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What Size BMX Cranks Do I Need?

November 26, 2019 Leave a Comment

What size BMX cranks do I need? When it comes to shopping for a new set of BMX cranks, it can be a little tricky deciding just what is right for you. Not only do BMX cranks come in multiple lengths, but they also come in three different spindle sizes; 19mm, 22mm and 24mm. Over the years, BMX has evolved and products have been refined over and over again to get to where they are these days. The quality has hit a level that has made it easy to trust that you’re going to be able to put your bike through some heavy riding and it’s going to withstand the abuse. At least this is true if you’re going with a reputable brand and not going with the cheapest option available. Now, there’s probably a lot of newer riders out there that are looking to upgrade their cranks on their bike. The question of “what size BMX cranks do I need?” has probably crossed your mind many times just looking at the options. So, we’ve put together a BMX crank size guide to help you figure out just what is right for you.

19mm Profile Racing Crank Arm Sizes

Crank Arm Length
Crank arm length is more of a preference. Most riders these days run a 170mm or 175mm size, but you could go shorter or longer (Shorter is more ideal for street and flatland riding and longer is more ideal for jumping and racing). That 170mm – 175mm size is pretty ideal for street, park and dirt riding. The length is one of those things that come down to rider preference. We’ve seen a lot of riders swear by shorter cranks saying that it makes some tricks easier and give them foot clearance for their pegs. Then there are other riders that prefer theirs a little longer for more power when cranking or balance. Most cranks come in that 170mm to 175mm size since those are the most common sizes, but Profile Racing for example offer a TON of sizes for every rider out there as you can see above.

Spindle Size
BMX cranks come in three sizes; 19mm, 22mm and 24mm. The size is more about the type of rider you are and the amount of abuse you put on your cranks.

19mm – If you primarily ride ramps or trails and you are a smoother rider, not doing any big drops to flat or rough landings on a regular basis, the 19mm spindle size will be a great option. These cranks will hold up to street as well, especially if you are a smoother rider that isn’t dropping off roofs or something crazy. The 19mm option is going to, in most cases, save you some weight as well.

Odyssey Calibur 22mm Cranks

22mm – The larger spindle diameter gives cranks extra strength and make them harder to bend. These are more ideal for the all around rider that likes riding street, park and dirt. They can hold up to drops, grinding and pretty much what most riders are doing on their bikes. The 22mm size has become a lot more common over the years because of the strength benefits, which isn’t a surprise with how wild riding is these days.

Flybikes Dolmen II 24mm Cranks

24mm – The 24mm spindle size has become more popular over the past few years after Fit introduced the first set on their Indent cranks, mostly because these were designed for the street guys who are heavy on their cranks and tend to do a lot of heavy drops and really put a lot of abuse on their bikes. The larger spindle diameter makes it harder to bend, and some, like the Flybikes Dolmen II cranks even come with extra gussets (extra metal plating for strength) to resist bending and damage. The 24mm size cranks are heavy duty, so they will likely withstand what most riders are doing on their bikes. Obviously as the spindle sizes go up in size, weight can go up a bit due to extra material.

Bottom Bracket Size
This is pretty much the most straight forward part to the whole process of deciding what size cranks to get. The Bottom Bracket is the part of the frame where the cranks bearing press in that allow the spindle and crank arms to spin. Since the vast majority of BMX frames come with a Mid style bottom bracket (This is the standard size for all BMX frames these days), you can run 19, 22 or 24mm cranks as long as you change out the bottom bracket bearings to match the spindle size. So, for example right now your bike has 19mm cranks, that means you have a 19mm Mid bottom bracket. If you decided to go with another set of 19mm cranks, you do not necessarily have to change out the bottom bracket bearings and could slide the new cranks on. However, if you decided to go up to a 22mm or 24mm set of cranks, you would need a new bottom bracket to match the spindle size.

So, to sum this all up! What size BMX cranks do I need? Well, it’s a mix of rider preference and the type of riding you are doing. If you’re strictly just a street rider and you’re doing a lot of big grinds, drops and more, then we would recommend a 24mm crank with shorter arms in the 165mm to 170mm range. If you’re a more of a ramp and trails rider, then go with a 19mm set with slightly longer arms in that 175 – 180mm range. If you’re looking to ride a little bit of everything and you are going to send it on some bigger stuff, go with that 22mm size in a 170mm – 175mm size.

This is more of a suggested guide, but works for most BMX riders out there. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Also, let us know what cranks you run, the sizes and why! Maybe getting a bunch of feedback from different riders will help out somebody that is on the hunt for the right BMX cranks for themselves!

Note: This post contains affiliate links to Source BMX and we could receive a small commission that supports the site if you were to buy a set of cranks from them. We would never recommend a brand or product if we didn’t think it was quality.

BMX and the Resistance To Change

May 8, 2017 2 Comments

If you have been around BMX long enough, you know that trends and fads come and go pretty frequently. It can be tricky keeping up with the current flavor of the week, but it’s not always as easy as you might think to get BMX riders, brands, shops, distributors, media and more on board with something new. There’s a resistance to change in BMX that is pretty apparent.

As BMX Union closes in on 10 years of existence, we’ve been thinking about all of the changes we’ve seen in that time. The bikes are different, the Pro riders are different, the brands have evolved and changed (for the better, mostly), the way products are bought and sold has changed, the way you consume the ever evolving media content has changed and the style of riders has completely changed. Change has happened and depending on your view of a glass of water, you could feel that BMX is the best it has ever been or it could be a complete dumpster fire. Alright, that’s a little extreme, but there are definitely people that would love to see things like “the good old days” and not this current state of BMX.

What really got us thinking about this started last year when Eclat introduced their 25.4mm bars and stem, and how it got this crazy reaction that was all over the board. Some people loved it, others had no problem announcing that they thought it was a completely shit idea. There were a lot of people floating around in the middle, too. Then the other day BSD announced they were giving it a shot as well, and it reignited the same exact reaction we saw a few months prior. Except, it was kind of weird how it was responded to. On our Facebook page, we had a ton of comments that ranged from positive to negative, but many were negative and against this new option. If you checked BSD’s Instagram, it was a completely different story. Comments were positive, kids wanted to know when they could get it and there wasn’t much for negative feedback. On the negative side, one of the most common responses we saw was “why fix what isn’t broken?”, which is pretty common when it comes to something “new” when it comes to products in BMX. I don’t think anyone can deny that BMX bikes have never been better than what we have today. The manufacturing process is much, much better. The materials are dialed in. We are seeing micro adjustments in geometry versus drastic changes. It can be hard to make out differences from one brands product to another because it has become pretty dialed in. Having a rider endorse a product over another can make the difference of one product selling and another, almost identical, to only do okay.

At the same time, we have also heard a lot of riders starting to complain that things are getting boring. Products are too similar, there’s nothing that stands out, everyone has pretty similar color options. Yeah, sure, there’s a good chance we have a over saturated BMX frame market…. But then a brand like Nowear release a frame like their Mike DiNello frame that completely breaks away from the mold and you get this crazy reaction. Instantly, the majority hate it because it looks different. I won’t lie, I thought it was a little out there when I saw it the first few times. I really didn’t think it would take off. What’s really crazy? They’ve sold quite a few of them so far. So, maybe this crazy idea wasn’t quite as crazy as people thought and taking a shot at something different actually appealed to people.

Thinking back, we have seen a lot of things that have seen a lot of resistance. Remember when bars hit 8″ and above for the first time? People were losing their minds over the change because it was different. Why would anyone want to ride 10″ bars that are 30″ wide? It looks ridiculous! But, after that initial reaction had hit, 9″ and 10″ rise bars became pretty common and now you’re the crazy one for riding anything smaller than 8″.

What about girl pants? That was a weird time. We had riders going from baggy pants to skin tight pants that were probably a size or 3 too small for people. There was a lot of resistance to that one, but now days baggy pants are pretty ridiculous and snugger (not as snug as before) pants are pretty much the norm. That one was probably a bigger thing for fashion than BMX, but it still had it’s mini explosion that caught hell in the BMX world.

Plastic pedals? Plastic pegs? That battle was one that probably should go down in the history books as BMX’s own Civil War. There was A LOT of back and forth over plastic pedals and pegs and it was oddly enough tied back to a riders manhood. Either you rode metal… or you were a pussy that rode plastic! Wait, what? How the hell does that even work? But people got over it and now look, there are way more plastic pedals and peg options than there are metal. At least it seems that way. We haven’t gone through to actually count the options. Regardless, pedals are cheaper and grinds are smoother because the resistance to plastic didn’t last. That’s coming from somebody that has metal pedals and metal pegs still…

How about freecoasters? Those weren’t an overnight success by any means. In fact, some people were calling people that rode a freecoaster cheaters because it made going backwards easy! Sure, it was in part a problem with the reliability of the actual hub that really kept it from catching steam. Then all of the sudden it seemed like every single brand was making a freecoaster and it was almost weird to hear the sound of clicking from a hub when you were catching a session with friends. Once again, there was a lot of resistance. The same could probably be said for every part on your bike. Everything has had evolution of some form that probably made somebody uncomfortable that lead to the “why fix what isn’t broken?” statement. All we know is we have seen some insane things done on a BMX bike because of a freecoaster that we’re positive isn’t cheating…

Shifting gears a little bit to the industry side of things. As technology, social media and the internet has expanded and grown, there has been no shortage of growing pains. Years ago, there was only one way to go. If you were a brand, you sold to distributors and those distributors sold your product to the shops and mail-orders in a specific territory. You don’t have a local shop? Well, pick up the phone or get your stamps out and mail-in your order to Dan’s, Empire (Trend?) or Albe’s… Maybe hop on that super slow internet connection and make it happen that way. As technology advanced, the world of business sped up exponentially, the way people started to buy and sell things changed. I don’t remember the exact year, but I remember Eastern Bikes made the decision to also sell their products on their website and all hell broke loose. Shops refused to carry them, distributors dropped them, riders revolted. Why would you give people another way to buy your products when there are no other options? Believe it or not, as e-commerce was just starting to really take shape, that was the biggest act of treason you could have committed when it came to BMX business. Even to this day there is still resistance to brands selling direct from their websites, but we have seen the tone change. There are only a handful of BMX brands that don’t have their products available on their websites. There are a TON of bike shops that also have online stores, giving them the opportunity to sell to people globally, not just people within their local reach. Should brands support the shops and distributors? Of course. Should riders support local shops? OF COURSE. Is it that easy? Of course not. The vast majority of shops only carry a small selection of products a brand offers. It would be impossible for them to carry every single product every single brand makes. The same goes for distributors. It’s not like a brand can make anything and everything and know they will be able to sell everything to their distributors around the world and call it a day. A big part of brands selling on their websites is because there are gaps they need to fill to generate the sales that are necessary to keep doing what they do. They need a place for people to buy the products that their local shop, distributor or mail-order don’t have available. Sure, there are flaws in the system and kinks to be worked out, but it would be insane to avoid selling online.

… By the way, have you given our Store a look?

Some of you might recall the post we did called Maybe It’s Time For BMX To Take A Real Look At Amazon about a year ago. It got people talking about a subject that not too many people really wanted to be public about, but it was being talked about. Selling on Amazon is one of those things that has caused some heavy debates and stress. We actually had a shop email us to tell us that they no longer supported our website because of the post. It turns out that it’s actually another stream to reach potential customers. Especially people who have never really looked at BMX bikes and people who are too lazy to actually shop around. Guess what? More shops and even a few distributors have started selling on Amazon. Does it suck that it messes up the support system? Hell yeah it does… But not doing it just lets the knock of brands make their money and not even give a dime back to BMX. So, why not at least put the actual brands in front of those shoppers?

The point we are getting to is that BMX had seen A LOT of resistance as technology evolved and E-Commerce became a real part of the industry. Sure, there are still people that are out there that absolutely HATE the idea of buying something online… But ask any shop or brand that has added it to their sales plan if it helped. It’s becoming normal. It’s becoming a standard. People are buying and selling differently than they did 10 years ago.

Another interesting aspect that has seen a lot of resistance in BMX is the way media is consumed. When the “print is dead” message started surfacing, there was a lot of speculation. The same could be said for DVD’s. I don’t think many people really expected to see things change the way they did or how fast. sure, there are still people out there that would love to have a print magazine shipped to them so they can check it out while sitting on the toilet. There are still people that want to buy a DVD when it comes out. As times changed and as technology has evolved, it became harder and harder to convince people to buy a magazine with so much free content online. At least to the amount that made publishing one worthwhile and sustainable. We have seen all of the big magazines cease printing, at least as a regular thing. I think BMX Rider Magazine in Europe is one of the last? Maybe a few other smaller ones I’m blanking on here. There are only a handful of actual DVD’s being produced. Digital downloads are becoming more common, but even then it’s hard to sell it. The transition was weird. People lost jobs and budgets were slashed. It took a complete change of direction for everyone. Sure, everyone had their websites but it was more of how do we promote the next issue and convert visitors to paying subscribers versus how do we get as many views and possible on this post on the site to increase ad revenue? It has been a rough transition, some held out better than others. It was one of those evolve or die situations that caused a lot of resistance in BMX. There are stacks of magazines in the office. There’s a DVD rack filled with DVD’s we’ve collected and reviewed over the years. They are rarely looked at because keeping up with the constant flow of videos and online content has become the most efficient and easiest way to reach you guys. Why buy a video when it’ll be online in a few months for free? Do we want to see DVD’s go away? No. We love seeing people put out new videos. We love seeing a bunch of zines popping up. It’s still necessary.

The same could be said for Vlogs. Don’t get us wrong… We aren’t a huge fan of watching somebody talk to themselves and fill us in on every detail of their day that we really don’t care that much about, but it has lead to some pretty interesting content. When Adam LZ started really blowing up, there was a lot of negativity and push back from riders. Nobody expected the Vlogging or Youtube video channel thing to actually be a thing. But now guys like Scotty Cranmer has tweaked things and it’s become way more popular and more bearable in certain aspects and situations. Don’t get us wrong, we will take riding over talking all day, but it’s different and it has lead to some pretty cool things.

There’s a lot more we could go on about, but let’s wrap this up and end this strange rant. What we’re trying to say is that BMX has seen a lot of resistance over the years to change on and off the bike, in real life and online. Yeah, having that guard up has been good to keep some pretty terrible ideas (people, things, etc.) from taking advantage of this sport of ours, but at the same time a lot of the things that have been resisted ended up leading to something good. Products are more dialed than ever, you have more options than ever to buy those parts to keep your bike rolling, you can keep up with every single rider you’re stoked on all day long, watch all of the latest videos — some from riders from some country you have never even imagined had BMX. Maybe not resisting so much and being more open to new ideas or new ways of doing things might not be as bad as it might seem. I mean, had a lot of ideas and ways doing things given up, we might not have it as good as we do today. Do I expect this to change anything? Nope… We’re a stubborn breed that hates being told what to do or think, but it’s what has been on the mind lately. Oh, and that whole 25.4mm thing is a little crazy… But we’ll see what happens!

Let us know what you think in the comments below…

Over Saturated BMX Frame Market?

April 24, 2017 21 Comments

Have you ever wondered how many different frames there are available? Is there an over saturated BMX frame market?

The new Wethepeople Revolver frame will soon be joining the options available.

This past weekend a post on Instagram by Dale Holmes pointed out that the Race BMX Frame market is heavily saturated with at least 86 different frame options available. We’re assuming that’s just frame options, not necessarily individual brands, but maybe we could be wrong. Either way, It got us thinking about all of the frame options that are currently available on the freestyle side of things and how many brands there are making frames…

The last count according to @mikecarruth for current race frames available globally is an over-saturated 86! While reading some old magazines I came across this one in BMX Action July 1988 with "An Extensive Evaluation Of Eleven Top Garage Companies". The article talks about how all Eleven companies support riders, teams and racing, all in demand and usually sell their frames as fast as they can make them. How times have changed!! #oldschoolbmx

A post shared by Dale Holmes Racing (@daleholmesracing) on Apr 23, 2017 at 8:47am PDT

We decided to try and remember or find every brand that currently make BMX frames. We scoured the internet for quite a while to figure out every brand and we’re pretty sure this list is fairly complete, give or take a few due to them either being dead, but still have a website or just us not thinking of them. We’ve even included a few custom frame “brands” that do custom frames. Let’s go over this list quick. We tried to get it in alphabetical order, which should help figure out if we missed any… Ready? Here we go…

BMX Frame Brands

1. Alone
Autumn Bikes
Blank Bikes
Bone Deth
BSD
Colony
Credence (Technically S&M, but we’ll still count it as its own thing since)
Cult
Deluxe
Division Brand
DK Bicycles
Eastern Bikes
Eighties Bike Co.
Ene Ene Bikes
Faction
FBM
Federal Bikes
Fiend
Fit Bike Co.
Flybikes
Fungus Bikes
GT Bicycles
Haro
Hoffman Bikes
Hyper Bike Co.
Impurity
Indust
Ketch Bikes
KHE Bikes
Kink
Kis Bike Co. (Done?)
Laird Frame
Limit Fabrications
Macneil
Mafia Bikes
Mankind
Mongoose
Mutant Bikes
Mutante (Ehh?)
Mutiny
Nowear BMX
Pedal Driven
Premium
Proper Bike Co.
Radio Bikes
United
Salvo Bikes
SE Bikes
S&M Bikes
Social Bike Co.
Standard Bykes
Stolen
Stranger
Stout Bikes
Stress
Subrosa
Sunday
Tall Order
Tempered Bikes
The Make
The Set
The Take (Does FBM still fire these out?)
Terrible One
Total BMX
Verde
Volume Bikes
Wethepeople
68. WHTHOUS

That’s 68 DIFFERENT BRANDS that offer at least one aftermarket BMX frame, and we’re sure people will immediately chime in with brands we forgot (Do it, please!). Many of those brands offer more than two different options, some have four… S&M Bikes have 13 between their different freestyle frames (20″, 22 and 24″). That doesn’t even count all the different frame sizes and color options or custom frames! We’ll just guess and say the average is 3 frames (excluding TT and colors). That’s VERY roughly around 204 different frames. We would imagine it is far more than that, but that would require a lot of time to go through each brand and figure out how many options each brand has.

How many BMX riders are there, even?

I’m sure somebody out there could provide a pretty decent guess at how many freestyle BMX riders there are in the world, but we honestly have no idea. We have featured thousands of riders on the site from the 30,000+ posts we have done over the last 10 years and we’ve had millions of unique visitors on the site in that time, but to be able to accurately guess how many freestyle BMX riders there are in the world and how many are buying an aftermarket frame? I’m pretty sure brands would be willing to pay for accurate information like that, haha.

Geometry

When it comes to BMX frames, the geometry has been narrowed down and only a few degrees, millimeters or centimeters really separate the vast majority of frames when it comes to design. Don’t get us wrong, we know the importance of BMX Frame Geometry and how much each of those small changes can factor into the way a BMX bike rides, but there is only so much room that the majority of riders fall into.

Features

One of the biggest differences in BMX frames are some of the features they offer. Whether it’s gussets, special tubing or tubing styles like tapering, integrated chain tensioners, custom stay bridges and wishbones, unique graphics and more. Those minor details are usually the easiest way to differentiate frames these days.

Quality

When it comes to manufacturing quality, it’s pretty amazing how far things have come, too. You don’t see BMX frames breaking like they used to when guys like Mat Hoffman were on the verge of saying screw it and starting their own brand so they didn’t have to worry about how many frames they will break in a single week. Many BMX frames last riders more than a year these days, and some much longer than that. Sure, there are some really gnarly guys out there that can destroy a frame in a short period of time, but it’s nowhere near as common as it used to be.

Sales?

How many frames do brands sell? That’s another pretty impossible question to answer considering brands aren’t likely to disclose that information, especially to a guy like me, haha. We can assume a brand like Cult sells a lot more than let’s say… (Scrolls through list)… The Make. Obviously both brands have much different missions with their brands, so it’s not like these two can really be compared, but there is a big difference in the volume of BMX frames being produced and sold between each brand. We’re also pretty sure some brands we would assume sell a ton of frames, don’t sell nearly as many as we would imagine.

Are there too many BMX frames?

Is the BMX frame market oversaturated? Based off what we’ve heard from different brands over the past, well, decade, that answer would be yes. Is that a bad thing? It depends on how you look at it. From a brand standpoint it sucks because you could have an amazing product, but you’re competing with nearly 60 other brands. From a rider standpoint, it’s awesome. You have more options than you probably even realize, geometry options for every possible style of riding you want to do, more colors than a 152 pack of Crayola Crayons and sizes that fit 20″, 22″ and 24″ bikes. Another perk is it helps keep prices down because no brand wants to over price their product and miss out on sales, too. On the flipside, that sucks for brands because the margins are thin and in reality, they aren’t making that much on each frame.

Do we think there are too many options? I mean, that’s kind of a hard question to answer. It’s a free market and the barrier to entry is basically this… Do you have the money to get the frames made? Finding a place to have frames made isn’t exactly rocket science. No brand is going to tell you “this is where we have ours made, we’re sure you could get yours made there too!”, but then again you have plenty of options between the U.S and Taiwan to get a frame produced. It’s not exactly hard to figure out what features and geometry to go with, either.

Is there room for more?

I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from pursuing their dream of starting their own brand, but it’s probably not the best time to throw your hat in the ring to start a brand, unless you have something unique that will help you standout. Whether it’s a unique product, a badass team or something that allows you to really reach a lot of riders like a massive Youtube channel (Adam LZ already has the signature frame from Stranger)… If it was as easy as just having the money, this list would likely be 10 times longer because what rider hasn’t considered starting their own BMX brand?

We have seen a lot of brands in BMX come and go in the past and we’ve seen many weather the ups and downs, continuing to produce quality products, supplying shops and riders around the world. Hell, we have seen brands that we thought would have been gone a long time ago and we have seen brands that we always thought would be around get shut down. We’ve seen some heavy budget cuts that left brands almost seem non-existent and we have seen some really talented people in the BMX industry move on to greener pastures. It’s not going to be as easy as slapping your sticker on a frame with the same geometry and features as 10 other frames out there.

Okay, let’s wrap this up. The whole point of this was to talk a little bit about something that most riders probably don’t think about and maybe get some discussion going. Yeah, you can flip through the Dan’s Comp catalog (Don’t act like you don’t get it in the mail) and say “Wow, they have a lot of frames”, but even they don’t have every options available. It’s even harder for a smaller, local shop that doesn’t have that option to carry a ton of different frames. Every rider out there has their own preference or style and reasons for riding a specific frame. Maybe it’s because it’s made in the U.S.A, or it’s their favorite Pro’s signature frame… Maybe the geometry or the features is what they like? Maybe it’s super light and ideal for flip and tailwhip combos, maybe it’s geared toward nose manuals and grinds, maybe it’s something you can hit the trails, a skatepark and street spots and it feels awesome on everything. If there’s something you want, it very likely already exists.

There’s plenty of reasons for so many options…
Do you think things are “oversaturated” or not so much?
How many riders do you think there are around the world?
What frame do you ride and why?
Did we miss any brands?
What’s something you wish a brand would do with a frame that doesn’t exist yet?

On the hunt for a new frame? Check out these BMX frames.

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Insight: Fit Bike Co. – 2017 Savage Frame Colorways

March 29, 2017 Leave a Comment

Let’s take a look at the new Matt Nordstrom, Ethan Corriere and Justin Spriet Signature Savage frames from Fit Bike Co.!

It’s kind of crazy looking back over the past few years and seeing long time Pros fading out or retiring and a newer generation start taking shape with some brands seeing a number of new faces. Fit Bike Co. are one of those brands that have embraced the new generation of riders and there is no denying that three riders in particular have stood out. Those three guys would be Matt Nordstrom, Justin Spriet and Ethan Corriere. After putting in the work and kicking ass for a while now, Fit decided it was time to give these guys the chance to do their own signature colorway and graphics for their ever popular Savage frame. We have been getting a few sneak preview looks at the frames over the course of the past few weeks, but now that they are available, we figured it would be a good idea to get a closer look! Let’s get into this.

For their signature frame, the guys decided instead of doing different geometry for each frame, that they were all really stoked on the original geometry that the Savage frame had to offer. All three frames have the same geometry, but feature unique graphics (all done by Eben Fischer), their own colorway and custom engraved head tube graphics. You can take a closer look below, but let’s talk geometry and features first.

The Savage frame from Fit Bike Co. is made right here in the United States from full 4130 chromoly tubing and features geometry that are ideal for street riding.

Head Tube Angle: 75.5°
Seat Tube Angle: 71°
Bottom Bracket Height: 11.8″
Standover Height: 9.1″
Chainstay Length: 13.275″ – 13.625″

Top Tube Lengths: 20.75″ and 21″

The frame is loaded with features that give it plenty of strength (It damn better with a name like “Savage”, right?) to hold up to whatever you can throw at it. You can find an Integrated head tube with engraved custom logos, top and down tube gussets with the F-IT logo, a butted top tube and seat tube, straight gauge down tube, a Mid bottom bracket with the EZ-Out punch slots for bearing removal, an integrated seat post clamp, Straight gauge and ultra-tapered seat stays, straight gauge S-Bend tapered chain stays and 4Q Baked 1/2″ thick dropouts with integrated chain tensioners.

The Savage frame comes with removable brake mounts that have a 5-degree angle on the guides and mounts for better braking and the rear end has plenty of room for 2.40″ tires, even when the wheel is slammed in the dropouts.

You can pick this frame up in Translucent Purple (Matt Nordstrom), Translucent Red (Ethan Corriere) and Translucent Smoke Grey (Justin Spriet) with top tube lengths of 20.75″ and 21″ and a weigh in at 5.02 lbs. (20.75″) and 5.08 lbs. (21″) for $354.99 through Fit Bike Co. dealers worldwide now or on the Fit Bike Co. website.

Matt Nordstrom Signature Savage Frame – Translucent Purple

Matt Nordstrom’s signature Savage frame comes in translucent purple with Viking inspired graphics like the badass axe with the Fit Key Logo on it.

Graphics by Eben Fischer.

Integrated chain tensioners on the heat-treated dropouts.

The Axe pattern is engraved into the head tube of the frame as a custom feature specific to Matt’s frame.

Learn more about Matt’s Savage frame on the Fit Bike Co. website

Ethan Corriere Signature Savage Frame – Translucent Red

Ethan Corriere went with a translucent red colorway and apparently has been juicing a bit based off his cartoon version of himself on the seat tube. Ethan went with a sword as his signature design that can be found on the down tube and head tube engraving.

A little bit of juice to beef up Ethan in the drawing. Imagine if he was actually that muscular? That would be funny to see him do those pick up barspins.

The sword logo found on the head tube of the frame.

Learn more about Ethan’s signature Savage frame on the Fit bike Co. website.

Justin Spriet Signature Savage Frame – Translucent Smoke Grey

For Justin Spriet’s signature Savage frame, he went with a translucent smoke grey colorway that turned out really good. For Justin’s artwork, he took on an arrow theme that can be found throughout the graphics.

All graphics by Eben Fisher. How good is that mustache on Justin’s cartoon character? Definitely perfect representation in the artwork.

The arrow can be found on the head tube.

Learn more about Justin’s signature Savage frame on the Fit Bike Co. website!

Like we mentioned above, all three of the Savage frames are available now through BMX shops and mail-orders that carry Fit Bike Co. worldwide for $354.99! If you don’t have a local shop or don’t want to wait for it to be in stock, you can order it direct from the Fit Bike Co. website as well.

That about wraps it up! We’re stoked on the way these frames turned out. The colors look great and the artwork is dialed. We already know the Savage frame is built to take a beating, so that’s a perk, too! Have any questions? Let us know in the comments below!

“ Armed with their new signature SAVAGE frame colorways, Matt, Justin and Ethan head into battle and emerge victorious. Weapon-etched headtubes, colors that slay and a frame that’s a proven warrior — the dudes, and their new frames, kill it in this one.

Riders: Matt Nordstrom, Justin Spriet and Ethan Corriere
Filmed and Edited by: Tony Malouf
Music: Acid Ghost – Going Home (Again)”

**Note: This post contains affiliate links. We could receive a commission if you were to purchase this product. However, we wouldn’t tell you about something unless we were truly stoked on it and would ride it ourselves!**

The Art of the BMX Seat

January 12, 2017 Leave a Comment

It has been a little while since we’ve taken at the artier (that’s probably not a word) side of BMX. The other day we were bouncing around to see what brands had available for products and we started thinking about all the unique, interesting and crazy BMX seat options that are available. There’s a little bit of everything from funny to clean and simple, multiple colors, screen printed and embroidered designs, embossing and debossing and more. We decided to go around and collect some of the more standout seats and compile them all in one place for you to take a look. Let’s get this started!

Bone Deth Leopard Print

Bone Deth Lizard Print

The Bone Deth crew are no strangers to whacky, weird and unique. Their take on the world is a pretty interesting one filled with leather, green ooze, babes and usually a heavy slam or seven. That translates into their designs and the Leopard print and Lizard print versions of their Vibrator seat lead to two unique BMX seats. Who remembers that fuzzy one they had a while ago?

BSD – Safari Seat
The Reed Stark signature Safari seat from BSD goes well with his series of signature products like his Giraffic bars and the whole Safari series of videos he has been producing. The screen printing giraffe print turned out rad for this one.

Cult – AK Seat
The crew over at Cult aren’t too notorious for excessively colorful or crazy designs, but they have dabbled with some unique colors and designs in the past year or two. The Alex Kennedy signature seat is unique with the sparkle colors and debossed logo. This one might not be super flashy, but there’s some clean design work behind it.

Demolition Parts – Hucker Seat
The Mike “Hucker” Clark signature seat from Demolition Parts is designed with the floral pattern that goes well with Mike’s personality that’s pretty laid back and all about fun. Dude rocks a Hawaiian shirt well. We’ve seen a number of printed designs popping up on seats and it has lead to some interesting designs that we’ll see more of below.

Demolition Parts – Paradise Seat
The Tyler Fernengel signature Paradise seat from Demolition Parts uses a similar printed design, except it features palm trees for this one and a sewn on patch for a little extra touch.

Eclat – Bios Seat
Eclat‘s new Bios seat follows a similar theme with the Hawaii / Beach style theme. This seat features a Pineapples though. It’s pretty interesting what they can come up with for screen printing designs on seats.

Federal Bikes – Mid Royale Seat
The Federal Bikes Mid Royale seat mixes a few different features. The side features a printed camouflage canvas material with a synthetic leather top with an embossed Federal logo that really pops. A good mix of features to make a unique seat.

Fiend – Ty Morrow Seat
The Ty Morrow signautre seat from Fiend utilizes a different fabric that we haven’t seen much of in BMX, corduroy. The seat is pretty clean and straight forward with the 2-panel cover that comes in a few different colors.

Fit Bike Co. – Cafe Seat
The new Cafe Tripod seat seat from Fit Bike Co. features a synthetic leather cover with stitching to give it the look of a Cafe Racer motorcycle seat. We have seen a number of seats that have a motorcycle themed design the past two or so years from Tom Dugan’s signature seat from Odyssey to the Matt Cordova seat from Demolition. We also like the metal badge that comes on the back of the Cafe seat. Nice touch, for sure.

Gt Bicycles – Junk Food Seat
We’ve been really stoked to see some life come back into GT Bicycles since Ben Ward came on board. Their Junk Food seat was originally designed for their 2017 Performer complete, but it was so popular that they decided to release it as just a seat as well. Food seems to have been a theme in BMX seats lately… More on that below.

Kink – Smut Seat
Like we mentioned above, it’s pretty crazy what you can get printed on canvas these days. The “Smut Seat” from Kink is a collage of Pin Up style girls that makes for an interesting seat you gotta take a closer look at to really see all of the detail. This one might not be appropriate for all ages, but it’s pretty damn rad in our book.

Leh Cycling X Tree Bicycle – Custom Crocodile Skin Seat
While looking for different seats to feature in here, our good friend Google popped this custom Tree Bicycle Co. Ergonomic seat that had a custom crocodile leather seat cover made for it by Leh Cycling. Although this seat is a custom “one off”, it’s pretty rad to see. There’s another brand that makes a similar looking seat, but we’re blanking on the name and we believe it’s synthetic leather that looks like crocodile leather. Either way, it’s an interesting seat.

Colony – Nathan Sykes Seat
The latest Nathan Sykes signature seat from Colony mixes a few different features from the diamond stitching pattern to the vinyl edges and then the brown synthetic leather and small Colony tag. Clean, classic style. This is also available in black if the Tan isn’t for you.

Odyssey – Dugan Feather Seat
This seat has been out for a while and we have a feeling will be joining Odyssey‘s list of retired designs, but it was a good candidate for this. The Tom Dugan signature “Feather” seat, which has the screen printed feather design. Tom also has a newer signature seat that uses a design similar to his personal motorcycle’s seat.

Odyssey – Galaxy Seat
Remember about two years ago when the Oil Slick rage turned to the “Galaxy” and “Celestial” rage when Madera released their Celestial colorway for their Hubs, Cranks and Sprockets? Shortly after those dropped, Odyssey released these Galaxy seats to help complete the setup. It’s a little out there (pun intended), but it looks rad.

Photo: Powers Bike Shop

Profile Racing X Native Bikes Seats
Profile Racing teamed up with James Covington from Native Bikes on some hand made leather seats. These seats might not always look as clean and dialed as some of the seats we saw above made from synthetic leather and machines, but these seats are on a different level. Custom and handmade, making sure no two seats are exactly the same. James has done a TON of custom seats and worked with other brands like Cult in the past as well. If you want a custom seat, we highly suggest you hit him up.

The Shadow Conspiracy – Trey Jones Penumbra Seat
The Penumbra seat series from The Shadow Conspiracy has been a long running line of signature seats for different pro team members. These designs are all unique and influenced by the rider. Above is the Trey Jones signature seat that features a weird cemetery scene with his dog Jesco in the mix. This one might be weird, but it definitely stands out. We’re just surprised it didn’t come in a railed version… Trey made a custom railed version with this cover for his personal setup.

Custom Simpsons Seat
While searching the old Google, we came across this custom seat that features the characters from The Simpsons that turned out rad. We can’t imagine the cost to get rights to making one of these seats and actually sell them, but it wouldn’t be cheap. The custom one off version probably only cost time, haha. Either way, pretty awesome what people come up with. If you have designed your own let us know!

Stolen BMX – Sean Moor STS V2
When it comes to seats that are more Art than seat, this design for Sean Morr‘s signature STS V2 seat would definitely qualify. Black and white, clean and unique design. Could make for a nice wallpaper, too.

Stranger – Augie Simoncini Seat
Another floral seat that stood out is the Augie Simoncini seat from Stranger. This seat uses a similar screen printed design like the ones we saw above, but it still looks unique and stands out.

Stranger – Tie Dye Further Seat
Not to be confused with Sean Ricany’s brand, Further, the Further seat from Stranger comes with this Tie Die canvas cover that turned out pretty psychedelic. Tie dye is one of those interesting color options that we see come and go in BMX fairly frequently time and time again.

Subrosa – Easy Rider Seat
The Hoang Tran signature Easy Rider seat from Subrosa is another example of a motorcycle themed seat. Hoang is a big motorcycle guy, so this one makes complete sense. The clean black synthetic leather paired with a unique stitching pattern and some sparkles makes for a rad design.

Subrosa – Pizza Seat
The Subrosa Pizza seat is Nick Bullen‘s signature seat and a tribute to his love for pizza. This goes well with the Junk Food seat from GT we saw above. The guys at Macneil also gave a similar design a go, but instead of a cartoon version, they just used an actual piece of pizza and screen printed it on. Not sure which one looks tastier… Is it lunch time yet?

Sunday Bikes – Erik Elstran Lazer Shark Seat
Anyone who has crossed paths with Erik Elstran knows that he has a very creative and imaginative mind that produces some amazing things. That translated well when it came to designing a signature seat for Sunday Bikes, because this Dr. Evil inspired Lazer Shark designed mixed with a floral pattern turned out real good.

Sunday Bikes – Water Color Seat
This is another example of a seat that ended up getting a lot of love and ended up becoming an aftermarket part. The Water Color seat from Sunday Bikes originally came on one of their complete bikes, but ended up being sold individually as well. Similar to the tie dye seat we spotted above, it’s a colorful and unique design.

Total BMX – British Flag Seat
There’s no doubt this one will stand out to you if you have ever watched a Mark Webb video. Mark has been running his British Flag seat from Total BMX for a number of years in different variations. We’ve seen a few custom flag covered seats in the past as well, which is always pretty interesting to see.

United – Slim Signature Seat
This seat from United mixes a number of features we have seen in other seats above. It uses an ergonomic design like Tree Bicycle Co.’s seat, a little Corduroy like Ty Morrow’s fiend seat and brown fabric to wrap things up with a debossed logo. Also available in black.

Volume Bikes – Nautical Seat
The Broc Raiford signature Nautical seat from Volume Bikes mixes a tie-die style / acid wash design with a stitched embossed Anchor logo that goes with the rest of Broc’s signature line of products. Definitely a unique look.

Volume – Warhorse Seat
The Demarcus Paul signature Warhorse seat from Volume Bikes is another seat that stands out. It uses a camouflage canvas cover with blacks canvas on the sides, a stitched on logo on the back and a patch up top with the warhorse logo. We haven’t seen as much camo these days, but it’s another one of those color options that have made multiple appearances in BMX over the years.

Wethepeople – Team Seat
Let’s wrap this up with a clean and simple design that we’re sure some of you minimalists love. The Team seat from Wethepeople uses a clean and simple synthetic leather cover with a debossed Wethepeople logo and a stitched on tag of the side. Clean, simple and looks rad. This one also comes in black if you prefer.

So, that wraps it up! We looked at a bunch of different BMX seats here, but we’re sure we missed a few. Let us know in the comments if you have a seat we missed that stands out! We did try to stay on the “currently available” side of things for this one, but we’re open to adding some classics to the list if you have them. Let us know!

5 Keys To Keeping Your Bike Dialed

November 18, 2016 3 Comments

When it comes to keeping your BMX bike dialed in, there are two kinds of people; those who love it and those who hate it. You can usually spot the guys who put a lot of time into keeping their bike dialed in, and then there are those guys who will let it roll until everything falls apart. Some people like having their bike tight and clean, and others don’t mind a little wobble, squeeking and rust. Either way, maintenance is key and if you want to get the most out of all the money that goes into a bike, it’s a good idea to keep a few tools handy and keep up with the maintenance on the bike. With all of the wear, tear and abuse we put the bikes through, it’s inevitable that it will need some TLC. Here are 5 key tips to keeping your bike dialed in.

Keep Your Bolts Tight

If you have rode BMX long enough, you know that bolts can come loose from all the bouncing around and vibrations that are constantly flowing throughout the bike during a session. If you want to keep your bars from slipping forward or back, or having your front wheel alignment go out of whack, your best bet is to take an allen key to your stem bolts on a regular basis. It’s also a good idea to make sure the nuts and bolts on your wheels and cranks are tight as well.

Why is this important? Keeping your bolts tight will ensure you won’t catch any unwanted surprises when you come down from an air, help prevent your wheel from slipping after a grind or even help prevent stripping and wear. If you ride your crank arms loose, that wobble can cause damage to the splines that hold your crank arms in place, making it so they will continue to wobble even if you do tighten the bolts down. Unfortunately that wear leads to needing to buy a new spindle, crank arm or even a whole new set of cranks.

How often should you do this? It’s not something you have to do every single time you ride, but every once in a while take a few minutes to run through your bike and check to make sure you’re all good to go.

Tips? One big tip we have when it comes to tightening bolts down on your bike… Use the correct size allen key or socket. Even if it’s maybe one size too small or too big, you can risk stripping out the bolts and then you’re going to have a hell of a time trying to get the bolts loose or tight in the future. Using the right size allen or socket will save you a lot of headaches in the long run.

Tools: The right size allen keys and sockets. BMX bikes are simple and require minimal tools, so that’s always a perk!

Clean and Grease

Cleaning your bike might not seem like a top priority, especially if you know it’s just going to get dirty again. Despite it not seeming like it’s a big deal, you could find yourself being glad you did. Cleaning your bike will help it run smoother and it will also make sure you don’t have any hidden surprises like cracks that were caked under some mud or old grease you didn’t notice.

One thing you should also do is make sure you are putting a little grease on your bolts to help them tighten and loose easier, along with protect against rust. Rusty bolts can be a huge pain to remove, so don’t be a dry guy and hit your bolts with a little grease.

Also, keeping your chain properly lubricated will help prevent rust, eliminate squeaking and it will help keep the chain running longer because there will be less wear from the friction that you create when pedaling.

Why is this important? Just like your car or really any piece of machinery, it’s important to keep moving metal pieces lubricated and keep bolts greased to make it so they thread on and off smoothly and resist rusting. Removing excess dirt and grease is also important to help your bike running smooth and to see any possible issues from wear.

How often should you do this? This is another thing you don’t have to do all too often. It’s really important to put a dab of grease on all new bolts, so when you’re putting a new part on just take a second and get it done. If your bike gets dirty, for example if you ride trails a lot, then you will want to bump up the frequency of how often you take things apart to clean and re-grease or lubricate things.

Tips? When it comes to greasing the internals on your hubs, try to avoid getting grease on your driver and use something like white lightning instead on the pawls. Sometimes grease can keep your pawls from properly functioning and it will cause uneven wear on the hub shell or you will get some slipping. Also be careful when you’re cleaning your chain not to accidentally get your finger stuck in the sprocket. We’ve seen that happen a few times and it hurts like hell.

Tools: Grease, lubricant like White Lightning and some rags or towels.

Tighten Your Spokes / True Your Wheels

This is one of those things that can be a real pain in comparison to doing something like tightening your bolts. It’s always a good idea to take a minute and check if you have any loose spokes. Your wheels take a hell of a lot of abuse and it’s not uncommon for spokes to come loose or even break and you might not even notice until your rim goes out of true and your tire starts to rub on the frame. One thing to consider is that keeping your wheel true and your spokes tight does require a little bit of patience at the start since learning to properly true a wheel can be tricky.

Why is this important? Keeping your spokes tight and your wheel true is important because your wheels rolling smooth is very important. Loose spokes can cause your wheel to rub or even have a hop that is a huge pain. It also prolongs the life of your rim. If you’re constantly letting your rim get bad before you fix it, there’s a good chance more damage that can be fixed will be done and you will end up buying a new rim. Also, you can blow out spokes easier when they’re loose.

How often should you do this? Keeping your spokes tight isn’t something you will do every time you ride, and you won’t have to true your wheel as often if you keep up with the spokes. However, it’s a good idea to give the spokes a pinch and see how much play they have every once in a while just to make sure they’re still snug. Even if your spokes are tight, you can still knock your wheel out of true from heavy impacts, so keep an eye on that side to side and up and down, too.

Tips? Take your time and learn how to properly true a wheel. There are a TON of examples on Youtube to teach you the basics. It’s one of those things you will learn and dial in the more you do it. Here’s two examples… The 2nd isn’t focused on BMX, but it gives you a more in-depth look at how to do it.

Tools: Spoke Wrench and Truing Stand.

Check Your Air Pressure

Air pressure is one of the things you will end up checking more frequently than most on this list. The right amount of air pressure is more opinion based on what you like, but still make sure you’re checking the tire’s Max PSI rating before you go and put 90 PSI in a tire only rated for 65. Air pressure can fluctuate quite a bit and it can effect the overall feel of your whole bike if it is too low or too high for your personal preference or style of riding.

Why is this important? Keeping the proper amount of air in the tires will make riding your bike easier and it will roll smoother. Also, if you notice your tire is low before a session, there is a chance you have a slow leak that may lead to a blow out later, so you can prepare and have a spare tube ready just incase. Also, if you ride on a tire low on air, you can easily get a pinch flat. Sam goes if you run a tire higher than it’s intended, you can blow a tube or even the entire tire out because of an impact. Another thing to consider is if you run your tires too low, you can cause the tire to wear and become weaker, which will lead to it prematurely wearing or completely blowing out.

How often should you do this? Most of the time you will notice when you ride your bike if your tire pressure is too low or too high, so you can check it every time you ride that way. However, sometimes you can get too used to the way a tire feels from riding and it might not be the correct PSI for the tire. It’s a good idea to check the pressure with a gauge and add accordingly once a week or more depending on how often you ride.

Tips? Avoid leaving your bike in places where it can get too hot or too cold. Too much heat and your tire could expand, causing your tube to blow out. Too cold and you could seep air out as the rubber restricts. Also, having a quality pump can make your life a lot easier. Some of those cheap pumps are a real pain in the ass!

Tools: Tire PSI gauge and a pump. Luckily, most floor pumps come with a gauge these days. You cannot go wrong with a proper floor pump.

Check For Cracks

This is one of those no brainer things you should do on a fairly regular basis, especially if you are harder on your bike than most. Take a little bit of time to inspect the welds of your frame and parts to see if you can notice any cracks or damage that could decrease the overall strength of the metal. Something as harmless as a dent on the down tube of your frame can lead to a crack or snapped tube later. Staying ahead of things like cracks or dents can save you from getting seriously hurt when you are hauling ass off a jump or sending it down a stair set.

Why is this important? Do we really have to to tell you? Dents and cracks can lead to breaks and usually it’s not going to just break when you’re casually rolling down the street.

How often should you do this? The more often the better. You don’t have to be the paranoid guy checking after every single time you drop in, but just be proactive and take a look every now and then. A crack or a complete break can happen at any time, so at least being aware of the current condition of your bike can go a long way.

Tips? Keep your bike clean, use a light since sometimes you can miss stuff. Also, understand what a warranty covers, since most of the time damage caused by riding is NOT covered.

Tools: Rags for cleaning, maybe a light to help examine it a little better.

That is a few keys to keeping your bike dialed. A lot of these are no brainers, but sometimes you need a reminder or if you are just getting into BMX, you might not have considered. Keeping your bike dialed in can save you a lot of time, money and pain if you stay on top of things. It’s not always easy learning things like truing a wheel, but if you plan on riding a lot, it’s a skill that can make your life a lot easier.

Is there anything we missed you think should be added? Let us know in the comments below!

Make sure you check out the BMX Tool Guide we put together a while back!

5 Things You Should NOT Ask A Brand Through DM

September 28, 2016 3 Comments

It’s 2016, it has never been easier for a rider to get a message to their favorite pro rider or hit up a brand with a question about a product or something else that they could answer. With that easy ability for communication, there’s undoubtably going to be a lot of questions coming through on those direct messages from people all over the world. When you’re in charge of constantly answering those questions in multiple languages (shout out to Google Translate), you start to see a lot of frequently asked questions that you get really good at leaving in the pending message requests or giving a quick answer that essentially means no. When we were at Interbike we asked a few people who handle social media accounts for brands what some of their least favorite messages to get in their direct messages. Maybe we’re turning into that salty old guy, or maybe we’ve just seen enough weird messages that it pushed us over the edge and felt it was time to say something… So, we decided to compile a list of five things that you should (in our opinion) AVOID asking when you are hitting up a brand on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

5. The Warranty Card

A while back we covered What Does A Warranty Cover? that explained what some of the different levels of warranties cover and why some things are covered and why other things aren’t. A product breaking isn’t uncommon in BMX. When you see the stuff people put their bikes through, it’s a miracle they’re still alive and the bike hasn’t exploded into a shrapnel disaster. Unfortunately, there’s a big difference between a manufacturer defect and damage caused by riding and a good number of people don’t really know how that all works. There are really only about three routes that the conversation can go…

1. You first off ask if the product can be replaced or if it’s covered by warranty. Being polite in this situation goes a long way. If you filled out the warranty card, have the receipt for proof of purchase and you’re in the time frame (90 days to 1 year is common) and it’s not caused because you beat the hell out of it, then you’re good and these messages are great… That’s about the only good way this can go.

Now, two ways it can go wrong…

2. You politely ask if a brand will replace a product that you have had for a long time, it’s scratched and beat to hell and clearly broke because it gave out from a lot of abuse, not because the product was defective from the manufacturing process. Then you’re out of luck. A brand cannot control how you ride your bike and isn’t responsible when you destroy it. That’s like saying Apple is responsible for your screen cracking when you dropped it on the ground.

3. When you break something and you hit up a brand rudely demanding a replacement and try to threaten blasting the brand on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. to make sure nobody ever buys from the brand again, then you have just voided any chance of getting a smooth warranty process. If you’re willing to do that, then why do you want a replacement in the first place? We understand it’s frustrating when you break something, but blowing up a brands DMs, causing a bunch of unnecessary drama isn’t in the warranty instructions that came with that frame. We checked.

Seriously… Check out What Does A Warranty Cover?

In short, demanding a warranty and being impolite is something to avoid.

4. You should follow me and give me a shout out!

Now, some brands do give shout outs to people. For example, Subrosa and Volume both post up bikes they have submitted with their products, which is cool. Don’t get us wrong here. We’re not trying to discourage you completely. There’s a time and place for a shout out. But when you’re dropping a line demanding a follow and/or a shout out for no reason at all other than you just want to feel like you’re super cool and famous, there’s a good chance you won’t be receiving a response or adding another follower to your count. Brands are not on these social media channels to promote you (unless you happen to be a team rider, then expect to be promoted), they’re there to promote the brand and their products, while answering questions for the consumers.

So, in short… avoid asking a brand to give you a shout out for no reason unless they’re doing bike shout outs or something like that. The shout outs are just a way to get their products in front of more people and to say thanks for buying their products and supporting the brand by purchasing their products.

3. Just Saying What’s Up…

This one will probably make us sound like an asshole, but until you experience it… You don’t even know how annoying this one is. Imagine at some point in your day, somebody messages you and says “what’s up?”, “what are you doing?”, “Hey” or something that you would text your buddy, but they don’t have anything else to say or ask? Add in the additional random emoji a couple minutes later or something to send an additional reminder that they messaged you and you haven’t responded. As a brand, the direct message feature is really meant as an easy way for a person to ask a question that is specific to the brand. You know, “what sizes and colors does this come in?”, “Do you have this product in stock?”, “I am having an issue with this product, can you help me figure it out?”, “Do you know any shops in this area or how a shop can get product?”. So, if you’re looking for a random conversation, stick to your friends. Brands are just here to help answer a question about their brand or products.

2. Can I have free products?

This is one of those weird questions that is asked just about as often as number one on this list. There’s that saying “you never know unless you try”, but hopefully this one clears this up. This question is asked in a few different forms and sometimes it’s hard to come up with an answer that doesn’t make you look like a complete asshole. There’s the blatant “hey, can you give me free parts?”, there’s the “Would you be interested in collaborating with me. I would like a free frame / parts / bike / etc. in exchange for me promoting your brand through my social media channels” and then there’s the “Hey, my bike got stolen / I’m down on my luck / my parents hate me and won’t buy me one / I have a rare disease killing me / I have no money / can you give me a new bike?”

Now, the whole blatantly asking thing is pretty bold, and oddly enough at least they are being honest and not beating around the bush, but you’re not going to be getting a yes unless whoever you’re asking is having a damn good day or decided to answer messages after a few too many drinks. The odds aren’t very good. Think of it this way. If a brand gave away free product to every person that asked, there’s a very good chance that they will not be around for very long because it happens ALL THE TIME. So, next time you want to ask for a free product, ask yourself if you were running a business and had somebody come in and ask / demand a free product from your store… Would you just give it to them? The answer should be no.

The exchange of product for promotion thing is one of those grey areas because realistically, this method *could* work… If you had a massive following (a lot more than the brand has is usually a good gauge) and were good at promoting products in creative and unique ways. Another key is actually being into the brand or the products you’re promoting. Oddly enough, a lot of these requests come in from people that don’t even ride. Unless you have a lot to offer a brand and a clear plan of how you’re going to promote the brand and its products, this is most likely not going to happen. If you’re killing it on social media and a brand wants their products seen by your followers, they will likely reach out to you if they’re interested. So, just avoid asking…

The story is a tricky one. Humans are usually empathetic, so when somebody hits you with a story about a rough time they’re going through or makes it sound like finding the money to get a bike or a new frame is impossible because of their current situation, it’s definitely hard turning it down. Unfortunately for every one person who is actually going through a hard time and could actually benefit from some support, there’s a bunch of people leveraging their completely made up story to scam the brand in hopes of getting free product. So, this isn’t going to happen. It’s a bummer, but a brand cannot afford to be giving everything away just because you’re in a tight spot. Imagine having to give away 20 bikes a month because somebody wasn’t able to buy a bike? That’s thousands of dollars that would just be given away… Avoid asking.

1. Will you sponsor me?

The number one most asked question in the DM’s. Sometimes a riding clip is sent through, sometimes a link to an actual video, sometimes it’s a photo and sometimes it comes with promises of promoting the brand everywhere you go! That’s great, but it’s 2016 and that’s not how it happens. I’m sure it has helped get a few riders on a brands radar by putting themselves out there, but the odds of you getting sponsored because you asked a brand in their DM is pretty low. Alright, it’s very low.

Brands aren’t looking for the kid that can do all the tricks or the kid that has a huge following on Instagram. They want a rider that has talent, but also has a great personality. They want a rider that is going to standout, not just be the next rider that can mimic another trend or bought a lot of followers. Most importantly, they want somebody that is going to get along great with the rest of the team. Imagine if a brand picked their team based off the number of Instagram followers they had? Nobody would get along because everyones ego’s would be in crisis mode.

A brand doesn’t learn that you are a rider worth sponsoring through a direct message or by watching your video. The best way to get sponsored? Show up at events! Don’t have any? Throw your own event or TRAVEL. Travel, travel, travel. You want to meet people, experience new things, put in your time and have fun riding your bike. If you’re talented on a bike and don’t suck as a human, people will notice and talk you up… Brands will notice. You have to put in A LOT of work if you want to get sponsored these days. If it was as easy as shooting a DM, we would ALL be sponsored. I’d be willing to bet some brands get 20-30 people asking about getting sponsored by them every single day.

Want to get sponsored? Stop sitting around and start riding, traveling, having fun on your bike, keep learning new tricks and most importantly just be a good person.

In short… Avoid asking a brand to sponsor you in the direct messages.

So, that’s a list of 5 things to NOT message a brand about in their direct messages on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or whatever other form of social media you might use.

We want to hear from you! Let us know what you think in the comments below! Are we just being mean?

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The Art of the Head Tube

August 30, 2016 2 Comments

It has been a while since we have done one of these “The Art Of” pieces. The other day when we were going through comments on Facebook, we noticed that people had pointed out how similar a frame we shared was to another frame on more than one occasion. Similar geometry, similar features, different brands. In 2016, it’s safe to say that BMX frames have become very detailed and it’s usually some small changes in geometry or extra aesthetics that really make a frame stand out. That lead to us thinking about how head tubes have been getting taller lately to help clean up the front end a little more with fewer spacers. That reminded us that the Integrated head tube that has become a standard on all aftermarket frames (for the most part) turned 10 years old recently. That lead us to thinking about the detail that goes into the head tube these days between the different shapes, graphics and badges that are currently available. We decided to run through most of the brands websites (we’re sure we missed a few) to get a look at a bunch of the different head tubes and their graphics or badges. Let’s take a look…

Bone Deth – Motor Bone

The Sean Burns signature Motorbone frame from Bone Deth features a pretty standard head tube with the mellow taper, but the graphics are pretty rad.

BSD – Passenger – Limited Edition

The Kriss Kyle signature Passenger frame from BSD was recently released in a limited edition Tan color with special graphics that came from his personal tattoos. Kriss is definitely dedicated to BSD with more than one tattoo on him.

BSD – Soula

Another frame from BSD that stood out is the Dan Paley signature Soulja frame. This frame features a CNC engraved BSD logo that isn’t going anywhere. The CNC machined head tube graphic definitely makes a frame stand out. Also, if you look closely you can see the BSD frame feature a steeper taper than the Bone Deth frame.

Colony – Monash

Like we mentioned before, there’s a couple different styles of Integrated head tubes when it comes to shape. Colony have their Monash frame to show us the Hourglass head tube that features a smooth taper from the center to the edge which gives it a clean look. Digging the Horse graphics, too.

Cult – Dak V3

The Dakota Roche signature Dak frame from Cult is another awesome example of artwork to help it stand out. The rame features a dream catcher that is actually a BMX wheel. Also, if you look closely you might notice that the head tube is a little different than the others we already looked at. Instead of a sharper line where the middle of the head tube meets the edges, it’s a smoother rounded edge with less of a taper.

Division Brand – Lanark

The Lanark frame from Division Brand features a head tube very similar to the Monash frame from Colony, which makes sense since Division Brand is a sub-brand of Colony. The Lanark frame does feature a CNC engraved Division logo that does stand out quite nicely though.

FBM – Steadfast CS & Gypsy 3

We doubled this one up just because the photos FBM had on their website were tall already. On the left we have the Steadfast CS frame which features a badass head tube badge that you can also find on other FBM frames. On the right we have the Gypsy 3 frame that features a more traditional sticker graphic that has a ton of detail. Both frames have the same head tube with the smaller lip on top and larger on the bottom.

Federal Bikes – DLX

The Dan Lacey signature DLX frame from Federal Bikes. This one doesn’t have the best shot of the head tube graphics, but you get a pretty good look at the lions and crown. It’s a unique logo that looks real good and stands out.

Fiend – Palmere V2

Maybe this is what really got us thinking about the head tube graphics? Yesterday Gene Wilder who played Willy Wonka passed away, and the JJ Palmere signature Palmere V2 frame from Fiend features a trippy graphic features Willy Wonka. We grabbed the shirt that also has the logo to give you a better look at it, as well. This frame also features the Hourglass head tube.

Fit Bike Co. – Lewis V2

The latest version of Ben Lewis‘ signature Lewis V2 frame from Fit Bike Co. uses an engraved version of the graphic found on the first Lewis frame that came with the sticker. It’s a hand drawn upside down cross with Lewis going down and Fit going across. As we said before, the Engraving stands out more just because a sticker can be removed.

Fit Bike Co. – Hoodbird

Here’s another frame with a rad graphic we couldn’t find a good photo of. The Morgan Long signature Hoodbird frame from Fit Bike Co. features a badass bird with flames and a Fit logo that was designed by the one and only Eben Fischer who has done a ton of graphics for brands over the past few years. As you can see, these graphics flow throughout the frame.

Flybikes – Fuego

The Devon Smillie signature Fuego frame from Flybikes features a clean and simple logo that features two logs and some fire. Fuego is Spanish for Fire, so it makes complete sense. What’s really crazy is that Devon got this logo tattooed on his wrist, and since then a number of other people have also got the same tattoo. Goes to show Devon has some serious life long fans.

Haro – Lineage

Haro have been doing a lot with the retro look and style in the past few years and it’s lead to some awesome products. If you’re looking for a frame with a feature that really stands out, the Lineage frame with the gusset that wraps around the head tube is just that. No other current frame in BMX has the wrap around gusset (that we’re aware of) at the moment. Rad.

Kink – Mudrunner

If you couldn’t tell, we’re huge suckers for a proper Head Tube Badge around these parts. The Mudrunner frame from Kink features a badass head tube badge with the Kink logo, pick axe and shovel to go with the trails inspired design of the frame.

Kink – Titan

The Titan frame from Kink keeps things clean and simple. This frame has a clean CNC engraved Kink logo that really helps the frame stand out. Unless you’re putting a sticker over that one, it isn’t going anywhere.

Skavenger – El Blanco

The Tom White signature El Blanco frame from Skavenger isn’t actually being made anymore (at least, to our knowledge), but that front end is too damn beautiful to not include it into this list. The head tube features a badge with SKVR designed to match the Love Park monument in Philadelphia. Needless to say, it’s an almost iconic logo and head tube design.

S&M Bikes – Tall Boy

When we were looking for frames with interesting head tube graphics or designs, we had to start out with S&M Bikes since they were the first ones to use the Integrated head tube! Above is the Charlie Crumlish signature Tall Boy frame that actually has a graphic that is different with each color that it comes in. This also features a taller head tube, which is fitting with the name of the frame.

Subrosa – Villicus Infinity

The Hoang Tran signature Villicus Infinity frame from Subrosa is a great example of artwork that stands out. This is actually one that you have to stare at for a minute to really take it all in. It’s a skeleton Wizard with smoke coming out of his face and a big burly beard.

Subrosa – Om

It’s funny how we were just making this list, and then Subrosa dropped a sneak peek look at the Joris Coulomb signature Om frame’s head tube graphics! How rad is that? It’s a space theme with the S for Subrosa and then a paper airplane. Digging that for sure!

Subrosa X Slayer

Here’s one we had suggested after we posted it! Not sure how this one didn’t pop up in our mind when we were doing the original list, but either way… It’s here now! A little while back, Subrosa announced a collaboration with Slayer that included a full range of bikes, a frame and seat. Above is a look at the crazy head tube badge found on the frame! Talk about rad. Check out the full range of the Subrosa X Slayer Collaboration!

Sunday Bikes – Excelsior Frame

The Mark Burnett signature Excelsior frame from Sunday Bikes is probably the newest one on this list to become available. This one features a pretty simple Sunday logo, but they mixed in a space theme within the lettering that looks real interesting. Clean and simple. Can’t go wrong with that.

Terrible One – Barcode

We couldn’t just not include Terrible One on this list. Here’s a look at the Barcode frame with the octopus looking logo with the T1 shield. All of the Terrible One frames feature hand drawn graphics that all look really good. It’s safe to say that Barcode graphic on the downtube is probably one of the most iconic logos in BMX, though.

Mutiny Bikes – 2017 Frames

This was one of the first images we were looking for once we started compiling the list. Mutiny Bikes recently released this sneak peek photo giving us a look at the head tube graphics and colors on each of their 2017 frames. From left to right – Comb, Deathwish, Obscura and Villij

Total BMX – Frames

There’s no doubt that Total BMX have become a super popular brand over the years, and you tend to see quite a few of their frames because of it. Here’s a look at their line up of frames. The Voltron V2., Hangover H2, Sandstorm and Killabee in two colors. Each with some interesting graphics.

United – Mothership

The Nathan Williams signature Mothership frame from United Bike Co. has seen a few versions over the years. For the latest version, Nathan and United teamed up with Two Snakes Tattoo Shop for some badass graphics. Clean and simple, but plenty of detail.

United – Tru

There was no way we could pass up the TRU or Trail Riders United frame from United BIke Co. This one comes with a badass head tube badge that points out that the frame is man made in New York (Shocker, by FBM who are also lovers of the Head Tube badge), Definitely digging the detail that went into this one.

Volume – War Horse

The Demarcus Paul signature War Horse frame from Volume Bikes is a combination of a couple unique features that make it stand out. The CNC engraved VLM logo, the hourglass shape and then that crazy paint job! All three make for a rad head tube that is definitely unique. Shout out to Ride BMX for this photo. Couldn’t find another shot head on like this.

Wethepeople – Sterling

Last but not least, the Pete Sawyer signature Sterling frame from Wethepeople. They went with a super clean and smooth looking Hourglass head tube and simple graphics for this one, but that brushed nickel color with the welds really helps set that whole front end off.

Alright, so that wraps things up. We’re sure we missed a few badass head tubes, so if you know of some, make sure you let us know in the comments! We hope you’re digging taking a detailed look at something that we’re sure a lot of people might passover or under appreciate. It’s pretty crazy how much detail can go into something as simple as a head tube or the graphics or design that goes onto it! Shout out to BMX brands, the riders, product and graphic designers, for putting in the time.

We want to hear from you! Let us know what you think in the comments below!

VISIT: FRONT PAGE // DAILY SECTION // BMX COLOR APP // BMX VIDEOS // RANDOM // BMX Games