Are you ready for the Truth?

21 08 2015

I got the heads up recently about a small rider-owned company called Truth BMX Products.

Based out of Maryland, the company has been around for just under a year and is run by two brothers, Eric and Tony Spears.

In addition to a pretty wide assortment of components, the company has some pretty cool 24″ race frames in their product lineup (with 26″ versions planned in the coming months).

Truth Blue

The specs for the PRO 24 Main Event frame are:

  • Top tube: 21.5″
  • Chainstay: 15.35″
  • Head Angle: 73.5 degrees
  • Seat Angle: 70 degrees

A Pro XL 24 frame is also available with a 22″ top tube (all other specs the same as above).

Truth Blk

All the frames are made out of 6061-T6 Aluminum.

Watch for these to become available in the next few weeks.

Check out truthbmxproducts.com for more details about frame colors, their parts lineup and a bunch of other race-y stuff.


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Sneak Peek: 2016 Redline Race Cruisers

6 08 2015

The Asset 24 isn’t the only cruiser that Redline has revealed from their 2016 line, they’ve also provided details on their race cruisers as well.

Kicking of their race lineup is the entry-level MX-24. It features a 6061 Aluminum frame with ovalized anti-flex stays, Chromoly 3-piece cranks and Tioga Power Block tires. Available in grey or blue. A nice option for a newbie or casual racer.

2016 Redline MX24 BLUNext up is the Proline 24. I think of this one as the workhouse of the lineup.  A straight-forward race machine that gets the job done. Light & strong but without the hefty price tag of flashier race machines.  It features a 6061-T-6 alloy frame, sealed hubs and 100% Chromoly butted and tapered race fork .  It’s hard to go wrong with this bike.

2016 Redline Proline 24Finally, the Flight Pro 24.  Redline’s top-of-the-line race machine. It features  a frame with Redline’s proprietary  formed R7 tubing, press-fit BB -86, and Redline convertible dropouts.  This is complemented by high-end components like BOX Pro Carbon forks, Redline Flight 120 instant cassette hub with 15mm through axle, and tubeless compatible Alienation Malice rims. Not to mention the Redline Flight AL hollow forged Cranks with a 24mm chromoly spindle. This rig is kitted out. Race-ready (at the highest level), right out of the box.

2016 Redline flight pro 24
Definitely a solid lineup for 2016. Where ever you find yourself on the race spectrum, Redline has a race-ready complete to meet your needs.

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Sneak Peek: 2016 SE Bikes OM Flyer

24 07 2015

Scot “The OM” Breithaupt’s signature bike is set to take up its rightful place again in the SE Bikes 2016 lineup.

Featuring an eye-popping yellow looptail frame, retro cruiser bars and old-school checkered pads this bike looks as “back in the day” as its classic Mushroom grips.

Given the OM’s tragic passing, it’s good to see the OM Flyer refreshed and ready to go for another year. I’m sure the OM’s smiling somewhere, thinking about the good times riders are going to have on the bike that still bears his name…so many years after the start of it all.

And with the current nostalgia for old school SE products and OM-related gear, this will no doubt be a hot seller.  Don’t sleep on this one.

 

 


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Spy photos of more 2016 SE Cruisers

21 07 2015

As mentioned in the previous post, Sneak Peek: select 2016 SE Cruisers, the new lineup of 2016 SE cruisers is being revealed in bits and pieces to generate excitement for the new line.

It seems to be working.

The BMX Museum thread on the topic has reached 12 pages already and I see no signs of that stopping any time soon.

I’ve been peeking at it now and again and that’s where I saw the following teaser shots of even more 2016 cruisers.

Let’s have a look.

First off, the Floval Flyer.

If you remember the CR test on the Floval Flyer (from a few years back) you know how much of a fan I am of this bike. Again, SE upped the ante with even more polished aluminum/chrome to make this bike as shiny as it is fast.

Next up, the 24″ Quadangle Freestyle.

Jumping off from last year’s version, SE has adopted a new white and blue colorway which is actually more evocative of the freestyle-y SEs of the 80s.

Think back to that iconic Freestylin’ cover of Todd Anderson jumping over a car of SE dudes or even Rockabilly Jay’s sweet custom Quadangle cruiser…this colorway is on point.

 

Finally, the Big Ripper.

This year, it bumps up the old school factor with a checkered padset and a generous helping of chrome and gold anno accents. If you were around during “the golden days of BMX”, you know this big boy hits all the right notes.

I’m definitely digging the updates and new colorways of the SE lineup.

Tip of the hat to Todd Lyons and the SE folks for the great work, especially for the retro line!


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Scot Breithaupt made it happen

7 07 2015

Like many in the BMX world, the news of Scot Breithaupt’s passing on the weekend came as a shock to me.

It didn’t seem real.

And while there has been an outpouring of positive messages from the BMX community celebrating Scot’s achievements…he basically wrote the template for BMX back in the day…it still hurts.

I’ve been in a funk ever since I heard.

And going back and forth in my head of what to write about the topic.

What more can you say about this guy?

We owe so much to Scot. As a race organizer, promoter, businessman, a showman and as a fierce competitor.

Scot OM poster

The SE roadtrips back in the day are the stuff of legend. He packed a bunch of crazy BMXers in a bus (or van) and traveled across the US with them.  In the process creating experiences and stories that will last several lifetimes.

This, like so many things Scot pioneered, lives on today…How many BMX memories have been made during BMX roadtrips? Too many to count.

se_bus

SE Bikes, the legendary bike company he founded, has the slogan “We make it happen.” That was just as (or even more so) fitting to describe Scott. He “made it happen” in so many ways when it came to BMX. He gave us the template to make it happen.

SE-Bike-BoxIt’s up to us now to continue to make it happen…whether that’s holding a jam, piling into a car with friends for a BMX roadtrip or just getting out on a bike for some fun…we have to continue to make it happen. This is his legacy.

C-Ya on the other side Scot.

scot wing thing(The Youtube video above was produced by Diana Frerick, a friend and business associate of Scot, for his 57th birthday last year.)


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Sneak Peek: select 2016 SE Bikes

2 07 2015

Todd Lyons (of SE Bikes) is slowly lifting the veil on the 2016 lineup of SE cruisers.

For the last week or so, he’s been showing bits and pieces of some of the bikes. But just a couple days ago he showed what at least two of the cruisers in the lineup would look like.

First up, the 24″ So Cal Flyer. Sporting an old school look, it features a retro stem, Flyer seat, and a classic SE Racing padset. Some gold graphics round out the retro vibe on this one.

SE So Cal Flyer 2016

Next up, the 26” Quadangle Looptail.

If you’re old school, this will definitely be your cup of tea. It features the unique double downtube frame that the Quadangle made famous so many years ago, along with a looptail rear end.  The black, gold, and chrome colorway (and checkered pads!) make this look like it came out of a time machine from early days of BMX.

SE 26in Quadangle 2016

Lyons has been dropping hints of the new lineup on the regular, so stay tuned for more updates. I’ll be sharing them on the Facebook page whenever they pop up. From the hints he’s been sharing so far, I think we’re in store for a lot more cool stuff.


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Brits using drone technology to get faster

27 05 2015

Well, it looks like drones aren’t just for filming freestyle edits anymore.

Great Britain’s BMX Racing Team is using technology — usually seen in drone aircraft — to give them an edge going into the Rio Olympic Games.

According to bbc.com,

The technology, first developed for unmanned aircraft, uses a camera and sensor system to monitor speed and trajectory of a rider from the moment they exit the start gate and travel across jumps through a course.

The game-changer in all this is capturing an element of a race that couldn’t be measured previously.

liam-phillips

According to Liam Phillips (in the same bbc.com article),

It measures speed across a jump which has been impossible until now.

In a sport where victory can be measured in seconds (or 100ths of a second) this could definitely make a difference in terms of training and race prep.

Kinda cool from a techie/nerdy perspective.

I wonder if other countries will “jump on” (sorry, couldn’t help it) similar techie training techniques.


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Friday frivolity: racing to the supermarket

22 05 2015

It’s always cool to see BMX racing get some mainstream attention.

Well, most of the time anyway.

This time it’s a bit of a head-scratcher.

I came across this interesting commercial for Japan’s SoftBank recently and thought I’d post it up.

It features SE racer/model, Miki libata as a “BMX Mom” who is pitted against an “MTB Mom” to get to the supermarket to get a deal advertised in a flyer.

MTB Mom vs BMX MomA pretty random race through the city quickly ensues.

Check it out.


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Gary Turner releasing line of 26″ frames

20 05 2015

The man responsible for building one of the most well-known brands in BMX, GT Bicycles, is returning to bike biz (as Gary Turner BMX) with a limited run of vintage-style 26″ cruisers.

Each frame set will be chrome plated with “old style” Gary Turner BMX chrome stickers. Price for frame, fork and handlebar will be $800 (US) and the run will be limited to only 100 frames.

Here’s a “spy shot” from the Gary Turner Facebook page.

gary turner frame shot

Plans are also in the works for 24″ and 20″ frame sets at a later date.

Pretty cool to see one of the icons of the sport returning to the industry he helped create.

Here’s a lookback at an ad with Gary in his heyday.

gary turner gtThe Gary Turner online store, www.garyturnerbmx.com, will be taking orders for the 26″ cruiser sets on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 8am PST.

And if you’re in Corona California on August 9, swing by Pole Position Raceway. Gary will be hosting a vintage bike show and launch party for the new frames. A 26″ Limited Edition frame set will be given away as a “best in show prize” at the event.


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Behold…the non-race race jersey

13 05 2015

Here’s an interesting development.

Freestyle-oriented companies producing BMX racing jerseys!

Sure, back in the 90s a number of dirt jumpers (e.g., Shaun Butler) could be seen sporting race jerseys but that trend seems to have fallen away in the modern era.

shaun butler ride coverHowever, things might be trending back that way…if a couple of recent product offerings are any indication.

The first notable instance of this was the limited run of Empire BMX race jerseys. These babies sold out quickly and (from what I understand) there are plans to make more.

And now more recently, the Shadow Conspiracy Contender jersey.

A jersey “inspired by BMX racing” but with enough “street-wise styling” to not scare off the street riders.

I, for one, am digging the look of these jerseys and hope that this type of thing continues.

Yet it still makes me wonder…who’s going to be next to jump on this bandwagon?


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