Reviews of BMX Bikes, parts, frames, videos, clothing and more

Review: The Daily Grind – “Hard Times” DVD

June 9, 2015

There haven’t been a ton of BMX DVD’s coming out these days, but there’s still a place for them because of the way footage comes and goes so fast on the internet these days. Over the past year or two, The Daily Grind crew have been busy stacking clips for their second full-length video “Hard Times” that was just released last week. We got our hands on a copy and figured it would be a good DVD to give you some insight on since it’s definitely a standout video from a lot of full-length videos we see these days, mostly due to the shock value in it. So, let’s get into this!

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Insight: Radio Bikes – Siren Frame

June 5, 2015

Is it time for a new BMX frame? Are you looking for something shiny? What about something that will hold up to whatever you throw at it whether it’s park, street or dirt? Our friends at Radio Bikes dropped one of their Siren frames on our front door step to take a closer look at just what makes the frame so special. We figured it would be a good idea to give you guys a closer look, too! So let’s get into this one!

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Insight: G-Shock – GB6900B Watch

June 3, 2015

It’s funny how technology has evolved and changed over the years and you find new ways to connect different things you use throughout the day to one thing you never really thought you would have the capability of doing. The other day our friends at The Watch Hut hit us up to see if we had any interest in checking out one of the G-Shock watches the carry. Instantly, we started thinking that it might be a good idea because we’ve seen them involved with BMX quite a bit over the years sponsoring events and different riders like Nigel Sylvester. We remembered a promo video Nigel did a little while back for the GB6900B and figured that would be a good one to check out. Let’s take a closer look at this watch.

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Insight: The Shadow Conspiracy – Invisa-Lite Pads

May 26, 2015

Are you on the hunt for some new BMX pads, but you don’t really want something that’s bulky, heavy and hot? It seems like a lot of riders avoid wearing pads because of those three factors, so The Shadow Conspiracy went to work to develop some pads that are the opposite of traditional pads while still offering plenty of protection against impacts. The Invisa-Lite BMX pads are designed to be slim, lightweight and offer plenty of air flow to keep you cool. We recently got our hands on a set to give a go and figured we would give you some insight into what make these pads so special. Ready? Let’s do this!

Invisa-Lite Shin Pads

Other than a helmet, it’s safe to say one of the most important pads for a BMX rider are the shin pads. We’ve all taken a pedal to the shin or back of the leg and lost some blood in the process. One of the downsides to shin pads are that they are bulky and usually don’t fit under your pants well. The Invisa-lite shin pads are designed to be minimal, while still protecting you. The pads are made from a breathable and stretchy lycra / micro mesh construction with specially designed and tapered double-layer impact foam placed in the key areas. The stretchy construction, along with an interio anti-slip silicone band allow the pads to stay in place without bulky straps restricting movement. There’s a small Shadow woven label and the crow logo imprinted in the foam for a clean look.

The Invisa-Lite shin pads come in three sizes; small, medium and large (See chart below), with a weight of 6.98 oz. (198 grams / medium) and black for the only color option. These pads retail for about $35.99. You can pick them up right here

The Anti-Slip Silocone band can be found on the shin, knee and elbow pads to hold them in place.

A small woven patch with the Shadow logo can be found on each pad. Clean and simple branding.

Invisa-Lite Knee Pads

Next up, the Invisa-Lite knee pads that allow you to run knee pads under your pants without all the extra bulk or plastic shells. These pads, like the shin pads, are designed to be minimal and discrete with a breathable and stretchy lycra / Micromesh construction. The pads feature tapered impact foam that are designed to cover your knee and still have flexibility. There is an anti-slip silicone band that goes around the top to hold the pads in place, a branded Shadow woven label and Shadow logo in the foam padding.

The Invisa-Lite knee pads are available in three sizes; small, medium and large, with a weight of 3.67 oz. (104 grams / medium) and come in black for the only color option. These pads retail for about $34.99. You can pick up a set right here!

Invisa-Lite Elbow Pads

Finally, the Invisa-Lite elbow pads. These, similar to the shin and knee pads are designed to be slim fitting, allowing for flexibility and breathability. The pads are also made from the stretchy Lycra / Micromesh construction with tapered Impact foam that is designed to cover the elbow and wrap around it without too much extra bulk or plastic caps. Inside you can find the anti-slip silicone band, and then there’s the Shadow woven label and Shadow logon printed into the pad.

The Invisa-Lite elbow pads are available in three sizes; small, medium and large, with a weight of 2.89 oz. (82 grams / Medium) and come in black for the only color option. These pads retail for about $34.99. You can pick up a set on the Shadow Conspiracy Webstore

Sizing

Like we mentioned above, each of these pads are available in small, medium and large sizes. Above is a sizing chart that you can use to measure to get the proper size. Make sure you measure A and B to ensure you’re picking the right size. Since these pads do not have straps and rely on the stretchy material to hold the pads in place, having pads too small will be constrictive and too large will leave them loose and allow them to shift.

We’ve have the chance to give these pads a go for a few weeks now. Overall, we’re digging the simplicity of the pads and how clean they fit under pants without really sticking out too much or restricting movement. This definitely made it easier to throw them on since overly bulky pads can kind of be a pain to wear. The downside, since they are thinner and pretty minimal, they aren’t going to protect from impact as well as some of the larger styles of pads. These pads do take impacts well, but in comparison to pads with plastic shells or thicker materials, you’ll still feel a little more of the impacts.

Do we think you should pick some up? If you are looking to protect your shins, knees and elbows without excessive pads that are heavy and hot, then these are definitely what you’re looking for. The clean and simple design make them easy to put on and take off and they aren’t very noticeable when riding with them. Plus, any protection is far better than no protection. If you’re prone to taking heavier slams and are more concerned with how well the pads can take a big impact over size or comfort, these probably aren’t for you.

The Invisa-Lite pads are available worldwide through all BMX shops and mail-orders that carry The Shadow Conspiracy now. You can also pick them up direct from The Shadow Conspiracy Webstore

You can find out more about The Shadow Conspiracy by visiting their website — TheShadowConspiracy.com

Insight: Merritt – Tension Hub Guard

May 13, 2015

Merritt have just released a handful of new products in their latest shipment. We’ve seen new stems, tires, sprockets and one item in particular that really caught our eye, the Tension hub guard. This guard is designed to be a universal hub guard that can be easily attached to the spokes by using a single spring clip that holds the guard in place with tension. This guard, similar to the original G-Sport G.L.A.N.D hub guard that uses zip ties to hold it to the spokes, is made from plastic with a 3″ diameter and slides over your existing hardware (non-drive). The guard has little blocks that fit between the spokes and the spring goes on using the blocks as guides to hold everything together. The Tension hub guard is available in black only with a weight of 0.9 oz. and is currently available through all shops and mail-orders that carry Merritt worldwide now.

More photos after the jump.
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Insight: Wethepeople – Pete Sawyer Signature Sterling Line

May 8, 2015

Have you been on the hunt for a new BMX frame? What about some bars and a fork? Have you given Pete Sawyer’s signature Sterling frame, bars and fork from Wethepeople a look yet? Today, were going to take an in-depth look at each of these items giving you all the specs and info along with a ton of close up photos so you can really see the details that make this line unique! Ready? Let’s get into this!

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Insight: Incase – DSLR Pro Camera Bag

April 15, 2015

There’s a lot of photographers and filmers in BMX these days and a good camera bag is never a bad investment when it comes to hauling all your gear around. We recently got our hands on a DSLR Pro camera bag from our friends at Incase and we’re really psyched on it since our old Canon bag just wasn’t cutting it anymore. This bag has a lot of features and a super clean look, so we figured it would be a good idea to take a closer look and talk about just what makes this bag so good. Ready? Let’s do this.

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Insight: Sikk Shades – Huckleberry Sunglasses

April 14, 2015

The other week, a friend of ours had hit us up asking if we had heard about a new sunglass company called Sikk Shades that was just getting its wheels turning. We hadn’t heard about the company, but when we heard it was owned by Eddie Bauer’s grandson, Eddie Bauer Jr., we knew that we were in for something sweet. It turns out Eddie is a big BMX fan and is working on getting a program going that will include a few team riders that you will be hearing about in the near future. We were fortunate enough to get a few samples of one of their first sunglasses, the Huckleberry, to try out and we figured it would be a good idea to put something together to give you guys a closer look. If you’re sick of the sun getting in your eyes, check this out.

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