Life in the Fastlane

12 05 2009

It seems like most of my favorite magazines these days are from the UK (BMX or otherwise). I don’t know if it’s because everybody in North America has jumped on the social media wagon or what …but I don’t think it’s just me, it seems like the best magazines are coming out of the UK. Fastlane BMX is a prime example. Great photos, good rider interviews, bright and colorful layout and…in issue #2, a cruiser bike check! When’s the last time you’ve seen that?

koxx cruisr bike check fastlane bmx

The bike check features Groove shop owner, Marke Seaman’s tricked out Koxx cruiser, complete with an awesome paint job. This alone might be something worth checking out the magazine for. You can order it (the mag, not the cruiser) online with PayPal…I did it and got it lickety-split… just a couple of days.  Check it out.


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Categories : New products, Racing

Redline Flight Pro 24: fast out of the box

31 03 2009

I was checking out a BMX racing forum recently and someone asked the question, “What’s the best race cruiser for the money?” There were some strong opinions but the cruiser that seemed to pop up, over and over again, was the Redline Flight Pro 24.  Redline has  a long history in BMX and those years of experience show in this bike.  People seem pretty stoked on how comfortable this bike is to ride and how well it’s spec’d out. A couple of guys had them at the recent Orangeville indoor race series and it looked like they were running them bone stock…and that didn’t seem to slow them down one bit.

redline_flight_pro24

George Goodall‘s seemingly non-stop domination of his cruiser class on the Redline Flight Pro 24 also seems to indicate that this bike is no joke in the speed department.


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Categories : New products, Racing

Toronto Bicycle Show did not disappoint

16 03 2009

You might think that I would be a little disappointed after going to the Toronto bicyle show with a whole laundry list of things to buy and coming  away with almost none of it…but you would be wrong my friend. Maybe it’s because my quest for the elusive gold anodized valve caps was realized this weekend.  Yes, I’m now the proud owner of a sweet pair of vintage gold anodized valve caps. Wade Nelson, upon hearing of my quest, walked over and up and gave me the valve caps right off his bike…whatta guy.

The Toronto BMX Jam contest was, as usual, off the hook crazy (do the kids still say that?). I originally planned to check out some racing and flatland too but the freestyle stuff was just to strong a draw. Freestyle is just so ridiculous now…and I mean that in a good way.

Sitting there in the bleachers watching some crazy riding go down, the Iron Maiden blasting and surrounded by a bunch of old friends trading BMX stories (and a new pair of gold valve caps) it seemed that all was right with the world.


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Categories : Freestyle, New School, Old School, Racing

BMXers descend on Toronto Bicycle Show

12 03 2009

This weekend, March 13-15, is one of the biggest events on the BMX calendar for Southern Ontario.  It’s the Toronto International bicycle show and there is wall-to-wall BMX stuff to check out or ride in. There’s the Toronto BMX Jam, a flatland comp/demo, racing (cruiser class, anyone?) and BMX videos being premiered Saturday night at the Cadillac Lounge. If you’re within driving distance of Toronto, this is not an event to miss.

I’ll be there, checking out all the action on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re lucky, you may even get one of the new cruiser revolution stickers. They look a lot like this:

crdc


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Categories : Freestyle, New School, Racing, shenanigans

Orange Y BMX on YouTube

18 02 2009

Messing around on YouTube recently I found a couple of things on the mythical Orange Y BMX track…Back in the day I would read about this track  in BMX magazines, how it was the local track for so many of the big name racers. Well, it’s still going strong today. And you learn all about it in these two videos…albeit in two different (and equally as goofy) ways.

First, the amusing way:

Second, like an instructional video narrated by someone that speaks like he is reciting dialogue from an adult film:


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Categories : goofiness, Racing

Freestyle BMX in 2012 London Olympics

6 02 2009

What is going on here? Bikebiz.com is reporting that the 2012 Olympics will feature Freestyle BMX! Seeing racing hit the Olympic big time was one thing…but freestyle? That’s pretty incredible. I wonder if  the Olympic powers-that-be will be able to handle the notorious “free-spirited” antics of the average freestyle superstar. We’ll see…

olympic-bmxBMX racing hit the Olympic stage last summer

In a weird coincidence, I stumbled across this today as well:

the beast

the beast

Never mind that the bike will give you whiplash from ’80s nostalgia…look at the numberplate….is it just coincidence that these two items surfaced on the same day? We may be in the end times…


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Categories : Freestyle, goofiness, New School, Old School, Racing

Get your race fix on Go211.com

22 01 2009

Snow-bound race fans rejoice! Go211.com is broadcasting live at some big national races this winter…including this weekend’s ABA Sooner Nationals…you can watch live BMX action right on laptop.  Sign in takes about 60 seconds and then you are good to go…and you’ll have something to keep your mind off the snow outside.

Postscript:

I was going to post a vid of George Goodall kicking butt in the 41-45 class in Reno (who would of thought that class would be so competitive!) but it doesn’t seem to want to embed properly.  Anyway, check out go211.com…you won’t be disappointed.


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Wheel in the sky keeps on turning

9 01 2009

“Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin

I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow…”

-Journey

Flying is hassle enough these days and the airlines aren’t doing much to make it easier…especially when it comes to getting your bike around…United Airlines is charging $175 each way to take your bike on the plane. If you have golf clubs, skis, or any other number of cumbersome sports stuff around apparently you are welcomed aboard with open arms and a high five (well…at least no fee).

I remember back in the Go magazine days, Chris Moeller wrote something that said  if S&M ever made a flight bag he would label it S&M Camping Equipment to avoid paying a fee.  DK seems to have ran with that idea and come out with the DK Golf Bag.

dkgolfbag2

DK claims the DK Golf 4130 Flight Series (great name) will hold up to a 24″ cruiser.

Over on Vintage BMX, there’s an ongoing discussion on traveling with your bike, focusing mostly on the merits of the Ogio Monster Bag.  Lots of people on the thread seem to be singing its praises. I guess the proof is in the pudding when you see pics posted like this:

agio clayborn cruiser to go

That’s a Clayborn Pro Cruiser in there, ready for takeoff.

The thread also covers other options like hockey bags and carrying the wheels separate too. Other important tips are to use the skycaps (remembering to tip well) and dressing up a bit when you travel…this last piece of advice is mentioned repeatedly, so apparently it does help.

Dude, I can’t believe I just used Journey lyrics in this blog.


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Categories : Freestyle, New products, Racing

Happy new year!

1 01 2009

It’s a new year and a time for quiet reflection…an opportunity to put our differences aside and realize that we’re all in this crazy world together. Whether we’re out street riding or at the race track…it’s important to just chill and enjoy the camaraderie of  other riders.

Kinda like these laidback guys in the 35-39 cruiser class…

or these two crazy kids…

cru-and-lori

It’s 2009…just pretend like you’re in the lumberyard and go balls out!


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Categories : Racing, Rad, Tomfoolery

Greg Hill has still got it…

16 11 2008

greg-hill

Back in the day, Greg Hill was the man in Pro BMX Racing. #1 plates, magazine covers, sports cars he lived the BMX dream. Outspoken, fast as the lightening on his lightening zap pads, he was the guy me and thousands of other BMX kids looked up to. He seemed larger than life at the time. Through the years, he left racing and got more involved in the industry side of things. In 1993, Greg and Harry Leary (another old school Pro) had a controversial interview in Ride magazine that basically called out the industry, and Chris Moeller (of S&M bikes) in particular, which made them look out-of-touch and a bit like crotchety old men. Despite this, Greg Hill has (and continues to) do a lot for the sport. He’s still an icon. That’s why I was kinda of stoked to stumble across this little gem on youtube…Greg Hill doing it for GHP and just smoking the 41-45 cruiser class.

And for all you young whippersnappers without any roots, maybe you should read this.


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Categories : Old School, Racing

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