Racers tend to be the the most weight-conscious in the BMX world. But these days, everyone tends to have a little “weight-weenie” in them. Have we all gone overboard?
How concerned are you about your bike’s weight?
Weigh in with your thoughts.
Weigh in…can a bike be too light?
18 05 2011Comments : 8 Comments »
Tags: bike weight, BMX racers, BMX weight weenies, BMX World, Importance of bike weight, weight weenie
Categories : Freestyle, goofiness, Racing, shenanigans, Tomfoolery
I wanna rock…an S&M Widowmaker
5 05 2011Sometime in the early 90s, a metal band lead singer (that hit the big time a decade earlier) got together with a little bike company called S&M Bikes and the S&M Widowmaker was born.
The lead singer? Dee Snider from Twister Sister.
Here’s a excerpt from the news section of the February 1993 edition of Ride Magazine with some more background.
There was an extremely short run of these made so prices commanded for these rigs has understandably gone through the roof.
Love the graphics:
Especially this one:
All in all, pretty cool.
If you want to learn more about the S&M Widowmaker, check out ryanpartridge.blogspot.com (where these pictures are taken from) or BMX Museum.
If you just want to rock out, maybe you should try to relive Dee Snider’s glory days and check out this video.
Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: BMX Museum, Dee Snider, Heavy metal, I wanna rock, Ride Magazine, ryan patridge, S&M bikes, S&M Widowmaker, S&M Widowmaker cruiser, Twisted Sister
Categories : goofiness, Old School, Racing, Tomfoolery, Trails/Jumping
BMX racing goes to the dogs
29 04 2011Aluminum frames, carbon fiber forks, clipless pedals…all have been adopted by the racing community in the quest for victory.
When mere equipment upgrades are not enough, some turn to intense fitness regimes and (gasp!) performance-enhancing drugs.
But it takes more to be a champion.
What it takes is heart….and perhaps four quick moving paws.
Calleigh the BMX dog demonstrates.
Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: Aluminum frames, bmx racing, Calleigh the BMX dog, carbon fiber forks, clipless pedals, Kingston BMX, performance enhancing drugs in BMX
Categories : goofiness, Racing, shenanigans, Tomfoolery
Are today’s Pros a bunch of candy-asses?
8 04 2011Sometimes I wonder how BMX racing lost its mojo.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think BMX racing is cool (I’m a racer myself)…but back in the 80s, it seemed to have that little something extra. Which is a little funny when you think about how tracks, bikes and everything else has improved.
Maybe it’s the style of the racing itself.
Or maybe it’s clipless pedals.
According to 4-time ABA #1 Pro, “Pistol Pete” Loncarevich, both seem to be culprits.
ESPN caught up with him recently and he was very candid on this thoughts about the current state of affairs in the race scene.
Some interesting quotes:
...less confrontational because of clipless pedals… [racing]seldom gets aggressive
…more candy-ass BMX racing now because no one wants to confront each other on the track
Check it out here (sorry it won’t embed…but it’s definitely worth checking out).
Maybe Pistol Pete is on to something.
Or maybe we just need more WWE-style trash talking between motos.
I envision it going something like this:
Bonus info: It’s Pistol Pete’s birthday today. Respect for the legend.
Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: "Pistol Pete" Loncarevich, ABA, bmx racing, clipless pedals, ESPN, mojo, Pete Loncarevich, The Rock, WWE
Categories : New School, Old School, Racing
Not just a pretty face
25 03 2011If you’re on Facebook and you’re interested in some (almost) daily 24″ news and BMX-related shenanigans, you should definitely check out (and ‘like’) the Cruiser Revolution Facebook page.
In addition to links to current posts, you’ll also find reader bike photos (don’t forget to post your own), cool videos, and other assorted fun stuff.
It’s just another way to get your fix of 24″ BMX news and information.
Putting the "Face" in Facebook
What you may have missed
- A teaser for the documentary on the making of RAD
- Rob Ridge’s mid-life crisis video (must-see front brake action with William Shatner soundtrack)
- Red Bull’s super-sized pumptrack
- Eye of the Tiger revisited (24″ BMX style)
- Toronto BMX Jam highlights
- Cru Jones…I mean, Bill Allen
Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: Bill Allen, Cru Jones, Cruiser Revolution facebook page, Dirk Benedict, Eye of the Tiger, Face A-team, RAD documentary, Reader bike photos, Red Bull pumptrack, Rob Ridge, Toronto BMX Jam
Categories : Freestyle, goofiness, New products, New School, Old School, Racing, Rad, shenanigans, Skatepark, street, Tomfoolery, Trails, Trails/Jumping
Renthal reboots the race cruiser bar
16 03 2011While many in the BMX race world cling for dear life to traditional cruiser bars, it looks like Renthal is ready to mix things up.
A relative newcomer to the BMX race scene, Renthal has long history in motocross.
Red Division, my cruiser blog brother from another (Spanish) mother, is reporting that Keith Wilson from Dialed Bikes is sporting a pair of prototype Renthal bars with a bolt-on crossbar reminiscent of its motorcycle bars. (Keith placed 4th in 45+ cruiser at the 2010 World Cup. )
I have to wonder if there are flex and/or durability issues. It seems to work for them in the motorcycle world so I’m very interested to see how this type of handlebar fares in the bar-banging world of BMX racing.
Comments : 15 Comments »
Tags: bar banging BMX racing, BMX race cruiser, bmx racing, Dialed Bikes, Keith Wilson, motorcycle, Red Division, Renthal, Renthal BMX, Renthal motocross, Traditional BMX cruiser handlebars
Categories : New products, New School, Racing, Trails/Jumping
Traditional cruiser bars: who needs ’em?
1 03 2011Cruiser handlebars.
Those shorter, stubby versions of traditional BMX handlebars.
They always looked a little off to me.
While 20″ bars got taller, cruiser bars (until recently) stayed smack dab in the 5-5.5 inch range. Perhaps it was a holdover from the days when people used to switch between their 20 and 24 inch bikes during races (had to keep the handlebar height the same level for both bikes). Still, it was frustrating that you could not get a taller, cruiser-specific handlebar.
I like big bars, I cannot lie (my apologies to Sir Mix-A-Lot). Cruiser handlebars under 6″ just don’t cut it. If you’re running bars under 6″, ask yourself: Are my handlebars big enough?
Thankfully, It seems more and more people are realizing that taller bars are the way to go on 24″ BMX bikes. If you look at some of the more recent bike checks, you’ll see how taller bars are definitely the new trend. Granted, the elevated bottom brackets of current freestyle 24s has had an influence on this…but there’s no denying that a slightly higher handlebar would also help the handling of more race-oriented bikes.
Eva Gabrielle is tired of the bar scene
When I first made the switch to the big & tall 24umph bar from Sunday it made an immediate (positive) impact to my bikes handling. I’ve since run them on both freestyle and race bikes and don’t think I could ever go back to traditional cruiser bars. I’m also pretty intrigued by the new taller 24umph bars they’re testing. Come to think about it, even 8″ bars are not that uncommon on 24″ bikes these days.
Perhaps the only holdout, in this new trend towards taller bars is the race community. Race bikes, by and large, still feature the “regular” 5-5.5″ handlebars. But maybe we’re about to see a change there too…a casual walk through the pits at a BMX race will often show many cruisers rocking spacers and top load stems to give the rider a little extra height. Maybe it’s time for racers to drop the charade and just get bigger bars.
To me, the days of the traditional cruiser bar are numbered. What do you think?
Comments : 39 Comments »
Tags: 24" BMX bikes, 24-inch BMX, 6" cruiser handlebars, bike checks, BMX cruiser handlebars, bmx race cruiser handlebars, bmx racing, Eva Gabrielle, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Sunday 24umph handlebars
Categories : Freestyle, New School, Old School, Racing, Trails
3 crazy cruiser crashes caught on video
17 02 2011If you want the ultimate, you have to be willing to pay the ultimate price — Point Break
The fact is, no one rides for free.
Every ride has the potential for calamity…sometimes you end up paying the price, and crashing.
Here’s a look back at some of the craziest cruiser crashes caught on video (and a quick reminder to wear your gear)!
3. Mid-race flair
I bet this guy didn’t think he would be pulling a flair on this day…in full race leathers!
2. A killer snap
In racing, getting a killer snap is usually a compliment. In this case…
1. Jose Yanez tribute during Cruiser main at UCI Worlds
Jose Yanez was the first guy to successfully pull flips on a BMX bike. He rocked clips on his pedals to make it happen. These days the only BMX riders using clips are racers. It’s only fitting then that the Junior Men’s Cruiser final at the UCI Worlds showcased a tribute to Yanez’s pioneering efforts. A stunning demonstation of flips in his honor.
Honorable mentions
Coming up a little short
Mike “Rooftop” Escamilla made a name for himself jumping off houses. A true contrarian, this fella decided to take the opposite route. Looks like he came up a little short.
Berm warfare
Fighting always seems to bring fans to their feet in hockey. Could it work in BMX? Let’s find out.
Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: Berm warfare, BMX cruiser crash, Cruiser main crash at UCI Worlds, Flair on a cruiser, Jose Yanez, Mike Rooftop Escamilla, No one rides for free, Point Break, snapped BMX race frame, T.J. Bomber Baldwin
Categories : goofiness, Racing, shenanigans, Tomfoolery, Trails/Jumping
Haro Race LT 24: first look
7 02 2011Doran Bradshaw, team manager for Morphine Industries, has been riding a (yet to be released) Haro Race LT 24 for a while now and a thread just went up on vintagebmx.com with a pic of his bike.
This is a good-looking machine.
Haro has certainly stepped up their “race” game in recent years with great handling bikes and this 24 shows that they don’t plan on stopping in 2011.
Doran Bradshaw's Haro Race LT 24
Sharing many of the same features of the 20″ version but sized up (it has a 21.7″ top tube) this might just be one of the more popular bikes out on the track this year.
Looking forward to seeing how it rides.
Word has it that it will be released some time in the spring.
Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: Doran Bradshaw, Haro BMX, Haro BMX cruiser, Haro Race LT 24, Morphine Industries, vintagebmx.com
Categories : New products, New School, Racing
BMX Plus! sends an early Valentine
6 01 2011Oh BMX Plus!, it’s been nearly a year already….
Back in your April 2010 issue, you ran a cover story on the “Death of the 24.” A surprising turn of events given that you showed so much love for the cruiser in months prior to that article.
I won’t deny it. It stung a little.
Since then, it’s seems you have been on a non-stop campaign to bring the love back. There was the 10-page race cruiser shootout… a nice gesture.
And mentions of 24s in the different buyer’s guides.
But it seems forced.
Now your February issue hits the stands and I find a 3-page test on the SE Floval Flyer.
Is this an early Valentine, perhaps?
If it is, I appreciate the effort, but…
They’re still something we need to do, to bury the hatchet.
Remember the freestyle cruiser shootout I suggested before?
Run that and we can put this whole thing behind us.
*Off-topic but somewhat-related news*
SE recently announced the signing of #1 Pro Cruiser champ, Barry Nobles to its team for 2011.
Got to admire the versatility of a rider that backflips the Pro Section in the Pro Cruiser main during the 09 ABA Grands (why didn’t anyone capture this on video?) and follows it up with a #1 title the following year.
Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: #1 Pro Cruiser, 2011 SE Floval Flyer, 24" BMX, ABA Grands, Barry Nobles, BMX Cruiser, BMX Plus!, BMX Plus! Valentine, BMX race cruiser, SE Floval Flyer
Categories : goofiness, New products, New School, Old School, Racing, shenanigans, Tomfoolery
cruiser revolution 
