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.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m as big a fan of BMX racing as the next guy.
But when you start to run the numbers a bit, the “bang for buck”, or more appropriately “bang per lap” does not add up.
Budgeting…what is it now?…$50 per class? You’re paying a pretty hefty premium for your less than handful of laps around the track.
Compare that with riding at a bike park like Rays*…you can ride all freaking day for under $30. Your energy will run out before your time will.
What’s that you say?
It’s about “the experience” you say.
Hmm….so you’re traveling to the Grands to see some BMX stars?
Well, friends any number of BMX stars make their way down to the bike parks…you just never know who’s going to be there. That’s not to mention the local rippers and riders that regularly make the roadtrip to shred.
Want to score some good deals on bike parts? If the selection of bike parts on the display at the bike park doesn’t satisfy you…why not order some Black Friday deals from Dans or Empire back to your hotel room? C’mon now.
But since you’re in Cleveland, that means you can make your way out to a Cavaliars game…and while he may not have Sam W‘s winning smile, LeBron definitely knows how to get some airtime.
I had to miss it last year (because I had to fly back early for a wedding) but I had my fingers crossed that the stars would align and I would be able to ride this year.
Well, the stars did align.
And, like he has in the past, Mike Leonard came through for me with a bike I could borrow for the night, along with a lift to the meetup spot.
(That’s Mike on the right…not sure why our skin looks like we’re under heat lamps..must be the Vegas lights.)
The group was smaller this year (I heard there was a race nearby that drew away a lot of people that would’ve participated) but it didn’t diminish the fun in the slightest.
It was good to catch up with Sal and Cactus, who I had rode with on previous rides.
The night was a blast…out in the elements, experiencing the crazy lights of the strip, the high fives of passersby and a good laugh with the other people on the ride.
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.
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.)
If you spend any time at all on BMX racing websites and forums, it’s inevitable that you will stumble upon a thread on “how to grow the sport.”
That’s because BMX racing participation rates, while steady, have dipped considerably since the glory days of the 80s and early 90s.
Sure, BMX racing got some media attention from its inclusion in the past two Olympics, but it’s effect at track level was hardly the magic bullet many thought it would be. Many tracks struggle to make a full gate in many classes and local races can often have only a handful of motos.
In comparision, Roller Derby has seen a growth spurt in both popularity and participation that BMX racing can only envy.
What does Roller Derby have that BMX doesn’t?
Let’s take a look.
Roller Derby is primarily local. In BMX racing, “Nationals are the new locals”. Marquee riders are hardly ever at local races beyond stopping in for some gate practice. In Roller Derby, bouts between local teams are common. Moving on to national or international competition is secondary. Leagues and teams are sprouting up everywhere…from small towns to major urban centres.
Roller Derby participants are characters. From their outrageous costumes to their crazy nicknames, these girls create a persona that people can latch onto. Remember when BMX superstars like Stompin’ Stu and Pistol Pete Loncarevich used to have their nicknames and funny sayings sewn onto the back of their race pants? They were characters with larger than life personalities…contrast that to a pro of today with earbuds in, riding rollers between motos. In Roller Derby, these girls are larger than life.
Roller Derby bouts are not just a competitions, they’re a show. Look into a crowd at a BMX race, even a big one like a National, and chances are the the audience is made up of parents, spouses and brothers and sisters of the participants…maybe the grandparents too. You would be hardpressed to get a person off the street to plan an outing out to a BMX race just to watch. Contrast that with Roller Derby. People plan on a night out to check out a Roller Derby bout. People get into the characters, the excitement of local teams battling it out, the whole spectacle of it all. And most Roller Derby venues serve beer…that can’t hurt either.
Roller Derby is full contact in a way that BMX used to be. In Roller Derby posters you can often see lines like “the hits are real”. Roller Derby is full contact with people working their way through the crowd and sometimes winding up on the floor by a hit from a rival team. Likewise, back in the day it was more of a berm warfare kind of thing in BMX racing…elbows out and going for it. With the advent of more technical tracks and clipped in riders…many races end up being follow the leader type of exercises once riders exit the first turn with riders trying to avoid unclipping if they happen to end up going sideways (granted there are exceptions to this, but I’m speaking generally here).
Roller Derby walks the line between outsider and accessible perfectly. For all its badass babe mentality, a roller derby bout is something you can bring kids to without worry. If anything, witnessing a roller derby bout could be an empowering experience for the little tikes. Yet, 2o-year old hipsters also find it right up their alley too.
It’s interesting that in the roller derby movie, Whip it, the protagonist blows off the SAT prep to pursue Roller Derby. It reminds you of how in the movie RAD, Cru Jones forgoes taking the SATs to participate in the big Helltrack race that came to his town. But even in Rad, it’s all about the big race and Cru trying to fit in with the factory hot shots. In Roller Derby, it’s less about the competition and more about expressing who you are. Without trying so hard to fit in, Roller Derby has created something that people can buy into…and that appears to have made all the difference.
Ride BMX and other media outlets are reporting that there’s going to be a Call of Duty video game event at the upcoming X Games in Austin.
It’s sad to think that flatland, downhill BMX racing (remember that?) and dirt has fallen by the wayside over the last number of years only to have something like this added in.
cruiser revolution 
