Tag Archives: S&M Bikes

02.10.19
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22″ race tires back on the table?

Chris Moeller (of S&M bikes) floated the idea of a 22″ X 1.95 race tire some time ago (back in 2016, I think) but for whatever reason they never seemed to make it to market.

Many people have made do with the slimmer of the current offerings (if they wanted to race their 22s)…but I suspect many silently grumbled about the weight penalty of the more street/trail-designed rubber when they used them at the track.

You might also remember that ORP BMX tried to engineer their own solution by mounting OS20 tires to 22″ wheels.

Not a bad interim fix, but ORP themselves admitted they were a bear to mount. It also goes without saying that whenever it came time to swap out the tire (or tube) if a flat or blowout occurred….well, that’s probably not going to be the most pleasant experience either.

Anyway, back to the present day….

Moeller recently asked on his Instagram if S&M should make smaller size racing tires…and that he was considering opening up a new mold to do so (presumably if interest was there).

Well, that prompted this exchange between John Paul Rogers (S&M alum/BMX enthusiast) and Moeller:

jpr_fla Produce light weight 22” tires & wheel sets that aren’t monster truck size, my back hurts. Harry Leary came up with Turbo Lite tires & wheels in the 80s. There has to be at least 40-50 people worldwide that want this.

moeller_chris @jpr_fla basically a 22” race tire in our 1.95 size. It’s actually a good idea.

 

Of course, after a number of comments followed from a number of 22″ aficionados (myself included) asking for 22 X 1.95 option.

Will this be enough to convince Moeller to open a mold for a 22″ X 1.95 Trackmark tire?

I can’t be sure at this point but I’m hopeful.

Heck, S&M’s offering 26″ and 29″ tires these days…so I think there’s got a be some love for the 22″ crowd for a more race-friendly tire option.

(And..I have my fingers crossed that they get them out by summer so I can throw them on my own rig for racing.)

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01.04.19
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Trevor Sigloch’s 22″ edit rolls out

S&M rider Trevor Sigloch recently debuted his signature 20″ frame (the DTF) with features befitting his tall stature…most notably a 5″ headtube and a 9.25″ standover.

You can check that out in his “What I ride” clip that came out in early December.

Now that it’s 2019, Trevor has stepped things up a bit by dropping a brand new edit called, “I need my Dubs”.

The cool thing about this particular piece of footage is that Trevor is hitting the streets, parks and the dirt aboard a 22″ S&M ATF.

His 22″ setup is pretty sweet too…in addition to the aforementioned ATF frame….it’s got some Hoder Bars, 22″ Revenge wheels, Speedball tires and (to keep things moto) a stylish crossbar pad.

Pretty stoked on this…let’s keep those 22″ edits coming!

05.25.17
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12″ handlebars? Believe it

It seems like forever ago,  when S&M released the “Perfect 10” handlebar.

Many thought it was a joke (at first), but sure enough, the 10″ handlebar developed a following.

Granted, despite it burgeoning popularity, there were still plenty of detractors.

I distinctly recall a bike shop employee in California telling me the bars were “overkill” when I inquired if they had any in stock.

But, just when I thought Perfect 10s would be the absolute tallest BMX bars I would see…S&M brought out the “Elevenz“.

Now that’s tall.

Is there a market for them?

Well, considering that they’re sold out on the S&M site…signs point to yes.

That’s got to be the tallest, right?

Maybe not.

Today, S&M Bikes’ owner Chris Moeller dropped this picture on Instagram with the caption:

Custom @sandmbmx bars going to paint today – 5″ and 12″ rise. #shieldbmx

WTF?

Is this the next step in handlebars?

(And wouldn’t be great if they dubbed these “12 step” handlebars?)

Dang.

I don’t know…but I was surprised at how the other iterations of “big bars” took off …so it’s anyone’s guess.

12″ bars…who woulda thunk it?

02.12.17
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Bigger bars for the race crowd

The big bar trend has been firmly established in the freestyle side of BMX…but if you’re a racer…the options are still pretty slim.

Of course, if you’re insistent about running big bars, you could always run freestyle bars.

But then you’re paying a weight penalty.

And as any self-respecting weight-weenie knows, ya gotta shave those ounces to get an edge on the competition.

To remedy this situation, S&M has starting producing their popular Race XLT bars in 9.25″, 9.5″, 9.75″ and 10″ sizes.

Yowza, that’s some big race bars.

If Gary Ellis ever made a racing a comeback, I think these would most certainly be on his radar.

sm-race_xlt_9

Definitely worth checking out if you want to bring up the height of the front end of your race bike.

01.10.17
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Big Boyz for the Hod

When you’re 6’5″, like S&M’s Mike Hoder, big bars are a necessity…

…especially when you’re rolling on a 20″.

So even though Hoder already has signature bars in 8.6 and 9″ rises…he’s bumped things up on the latest iteration of his bars to a height more fitting of his stature: 9.5″.

What I Ride - Mike Hoder

Seems like the right move.

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🎥 @charliecrum

A post shared by @ mikehoder1 on

Speaking of right move…

Don’tcha think Hoder might be next in line for a signature 22″?

Heck, BF clocks in at 6’1″…it makes sense that Hoder’s BTM frame should come in a 22″ version.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

 

(Pic: Ride magazine)

07.14.16
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First look: Fit Bikes BF22

A few months back, Brian Foster (BF) let the world know (via Instagram) that he had been dabbling with 22″ wheels.

According to BF, a 22″ S&M ATF had shown up at his door (courtesy of his sponsor, Chris Moeller).  Moeller wanted him to try it out.

What did the Blue Falcon (BF) think?

According to BF:

I definitely see the appeal. It rides better at speed and is more stable when landing flat. This stability comes at a cost as it is not as nimble as a 20″. I think a 22″ makes sense for trails and large transitions.

But that wasn’t all.

In addition to this pic of BF shredding said 22…

BF airing on 22

BF let the news drop that:

This fall, a 22″ @fitbikeco complete will be released and should raise the stoke for the generation of shredders that want to stay connected with riding.

That statement sent the world’s BMX keyboard jockeys a typing.

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait until fall to get a sneak peek. Below is a first look at the BF22 (My apologies for the awkward cropping).

BF22 first look

Not a lot of details at this point but with its long-ish looking top tube, top load stem and big-ish bars…it looks like it’s probably going be a good choice for the lanky set.

No word yet on an official release date or price point.