Scott Towne is not missing out

19 05 2010

Scott Towne needs no introduction. Holding down a slew of editorial positions at a number of BMX mags over the years, he’s been part of the BMX community for what seems like forever.  A bit out of the mainstream BMX spotlight at the moment he continues to ride his BMX and share his musings on his blog, the Deliverance Project.

I haven’t visited his blog in a while but after checking it out again it seems that Scott is still having a  good time on his bike and providing entertaining (and inspiring) words on his blog.

Take this post for instance.

It starts off with him rambling on about his new helmet but quickly changes to a comment about riding and how most everyday folks will never quite understand how satisfying it feels after a good session.

…rode until it was dark. I can’t describe how much satisfaction I get out of riding those jumps. Standing in line at the store to buy a couple beers afterward, dirty (probably more from mowing the lawn earlier) and soaked with sweat, with a big grin on my face. Each person I saw, all I could think was how much they were missing.*If only they knew what I had just finished doing. Not that they would be impressed with my riding, just that what I experienced had to be better than anything anyone else did on their Saturday evening. I wouldn’t trade it for anything…                                                                                                                                   * (italics mine)

Soaked with sweat with a big grin…who hasn’t been there after a good session?

Something so simple yet something that makes the everyday hum-drum bearable.

Scott Towne’s not missing out on the fun of riding and I hope you’re not either.

Photo from an interview that inthegnar.com did with Scott Towne a while ago.

Great pic of Scott having fun on his bike.


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

Like father, like son

13 05 2010

…or may be it’s the other way around?

Jon Faure’s been working on a video featuring him riding with his son and how getting a 24 (his Sunday Model-C) helped make it all possible.

Should be a great video. After all, you don’t see too many father-son trains flowing through Woodward West…unless the Faures are in the house that is.

Clearly Jon is raising his son right, just check out his table manners.

Like son, like father?

Jon shows the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.


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

The twin top tube makes a comeback

11 05 2010

Josh from Coyote Bicycles sent an email a while back about his new frame and I have to say it’s definitely one of the more interesting looking 24s coming on the scene.

Missing the era of twin-tube frames, like Torker, etc., Josh set about bringing it back…but this time with a more modern take on it . The result: a bike with a relatively quick head angle, short rear end, integrated headtube and mid bottom bracket.

Check out the specs:

  • 21.5″tt
  • 74 ht
  • 71 st
  • 12.5″ bb height
  • 14.25″-15.5″ chainstay
  • 14mm drop outs
  • 25.4 seat tube
  • 990 mounts

The only other twin top tube 24 offerings that I am aware of  are the Ambiente and the Brooklyn Machine Works Pooky. Ambiente may be out of business now so a twin top tube 24 is as a rare as it is cool.

If you want more info on Josh’s frame, drop him a line at info@coyotebicycles.com. You can also check out his site (which is still in development) at www.coyotebicycles.com or  his feature on bmxmuseum.com.

And for those of you thinking this frame would make an awesome Haro Master replica with the addition of some old school decals and paint, I was thinking the same thing. Just imagine if this guy with retro Nyquist 24 got a hold of this frame.


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

Specialized debuts new P24 at Sea Otter

5 05 2010

Specialized is jumping back into the BMX scene with its new P-series of bikes. On display at the recent Sea Otter MTB event, the P24 model looks like it took its influence from some of the current crop of 24s that have entered the market in the last year or so.

It’s built with Reynolds tubing and has next-to-no graphics (although that might be due to it being in the prototype stages). And yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, that’s a Sunday fork that  was being used to build up the bike for testing.

Here’s a more close up look:

One of my first thoughts when I came across this was…why debut this at Sea Otter? A MTB event? It’s a BMX bike after all. Then after thinking about it for a while, it seemed to make more sense.

Whenever I’m riding somewhere that has a lot of riders with “urban/DJ” MTBs, there always seems to be a questions and interest regarding my 24. Many seem unaware of the 24″ BMX option.

Maybe MTBers are the great cross-over market for 24s…if reading the ads for  Urban DJ bikes are any indication, it just might be. Almost to the one, the ads will say something like, “BMX-inspired” or “BMX-style” in describing the bike and the components. Maybe the answer for the people reading these ads is to actually get a BMX bike.

Specialized might be on to something with this approach.

For more on the Specialized P24, check out Bikerumor and Sicklines.


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

Is Accelerate the new RAD?

4 05 2010

Long a cult classic, RAD is both loved and hated by the BMX community. No matter what your opinion of the movie, if you’re a BMX rider you’ve seen this movie…probably more than once (in my case…probably more times than you can count). BMX Bandits, featuring a young Nicole Kidman, is pretty cheesy in its own right, but RAD took things to a whole other level.

Now over two decades later, another BMX movie is in the works: Accelerate. Will it live up (or stoop) to the standard set by RAD?  Too early to tell.  But I did read on their  site that Bill Allen who played Cru Jones in RAD will be appearing in the Accelerate movie. For a BMX geek like myself, that’s already enough reason to see the movie (just kidding…sort of). In the mean time, check out the trailer to get a taste for what will hit the big screen in 2011.


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Categories : Freestyle, New School, Old School, Rad, street, Trails, Trails/Jumping

Rockabilly Jay’s S&M Dirt Bike cruiser

29 04 2010

Rockabilly Jay from West Coast Choppers recently sent in this great photo of his S&M Dirt Bike cruiser .

What a great combination of mid-school looks with modern parts and geometry! (That sticker on the forks is nice too.)

He says he’s been racing cruiser every week with a crew of five guys and having a blast doing it.

To see another one of Jay’s builds, check out this sweet custom SE Quadangle cruiser (featured last year on Cruiser Revolution).


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Categories : New products, New School, Old School, Racing

Ben Snowden hits the vert ramp on a 24

20 04 2010

Remember that post a while back where I asked whether Vert was the final frontier for cruisers? It looks like people are starting to cross that frontier.

The evidence?

One Ben Snowden killing it on the vert ramp on Jon Faure’s Model-C at the Old School BMX reunion.

(Special thanks to Jon for forwarding the pic)


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Categories : Freestyle, New School, Old School

More good stuff from Liquid Bikes

15 04 2010

Liquid Bikes has a new site up that looks great! It includes a blog and an online store to make it easy to pick up a Liquid frame or bars.

While the store appears to be set up for US shipping only right now, you can email for details and get sorted for international orders.

I like checking it out for the great trails clips that Jeremy posts from time to time.

Like this one:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Skeleton sesh – Liquid bicycles“, posted with vodpod

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

22″ bike: could you lose a couple inches?

14 04 2010

Maybe Al Pacino’s character said it best On Any Sunday: “Life is a game of inches“.

This quote keeps coming to mind when I think about FACTION‘s 22 inch wheel bike.

It’s definitely an interesting concept. A sized up BMX bike, bigger than a standard 20 inch, smaller than a 24 inch cruiser.

Is it the future?

Hard to say…but my guess is probably not.

Is 22" the new black? Faction Zeitgeist bike

Some big-name riders have been quoted lending support to the concept. Guys like Eddie Fiola and Mat Hoffman have said they think it’s a cool, progressive concept. However, it’s interesting to note that Hoffman, despite owning a bike company, has never produced a 22 inch bike himself.

Does it make sense to come out with a new “standard” when there’s currently so much choice in 20 and 24 inch bikes? What happens if you break the forks or wreck a wheel? Seems like it would be a pain to get replacements.

What do you think?

Is a 22″ wheel  the answer for bigger guys?  Is it a good compromise between the 20 and 24 worlds? Can the BMX industry support a new wheel size?


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

Pardon my French: Cream BMX magazine

12 04 2010

I guess France’s Cream BMX magazine is getting wider distribution these days because I finally saw a copy in a local bookstore.

The magazine is pretty cool with a bit more of an artsy vibe to it than a standard BMX magazine. Great photos and a mix of French and English copy…so you’re not stuck just looking at the pictures…although the article/pictorial on Eva Gabrielle is probably reason enough to check out the latest issue.

Eva Gabrielle adds a little je ne sais quoi to this super rare Skyway TA cruiser.

(Sorry for the small pics…these were the biggest I could find).


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Categories : Freestyle, New School, Old School

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