Dan's Comp Archives

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Dan’s Comp Has Been Sold

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The past few years have been pretty rough for Dan’s Comp. They went from the largest mail-order in BMX to bankrupt and in what seemed like a complete mess in a pretty short period of time. There were a good number of brands owed money and what appeared to be a ton of orders not getting shipped out to customers based on the comments on their social media channels. After all the rough time, it looks like Dan’s Comp has been sold to a new parent company, AMain.com, Inc. We don’t know much about this new owner, but it sounds like they are planning to get things back on track. They’ll be moving Dan’s Comp out of Indiana to two warehouses on the East and West Coasts for improved shipping times, increasing their customer service to 7 days a week, launching a new website and doing things like rewards programs to try to right the ship. It does sound like they will be putting more emphasis on the race side of BMX, but we would imagine they will be carrying plenty of freestyle as well. Below is the official press release with full details on the changes…

What do you think about the news? Let us know in the comments below!

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Dan’s Comp Cuts Entire Team and Team Manager Scott Towne

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Well, here’s some interesting news… Dan’s Comp team manager, Scott Towne, has apparently been let go from his job according to an Instagram post. Also, according to a post over on Ride BMX, it sounds like the entire Pro Team has also been cut and Dan’s Comp may be filing for bankruptcy at some point. The team, which consists of Terry Adams, Mark Burnett, Stevie Churchill, Chase DeHart, Tony Hamlin, Van Homan, Trey Jones, Chad Kerley, Morgan Long, Corey Martinez, Tony Neyer, Broc Raiford, Dakota Roche, Devon Smillie, Nathan Sykes, Colin Varanyak, Shane Weston, Matt Wilhelm, Nathan Williams and Grant Castelluzzo, was mostly formed by Scott during his time with Dan’s Comp as the team manager.

We’ve been hearing rumors and bits and pieces about Dan’s Comp’s “financial situation” for the past year from a few brands, riders and industry people, but didn’t really know what to think of it. This would be an indicator they’re making some big changes to reconcile whatever it is they have going on. Below is the Instagram post from Scott that doesn’t get too specific, but leaves plenty of bits to piece together.

"You can't be what you were, so you better start being just what you are…." This Fugazi lyric has been on continuous play in my mind lately, pondering what my life will be like after my days at Dan's Competition are over. Well, I'm about to find out. After seven years with the company, I'm officially done. My mission was to make Dan's human, and I feel I was able to accomplish that goal, and much more. It was a good run. I want to thank Steve at Dans for letting me create my own job and run with it, Ernesto for being my "foot in the door" and everyone I've worked with, inside the walls and out. Additionally, I wish my remaining co-workers the best of luck?. To all the team dudes, it's been awesome. I'm proud to have assembled a line-up of some of the best riders in BMX. So yeah, that's that. On to the next one.
A post shared by Scott Towne (@scotttowne) on Sep 22, 2017 at 10:01am PDT

I guess if we had to speculate what is going on, I think it’s just that times have been changing very hard for the business side of BMX with a transition to pretty much every brand (except a few) and virtually every single BMX bike shop making the move to sell online in some capacity, creating greater competition for Dan’s in the online mail-order space that they have dominated for so many years. Does this mean it’s the end of Dan’s Comp? I highly doubt it. We’ll probably see a huge cutback in marketing (beyond the removal of the team) and a shift in how much product they stock and the number of brands they carry, which we have noticed that has been happening already. There has been a number of products on backorder or completely out of stock for a little while now. Obviously this is all speculation, but we’ve been hearing a lot of these things for a while now.

We haven’t seen anything from Dan’s Comp and we don’t really expect to see any sort of press release or anything. But, we’ll keep you updated when and if we hear something.

Dan’s Comp – How To Bunnyhop

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There are no shortage of how to’s when it comes to the classic Bunnyhop, but there’s also a lot of little tricks and tips that everyone has to help make the trick work. It’s without a doubt one of those tricks that the more you do them, the easier they get, and the higher you can go. Here’s another how to video from Dan’s Comp where Mike Barrow gives you a bunch of tips and examples on just how to get the bunnyhop done right. First step to doing a bunnyhop… Don’t call it a Pro Hop.

“The bunnyhop is one of the most basic tricks in BMX, but it is also one of the most important moves to learn. The bunnyhop is the foundation for many other tricks and having a solid hop in your skillset brings it all together. Mike Barrow from the Dan’s Comp team shows you how, with some added insight to get those extra inches out of your hop. Practice is key. Now, hop to it!” – Dan’s Comp

Dan’s Comp – Get Tech Series: All About BMX Forks

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The crew over at Dan’s Comp coming through with an awesome video explaining all about BMX forks from freestyle to race, materials, geometry and more! There is a TON of great information in this video, so hit that play button and take it all in. Even if you know everything about BMX forks, there’s a chance you might just learn something!

“Your fork choice can affect how your bike functions and feels. Dan’s Comp gives you the low down in this weeks Get Tech Series.

While often overlooked, fork geometry plays a major role in overall bike feel. Measurements like fork height, offset and steerer tube length can affect wheel base length, steering feel and headtube angle. So the next time you’re in the market for a new BMX fork, take some time to think about what might work best for you.”

Dan’s Comp – How To Air Out

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Have you wanted to learn how to air out of a quarterpipe, but you haven’t had much luck? Here’s a new How To video from Dan’s Comp where they give you plenty of advice and examples of how to properly air out of a ramp. This is a pretty basic trick, but it can take a ton of practice to master, so don’t expect these to be perfect right away. Hit play, take it all in and then go send a few!

“Learn the ins and outs of airing out with the Dan’s Comp YouTube crew. Flow Team riders Austin Zentmyer and Mike Barrow break down each step from basic quarterpipe carving to blasting your favorite transition. Watch, hit that “Thumbs Up” button, then go send it!”

Dan’s Comp – Dan Kruk 2017 Video

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If you caught the Dan Kruk Bike Check we posted the other day, you would have known that this one was coming! Here’s a fresh batch of Dan Kruk goodness from the streets of Souther California for Dan’s Comp! As expected, Dan put those pegs of his to heavy use on every ledge and rail he came across, leading to some real dialed clips. Get on that play button and check it all out!

“Fire in the SoCal streets by Dan’s Comp’s newest recruit, WeThePeople pro Dan Kruk. Serious combination of burly and technical moves, with Dan’s patented spice of originality mixed in. You will not be disappointed.
Credit: Grant Castelluzzo” – Vital BMX

Dan Kruk Battleship Bike Check

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It’s been a bit of a whirlwind past year for Dan Kruk. In that time he’s been bumped up to the Wethepeople and Madera, had his first batch of signature products like the Konfetti Battleship frame colorway and Madera Party Paint Colorway, made the official move out to California, traveling a bunch and staying super busy stacking clips. Now that his signature colorway for the Battleship frame is available, we figured it was a good time to catch up with Dan and get a look at his current setup and talk a little bit about the bike, a new signature part he has in the works and more. Let’s get into it!

Current Location: Long Beach, California

Sponsors: Dan’s Comp, Wethepeople, Madera, MPEG, Cement Face, 4Seasons

Frame: Wtp Battleship in Konfetti

Fork: Wtp Switch

Bars: Wtp Buck 25.4mm
Grips: Wtp Helix XL

Stem: Wtp Hydra 25.4mm

Headset: Wtp Compact

Cranks: Profile Column 22mm 165mm

Pedals: Eclat AK

Sprocket: Madera Signet 25t in Party Paint

Chain: Shadow Supreme

Seat / Seat Post: Madera Crusier and Wtp Pivotal Post

Front Wheel: Madera Pilot hub / Eclat Polar rim

Front Tire: Wtp Stickin’ 2.4

Rear Wheel: Profile Z-Coaster, 9t, Eclat Polar rim

Rear Tire: Wtp Stickin’

Pegs: Wtp Dill Pickle 4.5″

Hub Guards: Madera C4 plastic

Modifications: Bars cut down a little on both sides

What’s the newest part on your bike?
Newest part is probably some spokes!

What’s the oldest? Does it have any sentimental value?
Oldest part is probably the peg cores and they just work good so I keep using them!

You’re running your signature Battleship frame colorway that Wethepeople just released. What are some of your favorite parts about the frame?
Well, I really like the color first of all, and I love how responsive the geometry is. It’s pretty much what I would choose if I had my own signature frame so I was very fortunate to have my colorway on it!

Actually, how crazy is it for you to have your name on the bike you’re riding?

I actually always forget I have signature anything, I just still do the same stuff I’ve been doing since I was 12 and really don’t think about the signature aspect of it. It is pretty cool to make my bike look how I want it, pretty crazy feeling.

What do you usually change out the most on your bike?
I think I go through grips the most because I always end up ripping them right away some how!

Are you the kind of rider that likes working on your bike, or do you try to avoid it as much as possible?
I really like to make sure my bike is pretty dialed, it works the best that way. Any weird noises or movements feel bad to me, so I just make sure everything is tight and greased up.

How often do you get the chance to build up a new bike?
I try to build a new bike twice a year, usually just to switch up the color scheme and having a fresh whip is never a bad thing

Do you like the swap out parts on a regular schedule or do you kind of run things until they’re dead?
Usually run them till they are dead, I feel bad asking for new stuff if I don’t really need it.

We’ve noticed that you have fully embraced the Chicago lifestyle. What are some of the benefits to running the bars forward like that for you?
There always has to be a bar question haha. It honestly makes spinning and whip tricks way easier. Just the positions your bike can get in are way crazier and really unlocks all kinds of stuff.

Are you pretty particular about the way you have your bike setup or do you like to change things up to see how it feels?
I pretty much keep my bike the same always, my bars definitely have to be in the right spot though otherwise my bike feels so bad

We actually heard a little something about a pair of signature bars that you’re working on with Wethepeople. Can you tell us a little bit about those and when people can expect to see some prototypes?
Yes! I am getting my first signature product in the form of bars! Some quick specs are 9.25 tall, 11 back and 2.666 upsweep. They are named the Stallis bars because that is a nickname of the city I grew up in, West Allis, Wisconsin. I should be receiving my first protoypes in the next few weeks and I can’t wait to try them out!

Will the bars be designed to run Chicago or is that optional?
Haha, Chicago position and even more forward are the only angles!

So you have your signature frame colorway and signature hub colorway from Madera, the new bars¦ Any other signature products you’re able to let us in on?
As of right now those are the only things I have on my plate, I am very thankful for everything I have at the moment. It’s still crazy to me that I have anything!

We caught up with you not too long ago, but we might as well ask! Any news you can tell us about as far as trips, video projects or anything with the sponsors you can tell us about?
Heading to Fresno, CA in a few weeks for a quick WTP trip, then hopefully Ecuador in May. My new Dan’s Comp edit should be dropping any day now. Just keep your eyes peeled for more!

How can people keep up with you these days?
Follow me on Instagram @dankrukbmx

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Thanks to all my sponsors, friends and family for all the support. Shout out to Kurt for the interview!

Anything else you want to say?
Anyone have a 6mm I think my bars slipped.