GT’s colorful spin on a classic tire

11 12 2018

GT took the classic good looks of the iconic GT tires of the 80s and have updated them with today’s tech to make them suitable for modern-day riding.

Newly christened as the “Heritage LP-V tire”, these 26″ tires have a lower profile than their old school predecessors for a smooth ride and stronger sidewalls for extra durability.

GT LPV tire fork

Check out the specs:

  • 26 x 2.2”
  • Non-directional “GT” tread
  • Smooth center block
  • Max Pressure: 60 psi
  • Inflated Width: 2.1”
  • Inflated Diameter: 26.25”
  • Weight: 35.84 oz

That’s one good looking tire (and those tanwalls…so nice).

GT wheelie

But wait…there’s more! (note: I’ve been watching too many informercials)

GT brought the heat with these tires…because not only did they make the classic black with tanwall colorway…they’re bringing out a whole grip of colorways!

We’re talking:

  • BlueGT LPV blue
  • RedGT LPV red
  • WhiteGT LPV white
  • PurpleGT LPV purple

Dang, with all these color choices you can really allow your imagination to run wild and let your 80s freestyle freak flag fly.

Definitely stoked on these.

Now, just need to convince GT to make ’em in 24″ versions.

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Categories : Freestyle, New products, Old School, street

Floval Flyer flashback video

23 02 2017

I kinda freaked out when I got my first look at the 2017 SE Floval Flyer last summer.

It was so retro-cool, chock full of throwback parts and gold ano…it got me right in the feels.

Now, SE’s back with a promo video for it that evokes the scratchy VHS vibe of old BMX videos.

It’s pulling at my heart strings all over again.

Dang you SE and your clever marketing!


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Categories : New products, Old School, shenanigans

Collabs, Retros and 26″ Cruisers

29 09 2016

We’ve talked about collabs, Retros and 26″ Cruisers before…but at this year’s Interbike they really came to the fore.

In some cases, certain bikes had a more than one of these things going on at the same time.

Subrosa got on the “collab cab” earlier this year with their collaboration with Slayer.

slayer-subrosa-side-interbike

They had a range of sizes on display in their booth, including a 26″ cruiser. Cool color way, graphics…the whole bit.

slayer-top-tube-interbike

Apparently the Slayer-emblazoned seat is also going to be available as an aftermarket item too…kinda stoked on that.

slayer-seat-interbike

They also had their own 26″ Subrosa Malum on display.

subrosa-malum-interbike

Haro continued their push into the retro market with with a number of updated classics (all 20s) from the 80s “golden era” of freestyle. Unfortunately, no cruisers…with the exception of the 24″ Downtown we featured in yesterday’s post.

haro-sport-interbike

SE, of course, is no stranger to the retro or collaboration game.

The STR-29 brings back the old school era Stu Thomsen STR frame, re-imagined as comfortable riding 29er.

se-str-29-interbike

Likewise, SE ups the collaboration game with another 29er in the form of the Public Enemy Big Ripper.

se-public-enemy-interbike

And the 26″ We The People Avenger…it’s so retro it has a threaded headset!

wtp-avenger-interbike

GT is also dipping their toes into these trends.

GT, with the help of industry icon Ben Ward, brought back the classic Pro Performer…this time as a 26″.

gt-pro-performer-26-interbike

As we discussed in the previous post on the 26″ Pro Performer, this bad boy is tricked out with the iconic Power Series cranks, Mohawk hubs and other goodies.

gt-power-series-cranks-interbike

The rep that I talked to was — as he should be — pretty stoked on it.

In our conversation, he also dropped a line that seems to perfectly encapsulate what seems to be pushing this drive back to the classics:

We’re pulling on the heartstrings to open the purse strings

No doubt about it.

It looks like all these trends have staying power.

We’ve been talking about 26″ cruisers moment in the sun for years now.

More and more companies are also seeing the market respond to the retro-oriented bikes and accessories.

And the collaboration game…that’s just adding a whole other layer to things.

With all these trends starting to intersect at this year’s show, it will be interesting to see how things continue to evolve in the year ahead.


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Categories : Freestyle, New products, New School, Old School

Charge Bikes reinvents the Oakley B-1B

4 05 2012

The Oakley B-1B.

It’s hard to imagine a more iconic BMX grip from back in the day.

Back before Oakley made a name for itself with its high-end sunglasses, goggles and “lifestyle” gear, the company was known primarily for making motocross and BMX grips.

And one of it’s most popular grips of the era (in the 80s) was the Oakley B1-B grip.

Sought after by old school collectors, they’re now going for top dollar (especially if they’re in mint condition).

You would think that with such a following, Oakley would consider getting back into the grip game. If only for them to cash in on some of the nostalgia for old school BMX these days.

In fact, there’s even been petitions to bring back the  B-1B and other Oakley grips of that era.

But Oakley so far has resisted calls to dive back into making grips.

Granted they have offered limited runs of the Oakley B-1B in recent years…however, unless you were an industry insider or had an “in” you were out of luck.

As fan of the B1-B that always kinda bummed me out.

Imagine my surprise then, when flipping through Dirt magazine, that I see a Charge Bikes ad that included a grip that looked remarkably similar to the B-1B, the Charge Bikes Griddle Grip.

The grips feature small cutout shield logos molded in thin krayton and bonded to lightweight contrasting plastic core.  According to UK-based Charge Bikes, this is supposed to offer, “great texture and feel in all conditions, feeling soft and comfortable with or without gloves”.

Sounds pretty good to me.

And even though I haven’t tried them yet, I’m kinda ready to give them a go based on looks alone.

As an added bonus, while the B-1B grips had soft ends that tended to rip fairly quickly…the Griddle grips have color-matched  low profile plastic end caps to keep things looking good, even after you drop your bike.

This grip may be the answer to my jonesing for that old school B-1B grip feel.

Now all I have to do is track down a place that sells them.


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Categories : New products, New School, Old School

School is always in session

28 01 2010

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.


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Categories : New School, Old School, Racing, Trails/Jumping

Todd Lyons: keeping SE Bikes cool

19 11 2009

With Todd Lyons leading the charge,  SE Bikes has managed to bridge the distance between old school and new school…offering bikes that appeal to the rider looking to relive his youth to the young rider just getting into BMX.  They’ve also hooked up with some cool companies to put out limited-edition bikes that are definitely some of the coolest looking bikes out there.

You’d think that with so much on his plate as SE’s brand manager (and so many years in the sport), the guy would become jaded or burnt out. But that’s not the case. When you take a look at his posts and his riding shots, you can tell he feels like a kid in a candy store…because he might just have the best job in BMX.


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Categories : New products, New School, Old School, street

Kicking it old school…or just kicking ass?

15 07 2009

I don’t think words can describe how stoked I am on this video.  If you remember the Haro team back in its heyday, you know how great that team was. So many awesome memories…It’s great to see these guys back in action.

I know I may have said that something else was possibly the best thing on YouTube, but right now this one takes the top spot for me.


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Categories : Freestyle, Old School, Tomfoolery

Taking it back to the old school

29 04 2009

With all the hype recently about custom bikes/frames/parts, it’s easy to forget the simple, DIY ways to customize your bike. Paint, some new parts and stickers can go a long way to personalize your bike or make an old bike look like new. In some cases, it can even make a new school bike look old school. Take this Haro Nyquist Backtrail 24; some carefully chosen parts, paint and stickers make it feel like we’ve stepped back into the mid-80s. You can almost imagine Rich Sigur dropping into the Pipeline on this.

24haroretro004


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Categories : Freestyle, New School, Old School, Uncategorized

Greg Hill has still got it…

16 11 2008

greg-hill

Back in the day, Greg Hill was the man in Pro BMX Racing. #1 plates, magazine covers, sports cars he lived the BMX dream. Outspoken, fast as the lightening on his lightening zap pads, he was the guy me and thousands of other BMX kids looked up to. He seemed larger than life at the time. Through the years, he left racing and got more involved in the industry side of things. In 1993, Greg and Harry Leary (another old school Pro) had a controversial interview in Ride magazine that basically called out the industry, and Chris Moeller (of S&M bikes) in particular, which made them look out-of-touch and a bit like crotchety old men. Despite this, Greg Hill has (and continues to) do a lot for the sport. He’s still an icon. That’s why I was kinda of stoked to stumble across this little gem on youtube…Greg Hill doing it for GHP and just smoking the 41-45 cruiser class.

And for all you young whippersnappers without any roots, maybe you should read this.


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Categories : Old School, Racing

The bike that started it all….

10 11 2008

It was the bike that always taunted me.

Back in the day when all the kids in my neighbourhood raced, Hutch Pro Racers were the bike of choice. Chrome-plated 4130 pieces of 1980s state-of-the art BMX technology. If you didn’t have a Hutch bike you were either saving your pennies or trying to convince your parents why buying you a Hutch was the most important thing ever. In those days we didn’t have the internet, the X-games or BMX showing up in commercials…despite this I was a BMX media junkie, camping out at the convenience store waiting for the next issue of BMX Action, BMX Plus!…even buying (ugh!) Super BMX  to get my fix. But reading those magazines was just a sideline to my other addictions…racing and riding my bike. I was on my bike, it seemed like, every waking moment I wasn’t sleeping or at school. When I finally got my Hutch Pro Racer frame, I was stoked beyond belief. My brother and I put it together after I got home from school and I raced it that night. I can’t remember how I placed but I do remember loving that bike…to me it was the best thing ever.  I would go riding after a night of racing…I just liked being on my bike.

After a while I noticed that some people at the races were getting more riding time than I was…the people with cruisers. One kid in my neighborhood had both a 20″ and 24″ Hutch. Too say I was envious, was an understatement. Not only was he racing his age class and open…he got to race the cruiser class. Since I was only racing my age class he was racing 3 times as much as me! I felt robbed!  That Hutch Cruiser was my nemesis…a chrome 4130 cro-mo beacon to the fun I was not having. Cruisers were another chance to race, to have even more time on my bike. I think at that point the seed was planted that I would one day get a cruiser.  Through the years I got into freestyle and jumping and kind of pushed the idea of riding a cruiser out of mind….cruisers weren’t made for serious riding, I thought/rationalized to myself.

As fate would have it though I would soon get hit hard by the cruiser bug again. Finding myself in Chatham (Ontario) one thanksgiving weekend for a family thanksgiving dinner I convinced my girlfriend to check out the local track. I had thought there would be race but it turned out that just a few people were practicing. The track director offered me a loaner bike (20″ Redline) to ride and I took her up on her offer. It was a bit small for me but good enough to get the job done. I was chatting to a local between laps and he offered to let me try his Haro Nyquist 24. I took him up on his offer and took it for a spin. It was so comfortable…and fast. I could not believe how good it felt. I was hooked. From now on, I was going to go big wheeled, or go home!


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Categories : Old School, Racing