street | cruiser revolution

This old dog still has some new tricks

12 05 2011

If you’re into 24″ BMX bikes, you’ve heard about Jim Cielencki, the driving force behind Sunday Bikes.

But how much do you know about his background and what keeps him motivated now that he’s an older guy and has been in the industry for decades, both as a rider and a bike company guy?

Old Guys who Ride caught up with Jim and asked him those questions and a whole lot more in an interview that they just posted on their site.

I especially liked this excerpt, where they asked how he deals with the fear of being hurt. Jim takes it one step further and talks about he works on an idea in a “safer” environment before going for it in another riskier situation:

It’s not so much the fear of getting hurt, it’s just dealing with how long will it take to recover and if it’s permanent. I’m not made of rubber any more. Usually I take baby steps towards something. I’ll work on an idea in a safer environment usually at a skatepark or something like that. I make it so I understand the trick and the only issue is that I am just doing it at a different spot. So in reality there’s just this little unknown part. I won’t really just go out and wing it because I want to continue riding.

It’s a great read…well worth checking out.

I also like it because it gives me an excuse to run this rad pic of Jim C. hitting this tight vert wall ride. Bad ass!

Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: 24" BMX bikes, bad ass, Jim C., Jim Cielencki, Old Guys who ride, skatepark, Sunday bikes, wallride
Categories : Freestyle, New School, Old School, Skatepark, street

My new ride: Sunday Wave-C

11 05 2011

While complete bikes are getting better and better these days, nothing quite beats getting a new frame and building it up. In this case, it was the Sunday Wave-C.

I had been thinking about a Wave-C ever since I heard that a prototype was being tested. The fact that it was going to be offered with a 22″ top tube also got me pretty excited.

The build

When I took the frame out of the box I was stoked. This was a nice looking frame! And you can just tell it can stand up to just about anything.

But I still had to wait for a few parts to arrive before I could start building.

When the last few parts came in the mail, I went over to my friend, Mike “Carbon” Pavao’s place to put it together. While trading BMX stories, we were both impressed by how well built the frame was and the attention to detail.

Ed's Wave-C build at Casa Carbon

The only potential snag was a brake bolt that needed a little grinding down. Luckily, Gary Quill dropped by, and he just so happened to have a grinder in the back of his work van. A couple of seconds of grinding later, a few more twists of the wrench and this puppy was ready to ride!

We grabbed our bikes and took off for an old school ride through the neighbourhood, hitting things along the way and made our way downtown. We finally ended up at the 7-11 Mike and Gary used to hang out at when they were 14 year old hoodlums.

Initial impression of the frame: Wow!

Wave-C build

I took it out on the local trails today and I continue to be impressed. (For another perspective on the Wave-C, check out Jon Faure’s review.)

Shoutouts for their help with this build: Bobby Parker from Sunday/Full Factory, Tom at Empire BMX, Mike Pavao from…uh… Casa Carbon and Gary Quill for his skills with a grinder.

Parts list

Frame: Sunday Wave-C 22″
Fork: We The People
Bars: Sunday 24umph
Stem: Salt Front load
Grips: Eclat Chester Blacksmith
Barends: Eclat plugs
Headset: We The People sealed
Seatpost Clamp: Sunday
Seat/Seat Post: Macneil Fat Capital /pivotal
Cranks: Salt 175mm
Sprocket: Macneil
Chain: Shadow Conspiracy
Front Tire: Kenda K-rad 24×1.95″
Front Wheel: Alex with Salt hub
Rear Tire: Intense Microknobbie 24×1.85″
Rear Wheel: Odyssey Hazard Lite rim with Odyssey V3 Hazard hub
Pedals: Macneil Face
Brake: Tektro
Brake Cable: We The People
Brake Lever: Tektro
Pegs: None
Modifications: Spacers under the stem, Gold anodized valve caps and Cruiser Revolution stickers

Future mods planned: Switch to a top-load stem, slightly fatter tires (and maybe taller bars)

Comments : 10 Comments »
Tags: 22" top tube BMX cruiser, BMX, Gary Quill, Jon Faure, Mike Pavao, Sunday Wave-C
Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, street

Sunday 24″ forks with 990 mounts: first look

19 04 2011

It’s been a long time coming, but they’re finally here!

Pictures of the production version of Sunday’s 24″ forks with 990 mounts (remember the spy photo last year?)

Check it out:

side view

front view

back view

side view

On the fence about whether or not to go with front brakes?

Check out this post to see what you might be missing.

Comments : 6 Comments »
Tags: Front brakes for BMX cruisers, Prototype Sunday Model-C forks with front brakes, Sunday 24" forks with 990 mounts, Sunday Front Brake fork, Sunday Model-C front brake forks
Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, Skatepark, street

Empire state of mind

15 04 2011

Are all mail-order BMX companies the same?

I was beginning to think so.

Sure, the company names change but in the end they all start to seem kind of similar.

That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I checked out Empire BMX‘s site.

I was chuckling to myself the whole time I was searching for parts for my new Sunday Wave-C build. With the funny write-ups and inside BMX references, like the Paul Buchanan mention in the Canadian shipping information, this is no ordinary mail-order site.

When I emailed a couple of questions, Tom (from Empire) was always quick with a response. The whole vibe seems to be that they don’t take themselves too seriously but they are serious about their business.

They are also well stocked on 24″ stuff: Odyssey 24″ Hazard Lites, Sunday Wave-C, S&M 24″ Dirt Bike and 38 Special frames, just to name a few things.

In the end, I found what I needed and at a great price.

You should definitely check ’em out.

(For a taste of the “Empire experience”, check out this video Vital BMX did a couple of years back.)

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Comments : 11 Comments »
Tags: BMX mailorder, Empire BMX, Odyssey 24" Hazard Lites, S&M 24" Dirt Bike, S&M 38 Special, Sunday Wave-C
Categories : Freestyle, goofiness, New products, New School, Skatepark, street, Trails, Trails/Jumping

The sons of Slam

5 04 2011

If you’re ready to ditch your traditional cruiser bars for something a little taller, S&M has got you covered with some smaller versions of their classic Slam Bars.

I like to call them the sons of Slam.

There’s a 7.25″ rise version that’s 28″ wide….right in the neighborhood of the Sunday 24umph bar, dimension-wise.

Another option is the Small Slam: 7.5″ rise X 26.25″ wide…perfect if you want a smidge more height and slightly narrower bars.

Erik Dabrowski is rocking Small Slams on his new 24" Dirt Bike build .

And, if you’re especially finicky about bars, you can always check out S&M’s new custom handlebar program.

(For a pic of Erik D’s complete Dirt Bike build, visit the Cruiser Revolution Facebook page…it’s a beauty!)

Comments : 7 Comments »
Tags: Cruiser Revolution facebook page, S&M 24" Dirt Bike, S&M Bikes custom handlebar program, S&M Slam Bars, S&M Small Slams, Sunday 24umph handlebars
Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, Skatepark, street, Trails, Trails/Jumping

WTP: Where’s The Promotion?

31 03 2011

We The People (WTP) has been consistently producing high-quality 24″ completes for years.

From their frames to their components they haven’t compromised.

Sure, here and there a part may need to be replaced or upgraded. But compared to some of the completes other companies are offering, they are hard to beat.

This bike deserves a web clip

What I find surprising, given WTP’s relatively long tenure in the 24″ game, is their lack of promotion. Year after year, WTP puts out great bikes with nary a web clip or cool riding shot to be seen.

Would it be so hard to film a clip of Chester Blacksmith cruising around the city — on a cruiser — for instance?

We The People, show us some love! Let’s see some web clips!

Comments : 15 Comments »
Tags: Chester Blacksmith, We the People 24, We The People 24" complete, We The People Avenger, WTP
Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, street

Not just a pretty face

25 03 2011

If you’re on Facebook and you’re interested in some (almost) daily 24″ news and BMX-related shenanigans, you should definitely check out (and ‘like’) the Cruiser Revolution Facebook page.

In addition to links to current posts, you’ll also find reader bike photos (don’t forget to post your own), cool videos, and other assorted fun stuff.

It’s just another way to get your fix of 24″ BMX news and information.