I smile every time I watch this….really what’s not to like?
Jam packed with 80s freestyle legends, Jon Faure shredding on his cruiser, a weird close-up of Wade Nelson and a quirky soundtrack.
The soundtrack alone takes me right back to my teenage years when I used to read BMX Action and Freestylin’ cover to cover.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
If being the boss of a BMX company isn’t cool enough, Mike Wong over at Dialled Bikes ups the coolness quotient just a bit more by designing a sweet looking custom cruiser for his own personal ride.
I spotted this on Fastlane BMX magazine’s website recently and was pretty stoked on it. Not only does it have a nice old school Mongoose-style zinc plated finish but there’s a bunch of other things going on with this bike that make it unique and customized to Mike’s tastes.
It’s made with 853 Reynolds Cro-Moly, extra thin tubing and a slacker than “normal” head angle.
Why did he go with a slacker head angle?
According to Mike (in his Fastlane interview) it’s because today’s geometry is getting too twitchy:
…with tracks getting faster, jumps getting steeper and berms getting slicker, I actually think they are taking geometry in the wrong direction.
Therefore, on my frame, I’ve made the head angle one degree slacker than the production cruisers (71 degrees instead of 72), which actually makes it feel more stable over jumps and in turns. I may even go another degree slacker for the next iteration. *
While there are no plans to incorporate this slacker head angle into Dialed Bikes production models, Mike is going to continue to ride/race it to see how it performs. This is pretty big departure from current geometry, so it’s interesting to see Mike stepping up and experimenting with something new.
For more on Dialed Bikes, check out their website. To learn more about Fastlane BMX magazine (which, if you’re into racing, is a must) click here.
*(italics mine)
Brakeless riding is prevalent in just about every area of freestyle bmx these days….especially street riding. While definitely not as widespread in the 24″ scene, it is starting to creep in.
High-profile guys like Jim Bauer have been riding their 24s brakeless for a while now and more and more cruiser builds are showing up without brakes.
Brakeless advocates argue that going without brakes makes them better riders: smoother and more committed to making the trick rather than braking at the last minute.
Do you agree?
Is brakeless better for 24″ freestyle riding?
Is riding brakeless the secret to Jim Bauer‘s style?
In case you missed the big news this weekend, Jay Miron has sold Macneil Bikes and Ten Pack Distribution to his business partners, Darcy Saccucci and Jamie Macintosh. He’s also shut down the Metro Jam events. He’s walking away from BMX.
What can you say in a situation like this?
It seems too soon but you can’t knock the guy…he’s accomplished so many things and done so much for the BMX community.
Jay, thanks for the memories…and the 540 whips.
Vodpod videos no longer available.more about “Jay Miron Macneil DVD“, posted with vodpod
Looks like Steve Swope is once again gathering the Superfriends (Old school BMX stars) at the Justice League (Woodward West) to fight the forces of evil (for the Old School BMX Reunion).
The invite list features a “who’s who” of 80s BMX legends. Just check out the list of invitees for an instant Freestylin’ magazine flashback. Should be an awesome weekend…I’m really looking forward to checking out the photos and video from the event.
Former Plywood Hood, Brett Downs was there last year and clicked this sweet turndown on his Model-C to commemorate things.
Turndowns are just timeless, aren’t they?
It’s all going down Friday, April 2 – Sunday, April 4. Check out Kickstand BMX for all the details.
For more pictures from last year’s event, check out b dubbs photostream on flickr.
For the theme music I imagine them playing when they enter the building, click here.
Sometimes the right color just gives a bike a little something extra…like Liquid’s Bubblegum Blue frame.
This bike just looks super cool.
But it’s not just a good-looking bike, it’s got a roomy front end with modern geometry that’s built for serious riding (if the pictures and videos featuring Liquid’s Jeremy Combs are any indication).
I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from (and about) Liquid Bikes in 2010.
“The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Mark Twain
Despite showing love for the cruiser in recent issues, BMX Plus! seems to have now sounded the death knell for the cruiser in their April 2010 issue in an article called Cruising into Oblivion: The Death of the 24.
It’s actually kind of amusing however when you take a look at this sensationalist article in relation to the rest of the magazine. For instance, Redline has again seen fit to place a two-page ad for a cruiser in the magazine. And this time it is their top-of-the-line Flight Pro 24! I’m going to go out on a limb and say there must be some kind of market for 24s to justify that kind of advertising.
And in their mailbag section, a reader writes in about racing Cruiser for two years, “…One thing led to another, and now I race a 24-inch Haro…”.
Are big ads and actual reader feedback not clear enough signs for Plus! that cruisers are alive and well?
Guys like Danny Caluag, Barry Nobles and George Goodall (who is featured prominently in the Redline ad) are also keeping excitement alive in the National race scene.
And completely ignored by the article is the explosion in popularity of modern trails/park 24s…which I don’t have to convince you of, if you’re a regular visitor to this site.
The death of the 24?
Hardly.
We’re just getting started.
It’s here!
Probably the most widely (and wildly) anticipated 24″ complete has hit North America’s shores.
Sunday’s Model-C frame made waves in the 24/cruiser world last year… and now that it’s available as an affordable, well-spec’d complete…well, let’s just say these things are going to go like hotcakes!
Most of the major mail order companies are in stock, so if you’ve been looking at picking one up, here’s your chance. Just don’t wait too long…trust me on that one.
If you were a BMX kid in the 80s you probably remember the old school style of indoor racing with concrete floors, wooden jumps and smooth stadium tires.
Nowadays if you’re lucky enough to have an indoor track to race at, you’re racing in dirt. Vintage BMX actually featured a thread on this topic recently and it seems that a lot of people remember the old school races and are hankering for them again. It certainly brought back memories for me…my first race was an old school indoor race like that.
But those days are long gone, right?
Maybe not!
Turns out Brent Smith, the guy behind the super fun Orangeville race series, does an annual race at the Toronto International Bicycle show. This year the organizers asked if he could do it again but this time without dirt. So Brent reached into his bag of tricks and decided to go way back and kick it old school! Flat turns, concrete floors and wooden jumps…this is going to be a total blast from the past. Clips aren’t going to help you here!
If you’re within driving distance of Toronto (March 5-7) you should make a point of making it out anyway ..not only is there wall-to-wall bicycle vendors but there’s a freestyle contest and flatland contest going on as well.
For more details on the race, check out the Facebook group, Toronto Bike Show MTB and BMX race and jump comps.
Legends Tinker Juarez and Jeff Kosmala tearing up an indoor track back in the day.
Found this vid recently while poking around on vimeo.
It looks like Jason G has got the right idea when it comes to doing yard work.
Check out his sweet backyard pumptrack.
cruiser revolution 
