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

Insight: Subrosa’s Combat & Warhead Locks

August 27, 2014

I think we’ve all been there before where we need to set the bike down for a few minutes to run into the gas station or Taco Bell to get some drinks and food and didn’t have a lock, just hoping you won’t come out and have your bike missing. It doesn’t take more than a couple of seconds for somebody to grab your bike and take off before you realize that your pride and joy just got jacked. I mean, let’s be real… Bikes are expensive and it’s never a bad idea to invest in something that’s going to keep it from being damaged or stolen. Just like you put a hub guard on to keep you from wrecking your hub when you grind, tossing a lock on your bike could be the difference between being robbed or having somebody think twice before they try.

The guys at Subrosa have been working on their war on theft for a little while now, but we have never really taken that in-depth of a look at what they have to offer in the ant-theft department. We recently got our hands on their Combat and Warhead locks and figured it would be a good time to talk a little bit about just what makes these guys so important. Let’s do this!

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Insight: Wethepeople – 2015 Cream Fork

August 21, 2014

WTP_Cream_Fork_Translucent_Green_600x

It’s pretty clear that over the course of BMX’s history, the level of quality a BMX product has, has improved substantially from the way they are designed all the way through the processes used to create it physically. In that time, the process has been fine tuned so far that now days a few millimeters or a couple of degrees in angle can make a bike ride and feel entirely different than another. There has been a lot of talk lately about how so many products are “the same” and essentially it’s coming down to the marketing of it or whose signature is on it. Which, it’s a fair assumption because there are a lot of products out there using similar materials, geometry, features and processes in creating it. But there are still A LOT of differences and unique, original products being developed all the time.

The other day we were talking to the guys at Wethepeople about some of their new products for 2015 and we got on the topic of Andrew Jackson’s signature Cream fork that in an era where pegs are about as important as a freecoaster to most riders, are designed to not only be pegless but have a unique look that is different than other forks available today. We decided maybe it would be a good idea to take a closer look to really understand just what these differences are. Let’s take a look… Oh and these photos are an exclusive first look at the new colors available for 2015 as well.

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Insight: The Shadow Conspiracy X Greenfilms DSLR Backpack

July 31, 2014

I don’t know if we’ve been on a bit of a backpack kick lately because of the back to school lines popping up or if it has just something we have been into lately, but here we go again. The other day we caught a glimpse of The Shadow Conspiracy‘s new collaboration backpack they did with Greenfilms that really caught our eyes in their new Back to School 2014 Lookbook. With so many riders getting into photography and filming, Shadow and Greenfilms teamed up to do a backpack designed for holding all of your camera gear that is not only practical, but looks awesome. The idea of a DSLR bag is by no means a new idea, but I believe this is one of the first bags made by a BMX brand which is rad. Let’s take a closer look…

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Out Of Focus: Top 3 – Backpacks

July 24, 2014

Words and photos by Aaron Nardi

I guess I would consider myself somewhat of a bag and backpack nerd. I’ve designed, used, researched, purchased, traveled heavily, and destroyed more bags than most people. My personal preferences tend to favor function and value over a cool look (although I have to say I like the look of all the bags below). So yes there are other options out there and some might be cooler, bigger, or offer more protection for one reason or another these are the bags I always come back to*. Beyond just function and style probably my favorite part about this bag that they are a little stealth and don’t scream “I HAVE EXPENSIVE SHIT IN HERE” like most tech and camera bags do…

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“Strangeways Vol. 2” Review

July 18, 2014

The other day, our friend Kris Kim hit us up talking about how the Strangeways Vol. 2 DVD didn’t quite get the attention he felt it deserved. After picking up a copy and watching it over and over again, he decided maybe it would be cool to put together a review so more people can find out just how good the video really is. We gave Kris the chance to put his thoughts together and he came through with a real solid review that I think might make you think twice about this video from the U.K that you might not have seen yet. Let’s see what he had to say…

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Photogallery: X-Games 2014 – Austin, Texas

June 14, 2014

As I write this, exactly one week ago today a ton of people were scorching in the sun down in Austin, Texas taking part of the X-Games that, for the first time in 11 years, had found itself outside of Los Angeles. The venue was massive, dirt was welcomed back as part of the events, the park and street courses were getting proper use, mega ramp continued to be huge and over 100,000 people took part in the weekend. Needless to say, it was a busy weekend for BMX. Although I personally had some other obligations for being there, I was still able to pull out my camera and shoot a few photos during the events and ended up with some 400+ photos to go through, edit and pick out for this photogallery. After all was said and done, that 400+ was dwindled down to 44 of my personal favorite shots of the weekend that you can check out in the link below! Take a peek!


CHECK OUT THE PHOTOGALLERY HERE!

Insight: Shadow Conspiracy – Inceptiv Fork

June 11, 2014

There’s been a lot of innovation going on in BMX lately. It seems like we’ve been seeing a lot of brands putting their efforts into quality and more unique products as of lately versus the constant re-branding catalog parts, which is always a good thing. One focus point we have been seeing in particular is the fork. We’ve been seeing a lot of efforts put into strengthening the fork in some key places with some newer technology being applied to it. A perfect example of this is the new Inceptiv fork from The Shadow Conspiracy which is a completely fresh design compared to their previous options available. Let’s take a closer look to see what makes this new fork so good…

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Review: Fairdale – Weekender Canti

May 22, 2014

I remember at some point growing up thinking “I’ll never ride anything but a BMX bike”… It was a pretty bold thought that I’m going to blame on being young, dumb and, at the time, not moaning and groaning from the aches and pains of years of abuse when I try and get myself out of bed in the morning.
But, like a lot of BMX riders that have climbed the ranks of age, we’re finding that our backs and knees aren’t what they used to be and sometimes you want to go for a ride, but would want something a little more comfortable. At least, that’s what had been going on in my mind for a little while now. Especially with my right knee giving me some hell. So I started looking around at some of the options that were out there.
About 7 years ago, I worked in a shop and always thought a road bike would be a good way to work out the legs and knees to help build them up for BMX, but I couldn’t imagine myself in spandex (especially now) and I didn’t think taking road bike riding seriously would be a good idea because let’s face it… If you’re on two wheels you’re going to try and jump some shit with it. I started looking at Fairdale because let’s face it… Once a BMX rider, always a BMX rider and if Taj Mihelich is the master mind behind it, it’s gotta be designed for the BMX rider at heart, right?
After weighing out the options and giving the bank account a proper investigation to decide on a budget, I found myself wanting the Weekender Canti more and more. A few weeks back I finally pulled the trigger and decided it was time and picked one up. After getting a bunch of use out of it, I thought I’d share my thoughts on the bike… Let’s take a look!

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