Is chrome done?

15 03 2019

S&M Bikes owner Chris Moeller may have just sounded the death knell for chrome bmx bikes.

A staple of the bmx scene for decades, a chrome frame was de rigueur for BMX riders in the 80s and remained popular for many right up until the present day.

But with more stringent environmental regulations hitting many chrome shops it’s getting harder and harder to make the business case with continuing to offer chrome bike parts.

This is especially true in California where S&M Bikes is located.

Moeller dropped the bomb on his Instagram last night:

More bad news from the chrome shop. As of April 1 pricing is going up again, and it’s way up this time…50% increase on chrome frames. Get your American made chrome @sandmbmx and @fitbikeco parts ASAP because we’ll probably phase chrome out after March.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu-ZmLNjjp1/

Granted, some companies that source from overseas may be able to make the numbers work for a little longer….but word on the street is that regulations are tightening up all over these days.

What does that mean then in the end?

Chrome parts are going to get rarer, what will be available will get more expensive….and if you have plans to get some chrome parts, you better jump on it like right now!

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First look: Kuwahara Retro Cruiser

4 03 2017

Word on the street is that Kuwahara is jumping on the retro trend and introducing a 24″ Retro BMX cruiser later this year.

So much chrome-y goodness.

kuwahara-retro

Someone better alert Michael Strahan that this bike is coming on the market!





Hutch introduces the XL26

7 11 2016

Ready to relive the glory days of “The Coca Cola Cowboy” Toby Henderson?

If so, you’re in luck.

toby-henderson-bmxa

Hutch dropped the news this past weekend that their new 26″ cruiser frame kit, the XL26, is now available in limited quantities on the HutchBMX.com website.

All chrome-plated (and all full cro-mo) the frame features the following specs:

  • 22.2″ top tube
  • 73 degree head tube
  • 71 degree seat tube
  • 17.1″ chain stay
  • 13″ standover height
  • 12″ bottom bracket height.

The frame is also paired with just about every other Hutch part you need to build it up (sans wheels).

We’re talking a heckuva lot of bling-y chrome…as you can see by the picture below:

hutch-xl26And that looptail…swoon.

Don’t sleep on this though…they only made 25 kits available, so they’re probably going to go quick.





Gary Turner unveils 29″ cruiser

30 06 2016

Gary Turner has caught our attention yet again with another new project.

This time it’s a limited-edition 29″ cruiser.

Hand built out of 4130 chromoly and chrome plated by Bush polishing (the way Gary has done it since the 70s) this is a nice looking frame & fork.

Gary Turner 29er sideThe limited edition series are numbered 29-01 up to 29-100 as Gary did with their retro 26″ cruiser (which is now sold out).

Gary Turner 29er forkNice attention to detail throughout.

Gary Turner 29er rear viewGary mentioned in a Facebook post that several people had asked him about a 29″ cruiser which ultimately prompted him to do the limited run.

It got me to wondering, now that 26″ cruisers have a experienced a recent surge in popularity…is a renaissance in 29″ cruisers next?

There are number of signs this might already be happening.

FBM has wheeled out a custom 29″ cruiser (A 29″ FBM cruiser…who would’ve thunk it?)

Todd Lyons has shown you can get rad in the dirt on a 29er.

Peter “Pdog” Ulbrich has taken his 29er to the street, the track, the skatepark and just about everywhere else in an edit from a couple years back.

Heck, Pdog has even released an edit that is almost exclusively bowlriding on a 29″ SE Big Ripper.

Maybe 29″ cruisers are about to have their moment too.

It’s funny to think that this “retro” cruiser might just be on the front end of a new trend in the cruiser scene.

I’m going to keep my eye out to see if more 29″ cruisers start popping up from other companies…

(All pics: Gary Turner BMX)