Terrible One OOB Bars

I have always liked Terrible One products and these bars, the signature bars of Paul Buchanan are nice. Seems that the trend now is to go for wider bars with higher rises. Something from the old-school is still there with riders of today.

Bike Asia 2009 is going to be BIG

You guys have probably heard the rumours. There has been some talk in the bike forums around cyberspace. But look out for BMX to make their entry into Bike Asia 2009. Final details are being ironed out but you will see the history of BMX, from the 70's till today. We are working hard to try and showcase the BMX scene in Singapore, does not matter if you are a dirtjumper, racer, vert rider or even flatlander. It will be about BMX, where all the BMX disciplines come into show. Stay tuned for more news is about to follow. Check out the sites like our humble one at Singapore BMX, 20-Inch Circle and the main Bike Asia Site for more details soon.

Downhill BMX

I thought I would post this after a friend of mine posted a similar video in Facebook. Now this is hardcore BMX...downhill style. No suspensions like those downhill mountain-bike races. Here you not only have to ride on BIG jumps but you also have to contend with 7 other magnificent riders who are equally adept at taking the course on like you do. To all those SSC or Singapore Sports Council people who are watching, this is BMX! This IS Bicycle Motocross! This WILL be a feature in the Youth Olympics in 2010! Watch and understand!

We have a long way to go in sports

Those are not my words but rather, the words of a person named Peter Loon who wrote a letter to the Straits Times Forum page. I have been pretty critical about the Singapore Sports Council, or SSC for short, and their rather lacklustre support of BMX, especially since the Youth Olympics is not that far away. We still do NOT have a proper BMX track! This guy Peter Loon says it exactly the same way I do, but about sports in general in Singapore. Way to go Peter! This is the letter, courtesy of The Straits Times.

THE recent Volvo Ocean Race, which had a leg in Singapore, has left our shores. By all accounts, the response from Singaporeans was lukewarm at best.

The location of the race village, among other things, has been blamed, which may indeed be a cause.

But there is a more fundamental reason: It is the psyche of Singaporeans when it comes to sports.

Whenever there is a new sport, and few Singaporeans are involved, or it is not well followed on TV, attendance is dismal. This bodes poorly for future repeat visits by the Volvo organisers and, even more important, for the Youth Olympic Games.

We fought hard to win the bid, and it is meant to showcase Singapore not only as an efficient nation of organisers, but also as a nation committed to the heart of sport: athletic participation.

We still hear people speak of the Olympic medallists as 'bought foreign talent', and we are reluctant to enrol our children on sports programmes which may take them away from promising academic careers which will land them good jobs.

The man in the street knows little about the forthcoming Youth Olympics (quick, what are the dates?).

The average Singaporean knows even less about the Volvo Race.

Looking from the other side, things are not bright either. We have lost our coach who brought us the first Olympic medals in more than 40 years.

Sport is a means to build character and fitness and it is a revenue spur for the tourism industry.

It may be decades before we approach sports with the energy and enthusiasm the Australians have for any kind of sport (almost all sports at Sydney Olympics 2000 played to full houses), but we need to begin now.

The Youth Olympics is not that far away and changing the whole attitude towards sports and sporting events must be a priority, starting now.

Peter Loon

Thanks to Schwalbe and SpeedMatrix Singapore

Thanks to the guys at Speedmatrix Singapore for letting us test a pair of Schwalbe Moe Joe tires to see how it works on BMX. These guys are totally cool about it. Peter Chua now has the tires and will try it out to see how they perform. They look good and from what I was told, they will perform well

Volume Sledgehammer

It will not be the last time I write about these 26" BMX bikes. Some companies are making these big 26" BMX bikes to cater to the older crowd. This Volume Sledgehammer is one nice looking bike. This is an excerpt from the website here

We originally introduced the Sledgehammer 3 yrs. ago with the sole purpose to give those older guys something to tool around on. Whether it be to your local liquor barn or just cruisin’ the streets jumping curbs, we wanted a sense of nostalgia. Back in the early 80’s, 26” bikes were the “It” bike for O.M. racers (old men ABA class). A decade later, the only cruisers we could find were smaller 24” bikes that were aimed for teens. Our ultimate goal was to reintroduce the 26” cruisers of the 80’s with today’s standards. With pros and industry gurus such as Edwin Delarosa, Joe Rich, Stew Johnson, Jeff Zielinski, Greg Walsh, Keith Romanowski, Jason Enns, Launchpad and many more riding one, why wouldn’t you?

Thanks guys! We older guys owe you and the other bike companies that make these bigger BMX bikes big time!

Someone wants a Kuwahara

I get many mails on a daily basis. Some of them are inspirational, some are nostalgic and some are even asking for some information with regards to the BMX scene here in Singapore. Some just see the many gatherings we have for the old-school and want to know more, like this guy who writes me an email the other day. Seems like he had a Kuwahara BMX back in the day.

Hi there,

I love your site!!! Its really heartening to know that there is such a huge interest in the old school bikes!

I would love to own one again (I use to have 1 of those Laserlite back in the late 80's)
Am pretty sure it's almost impossible to find 1 these days but do you think you could point me in the direction where I can find the newer Kuwaharas? Any shop around that sells them?

Thanks in advance, Cheers!!

Well mate, would love to tell you where you can get one but they are pretty hard to come by, old and new! The old ones are understandable because they are pretty rare and you can find some old people who do own some valuable old bikes that they probably picked up for a song when BMX started to die out in the mid to late 80s. As for the new Kuwaharas, you can check out the website at http://www.kuwaharabmx.com and check out some of the bikes they have there. They are not made in Japan like the quality Kuwaharas of old. They are now made in Taiwan but the stuff coming from Taiwan now is of good to excellent quality, not like the Taiwan from back in the day.

Keep those emails coming in guys! We can be reached at admin@osbmx.com anyday!

Eclat Tibia cranks

Many thanks to the folks at DIG BMX or else I would be totally in the dark about what is new in the BMX world. These cranks, named Tibia Cranks, are from Eclat, the componentry division of We The People and are actually a two-piece design, something that Bullseye and Hutch did ages ago. But they do look nice and they come in more colours than a Mexican blanket. Looks pretty good no? Check them out at the links above!

North-East CDC event at the Tampines Track

I received an email from an event company doing something at the Tampines Track. Looks like it will be a fun event. More details can be found at http://www.northeastcdc.org.sg

Some advice to those running the BMX scene in Singapore

Heard that some of them might be throwing in the towel soon. What? After only two months?

The interest in our beloved sport continues

I love receiving emails from people. It shows that our beloved sport can be pretty intriguing for the curious. I had this email a couple of days ago from this lady from a local polytechnic that wants to do some research on the track as well as take photos. Her email is below:

Hi there! I was reading the blog and find that it pretty much captures the enthusiasm of all BMX riders in Singapore. Thats cool! I am a photography student from a local polytechnic and I am intending to take some photos of this wonderful extreme sport for an assignment. I was wondering what time the BMX riders usually come down to try out the Tampines BMX Park. Is there any specific day or time? What is the best time for me to go there? I would appreciate it if you would reply me as soon as possible. Be hearing from you! :D

And another email I received goes like this:

Hello! I am from the Philippines. Currently working here in Singapore. I am 35 years old and a bit overweight. Hehehe.... I've gone to your website and it rocks! Great job. I have a few questions though. Do you know where I can buy some old school BMX parts and maybe a whole bike? I am staying at the Paya Lebar / Tanjong Katong Road Area. I was so inspired by your site. I saw Eddie Fiola, Martin Aparijo, RL Osborn and others which brings chills on my back. Hehehe... Hope you can help me. Congratulations for a site very well done! Thanx in advance.

Only too glad to help. However, since our track is in a bad state of disrepair, I could only advise here when riders go down there, which is mostly on the weekends. As for getting bikeparts and such, that is a slightly tall order but I can do what I can to help. Most bikeshops here do not understand BMX or just do not want to bring in BMX bikes, in spite of it being an Olympic sport. I will try to do what I can to try to convince bike shops to bring in BMX parts for racing. I, however, love receiving emails. Once again, the email address is admin@osbmx.com