I also neglected to thank Kip Williamson, The Clowndog dudes, Taj Mihelich, Sandy Carson, A.J. at The Peddler, Tommy at Ozone, as well as Chad and Chris at Fallen, and Ronnie at The Shadow Conspiracy.

Odyssey Milk Bars, Aaron Ross grips, and Elemetary V3 stem comprise the front end. Eclat levers hold down the Hombre brakes front and rear. Something looks a bit off, huh?

Odyssey Chase Gouin tires and Shadow rims with a Bruce Crisman Reverse freecoaster on the back and an Odyssey Vandero hub on the front make up that which rolls (mad thanks to A.J. at The Peddler for building these wheels for me). Sequence Pirate Pegs up front and Day Smith pegs on back provide extra places for feet and feats.

Here are the SubRosa Bitchin Cranks, BlackOps sprocket, and Shadow Ravenger plastic pedals that make up the drivetrain (Ronnie’s sending me a new Shadow chain soon). Not pictured is the old Primo Hemorrhoid seat I’m running.

Many thanks to Kip Williamson, Ronnie Bonner, Sandy Carson, Brian Tunney, John, Mike, and Bryce at Clowndog, A.J. at The Peddler, all those dudes at Empire, and Tommy and James at Ozone for helping me get this thing together.

And here’s an action shot: a Rolling Nightmare for A.J.

You’re right, Roy, you’re hopeless. Hopelessly obsessed with a time in your sport that died a long time ago… — McGoo

The experience of a BMXer today is much more likely to be mediated by technology than it was in the ’80s. Given the proliferation of technology into every aspect of our lives, that’s not much of an insight, but hear me out. In addition to the lack of dope video games, the riders of thirty years ago were also missing out on the parks. There were like three ride-able skateparks in the whole country. Now there are at least that many in every city of any size whatsoever. Where the past was spent riding curb cuts, banks, walls, streets, and backyard ramps, today the terrain consists of those as well as many human-made options. It makes for different riding, different tricks, and different values.

I’m trying out some Salt Plus U-brakes on the rear (not pictured), and so far I like them better than any other brakes I’ve had (way better springs than standard 990s). A.J. at The Peddler built these wheels with Sun Rim Rhyno Lite rims, an Odyssey Vandero front hub, and a KHE Reverse freecoaster on the back. Odyssey I-Path tires round out the wheelset.

The Sunday Model-C frame, Morning 24.1 forks, and 24 Umph bars are the foundation of this build.  Sunday revolutionized the 24″ BMX cruiser by designing this frame with 20″ freestyle geometry. It’s quick and responsive, and rides like a 20″ bike.

Why doesn’t everyone run an Odyssey Elementary V-3 stem? It’s the most technologically advance stem on the market, and it makes all the others seem clunky. Odyssey fire-engine red pedals give this bike extra shine.

Shadow seat, Odyssey seatpost, Sputnic seatpost clamp, Shadow cranks, and a Shadow Interlock 2 chain –along with the unpictured, aforementioned Salt Plus brakes — bring up the rear.

I’ve been riding it for a week now, and I must say this thing is addictive. Jim was dead-on when he said that it would put your 20″ in danger. It’s that fun.

Mad thanks go out to Taj Mihelich, Jim Cielencki and Bobby Parker at Sunday, Ronnie Bonner at Shadow, A.J. at The Peddler, Mike and Bryce at Clown Dog, and Jason Childers for helping me get this thing together.

Mat Hoffman burst into the BMX mass mind via the letters page of FREESTYLIN’. Masquerading as the then thirteen-year-old Mat, his mom sent in a picture of him blasting a nine-foot air on his driveway quarterpipe. In his response, editor Andy Jenkins’ described the air as “not normal,” and I think everyone — myself included — knew we were going to see a lot more of this high-flying kid in the coming years. Even so, little did we know…

More than once, Mat Hoffman has been called the “Michael Jordan of BMX.” As Tony Hawk — who could be considered Mat’s equivalent in skateboarding — puts it in The Birth of Big Air (Team Marketing, 2010), “If you know anything about BMX, you know who Mat Hoffman is. And maybe that’s all you know.” This movie illustrates why that’s the case. He’s paid the price for his place in BMX lore — with his body. “There’s not an extremity he hasn’t broken in a violent manner,” says Mat’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Carlan Yates. Mat’s basically dedicated his physical form to the advancement of BMX. There have been smoother riders, there have been people who’ve done it longer, there are people finishing things Mat only started, but no one — no one — has pushed the limits of vert riding on a BMX bike more than Mat Hoffman has. No one. Ever.

“Let’s just say it would’ve sucked to have been born a hundred years ago or a hundred years from now because I would’ve missed out on all of this.” — Dennis McCoy

If you have any doubts about the pedigree of BMX as a sport, Joe Kid on a Stingray (Bang Pictures, 2005) will put them to rest. Its twisted and dirty 1970s roots are exposed and explained. Watching grainy footage of Stu Thomson winning races on a Schwinn Stingray is as sketchy as it is sick. Any story of people sitting on the verge of something that has become as big as BMX has is inspiring, and Joe Kid… is no exception.

“Ask anyone, ‘who invented freestyle?’ Bob Haro!” — Ron Wilkerson

From imitating motocross riders to emulating skateboard tricks, BMX evolved from racing to freestyling (all of which is just called “BMX” these days). Bob Haro was bored with racing and started doing tricks between motos. Eventually, his wheelies, endos, and 180s lead to actual sanctioned freestyle shows at the races. Through touring and innovating, Haro, R.L. Osborn, Mike Buff, Pat Romano, and Ron Wilton made trick riding into something to be taken seriously.

“Maybe that’s our problem. Maybe we just never grew up.” — Bob Osborn

It would be remiss to document the history of BMX without mentioning Bob Osborn. Through BMX Action and FREESTYLIN’ (and their aforementioned combined form, Go), Osborn, his son R. L., and his daughter Windy created the look of BMX media and brought the sport to the world. They also acquainted the world with Andy Jenkins, Mark Lewman, and Spike Jones, who have all gone on to create other great things in art, movies, television, skateboarding, and advertising. Trusting the youth is often difficult for adults to do, but Bob did, and the world is much better for it.

In the late 1980s, I was street riding with some friends in Huntsville, Alabama. One of them, Dave Nash, was wearing these Airwalks held together with duct tape. Someone there asked him why he didn’t just get some new shoes, and he responded, “Because I don’t want to spend any more money on this sport.” It was one of the most depressing things I’ve ever heard anyone say. The initial decline of BMX was a scary, strange thing to witness as a kid, but it was actually a positive move. Just as skateboarding had done before it, BMX changed hands from the companies to the riders.

Speaking of, anyone know where Chris Moeller was during the making of this movie? In many ways, S&M Bicycles, along with the efforts of Hoffman, Wilkerson, and the Plywood Hoods, represents the largely unsung part of the bridge from what BMX was in the 1980s to what it is now.

Big props to Jeff Tremaine, Mark Lewman, Johnny Knoxville, and Mark Eaton for documenting the history of our sport. If you’re a hardcore BMXer of any era, these two movies are your history. If you are bike-curious but know nothing about the sport, these two movies will give you a pretty in-depth crash course.

Oh, I don’t know if Mat Hoffman ever collected Paul Mackles’ money for doing Carl Marquardt’s “flakie,” but he was in the same issue of FREESTYLIN’ Magazine, along with another youngster Scotty Freeman, in a piece called “Little Giants.” He was fifteen years old.

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Here’s the official teaser for Joe Kid on a Stingray [runtime: 3:25]:

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Special thanks to Brian Tunney for additional reporting and fact-checking.

Me, Ronnie, BMX: We go back like carseats.

Just sayin’.

Don’t ask me why, but if an airline knows you have a bicycle in your luggage they will charge you—up to $100 each way! Luckily there are ways around it and you don’t have to let that stop you from flying with your bike. With the right kind of bag and packing job you will be able to breeze through check in with no problems, and without shelling out any extra cash.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BAG
Although airlines charge you if they know you have a bike, they don’t charge you for military gear, hockey equipment, or golf clubs. So here are a few options for “bike bags” that you can take on a plane without paying anything extra.

Read the whole piece–and see the video–here.

Here are the details from Sandy:

I want to formally invite you to the opening of my first group exhibition of the year Storytelling at the L. Nowlin Gallery here in Austin. This exhibit, curated by the Austin Photography Group, features 40 Austin photographers and opens next Saturday, January 15th from 6-8pm. I shall be showing a piece from my Black Friday series from 2009.

Here’s a preview of the show. See you all there!

I need to get in on this…

With thanks to Andy Jenkins and The Skateboard Mag.