Stolen Saint: a great new 24″ option

10 02 2012

This bike first caught my attention when I was cruising the booths at Interbike back in September.

I was immediately impressed by Stolen’s first foray into the 24″ world.  It looked like they did their homework: tall-ish bars, double-wall rims, raised BB…all at great price (under $500, I believe).

Check out this video of Rick at Pat’s 605 Cyclery in Norwalk, CA  giving the bike the once over (seriously, why don’t more bike shops do videos like this?).

If you’re looking to get a 24″ complete, the Stolen Saint is a great new option.





Wanna lose a few inches this year?

7 02 2012

The 22″ wheel movement has suddenly taken an interesting turn with the news that S&M is testing a prototype frame and tires.

In 2010, I did a post called 22″ bike: could you lose a couple inches? that generated a bunch of discussion on the pros and cons of the wheel size.

Back then I said (in the comments section) that having a single source supplier for all things 22″—Faction was the only company at the time offering 22″ stuff—would “hurt the cause”.

Now with companies like InDust offering 22″ frames and Standard building custom one-offs,  the 22″ movement is starting to pick up some more momentum.

S&M is already offering 22″ forks as a custom option  but has shied away from manufacturing frames till now.

With this new prototype it looks like S&M is about to jump into the 22″ scene with both feet. And by doing so, it looks like the 22″ option suddenly has a whole new level of legitimacy.





Smith grind to whip on the Wave-C

7 02 2012

Jim Cielencki sent in this clip of Jared Swafford riding his (Jim’s) Wave C.

Smooth smith grind to whip at House Park in Austin.

Fresh.

 





4130 Subway Series celebrates 2 years

20 01 2012

The 4130 Subway Series celebrated two years of their epic rides this past Saturday. In typical 4130 style, the ride was 300+ riders strong with smiles a plenty.

A tip of the hat to the 4130 crew for keeping this awesome ride going.

In honor of this milestone, here are two web edits of the big night.

For more on the 4130 Subway Series, check out 4130 Subway Series is pure BMX and 4130subwayseries.com.





Jim C with a tight bank to wall on Defgrip

18 01 2012

Jim C has been putting in some serious riding time in on his Sunday Wave-C which has resulted in some seriously rad pictures showing up on the interweb lately.

Today, Jim scored some coverage on Defgrip with this Rick Crossman photo of a tight bank to wallride in Austin.

This is in addition to some cool shots that he posted over the weekend (that you can check out on the Cruiser Revolution Facebook page).

So bad ass.

Follow Jim C. on Instagram for more cool photos of him shredding his Wave-C.





Does the T/A stand for totally awesome?

13 01 2012

If you were on the Cruiser Revolution Facebook page over the Christmas holidays, you’re already in the loop on this.

If you weren’t, let me give you the scoop.

Back in 1982, Skyway came out with the  T/A frame. T/A stood for “Totally Aerodynamic” and featured teardrop-shaped tubing that made it an instant classic.

It was widely available as a 20″ and Skyway was said to have produced thousands over the years that it was available.

However, despite the 20’s popularity, Skyway decided to only produce a 24″ version in limited quantities. You pretty much had to be a factory rider like Richie “The Avalanche” Anderson to get a hold of one of these puppies.

This kind of exclusivity has made them a much sought-after item for collectors. You either had to be extremely lucky or have deep pockets to get a hold of one of the 24″ Skyway T/As.  (Being as hot as Eva Gabrielle didn’t hurt either.)

But now PlanetBMX and Skyway are working together to bring a 24″ Skyway to the masses.  It’s going to stay true to the original classic design but have a few modern elements thrown into the mix.

Check out the specs:

  • 22″ top tube
  • Euro BB
  • 1-1/8″ threadless headtube
  • V-brake mounts
  • Headtube angle- 73.5 degrees
  • Seat Tube angle- 73 degrees
  • Chainstay length- 15.4″ to 16.75″
  • BB Height- 12.3″

I just love the look of these frames…especially the chrome ones. Throw on some black Tuffs and some skinwall tires and you’ve got a serious looking machine on your hands.





Mid-school flashback: Homeless Fatty 24

5 01 2012

Just spotted this rare frame in a thread on BMXmuseum: the Homeless Fatty 24.

That’s right….Homeless Bikes made a 24.

Word has it that this frame, featured in a Ride BMX ad in August 1995,  is one of the (only) three manufactured. (That’s it leaning against the car.)

Talk about a once in a lifetime find.

For more on this frame, check out the thread on BMXmuseum.





Top ten of 2011

31 12 2011

Wow, it seems like 2011 flew by.

So before we ring in the new year, let’s check out the top ten things that went down in 2011.

10. Sunday and S&M kicked off the year by introducing two of the most of the popular frames out there right now: the Sunday Wave-C and S&M 24″ Dirt Bike.

9. This was quickly followed by news that a lot of people had been waiting for: 24″ forks with front brake mounts. S&M was first to market with their 24 “Pitchforks with 990 mounts which was quickly followed by Sunday’s 24″ forks with 990 mounts (although they were testing prototypes much earlier).

8. Some great 24″ flatland vids surfaced almost immediately after from Joe Cicman and Danny Sirkin. (Could this be related somehow to #9?) Heck, even flatland legend Bobby Fisher surfaced a few months later riding flatland on a Sunday Model-C.

7. Low-rise traditional handlebars for cruisers dying off.  The tall handlebar trend is firmly established in the freestyle end of 24″ bmx but it looks like it starting to take hold in racing too. MattyJo Shelley (of BMXActionOnline) tried it out on his race bike in a special guest post and he found taller bars had advantages for racing too.

6. “Older” guys  continued to make their presence felt in BMX on their 24″ bikes.  From the older cruiser classes in racing to a skatepark rider proving that age is just a number it’s great to see that there is no age cut-off for having fun!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

5. DK introduced a line of bikes in Wal-Mart, including a 24″ version of the General Lee. Is this good or bad for BMX? The jury is still out.

4.  Mongoose, Stolen and InDust introduced new 24s to the scene. Great to see companies responding to the demand for bigger wheeled BMXs.

3. Cruiser Revolution celebrated its 3-year anniversary this year. A great milestone and a testament to the great cruiser community that is continuing to grow.

2.  The 4130 rides. I was lucky enough to participate in the 4130 Sin Series ride in Las Vegas back in September and it was one of the best times I have ever had on my bike.  Bombing the streets with a couple hundred of your fellow BMXers is something everyone has to do at least once.

1. Having a good time on your bike. Sure, it’s fun to debate the pros and cons of how tall your handlebars are, talk about the latest parts and comment on the latest video edit but when it comes right down to it, when you’re out there riding none of that really matters. Whether its with your bros, your kids or just by yourself, you can leave your worries behind and let the good times roll as soon as you step on those pedals.

Happy New Year!





Merry Christmas!

24 12 2011

It’s Christmas Eve…time to get the egg nog flowing and put some presents under the tree.

Happy holidays everyone!





Joyride 150: one good thing about winter

14 12 2011

Sure the weather outside is frightful in many places right now but if you’re fortunate enough to have a good indoor park nearby count your lucky stars.

Joyride 150 is my home away from home during the winter months and it is a godsend.  With jumps, a skatepark area, pumptracks and cross-country stuff there’s a little something for everyone.

Heading out there for a weekly session is how I keep myself sane over the winter. While I miss hitting the local trails, I do kinda look forward to the laidback weekend sessions that happen during the colder months at Joyride.

As an added bonus, Drew Bezanson is a regular there.  As you might gather from the video below, that keeps things pretty interesting as well.

Vodpod videos no longer available.