Old School | cruiser revolution

Checking in on the 24s

28 09 2016

The 24s may not get the same love as the 20s in the BMX section of Interbike but there was still plenty to check out this year.

Stolen featured the chrome version of their Saint XLT. The geometry has been tweaked/improved this year so an already great bike has gotten even better.

We The People showcased another favorite, the 24″ Atlas. The added “Wow” factor of the candy apple red paint job for 2017 was in full effect. Looking good.

Haro also got in the act with their entry-level Downtown 24. Those look-at-me green tires are hard to miss.

SE showcased the metallic red version of their lineup mainstay, the So Cal Flyer.

Free Agent featured two 24″ cruisers. The entry-level race cruiser, the Ambush 24.

And their more freestyle-y 24″ Ratio.

By the way, I would love to see the Ratio get a bit more of an update –beyond the cosmetic — in the future. (Those bars are looking mighty short for one thing.)

Sadly Redline wasn’t at the show (I was hoping to check out the Asset 24 and the updated PL-26) and GT didn’t feature a 24.

But GT did have something else that was super cool to check out.

Viva Las Vegas

21 09 2016

Bright light city gonna set my soul / Gonna set my soul on fire / Got a whole lot of bike companies all in one place….

It’s that time again kids, Interbike.

Days filled with this:

And nights that (I hope) will be a bit like this:

Unfortunately for some, a bit like this.

It’s Vegas after all.

But as always, despite all the shenanigans; people will be doing some business, having some fun and getting stoked on bicycles.

And that in the end is what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Keep your eyes on the CR Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages for highlights, teasers and other randomness.

The full recap goes down next week.

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: interbike, Rat Pack
Categories : goofiness, New products, New School, Old School, shenanigans, Tomfoolery

HB crew tries out the 24″ Quad Freestyle

2 09 2016

Huntington Beach (HB), California has been an iconic flatland spot since the glory days of Martin Aparijo and Woody Itson busting out cherrypickers for the magazines.

Today, that spirit still lives on.

Every Tuesday, a crew of old school flatlanders meet up to bust out some flatland moves.

Apparently an SE 24″ Quadangle Freestyle ended up there for one of these sessions and the crew ended up busting out some quality flatland on it.

Check it.

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Tags: 2016 SE Quadangle Freestyle, 24" BMX flatland, 24" Flatland Cruiser, 24" flatland riding, Huntington Beach, Martin Aparijo, SE Bikes, Woody Itson
Categories : Flatland, Freestyle, Old School

Welcome to the BMX Jungle

31 08 2016

Guns N’ Roses are out on tour this summer and putting on some great shows.

(I saw the Toronto stop and the guys kicked ass!)

It’s great that the band was able to finally put their differences aside and get out there in front of their fans.

Now if you’re anything like me, one of the first stops when you enter a concert venue is to check out the tour shirts at the merch table.

In Toronto, they had some OK stuff…but in other cities…well, I think they got some waaay cooler stuff.

Specifically, Los Angeles.

Peep this tour shirt.

And the back is not too shabby either.

The graphic has a bit of a 4130 Subway Series feel to it…which seems fitting given the locale.

All and all, pretty cool.

Slash’s love of BMX is well documented so its only fitting that they have incorporated it into their tour shirts in the birthplace of BMX.

Now, my only question…was the bike Slash riding in this video the inspiration for the shirt?

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Tags: 4130 Subway Series, GNR, Guns and Roses, Slash, Welcome to the Jungle
Categories : goofiness, Old School, Racing

Brackens & the OG “GT” team up again

30 08 2016

We should of guessed something was up last month when Gary Turner shared a picture of BMX Legend, Tommy “The Human Dragster” Brackens visiting his factory.

Why was he there?

Because Tommy Brackens and Gary Turner are teaming up once more!

First, some background…

Back in the 80s, Brackens was known as “The Human Dragster” given his reputation as one of the fastest BMX racers in a straight line.

And while he rode for a number of sponsors, most people remember his winning ways in a GT uniform (back when Gary Turner was at the helm).

Later, Brackens would go on to ride for his own bike company, Brackens Racing Products.

Now Brackens and Turner have taken Tommy’s iconic 1988 20″ race frame, tweaked the design a little and upscaled it into a 24″ and 26″ model!

Hot dog, this is gonna get the oldschoolers drooling!

And while it may not make you as fast as “The Human Dragster” it will definitely help make you look cooler when you try.

Check out the Gary Turner online store for the rest of the details.

(Pics: Gary Turner, BMX Action)

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Tags: Brackens racing products, Gary Turner, GT Bicycles, Tommy Brackens
Categories : New products, Old School, Racing

Freaking out over the Floval Flyer Looptail

25 08 2016

While I’ve always been partial to the Elite Series Floval Flyer, and really dug the new 26″ PK Ripper Looptail, I’m kinda freaking out about the retro coolness of SE’s 2017 Floval Flyer Looptail.

It features many of the cool throwback parts of its bigger 26″ brother and than adds even more!

We’re talking about a cruiser with this laundry list of goodness:

Cowboy Cut forks
Skyway Tuffwheels with gold anodized hubs
Vee Tire Co x SE Racing Cub tanwall tires
Redline Flight cranks & sprocket
Bear Trap pedals
Kashimax seat
ODI Mushroom II grips.

(I would be remiss If I didn’t also note the nice, roomy 22″ top tube of the Floval Flyer Looptail…if only the Elite Series Floval Flyer came in a version this long…maybe next year Todd Lyons?)

And to top it all off? A liberal sprinkling of gold ano on the seatpost, stem…and yes…even the alloy valve caps.

Gotta love the attention to detail!

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: 2017 SE Floval Flyer Looptail, 24" Skyway Tuffwheels, Gold anodized components, gold anodized valve caps, Kashimax seat, Redline Flight Cranks, Tanwall tires
Categories : New products, Old School, Racing

Redline revs up the retro with 2017 PL-26

19 08 2016

Back in early 2015, Redline caught our attention when they revealed that they had rebooted the iconic PL-24 as a 26-inch.

It was billed as a “modern take on the classic.”

And while it did have modern touches, like an integrated 1 1/8 headset and linear brakes to complement the old school graphics, Flight cranks and bear claw pedals…it never seemed quite “retro enough” (at least to us) in the black paint job they had selected for the reboot.

Thankfully for 2017, Redline has revved up the retro factor and decked it out in white…which is much more fitting color-wise and more reminiscent of the era that inspired it.

Check out the rest of the specs and deets here.

(All pics: Redline)

Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: 2017 Redline PL-26, Redline Flight Cranks, Redline PL-24
Categories : New products, Old School

First look: 2017 SE 26” PK Ripper Looptail

27 07 2016

The 2017 SE 26″ PK Ripper Looptail sure ticks off all the “retro-fabulous” buttons.

This limited edition cruiser sports a “black sparkle” colorway that’s designed to dazzle in the sun and is chock-full of old-school goodies, including:

Cowboy Cut forks
“Super Big Honkin” Cruiser bars
Redline Flight cranks & sprocket
Vee Tire Co x SE Racing Cub tanwall tires.

All in all, pretty cool.

Did I mention the full padset?

I told you this one had all the retro credentials.

(Picture: SE Bikes)

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: 26" PK Ripper looptail, SE Bikes
Categories : New products, Old School

First look: 2017 GT Performer Pro 26

21 07 2016

It may be “throwback thursday” but the 2017 GT Performer Pro 26 looks much more than just a mere throwback…it’s the classic GT Performer re-imagined as modern-day 26″ cruiser.

BMXUnion.com got the sneak peek of the 2017 GT lineup earlier this week and part of that lineup is this super-sized version of the GT Performer.

Available in blue or white, it features a full cro-mo frame, fork and handlebar.

And while it has been updated with modern touches like 990-style brakes and a threadless headset there are still plenty of retro nods to keep the old schoolers happy.

Such notables include the classic Power Series cranks…

…and the iconic pierced seat tube and platform.

The mohawk hubs are also a nice touch and add to the old school look of the bike.

Top it all off with some 8os throwback graphics and you’ve got one cool looking ride.

If I was being nit-picky I would say I kinda wish they would’ve run a caliper brake on the back of the fork …Eddie Fiola-style…to round out the look.

But that’s an easy fix.

Face it, if you’re the old school type that would be interested in the Performer Pro…you’ve probably got an old Dia-Compe MX-1000 kicking around the garage anyway.

All in all, a cool “retro-inspired” bike from GT.

(All pics: BMXUnion.com)