional material for it:
Subrosa-DTT-cruiser-double-top-tube-24-because-one-wasnt-enough
No word yet on geometry, specs or availability.
Subrosa has had some other 24s in their lineup in the past…like the Letum 24 and the Salvador.  The Salvador was a bit of a disappointment to many…given its high-ten frame construction (check out For real, too much steel for more on this).
Has Subrosa stepped up their game this time?  We’ll have to see.
What are thoughts on this new ride?




Spreading the good word in Sin City

8 01 2013

Mike Leonard‘s been holding it down in Las Vegas for some time now.

Always spreading the good word and reppin’ the 24″ at the skateparks, the trails and the 4130 Sin City Rides.

Mike’s also been on a bit of a tear lately…putting in some serious riding at Bootleg Canyon and Anthem Skatepark.

Sal Alvarado, a rad MTB rider in his own right, has been right there with him and has started to snap a few pictures along the way to document the action.

Here’s just a few of the good ones that have surfaced the past few days after a session at Anthem. I have a feeling there’s more to come of this stuff in 2013!

Busting on the big table at Anthem.

Mike Leonard bustin on the Big Table at Anthem!

Hitting the twinkie hip*

Mike Leonard hitting the twinkie hip at Anthem

*an alternate caption could be: Tail tap on the light pole to front wheel tap on the sun (kinda looks that way, don’t it?)

Throwing a little steez over the big table

Mike Leonard steez over the big table at Anthem

For more on Mike, check out the Cruiser Revolution Facebook page  for a pic of him airing out over Bootleg Canyon (December 23rd post).





What’s Wayne Keller on these days?

7 01 2013

Wayne Keller dropped me a line this weekend to say he’s riding a new prototype frame that he’s pretty excited about.

The thing is, he’s being pretty coy about the details.

Here’s the first picture he sent me.

Wayne Keller prototype

Hmm, not a lot to go on there.

In the mean time over at BMXMuseum, a friend of Wayne’s was suggesting that it was going to have a Redline RL-20II-ish vibe.  This got my attention because the RL-20II was one my favorite frames back in the day.

Then a new spy photo of the frame’s top tube appears on Wayne’s blog . It certainly has top tube reminiscent of the RL-20II.

The plot thickens.

wayne-keller-cruiser-top-tube

Wayne’s put out some great riding shots and video in the past, so I’m looking forward to seeing some pictures and video of him riding it.

Wayne Keller halfpipe

The photo above is part of his backyard setup.

Fingers crossed we’ll see some action photos soon.





Top ten of 2012

31 12 2012

Well, here we are.

Another year gone by.

Before we all head out to celebrate New Year’s Eve, let’s take a look at the top ten things that went down in 2012.

10. Skyway started off the year with news that they were releasing a 24″ version of their classic T/A frame and fork…but only in limited quantities.  The frame & fork sold out in record time. Although there was some delay in getting it into customers hands, most will agree it was worth the wait.

9.  The 22″ wheel movement took an interesting turn in February with the news that S&M was testing a prototype frame and tires.  When this prototype turned into a bona fide offering from S&M later in the year, the 22″ option really started to take on some serious momentum.

22

8. The Gunslinger  adjustable frame.  This smaller company caught our attention this year with an innovative frame design that featured 3-position adjustable rear dropouts.  Riders can tune the frame head angle and bottom bracket height to match their riding style.

7.  Chromoly made a comeback to the race scene. More race companies started offering chromoly forks that were stiffer and lighter than the more expensive carbon fiber forks on the market.  SSquared also put out a limited run of cro-mo frames.

6. Prophecy kept things interesting  with news that they would be bringing a 24″ carbon frame to the market. (Perhaps more surprising was that Redline didn’t leverage what they had learned from Project 79 to make a 24″ version.)

6. DK parts at Wal-Mart. On a roadtrip to Ray’s MTB , I stopped in at a Walmart along the way and I was shocked to stumble on an aisle endcap stocked with DK parts and accessories.  A little strange, but cool, that you can walk into a Walmart (in the U.S.) and pick up a DK Random Wrench.

5. After much anticipation, S&M unveiled its new Speedwagon race frame. Dropping the mono stay and putting the dropouts “on a diet.” They also got rid of the cable split cable stops and went with three guides. While sticking with the tried and true 38 Special geometry, they also introduced a 22″ top tube option, along with a sexy Trans Red finish.

4.  MTB companies blurred the lines between MTB and BMX cruisers with offerings like the Transition Klunker and the DMR wrath. Will there be more convergence between the two disciplines in the future? My guess is yes but we’ll have to wait and see if the future bears that out.

3. Jim Cielencki put in work this year promoting 24 inch riding. Whether it was a shot of him riding a tight setup on his Sunday Wave-C or talking about it in an interview, Jim was out there spreading the word.

Jim C House Park

2.  There was more choice than ever this year to find a bike to match your build and riding style. Whether you wanted to step up from a 20″ to a 22″, ride a dialed 24″ complete, build a custom 26″, or even bust out on a 29″ Big Ripper. There were options to help you make that happen.

1.  Video really brought to the forefront how cruiser riders are pushing the envelope these days. Whether it was Joe Cicman and Danny Sirkin tearing things up with a 26″ Sledgehammer or doing deathtrucks on a 24″ Wave-C, Jon Faure taking on the MegaRamp (technically 2011 but discussed in 2012), Buddy Sardenga dirt jumping, or Gundar Osis and Kaspars Garda putting out one of the best race edits..ever.. In 2012, there was a video made to capture the action, whatever the type of riding you’re into.
http://vimeo.com/52034273
What will we see in 2013?

I dunno,  but I can’t wait to find out.

Happy New Year!





Happy holidays & Merry Christmas

24 12 2012

It’s Christmas Eve…time to pour an egg nog, don the ugly Christmas sweater and see if there is some bike parts under the tree.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Cheers!

(2)CHINA-CHANGCHUN-SANTA CLAUS-BIKE STUNT (CN)

(This is probably the most random “riding Santa” shot out there…enjoy!)





Allied Compound shred session

21 12 2012

Back in October, we checked out some great shots of Buddy Sardenga busting out his Beelzebike the 20 666 ‘er at the Allied Compound in Manor, Texas (just outside of Austin).

Now we’ve got some video.

Not only do you get Buddy shredding (big beard, big bike, white helmet and red Vans) but also Vernon from Indust riding one of his 22 inchers and Hippie Josh who handled the majority of the filming (along with riding).

Looks like good times at a super fun spot.