Heiberg talks about offering kids that “ticket to freedom” that often goes missing in today’s society. At the bike park, he says kids learn “to persevere…to take risks…and fall down and get back up.”
Furthermore, he explains how practicing at the bike park allows riders to develop skills and muscle memory that they can later take out on to the trails….building a rider’s confidence and flow…and making riding more enjoyable all around.
There’s even a nod (I’m guessing) to the USA BMX Golden Crank Award…however, in this case it becomes The Golden Crutch Award.
And what’s that on the wall? A Quadangle, perhaps?
(And is that supposed to be Neil Stauss behind the mic? That’s a bit random.)
It’s pretty cool to see BMX popping up on The Simpsons after all these years.
Granted, American Dad did beat them to it with their kooky send-up of RAD. But given that Bart has always had any affinity for getting rad on his skateboard…we can’t really hold a grudge.
As mentioned in the previous post, I had made a beeline to the We The People (WTP) booth at Interbike because of earlier rumors that had said WTP was going to offer two cruisers in their lineup for 2016.
I was intrigued…and half-concerned…that they would change up the 24″ Atlas.
It turns out that the WTP folks decided to stick with a good thing and left the spec/geometry pretty much the same as last years…essentially a long, “trails-y”-feeling 24.
A “bottle-green” (trans) green frame & fork, complimented with generous helpings of chrome and black, and rounded out with tanwall Kenda Small Block 8 tires.
This combo looks really nice.
Not much more to say about this bike, other than this is a real looker and ready to shred right out of the box.
If you’re someone that doesn’t like the higher BBs on other modern 24s…but want something more responsive than “traditional cruiser geometry”…this might be the bike you want to take another look at.
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 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.)
For their 2016 lineup, Stolen Bikes have combined their “regular” and XLT versions of their popular cruisers (the 24″ Saint and 26″ Zeke) into one model, the “XLT.”
What does that mean for you?
The broad strokes are:
You will be getting a complete (in whichever size you choose) that is full chromoly, kitted out with all sealed parts (except pedals), 48-spline cranks and a Pivotal seat/seatpost combo. (Did you notice there’s 8″ bars on the Saint XLT?)
Let’s take a look at the 24″ first.
Saint XLT Geometry/Specs
Head Tube 74.5°
Seat Tube 71°
Top Tube 21.5″
Chain Stay 15″
BB height: 13.8″
Two colorways available
You can get the Saint XLT in Black or Matte Ammo Can Green.
The Black colorway comes with Limited Edition All Tan Joint Tires…that’s some freshness right there!
An added bonus?
Those All Tan 24 x 2.2Limited Edition Stolen Joint tires will be available separately. Don’t sleep on these though…Stolen is only doing one run of these tires for the US marketso get on these quick/fast/in-a-hurry.
Next up, the 26″.
Zeke XLT Geometry/Specs
Head Tube 74.5°
Seat Tube 72°
Top Tube 22.25″
Chain Stay 16″
BB Height: 13.3″
Colorway
The Zeke comes in Chrome.
A nod to the old school, perhaps? Whatever the reason, I dig it.
Pretty nice completes, that’s for sure.
If building up a 24″ is more your thing…not to worry…Stolen is still offering their aftermarket Stolen Gold Frame & Fork.
Have a peek at their new catalog for that, along with their rather extensive range of parts.
With most of the customs coming out of Lairdframe’s highly regarded business being 20s, this new school 24 was definitely something that piqued my interest.
Well, the owner of this build, Jared Burak, just dropped me a line with an updated picture of his bike, after he made a few updates.
Jared says Laird’s work is “highly recommended” and “quite affordable” when comparing it against the base prices at other custom frame-building companies (like S&M, Standard and FBM).
I have to say I’m pretty stoked on this build.
Fingers crossed we’ll see more new school 24s from Lairdframe in the future.
It’s nicely spec’d with a full cro-mo frame and some decent parts. It does look like some compromises were made in the components department — as can be expected in any complete — but nothing that would raise any immediate concerns when you wheel it out of the bike shop.
New for this year, is a gloss black paint job that fades to a matte black. This is offset by a nice looking pair of copper finish 3-piece cranks that add a little flair to the bike.
I would’ve liked to have seen a few more copper accents (say on the handlebar and/or the seatpost) but that’s an easy fix after you’ve been riding it for a while and decide to customize it to your particular tastes. (Check out the Redline site for the rest of the parts rundown.)
Geometry-wise, the Asset 24 boasts the following:
Top tube: 21.75″
Head Angle: 74.5 degrees
Seat Angle: 71 degrees
BB Height: 13″
Chain Stay: 15.5″
That geo puts it right in the ballpark of other heavy-hitters like the S&M ATF 24″.
All in all, a pretty solid package for $499.99 (US). I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more people rolling on these in the coming year.
Well, the first thing that I noticed about the tires are how quiet, fast, and grippy they are. I did like the Stolen Joint tires* but l could not run my front brake through the fork, they hit the cable.
Subrosa has updated the 26″ Malum for 2016 with a cool new look.
Originally introduced last year for their 2015 lineup, this year’s version has a unique look with a “salvaged rat rod rust paint” finish (that’s smooth to the touch) and colorful Baja seat.
In terms of the bike itself, it features a full Cromoly frame, fork and handlebar. (Which is always welcome to hear!)
It’s not to shabby in the parts department either. The 26″ Malum comes complete with sealed female hubs, double-wall rims and a Shadow Interlock V2 chain.
Subrosa also recently dropped a video that highlights the specs of the new 26″ Malum.
cruiser revolution 
