Lightning bolts: key to a great BMX logo

8 09 2011

BMX legend Taj Mihelich, put together a cool article (that’s making the rounds today) for Complex magazine called The 50 greatest BMX Logos.

It’s a great read.  A funny thing you’ll notice, and one that Taj notes in the writeups for each logo, is how prevalent the lightning bolt is in BMX logos. It shows up time and time again. In the Zap Pad writeup, he says:

There is definitely some connection between lightning and BMX. You can find lightning bolts on all kinds of BMX imagery. I think that maybe the very bones of BMX, chromoly steel, can only be created by a direct lightning strike.

For me, the Elina lightning bolt seat is the most iconic of the BMX lightning bolts.  Those old school Elina seats are pure BMX.


Like I said earlier, it’s a great read.

For old schoolers, it’s like a trip down memory lane.

For new schoolers, it’s an opportunity to see (and maybe laugh at) what passed for cool back in the day.

Check it out.





Another day, another web edit

2 09 2011

Stumbled on this second Daniel Ziller web edit when I was typing up the no brakes, no worries post.

Apparently all self-filmed…nice job.

Check it.

Vodpod videos no longer available.




Ted Emmer: a 24″ freestyle pioneer

18 08 2011

Think freestyle riding on a 24″ BMX bike is a new phenomenon?

Think again.

Ted Emmer was rocking a 24″ at the Del Mar skatepark back in 1984!

He even managed to score some coverage in the first edition of Freestylin’ magazine. (Check out the wheels…custom 71 spoke Z-rims!)

Here’s classic video from the King of the SkateParks Del Mar Contest:

(Stoked that Ed Koenning had this video and was able to post it.)





Model C gets coverage in Complex mag

16 08 2011

An interview that Sunday Bikes’ Jim Cielencki did recently with Complex magazine has just come out.  And while the intent of the article was to talk about  the 2011 Model-C Pro, Jim also took the opportunity to talk about the history of the Model-C, the geometry and the different models available in the Sunday lineup (including the Wave-C).

Explaining how he convinces people to give the Model-C a try, Jim says:

I feel like a drug dealer, because when someone goes ‘oh, there’s the 24,’ I put it in their hands and they ride it, and most people have judged it and they’ve discounted it or have a negative opinion of it, but they ride it and they understand. Because there’s never been anything like this. They don’t have anything to go off of. They get on and they go ‘Oh, OK, I get it’.

Great to see some mainstream coverage of what’s going on in the world of 24″ BMX. Check it out here.

(Bonus info: The interview was done by Russ Bengtson, the guy behind the hugely entertaining, but now defunct, SPRFLS blog.)





Bobby Parker’s Colorado trip highlights

12 08 2011

Bobby Parker and the Sunday crew recently made  a trip up to Colorado  to hit the plethora of concrete parks available in the state. While there, they managed to hill bomb Mt. Evans (which is supposed to feature the highest paved road in North America) and shoot some great footage.

Andrew Brady was able to capture some of the radness that went down with his camera and Bobby was cool enough to send some of the photos along. He also included a writeup for each one to give you a look into what went on “behind the scenes” for each photo.

So without further ado, here’s some highlights from Bobby Parker’s Colorado trip in his own words:

One-footed table at Boulder skatepark.  This place is wild!  Big hips everywhere that went all ways and angles.  For some reason I started getting the feel for opposite tables on my Model C a while ago on some long sessions at the Walnut Creek Pump Track….For me it seems like opposite carves/airs and opposite tables work better on the 24″.  It is debatable on what specifically makes these things happen…something else that’s awesome that cruisers bring to the table (oh yeah….pun intended).  The hip at the Boulder park just started feeling really good that way and I had never really toyed with one-footed tables before so I let a few fly. – Bobby

No hander at Valmont Bike Park. Lets just say I still have a reminder of Valmont on me right now…in the form of road rash and a sprained ankle.  We rolled into the parking lot about 30 minutes before it was too dark to ride but still managed to ride for about 45….I was trying to get in as many laps as I could so when I saw a few of the Sunday guys take some cranks into the XL line I jumped right behind.

Next thing I know my tire doesn’t quite make it to the end of the log ride and I get sent. A little bit of blood never hurt anyone, I guess.

As I go back to the van to straighten out my bars (and dust myself off) Andrew went to go set up his flashes on the last jump to take a picture of one of the Sunday guys.  The team guy ends up calling it quits on account of it starting to get dark.  The mosquitos were the size of battleships out there and I knew Brady was being feasted upon.  I told him I would try something for his efforts of setting up all of his flash stands.  This is what we came up with.  – Bobby

Sounds like an awesome trip. In his email, Bobby said there was so many awesome places to ride that they didn’t even put a dent in all the skateparks Denver had to offer. Looks like Colorado is going to be getting a lot more visitors in the near future if people start getting wind of what’s available there.





Would Cru make the same choice today?

10 08 2011

In a key plot point in the movie Rad, Cru Jones makes the life-changing decision to postpone taking his SATs to take part in the big race at Helltrack. He does it because he thinks he’s got a chance at winning against all the “factory hot shots”.

Did he make the right choice?

It seemed like the right idea at the time. Factory BMX racers seemed to have it all back in the 80s. Driving Porsches, international travel, BMX Action magazine covers…you name it. They were living the high life.

Winning the big race would be Cru’s ticket to living the dream.

But today? I’m not so sure skipping the SATs would’ve been the right choice.

Check out the check that Denzel Stein, Redline factory hotshot, is holding for a recent win…$1400.

Compare this with the check that Team Kachinsky (Brian Kachinsky, Corey Martinez, Sean Sexton and Will Stroud) is holding after a win at the recent Nike 6.0 contest…$14,000. (Sure it’s split 4 ways…but c’mon that’s a much sweeter payday.)

Today, he probably would’ve been wise to skip the race altogether and focus on perfecting his bicycle boogie skills.






Custom forks: now available from S&M

27 07 2011

After the success of their custom frame program, and more recently the introduction of custom handlebars, S&M has added another part to their custom lineup: forks.

Brake mounts, no brake mounts, different finishes, XLT and classic styles…you name it they’ve got you covered. (There’s even a 22″ version available…if you’re into that sort of thing.)

If the off-shelf options don’t work for you or if you have very specific needs or preferences…this is great news.

Check out the S&M Bikes site for more details.






Born in the USA

4 07 2011

It’s the 4th of July. In the U.S., that means a celebration of all things American.

On a day like today, even if you’re not American and celebrating Independence Day, you have to respect the companies that are still making a go of it in terms of manufacturing things in North America. And not just making a go of it, but putting out high quality products that are sought out by riders of every stripe.

Not taking anything away from those companies that design products in North America and have them manufactured elsewhere…in many ways, it’s often the better option for doing things.  But you have to respect those companies that choose to take the often harder road of keeping it all in house from start to finish.

You know the big names: S&M, Standard, FBM…their quality speaks for itself…and the smaller companies like Snap and Immortis that are garnering a reputation for themselves  through the pride they take in the craftsmanship of their products. You can find a pretty good listing of these companies on americanmadebmx.com.

So if you’re out celebrating today, raise a glass to the fine folks working hard, day after day, to produce American-made BMX products. Cheers guys!





Go with the flow

24 06 2011

Spotted this pic on the Liquid Bikes Facebook page and had to post it.

It had the caption, “Check out Cullen flowing like…Liquid.”

Park looks so fun.





Sunday puts more umph into their bars

14 06 2011

If you’re a fan of Sunday’s 24umph bars (like I am) but want to add a smidge more height to your front end, you’re in luck. The new Sunday 24umph XL bars are now available!

You might remember the teaser photo back in February on the Sunday site. Back then, Jim C. said they made bunnyhops easier and let him pop into nose wheelies better. Could they do the same for you?

The specs:

  • 7.75″ rise
  • 28″ wide
  • 12 degrees backsweep
  • 4 degrees upsweep

For now, they’re only available in black. A vapor blue version will follow in a couple of months.