A new pumptrack went up in the outer harbor of Buffalo, NY and by the looks of things it seems to have Jim Cielencki’s seal of approval.
Peep Jim’s smile as he carves through the berm/bowl portion.
And how about this pic?
Jim is just sending it.
Looks like a road trip to Buffalo might be in order.
All pics by Nate Peracciny via Jim’s Insta
When Jim Cielencki jumped back into the pool (so to speak) earlier this summer in regards to riding we were cautiously optimistic that we would see more of Jim back on the bike
We even joked what the over/under would be on new riding pics and video…but it seems like the old adage of “once a rider, always a rider” is holding true.
The proof?
Jim dropped some serious heat on his Instagram this past weekend…with a bunch of awesome riding pics and clips from WNY Jam.
From Jeff Harrington-style footplants:
To moto whips:
To spinning 3s:
To handplanting street spines.
Jim brought it.
Awesome to see the OG back at it again!
If you’re a betting man and you’re wagering that you’re going to see some more Jim Cielencki pool riding pics…you’re in luck!
Jim C’s “active retirement” continues with some over/under action with jon_bad !
According to Jim, “it took some mighty fine BMX choreography to get this to work.”
No doubt!
Here’s a few more pics from the session:
Scott Balzer is the man behind the camera for these shots.
Looks like a super fun session.
And peep this pic…a classic flattie! (Another good shot by Scott Balzer)
I’m pretty stoked on these pics.
Can a full-blown edit be far behind?
If Jim’s “retirement” continues at this pace, I wouldn’t be surprised!
Jim Cielencki’s “retirement” from riding seems to have gone off (or into) the deep end as of late.
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
In a bit of an unexpected surprise, Jim C has dived back into riding (at least for the moment) to session a local pool that’s scheduled to get filled in soon.
He’s been documenting those sessions on his Instagram account. And based on the comments there, I’m not the only one stoked to see Jim C out riding again.
And even though it’s only the third time this year out on his bike…according to Jim this is “the highest [he’s] aired in this pool”.
The stoke is real!
Good to see Jim C back on the bike!
Hard to believe this clip was put out way back in ’09.
I’m still pretty stoked on it though.
Jim Cielencki with an over-crankslide on the OG Sunday Model-C.
So much goodness!
Jim Cielencki, one of the BMX world’s most creative and influential riders has been keeping a bit of a low profile since saying “see ya” to Sunday Bikes (back in 2014).
Of course, his legacy in 24″ BMX lives on in the ground-breaking Sunday Model-C and the progressive 24″ riding he helped champion.
Jim was always out there seeing what was possible.
Now, Jim’s taking that same sort of thinking to his current passion, running.
Rather than run the same training route everyday, Jim has taken it upon himself to run every street in Buffalo, NY.
Not only that, he’s documenting all the cool things he encounters along the way in an addictive (to me anyway) Instagram account called Mile by Mile: Buffalo.
It’s pretty cool to see Jim’s creative instinct being expressed in an entirely new way.
Bonus info: It’s Jim’s birthday today! Happy Birthday Jim!
Jim Cielencki announced today that he is stepping away from Sunday Bikes after 9 years.
One of the BMX world’s most creative and influential riders, his unique perspective on things carried over into his work as a member of the bicycle industry…whether that was in promotion, product design or his efforts with the Sunday team.
In his farewell post, Jim mentions that “my main goal with Sunday was to do interesting things with every aspect of the company.”
Jim’s championing of the ground-breaking Sunday Model-C and progressive 24″ riding are certainly two examples of that. Tweaking conventional cruiser geometry to create the Model-C was a bold move, and not without its detractors, but Jim’s vision of what a 24″ BMX could be ended up making a big impact on an area of BMX that was ready for a change.
And Jim didn’t stop there.
Jim actively promoted what was possible on a 24…whether that was in video edits, riding shots or clips of him riding a 24 in full-length videos (Up, Up and Away). While other companies introduced 24s into their lineups…they were often left to languish with little or no promotion and would later be dropped. The Model-C has been going strong since its inception.
The introduction of the Sunday Wave-C was another major step in the 24″ world that Jim also helped make happen. A super high-end frame with wave tubing and long list of features, it quickly became one of the most popular 24″ frames on the market.
Jim says he’s “off to new creative adventures.” If you look back on his riding career and his work at Sunday, I think you’ll agree he’s going to make a success of whatever he puts his mind to.
Cheers Jim!
Looking forward to hearing about what you get up to next.
A while back we featured a picture of Jim Cielencki riding this tricky feature in House Park (in Austin). It was a pic that was originally posted on the Sunday Bikes site. In that post, we said that:
you have to take off early and pull out far enough to clear the bars. And just to keep things interesting, it narrows at the top and goes over-vert!
It all the makings of a rad shot and for that it certainly delivered.
To give you a better understanding of how truly rad this shot is, I took a pic of this feature from an another angle during my trip to Austin last week.
Looking at it from this angle, just makes it seem even sicker! Talk about a tight setup.
Well, here we are.
Another year gone by.
Before we all head out to celebrate New Year’s Eve, let’s take a look at the top ten things that went down in 2012.
10. Skyway started off the year with news that they were releasing a 24″ version of their classic T/A frame and fork…but only in limited quantities. The frame & fork sold out in record time. Although there was some delay in getting it into customers hands, most will agree it was worth the wait.
9. The 22″ wheel movement took an interesting turn in February with the news that S&M was testing a prototype frame and tires. When this prototype turned into a bona fide offering from S&M later in the year, the 22″ option really started to take on some serious momentum.
8. The Gunslinger adjustable frame. This smaller company caught our attention this year with an innovative frame design that featured 3-position adjustable rear dropouts. Riders can tune the frame head angle and bottom bracket height to match their riding style.
7. Chromoly made a comeback to the race scene. More race companies started offering chromoly forks that were stiffer and lighter than the more expensive carbon fiber forks on the market. SSquared also put out a limited run of cro-mo frames.
6. Prophecy kept things interesting with news that they would be bringing a 24″ carbon frame to the market. (Perhaps more surprising was that Redline didn’t leverage what they had learned from Project 79 to make a 24″ version.)
6. DK parts at Wal-Mart. On a roadtrip to Ray’s MTB , I stopped in at a Walmart along the way and I was shocked to stumble on an aisle endcap stocked with DK parts and accessories. A little strange, but cool, that you can walk into a Walmart (in the U.S.) and pick up a DK Random Wrench.
5. After much anticipation, S&M unveiled its new Speedwagon race frame. Dropping the mono stay and putting the dropouts “on a diet.” They also got rid of the cable split cable stops and went with three guides. While sticking with the tried and true 38 Special geometry, they also introduced a 22″ top tube option, along with a sexy Trans Red finish.
4. MTB companies blurred the lines between MTB and BMX cruisers with offerings like the Transition Klunker and the DMR wrath. Will there be more convergence between the two disciplines in the future? My guess is yes but we’ll have to wait and see if the future bears that out.
3. Jim Cielencki put in work this year promoting 24 inch riding. Whether it was a shot of him riding a tight setup on his Sunday Wave-C or talking about it in an interview, Jim was out there spreading the word.
2. There was more choice than ever this year to find a bike to match your build and riding style. Whether you wanted to step up from a 20″ to a 22″, ride a dialed 24″ complete, build a custom 26″, or even bust out on a 29″ Big Ripper. There were options to help you make that happen.
1. Video really brought to the forefront how cruiser riders are pushing the envelope these days. Whether it was Joe Cicman and Danny Sirkin tearing things up with a 26″ Sledgehammer or doing deathtrucks on a 24″ Wave-C, Jon Faure taking on the MegaRamp (technically 2011 but discussed in 2012), Buddy Sardenga dirt jumping, or Gundar Osis and Kaspars Garda putting out one of the best race edits..ever.. In 2012, there was a video made to capture the action, whatever the type of riding you’re into.
What will we see in 2013?
I dunno, but I can’t wait to find out.
Happy New Year!
You’ll sometimes hear people say that 24s aren’t built or designed for serious riding.
A load of bollocks in my view but an opinion that is pretty common in some circles.
If you want some evidence of how out of step that type of thinking is, especially with modern-day 24s, check out this picture posted today on the Sunday Bikes site.
Riding at House Park in Austin, TX, Jim Cielencki hits this tricky feature where you have to take off early and pull out far enough to clear the bars. And just to keep things interesting, it narrows at the top and goes over-vert!
Clearly, 24s like the Sunday Wave-C that Jim is riding are capable of much more than liquor store runs (like some people will lead you to believe).
Modern-day 24s can go anywhere!
(Mike Gonzalez photo)
