What does it take to be a top dirt jumper?
Is it skill?
Years of practice?
Cojones?
There’s must be something else…that little game-changer that takes your dirt jumping to the next level.
Turns out it’s a training technique that I didn’t quite suspect.
Check out this footage of Jon Faure in his top secret training facility for the full story.
And yes, as the video title indicates, I think Jon may well have the skills for a second career with the circus.
Ever walk into a bike shop and get the feeling the guy behind the counter doesn’t quite “get” BMX?
Much less 24″ BMX?
I have a hunch that’s not going to be much of an issue if you shop at the Peddler Bike Shop in Austin, Texas.
Check out long-time BMX rider/Peddler Bike Shop owner, A.J. Camp, on a stock 24″ We the People Avenue from his shop.
Sweet table out of the bowl in Cedar Park, Texas.
Pic courtesy of CMC.
I have been checking out Edward Koenning‘s blog, When are you going to get a real bike? for a little while now and I have to say I’m getting pretty hooked.
A big part of his blog is digging up vintage BMX magazine pictures/spreads and commenting on them. I often find myself tripping down memory lane when I read one of his posts. I start remembering where I was when I saw or read it, how I devoured every word of the mag (keep in mind this was before the Internet) and how much it had an influence on me.
I was pretty stoked to see him pull out this gem recently. An awesome berm slide by RL Osborn from BMX Action‘s “24 Wars” cruiser shootout article.
I was pretty stoked on this spread too. Eddie Fiola with a perfect table top air (on vert!) and “The Culligan Man” doing a big jump on a race cruiser to see how it would hold up.
If you’ve been into BMX for a while, When are you going to get a real bike? is definitely worth checking out.
I guess it’s time to get out there, shake hands and kiss babies.
No, I’m not running for office….but…
Crank – The World Cycling Blog Rankings are asking for nominations for the top cycling blog in a number of different categories. While there’s not really a category for BMX, I think a case could be made for cruiserrevolution.com fitting into the “Lifestyle” category.
Whatta ya say?
It only takes a few seconds.
Support the revolution. Make your nomination here.
As you may remember, I was pretty stoked on Jason G’s backyard pumptrack when I first saw a video of it on vimeo. Well, it’s a new season and Jason has been putting in some time making it even better.
He’s got a regular Thursday night session going on (as you can see below) and he’s already planning on adding to it and changing things up. So far he’s the only cruiser rider in the group for the Thursday night session but I suspect that won’t be for long.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Spotted a great thread on VintageBMX.com yesterday called I rode a cruiser tonight at the track…and it was fun! written by a guy that usually rides only a 20″.
Sounds like he’s seen the light:
I rode my friend’s cruiser just to get some laps in. Well I ended up riding it all night. I absolutely loved every second of it. Jumps smooth, manuals soooo easy. I was just totally in love.
I had a similar experience…after riding a 20″ for most of my BMX “career”, I visited a BMX track while staying with my girlfriend’s family and was lent a Haro 24 to take a couple laps. It felt amazing and couldn’t believe what I had been missing…it’s been cruisers for me ever since.
If you’re reading this site you’re probably already a convert but it’s still nice to see people showing some love to cruisers on other sites too. The VintageBMX.com thread is currently up to 3 pages, so check it out and join the conversation. Spread the word…Cruisers rock!
One of the people participating in the thread, BS, also posted a picture of himself taking care of business as part of the discussion. Love it because it reminds of lazy summer afternoon trails sessions…nice!
Old school. New school.
Do those distinctions even matter for a guy like Stu Thomsen..still kicking ass after all these years?
Nope.
For Stompin’ Stu, school is always in session.
This shot says it all: catching air and going fast.
Some things never change.
Cruisers have proven themselves at the trails, track, park and the street. They’ve also shown that they are more than capable flatland machines.
That’s why I find it a bit surprising that we haven’t seen more cruisers on vert. Pictures and web edits are few and far between.
But I’ve done some digging…and this is what I came up with.
If you’re old school, you probably remember this BMX Action magazine cover, featuring R.L. Osborn and Eddie Fiola busting a couple of flatties on the T.O.L. ramp on some 24″ test bikes.
Then there was this picture of Joe Rich tearing up the Terrible One ramp on a Volume Sledgehammer. (I love this picture…awesome style.)
More recently, Ollie Sandles posted the following web edit of Peter Beer shredding a concrete bowl on his cruiser.
Will we see more photos and footage of cruisers on vert? I think it’s just a matter of time.
BMX cruisers…they’re not just for coffee runs anymore. Dave Mirra recently loaned rally car driver Matt Johnson a cruiser (the one he uses for coffee runs) to ride in his warehouse. Apparently, Matt is a quick study…stomping a backflip like it was nuthin’.
It’s a new year and a time for quiet reflection…an opportunity to put our differences aside and realize that we’re all in this crazy world together. Whether we’re out street riding or at the race track…it’s important to just chill and enjoy the camaraderie of other riders.
Kinda like these laidback guys in the 35-39 cruiser class…
or these two crazy kids…
It’s 2009…just pretend like you’re in the lumberyard and go balls out!
cruiser revolution 