Skatepark | cruiser revolution

Still alive at five

13 11 2013

Wow, hard to believe that this little blog is still going strong after 5 great years!

So cool to think back to how the cruiser scene (and this site) has developed over the years…whether it’s the new bikes or new cruiser-specific aftermarket parts…the growing numbers of people switching over to big-wheeled BMXs…former riders “getting back on the horse” after following CR for a while…the great (and often funny) comments, discussions and messages…it’s all pretty awesome.

Thanks for rolling with me for all these years.

Cheers everybody.

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: 5-year anniversary of Cruiser Revolution, Started from the bottom now we here
Categories : Flatland, Freestyle, goofiness, New products, New School, Old School, Racing, shenanigans, Skatepark, street, Tomfoolery, Trails, Trails/Jumping

This is what BMX racing needs

5 11 2013

BMX racing needs a breath of fresh air and I think events like the upcoming Helltrack event being held at The Lumberyard bike park might be just the way to do that.

What is the Helltrack event you ask?

Well, according to the Helltrack website, it’s:

…a multi-lap obstacle race with 7 riders going head to head that combines indoor and outdoor features, a cereal bowl, pallets, bikes, beer, jumps, UCI Bro Barriers, Carnage, good times, and …race classes for everyone and for all types of bikes.

Sounds pretty freaking awesome to me!

A welcome departure from the standard, far-to-serious-for-its-own-good atmosphere that most big races have.

And unlike a UCI event, you probably wouldn’t be looked down if you raced in jeans (See: Cru Jones: the UCI doesn’t like your type).

Now, we just need to get an event at all the big indoor bike parks (like Ray’s MTB, Joyride 150, etc.) so more people can take part in the tomfoolery.

Can’t wait to see the video highlights of this event.

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Tags: Cru Jones, Helltrack, Helltrack at the Lumberyard, indoor bike parks, The Lumberyard bike park, The Lumberyard MTB, UCI doesn't like jeans
Categories : New School, Old School, Racing, Rad, Skatepark, Tomfoolery, Trails/Jumping

The crazy backstory to Ray’s MTB

18 10 2013

The story behind Ray Petro and his wild idea to build an indoor bike park (so he’d have a place to ride in the winter) reads like a Hollywood movie.

To this day, I’m still surprised that someone hasn’t jumped at the chance to make a movie about it.

Thankfully, as Ray’s MTB celebrates its 10th anniversary this season, the story of how Ray took his dream and made it reality is getting shared by a number of mainstream media outlets.

One of them is Start UP , a new television series that looks into the experiences of American entrepreneurs. They caught up with Ray at the Milwaukee location and do a great job of capturing how Ray managed to pull it off. A truly inspiring story.

(Nice to see some Taj Mihelich riding in the clip too.)

Watch for the segment to air sometime soon on your local PBS station.

Another good feature done on Ray’s MTB was published recently by the Akron Beacon Journal. The article includes a good interview with Ray, pictures and a short video to round out the coverage.

If watching or reading these accounts doesn’t inspire you to follow your dreams, I don’t know what will.

So awesome.

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: Akron Beacon Journal, Follow your dreams, Indoor bike park, Ray Petro, Ray's MTB, Start Up television series, Taj Mihelich
Categories : Freestyle, New School, Skatepark, Trails/Jumping

Friday video rewind

11 10 2013

The work week is almost over and it’s time to get in the right frame of mind for the weekend.

I think this Wayne Keller edit (from 2012) is just the ticket.

Chock full of rad riding and a super fun vibe.

What more could you ask for?

Have a good weekend everybody!

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Tags: Wayne Keller, Working for the weekend
Categories : Flatland, Freestyle, New School, shenanigans, Skatepark

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

9 10 2013

(Note: headline best read aloud with a monster truck rally announcer voice.)

The guys over at Sunday Bikes have been sharing a bunch of pictures over the past few days of their flagship 24″ bike, the Model-C, popping up in cool places and situations.

First off was a pic of Bunky Dunn’s Model-C chilling at the ACL festival in Austin, Texas. Bunky helps set up music festivals but he always keeps his Model-C close at hand so he can get some shredding in. (Photo: Paulo Joaquim)

Another picture that surfaced was pucksnotdead shredding some trails on his Model C (Photo: triblaze /mikeyaskew13)

Then an early morning ramp session at House Park in Austin yielded these shots.

Model -Cs all-around.

Bobby Parker getting some.

Word has it that a group of 24″ riders were also going to session the Walnut Creek trails later in the day so my fingers are crossed hoping that we’re going to see even more 24″ radness from the Sunday/Austin crew.

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: ACL Festival, Austin, Austin Texas, Big Bike ramping, Bobby Parker, Bunky Dunn, House Park, Sunday bikes, Sunday Model-C, Walnut Creek trails
Categories : Freestyle, New School, Skatepark, Trails, Trails/Jumping

A little midweek action

2 10 2013

I need a good old-fashioned action shot to get me through the week.

Thankfully, Wayne Keller is always good for bringing the goods.

Found this picture over on Wayne’s blog, carrot bag, taken back in August.

Wayne getting flat in, what appears to be, a near-deserted Ormond Beach, Florida skatepark.

(And for those playing along at home, Wayne’s piloting the new Subrosa DTT TTwo Four cruiser frame in this shot).

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Tags: carrot bag, flattie, Ormond Beach skatepark, Subrosa DTT TTWOFOUR, Wayne Keller
Categories : Freestyle, New School, Skatepark

Stolen Bikes steals the show

25 09 2013

The folks at Stolen Bikes had dropped a few teasers in the comments of the Countdown to Interbike post that they were going to have a lot of new cruiser stuff on display this year for Interbike. So, when I got to the show I was eager to check out their booth to see what the hype was about.

They weren’t kidding around.

But first, let’s take a look at their current lineup.

The mainstay in their lineup, the Saint, is still holding strong for 2014 but now comes in a rad Matte Retro Red…

…and a Matte Gum color.

Next up, the Saint XLT is also still in the lineup. It’s available in a Basic Black with polished components….

…and a super cool looking “Super Blue” version.

What’s new for this year?

Stolen has decided to get into the aftermarket end of the 24″ bike market.

In their booth, they had their new 24″ Gold frame & fork on display.

Available in Matte Black or Sandblasted Matte Raw, the frame features a 21.75″ top tube and the following specs:

74.5 degree HT
71 degree ST
15″ CS
13.8 ” BB height

Stolen is also offering 24″ Rebellion wheels as an aftermarket option. Sealed hubs, female axles and available in a range of colors, these look like a great way to trick out your ride when it comes time to replace your wheels.

But the 24″ parts goodness doesn’t stop there. Stolen is has also brought out some high-pressure (110 PSI) tires called Joint HP tires. They have a nice low profile design…and this is the part I love…they come in both a tan and white wall version!

A new 26″ complete

Finally, Stolen’s new 26″ Freestyle cruiser called the Zeke made its debut at the show. The frame has 100% chromoly tubes, a chromoly fork with a one-piece steerer, aftermarket MOB cranks, and a bunch of other good stuff.

It features a 22.5″ top tube and has the following specs:

74.5 degree HT
71 degree ST
16.25″ CS
12.5″ BB height

(Update: these specs are not final…they’re being tweaked before production. See the comments section for more details.)

Here’s a side profile:

All in all, a great display of cruiser awesomeness from Stolen. Super stoked to see them step up their commitment to the big wheels of BMX!

Comments : 18 Comments »
Tags: interbike, Stolen 24inch Gold Fork, Stolen 24inch Gold Frame, Stolen 24inch Rebellion wheels, Stolen 26inch Zeke complete, Stolen Bikes, Stolen Joint HP tires, Stolen Saint, Stolen Saint XLT
Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, Skatepark, street, Trails/Jumping

Subrosa DTT dawn patrol

11 09 2013

Wayne Keller dropped us a line a few days back that simply said:

7:19 am Friday, dawn patrol…

I guess he figured the picture he attached would do all the talking.

Looks like he’s pretty comfortable on that Subrosa DTT TTWOFOUR he’s being rolling on for a while.

To see more of Wayne’s riding pics and zany antics, check out his blog at http://carrot-bag.blogspot.com/.

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Tags: carrpt bag blogspot, Subrosa DTT TTWOFOUR, Wayne Keller
Categories : Freestyle, New School, Skatepark

Sneak Peek: 2014 We The People Atlas 24

28 08 2013

After a two-year hiatus, We The People has brought back a 24-inch into its lineup (for 2014).

Going by the name, “The Atlas”, We The People’s new 24″ is a bit of a departure from the 2011 Avenger.

Whereas the 2011 edition sported geometry similar to the Sunday Model-C (high bottom bracket, shorter top tube), the 2014 edition is reminiscent of the specs/geometry found on the Liquid Feedback frame (moderately high bottom bracket, longer top tube).

Here’s what we know so far (spec-wise)

Head Angle: 74 degrees

Seat Angle: 72 degrees

Top tube: 22″

Chain stay: 14.6″

Bottom bracket height: 12.7″

Standover height: 9.7″

Handlebars: 7.5″ X 28.2″

The frame is full 4130 cro-mo with removable pivots/guides and integrated chain tensioners.

The fork is a Salt Plus (Magic 24) that features Sanko tubing, CNC steerer and investment cast drops.

Hoping to get a closer look at this at Interbike.

Comments : 7 Comments »
Tags: Full cro-mo, Liquid Feedback frame, Sunday Model-C, We The People, We The People Atlas 24, We The People Avenger
Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, Skatepark, Trails, Trails/Jumping

Big wheel bonanza in September BMX Plus

22 08 2013

On again and off again, running hot and cold on cruisers, it’s an ongoing theme with BMX Plus magazine.

One minute they’re showing some love for cruisers, the next they’re running a cover story called “Cruising into Oblivion: The Death of the 24“.

The BMX world’s longest running magazine can be a cruel mistress.

It’s enough to make a grown man cry.

Now in the latest issue (September), it looks like Plus is trying to kickstart the love affair again.

With a coverline that calls September “The Big Issue” and “Race and Freestyle Cruisers put to the test” getting top billing you just know something’s up.

Inside the magazine, they have–be still my heart–a freestyle cruiser shootout!