Remember that post a while back where I asked whether Vert was the final frontier for cruisers? It looks like people are starting to cross that frontier.
The evidence?
One Ben Snowden killing it on the vert ramp on Jon Faure’s Model-C at the Old School BMX reunion.
(Special thanks to Jon for forwarding the pic)
Liquid Bikes has a new site up that looks great! It includes a blog and an online store to make it easy to pick up a Liquid frame or bars.
While the store appears to be set up for US shipping only right now, you can email for details and get sorted for international orders.
I like checking it out for the great trails clips that Jeremy posts from time to time.
Like this one:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Maybe Al Pacino’s character said it best On Any Sunday: “Life is a game of inches“.
This quote keeps coming to mind when I think about FACTION‘s 22 inch wheel bike.
It’s definitely an interesting concept. A sized up BMX bike, bigger than a standard 20 inch, smaller than a 24 inch cruiser.
Is it the future?
Hard to say…but my guess is probably not.
Is 22" the new black? Faction Zeitgeist bike
Some big-name riders have been quoted lending support to the concept. Guys like Eddie Fiola and Mat Hoffman have said they think it’s a cool, progressive concept. However, it’s interesting to note that Hoffman, despite owning a bike company, has never produced a 22 inch bike himself.
Does it make sense to come out with a new “standard” when there’s currently so much choice in 20 and 24 inch bikes? What happens if you break the forks or wreck a wheel? Seems like it would be a pain to get replacements.
What do you think?
Is a 22″ wheel the answer for bigger guys? Is it a good compromise between the 20 and 24 worlds? Can the BMX industry support a new wheel size?
I guess France’s Cream BMX magazine is getting wider distribution these days because I finally saw a copy in a local bookstore.
The magazine is pretty cool with a bit more of an artsy vibe to it than a standard BMX magazine. Great photos and a mix of French and English copy…so you’re not stuck just looking at the pictures…although the article/pictorial on Eva Gabrielle is probably reason enough to check out the latest issue.
Eva Gabrielle adds a little je ne sais quoi to this super rare Skyway TA cruiser.
(Sorry for the small pics…these were the biggest I could find).
As if you need any more incentive to head to Ray’s MTB…now Sunday Bikes has a Model-C DEMO bike for you to try while you’re there.
A great idea on Sunday’s part and one I hope they extend to Joyride 150 as well.
In other Sunday news, their second shipment of Sunday completes has come in. If you missed your chance to pick up the Model-C complete last time, better get to your local shop pronto.
Vince Smith can-can on Model-C DEMO bike at Ray’s MTB (Korey Kryder pic from the Sunday site).
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.
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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)
…and all I got was this lousy post.
If you’re wondering what happened to the past week’s posts…yours truly was away for some much needed R&R in Las Vegas.
I had the best intentions of posting something before leaving, but time got away from me and I had to go before I could post anything.
I also managed to miss the Extreme Thing jumping contest (by a day!). However, I did make it to City of Bicycles bike shop to chat with BMX legend Turnell Henry. If you’re ever out there, make a point of stopping by….there’s nothing quite like talking BMX with someone that raced at the sport’s highest level (back in the day) and is still out there competing and sharing his knowledge with others.
And while the rest of what happened in Vegas is going to stay in Vegas, I will show you a couple vacation pics.
The first:
Adding to the stickers at the bar of Margaritaville:
The second:
If Cruiser Revolution ever opened a bar/lounge maybe it would look a little like this:
Our regularly scheduled programming returns next week.
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
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