Old School | cruiser revolution

Race Inc. returns

2 12 2015

Race Inc., an iconic BMX brand, was a mainstay in the BMX world back in the late 70s to the early 80s.

Now, some 40 years later, Race Inc. is back with new modern race frames…all sporting the iconic Race Inc. logo of the past.

If you were at the Grands (or caught coverage of the Grands) you might have spotted some of the new Race Inc. frames on display during the race.

This has created a bit of buzz in certain circles…no doubt driven in part by old schoolers nostalgia for the brand.

Currently, the company is racing (see what I did there?) to update their website.

What we do know is that the frames will come in a range of sizes, including Cruiser.

In the mean time, they have posted the following update to their Facebook page:

We currently have a limited number of frames in various sizes, but have planned for an additional order that should arrive in February 2016. The cost will be $495.00, plus $20.00 shipping. They will come in red, silver, blue, black and gold anodized finish. Raw frames can also be requested.

24″ frames will come in following sizes: Pro, Cruiser, Pro XL Cruiser and Pro XXL Cruiser. Specific frame specifications will be on our website update.

I’m definitely looking forward to learning more about the new frames…and their specs/geometry.

One more thing, take a look at these new head tube badges. Sweetness!

Comments : 6 Comments »
Tags: Race Inc., USA BMX Grand Nationals, USA BMX Grands
Categories : New products, New School, Old School, Racing

26″ Skyway T/A is alright for wheelies

6 11 2015

News and “sneak peek” shots of the 26″ Skyway T/A continue to show up on the various social media feeds.

Here’s a nice shot of it that I spotted earlier today (on Ed Ferri’s feed, I believe).

We’ve also got word on what the geometry is (at least for now, in the prototype stages).

At the moment, we’re looking at the following:

Top tube: 22.69″
Head angle: 71.5°
Seat angle: 70.5°
Chain stay: 17″
Bottom bracket: 11.72″

According to this video (that also just got posted in the last day or so), this geo gives it a “race-y” feel…and also apparently, makes it quite easy to wheelie.

Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: 2016 Skyway T/A 26, 26" Skyway T/A, BMX Cruiser sneak peek, Ed Ferri
Categories : New products, Old School, Racing

Letting the freak flag fly on the Fat Ripper

26 10 2015

The SE Fat Ripper is a bit of an anomaly in the BMX world.

It has the look of a classic PK Ripper with floval tubing, looptail rear end, and Landing Gear forks…but then mixes it with 26 x 3.5” tires, 65mm wide rims, and disc brakes.

It was a headturner (and probably a headscratcher for some) from the time the first time a sneak peek was released.

But how does it ride?

Todd Lyons seems to have anticipated that question and has been pretty tireless with dropping pictures and clips of him riding this beast.

Now, apparently to silence all critics, Todd and SE have dropped an edit of TL shredding all manner of obstacles and terrain aboard the FAT Ripper. ( And, as a sidenote…can I mention how awesome it is to see a company rep shredding one of their big-wheeled bikes? This doesn’t happen enough.)

https://vimeo.com/143159501

Sure looks like this thing can handle just about anything in its path.

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: 26" BMX, Floval tubing, Landing Gear forks, SE Bikes, SE Fat Ripper, SE PK Ripper, Todd Lyons
Categories : Freestyle, New products, Old School, street, Trails, Trails/Jumping

Sneak Peek: 26″ Skyway T/A

22 10 2015

Skyway dropped this teaser photo yesterday (on Facebook) of a 26″ Skyway T/A they are working on for 2016.

The sample was kitted out with parts sourced from Planet BMX.

Noticeably absent from the picture, however, was any sign of a 26″ Tuff Wheel.

The caption did say:

We will have the 26″ and a NEW Street Beat for 2016…and a few other surprises!

Could the 26″ Tuff Wheel be one of the surprises?

It’s hard to say…Skyway seems to be a little cagey about this point (and not responding to comments regarding it).

Skyway did drop this little mockup back in 2013 saying:

Look what we are working on at Skyway…a 26″ Tuff Wheel! In the “engineering stages” right now!

Sooo….Maybe?

Let’s all cross our fingers, OK?

Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: 26" Skyway T/A, 26" Skyway Tuff Wheel
Categories : New products, Old School

Bikes like back in the day

24 09 2015

Call it what you will…nostalgia, “retro-inspired” or just a nod to the old school…you could be forgiven if you felt there was a bit of 80s in the air at Interbike.

Over at the Haro booth, the retro fever got started with a teaser photo — released just prior to the opening day of Interbike — of a new re-pop Dennis McCoy Haro Master.

That definitely got the ball rolling!

Not to leave out the cruiser folks, Haro also showcased this bad boy…so you can get that retro rush while rolling comfortably on a 24″.

Over at GT, Haro’s main rival back in the 80s glory days, their booth was adorned with a mint GT Pro Performer (paging Martin Aparijo!).

I don’t think this bike is going to be a re-pop…or what it was even doing there exactly…aside from making me drool a bit and making me reminisce about my own Pro Performer from back in the day.

SE, of course has had its retro game on lock for years now. This PK Ripper, for example, is like candy to an old schooler.

And of course, SE had the big wheels covered too.

Redline had their PL-26 on display.

And We The People had the Avenger.

Heck, if even the new school components are going a little retro these days.

Over at the Sparky’s booth, I mentioned to Sean Burns that the new Bone Deth bars reminded me of the old Redline Forklifter bars…he replied that he thought they were more reminiscent of the Hoffman Low-drag bars.

Old school or mid-school…you decide.

Word has it that Haro is also updating and re-releasing their Group-One cranks from back in the day.

It’s an interesting turn of events. Back in the 90s/early 2000s it seemed everyone wanted to distance themselves a bit from the 80s era.

Now, it seems people are looking back at it a little more fondly and reinserting some of that style back into the marketplace (albeit with the necessary tech upgrades).

Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: 2016 Haro DMC Master, 24" Haro Master, Bone Deth Deadman bars, GT Pro Performer, Hoffman Lowdrag bars, PK Ripper Looptail, Redline Forklifter bars, SE Creature 24
Categories : Freestyle, New products, Old School

26″ cruisers are making the moment last

23 09 2015

At last year’s Interbike, it was hard not to notice that 26″ cruisers were having their moment in the sun.

Companies were adding 26″ cruisers to their lineups, left and right, and it was hard not to turn your head and see that this bandwagon was growing.

If this year’s show is any indication, this trend is in no danger of abating…and might even be picking up more steam.

There were companies that have had a 26″ in their lineup for a while, like Volume with their Hessian complete (in two colorways!) to companies either adding a 26″ to their lineup or refining existing models to give them more appeal.

Stolen Bikes was there with their Stolen Zeke XLT (click here for specs) nicely kitted out in chrome.

Subrosa had their Malum 26 on display with its new cool rat-rod finish (click here for specs).

Redline had their nod to the old school, the PL-26, on display (see previous post).

Eastern Bikes is even back on the scene again…and wouldn’t you guess it…they have a 26″, the Growler, in their lineup. (That being said, the rep said it’s high-ten steel and made strictly for light cruising.)

SE had their Fat Ripper 26 on display (see previous post)…just one of…what is it?…three 26s in their lineup (see previous post).

And we’ve already seen We The People’s new 26″ Avenger.

Which kinda brings it all back full circle. Last year, when I first noticed this trend at Interbike I made the comment:

I wonder if the increasing popularity of 26″ bikes will prompt We The People to bring back the 26″ Champ cruiser…not that I would want their 24″ offering, the Atlas, to disappear.

Turns out We The People did jump back into the mix with a 26″ (although not with the 26″ Champ cruiser) but still kept their kickass 24, the Atlas, in the lineup.

All in all, it’s good to see so many big wheel choices for riders to choose from in the 2016 lineups.

Comments : 10 Comments »
Tags: 2016 SE Fat Ripper 26, 2016 Subrosa Malum 26", 2016 Volume Hessian, 2016 We The People Avenger, Eastern Bikes Growler, Redline PL-26
Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, Old School

WTP’s beach cruiser-inspired Avenger

21 09 2015

One of the first booth’s I made a beeline to at Interbike this year was We The People. I had heard rumors that We The People were going to have two (TWO!) cruisers in their lineup this year.

When I got to the booth those rumors were confirmed…not only was the 24″ Atlas returning to the lineup (more on that in a bit) but We The People (WTP) had put together a real…dare I say it?…show-stopping 26″ cruiser. Employing the Avenger name used on cruisers in previous model years, this particular iteration is like no previous version of the Avenger.

Taking style cues and inspiration from classic Laguna beach cruisers, WTP combined old school elements with modern-day tech to make a fun bike perfect for chill riding sessions and cruising the neighborhood.

To make the ride more responsive than the typical beach cruiser, WTP raised the bottom bracket a bit and tightened the rear end a bit.

To keep the looks classic, a quill stem, American bottom bracket, and bear-trap pedals were used.

And could you put a pivotal seat on a bike like this?

No way.

WTP got it right by going with a standard seat/seat post combo.

Adding sealed bearings throughout keeps things trouble-free.

It just makes you wanna get behind the bars and cruise, don’t it?

WTP has made some great cruisers throughout the years but I have to say this one has really got me stoked.

I’m a sucker for shiny blue frames and tanwall tires too…so I can’t help being smitten by this bike.

The specs/particulars:

The frame on the Avenger is a full Hi-ten frame with a Cr-Mo downtube, the fork and bar are both 100% Cr-Mo.

Head tube: 72 degrees
Seat tube: 73 degrees
Top tube: 23.15″
Chain Stay: 17.15″
BB Height: 20mm
Stand Over Height: 14.75″
Weight: 29.9 lbs

Comments : 9 Comments »
Tags: 2016 We The People Avenger, 26" WTP Avenger, Interbike 2015
Categories : New products, Old School

Turbo Kid takes you back to the future

3 09 2015

Imagine thumbing through the shelves of dusty old VHS tapes at a video store back in the 80s, stopping at one with a super hero and a BMX bike on the cover. You smile, grab it, and stroll off knowing you’re in for some cheesy…but oh so fun…entertainment.

If you can go back and put yourself back in that headspace, well then my friend, you’re probably going to love Turbo Kid.

Billed as a post-apocalyptic love story set in an alternate version of 1997, it has one retro nod after another.

(Let’s just say hearing “Thunder in your heart” within the first few minutes made me extremely giddy.)

The movie follows the tale of an orphaned teenage forager who, along with his female-robot companion, must fight an evil warlord who controls the only water supply. The evil warlord is played perfectly — which in this case, is completely over the top — by Michael Ironside (who I remember fondly from movies in the 80s and 90s as a biker gang member or some other villian).

Of course there’s plenty of riding throughout the movie as it seems bikes are the only form of transportation in this world. I found myself squinting to make out all the details of the bikes…someone paid a lot of attention to make sure they looked sufficiently retro. (I got a kick out of seeing “Special thanks to Skyway Wheels” in the credits.)

Another nod to the past is the location itself. The movie is a Canada-New Zealand co-production shot in rural Quebec.

Yes, just like the most famous BMX movie to precede it, Turbo Kid was shot in Canada. It’s enough to make a Canuck BMXer a little teary-eyed.

Program notes:

There’s quite a bit of Kill Bill-style bloody gore in this movie so it might not be suitable for younger kids.
This movie is on a limited run in most places. Catch it if you can! (Otherwise you can get it on Vimeo)

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: BMX Movies, Michael Ironside, Rad, Retro BMX, Skyway wheels, Thunder in your heart, Turbo Kid
Categories : Freestyle, goofiness, Old School, shenanigans

Are bash guards back?

28 08 2015

Here’s one for the “what goes around, comes around” file.

Bash guards.

They enjoyed a brief moment in the sun back in the day when Bully frames came with them welded on and when GTs offered them as an add-on accessory…because they believed “bolt on [was] better.”

Heck, even Wade Nelson did a bit on them in Snakebite yesterday. Here’s an excerpt:

At the end of the 1980s, the BMX market had crashed, and was perhaps looking for the next gimmicky thing to sell more stuff. Suddenly it was of paramount importance that we have bashguards on our bikes.

And in an era before micro-gearing:

[O]ur giant sprockets…needed protection.

But about as abruptly as this “innovation” swept into the BMX marketplace, it was quickly ushered out.

Bashguards were already a footnote before the giant sprockets they were designed to protect were replaced by micro-gears.

Now it looks like a company is trying to bring them back.

BMX Grind claims,

BMX has seen attempts at this in the past, but nothing designed specifically for modern day grinds and whips, and nothing that lets you grind like this!

Hmm…really?

To their credit, BMX Grind has put out a video to promote their product.

Not sure how game-changing those grinds are….

It probably does protect your sprocket…But how many riders are going to going to be willing to bolt on 1.3 pound guard to do it? Sure, back in the day a heavy bike was a badge of honor, but today? Forget about it.

Then again, maybe I’m judging it too harshly.

Is the bashguard ready for a comeback? Let me know what you think.

(*I know this isn’t a cruiser topic per se, but as a “BMX Enthusiast” it’s something I still feel worth discussing.)

Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: Bash guards, BMX Grind, Bully bikes, GT BMX
Categories : Freestyle, New products, Old School, Skatepark, street, Tomfoolery

Am I Evel?

25 08 2015

I can’t decide if it’s just an odd coincidence or some kind of cosmic convergence that led me to catch the Evel Knievel doc, Being Evel, on the same day as Drew Bezanson’s epic video edit, Uncontainable, was being released.

It was definitely inspiring to watch both on the same day.

Knievel, the prototypical action sports star — and inspiration to every kid that launched himself off a makeshift ramp — and Bezanson, a modern-day action sports star, breaking new ground yet again.

We all owe Evel a debt of gratitude for blazing a trail for all of us that followed him…inspiring us to “give it a go”…whether that meant working everything out ahead of time or just sending it and seeing if the landing will work out.

Bezanson’s Uncontainable edit shows that legacy carries on…that we should always be testing the boundaries…like Evel showed us before, life is more than just existing, it’s meant to be lived.