The secret to a good BMX name? It’s the S

24 04 2013

In an article called The 50 Greatest BMX Logos, which ran in Complex magazine a couple of years ago, Taj Mihelich said,

There is definitely some connection between lightning and BMX. You can find lightning bolts on all kinds of BMX imagery. I think that maybe the very bones of BMX, chromoly steel, can only be created by a direct lightning strike.

This connection is especially true of BMX images from the 80s but still seems to noticeable to a certain extent today.

In a similar fashion, BMX is made up of a disproportionate number of brands that start with the letter “S”.

Maybe it’s due to the sport getting it’s start with kids riding Schwinn Sting Rays but it’s a little crazy how long the list is when you start to think about it.

Superman-Images

Just off the top of my head, there is:

  • SE
  • Skyway
  • S&M
  • Standard
  • Sunday
  • Stolen
  • Supercross
  • Speed
  • Solid
  • Staats
  • Subrosa

Even in my own personal stable, I also see the effects of this trend…I have, over the past couple of years, been on  S&M, Sunday, SE, and Standard bikes.

S&M jersey with lightening bolts

I guess if you’re looking to start a BMX brand some time in the future, stack the odds in your favor with a name that starts with “S”…and maybe throw in some lightning bolts into the logo for good measure.

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Categories : Flatland, Freestyle, goofiness, Racing, Skatepark, street, Trails, Trails/Jumping

Lightning bolts: key to a great BMX logo

8 09 2011

BMX legend Taj Mihelich, put together a cool article (that’s making the rounds today) for Complex magazine called The 50 greatest BMX Logos.

It’s a great read.  A funny thing you’ll notice, and one that Taj notes in the writeups for each logo, is how prevalent the lightning bolt is in BMX logos. It shows up time and time again. In the Zap Pad writeup, he says:

There is definitely some connection between lightning and BMX. You can find lightning bolts on all kinds of BMX imagery. I think that maybe the very bones of BMX, chromoly steel, can only be created by a direct lightning strike.

For me, the Elina lightning bolt seat is the most iconic of the BMX lightning bolts.  Those old school Elina seats are pure BMX.


Like I said earlier, it’s a great read.

For old schoolers, it’s like a trip down memory lane.

For new schoolers, it’s an opportunity to see (and maybe laugh at) what passed for cool back in the day.

Check it out.


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Categories : Freestyle, goofiness, Old School, Racing, Skatepark, street, Trails, Trails/Jumping

Model C gets coverage in Complex mag

16 08 2011

An interview that Sunday Bikes’ Jim Cielencki did recently with Complex magazine has just come out.  And while the intent of the article was to talk about  the 2011 Model-C Pro, Jim also took the opportunity to talk about the history of the Model-C, the geometry and the different models available in the Sunday lineup (including the Wave-C).

Explaining how he convinces people to give the Model-C a try, Jim says:

I feel like a drug dealer, because when someone goes ‘oh, there’s the 24,’ I put it in their hands and they ride it, and most people have judged it and they’ve discounted it or have a negative opinion of it, but they ride it and they understand. Because there’s never been anything like this. They don’t have anything to go off of. They get on and they go ‘Oh, OK, I get it’.

Great to see some mainstream coverage of what’s going on in the world of 24″ BMX. Check it out here.

(Bonus info: The interview was done by Russ Bengtson, the guy behind the hugely entertaining, but now defunct, SPRFLS blog.)


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Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, Skatepark, street, Trails, Trails/Jumping