Category Archives: Uncategorized

12.31.20
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BMX videos kicked ass this year

You can say a lot of things about the year 2020, many of them negative.

However, there’s one thing you can’t complain about and that is the state of video parts in BMX.

Just a week or two into when things started kicking off pandemic-wise in North America, S&M Bikes dropped S&M Wins.

The ultimate feel good BMX video with everything from Hoder’s car wash intro, Hucker’s insanity, Kareem’s ender and the whole team going off….there was something for everyone.

Perhaps one of the most emblematic images of the time was the sequence with a housebound resident giving new S&M rider Chris Childs the finger as he pedals bye. It sort of foretells how the balance how the rest of the year is going to go.

In September, things really went off.

That’s when Dennis Enarson & VANS dropped Right Here.

I don’t know what else to say that hasn’t been said already but I will repeat at least one thing: this video is going to be talked about for a long time. This is one for the ages.

This video sets a new bar for video parts and holds up (and probably surpasses) all the other iconic video parts you can compare it against.

Heck, go watch again. I’ll wait.

But BMX wasn’t yet done for the year when it came to adding jaw-dropping parts.

Coming in fast and loose to close out the year, Corey Walsh went full speed into his part End of the World.

If you want to get your adrenaline up and make yourself pedal as fast as humanly possible at a gap or obstacle this is the video for you.

What a way to cap of the year.

if you haven’t already, crack open a cold one and give these vids another watch.

It’s time to get psyched up for a new year.

Cheers!

10.14.20
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New look for 22″ WTP Audio

We The People (WTP) just dropped the deets on the 2021 version of their high-end 22″ complete, the Audio.

It looks like geo and parts-wise they have stuck with what has made the Audio so popular over the last few years.

WTP_2021_Audio_matt_aqua_red-on_white

It comes standard with a 21.9″ top tube and a slightly more park and street-oriented geo vs. the more common “trails-y”-inspired geo of many 22s.  The frame is aftermarket quality (it’s also available separately as a frame and fork kit).

New for 2021, is a matte aqua red finish which is essentially a camo/tie-dye style colorway which was found on the WTP Revolver frame last year.

WTP_2021_Audio_side

The  colorway is a bit of a departure from the 2020 Trans Blue (which I totally dug) but this is kinda growing on me.

For more breakdown of the new Audio, peep the walkthrough provided by WTP.

Glad to see this model still going strong in 2021. If you’re thinking about getting one these, probably a good idea to start hitting up your WTP dealer.

 

 

02.09.20
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Hoder’s BTM gets upsized

The recent CABDA show coverage held some important news that didn’t seem to get the play it deserved in our opinion.

That news?

The S&M BTM frame is getting upgraded and upsized for the tallest member of the S&M team, Mike Hoder.

The new version of the BTM frame now has a 5″ headtube along with a 9.5″ standover (from the previous 8.75“). All the other specs remain the same.

This gives the bike a taller profile overall and also let’s Hoder (and any other tall rider buying one) to run less headset spacers, and less seat post while still maintaining a tall, comfy profile.

Two colorways are available: OG S&M Yellow and Gloss Clear.

Also new: hand drawn graffiti-style graphics from Hoder himself.

Pretty sweet.

Looking forward to checking one of these out when they come available in a month or so.

For now though, let’s take a moment and bask in all things Hoder with his section from Hot Dogs:

02.02.20
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V-Bars come back in a big way

I have to admit this emerging trend crept up on me.

Let me put it this way…you may have heard the saying, “Once Is Chance, Twice is Coincidence, Third Time Is A Pattern.”

That’s kinda what happened to me when I looked around recently and saw more and more companies bringing back the v-bar handlebar.

Long a staple of old school BMX, v-bars fell out of favor decades ago in favor of straight cross-bars.

Sure, v-bars would pop up here and there over the years but they were definitely outliers in the BMX world.

But, then they started creeping back.

NoWear BMX’s Candy Bar was one of the first modern-day v-bars that started appearing on new school bikes.

Still, they were very much a niche product (and notably given the name and design…probably pretty handy if you were into candybar tricks).

Next to come across my radar was the Knight Retro V-10 Bar.

Sporting old schooling but a very contemporary 10″ rise and 30″ width, these bars were lookers.

With a sweep of 11 degrees back and  1.5 degrees up, they could easily work on both old school and new school rides.

The third example is the DK Chamberlain bar.

The thinking behind this one seems similar to the Knight bar above, according to the DK site, we shouldn’t be swayed by the retro-inspired “V” crossbar, the DK Chamberlain bars are “modern-day marvels”.

Butted cro-mo construction, a modern 9.8″ rise and 29.5″ width are right where they should be for a modern day ride. 11 degrees back sweep  and 4 degrees upsweep are also current. The V bar is what gives them their swagger (and the copper colorway even more so!)

The V-bar on the Chamberlain bar is also functional.

According to DK, the V crossbar serves to help reduce the “box” size of the bar, giving you “more room to move” (vs. other boxier big bars).

Are these modern-day V-bars the thin edge of a V-shaped wedge poised to disrupt the world of traditional looking handlebars?

I don’t want to make any wild predictions….but I can’t be the only one noticing these new options and contemplating on what they would look like bolted to their ride.