Whether you’re 7 or 47*, nothing quite matches the pure fun of riding your bike.
Whether it’s street, dirt, park or racing 7-year old Finn Finestone is not missing out on any of it.
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One of the biggest influences on my “biking career” has to be my dear ol’ Dad. Since I first picked up a BMX, he’s been my go-to guy. From fixing my bike, driving me to races and displaying an incredible knack for bringing beat-up/broken bike parts back to life, he gave me the kind of support that no bike company sponsorship could provide.
When other fathers would get worked up at the track yelling at their kids, he would shake his head and say he was just glad we were having fun and going home in one piece.
He’s the guy who taught me to ride a bike in the first place.
I still remember him running alongside me, one hand on the seat post, encouraging me to “pedal, pedal.” I pedaled as fast as I could. After a while I realized he wasn’t holding on anymore. I looked back and saw him standing there, a little nervous but with a slight smile on his face.
I kept pedaling.
It felt scary but so good at the same time. I was on my own but my Dad was still there if I needed him.
Some things never change.
Thanks Dad.
Vintage photo of my Dad working on my bike. (Check out how scrawny I was back then.)
Rockabilly Jay from West Coast Choppers recently sent in this great photo of his S&M Dirt Bike cruiser .
What a great combination of mid-school looks with modern parts and geometry! (That sticker on the forks is nice too.)
He says he’s been racing cruiser every week with a crew of five guys and having a blast doing it.
To see another one of Jay’s builds, check out this sweet custom SE Quadangle cruiser (featured last year on Cruiser Revolution).
Let’s find out!
1) Ballerinas: wear ballet shoes for competition
BMX racers: wear “ballet shoes” (with clipless pedals) for competition
2) Ballerinas: wear tights
BMX racers: wear tights*
*Say what?
Yes, my friends it looks like the end is near. GT’s Joey Bradford rocked a pair of tights (!) to a Pro Cruiser win at the Gator Nationals on the weekend.
To some this might be called progression…to me, it’s another sign of the moto (or is it the mojo?) being sucked out of bicycle motocross.
I’ve been hitting the Orangeville indoor race series the past few weekends and I have to say, if you’re in the Orangeville, Ontario area this weekend you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Both BMX and MTB riders can race and the mood is laidback with a big emphasis on having a good time. Hardly anyone runs clips and there’s a lot of good-natured ribbing and shit-talking.
I think what makes this race series so much fun is the variety of riders that come out for it…trail riders, serious racers, MTBers, old school and new school. It’s just people who like riding their bikes.
Hats of to Brent “Smitty” Smith (the guy in the picture with the red hoodie) who, with the help of a lot of volunteers, put this race series together and gave Southern Ontario riders somewhere to get their riding fix during the cold weather.*
*We’re all rocking the hoodies in this picture because the facility isn’t heated…dressing in layers is the rule of the day in O’ville.
The Giant Method 24 doesn’t get a lot of attention but if you’re looking for a well-spec’d, roomy bike for trails this could be the ticket. Featuring a a 22 inch top tube, this is probably one of the longest production 24s out there (not counting pure race bikes).
It features a traditional low bottom bracket and a slightly mellow 73 degree head angle, so it’s going to feel good dirt jumping but less so at the skatepark. It would also make a good race bike if you’re not to obsessed with how much your bike weighs.
This pic was “borrowed” from ridemonkey.com…it’s someone that goes by Cru Jones…no, not that Cru Jones…showing what the Method 24 is capable of in the dirt.
For 2010, Giant has dispensed with the cool tan & bronze look for something that looks a bit reminscent of the new 2010 Redline race bikes. Not sure what the thinking was behind that….while this look might be ok at the track, it looks a little bit too much for the trails…where I have feeling that a bike like this would see more action. No word on if the geometry has changed…Giant seems to have removed the specifications tab from their bike pages and I can’t seem to find the 2010 information anywhere else.
In somewhat related news: you may have seen the news that Giant is dropping some heavy hitters from their team, including Taj, Corey Bohan and Heath Pinter. It’s tough to see such talented riders losing their sponsorships so I’m hoping they find the support they need to keep riding and stay part of the scene. Giant’s Chris Arriga has gone on record that there will be a 2010 BMX program at Giant, complete with a team, in the new year but so far no details have been given.
I have to admit, it’s been a long time since I’ve been excited about a GT product. Their bikes, especially their race bikes of the last few years, have been kind of ugly and seem like like yesterday’s news when compared to other bikes.
Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this video explaining the new 2010 GT prototype cruiser. The old ultrabox design is gone in favor of a trick, oval-tubed modern look…this bike looks fast.
And while I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable riding a bike with non chro-mo forks, I think this frame might pique more than a few racers interest* in the new year.
*Now they just have to take that level of innovation and come out with a 24 that you can take to the trails.
“He was like a god.”
–former Pro BMX racer Ronnie Anderson
Finally had a chance to see Stompin’ Stu, The Story of BMX Legend Stu Thomsen DVD last night and I have to say I’m stoked. I got into BMX back in ’80s when the the rivalry between Stu and Greg Hill was at its peak. BMX racing was huge at the time and Stu was larger than life.
But he was more than an awesome racer…he was a great dirt jumper that also rode skatepark sections that intimidated people like Bob Haro.
The DVD lets you relive some of the epic battles he had on the track and also see how he battled and overcame prostate cancer. This is guy that can still turn up at the NBL Grand Nationals and kick ass in the 50-54 cruiser class. And this is not some low-to-the ground racer, Stu still likes to jump!
You should totally check out this DVD.
The extras with Linn Kastan (founder of Redline Bicycles) talking about how parts were developed are the icing on the cake.
There’s something about these two number plates that I really like…but I just can’t put my finger on it.
Hmm…Don’t worry, it’ll come to me.
If you’re ever in Vegas, make a point of stopping in to City of Bicycles, which is right around the corner from the Rio Hotel. When you get there, chances are you’ll find yourself talking with ABA Hall of Famer and former No. 1 Cruiser rider, Turnell Henry. Turnell’s shop caters to the local BMX scene, with a big focus on racing.
Turnell Henry with his 1981 #1 cruiser award
When I visited the shop recently he told me how he had been working in other fields (outside of BMX) but then realized if he was going to be working so hard it was going to be for what he loved…and that was BMX.
But he’s not just back into BMX from a business perspective, he’s taken some of the local racers under his wing and started training them….and he has also got back into the mix himself in the King of Las Vegas race series. He’s racing guys 20 years his junior and more than holding his own.
Definitely take the time to visit Turnell and City of Bicycles next time you’re in Vegas…if you’re like me, you’ll come away just as stoked (scratch that…more stoked) on your conversation with one of the legends of the sport as you are on the great selection of BMX parts and bikes in the shop.
cruiser revolution 
