Merry Christmas 2012

We here at Singapore BMX would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers throught the world a very Merry Christmas. Ride safe!

Tampines BMX Track closure until further notice

I was informed about this recently but a post on Facebook confirmed it all. Looks like it will be closed and once again, our youth who want to take part in races and want to practice will have nowhere else to go for that. Once again, sports takes a back seat to money. To be honest, it was not surprising

Profile 22mm spline drive sprocket

We were taking a look at some of our BMX Twitter feeds and we saw this new one from Profile Racing on their Twitter account. This was about four days back and it is simply titled: "The birth of the Profile 22mm spline drive sprocket". Interesting. No more sprocket bolts!

BMX parts in Singapore?

Like we have said before, we love getting letters and emails from people because we can get to spread the BMX love far and wide. The problem is, BMX race parts in Singapore are pretty hard to get and very few bike-shops carry them, so I can understand this gentleman's frustration as we have faced it before as well. This email was received recently:

Dear Sir,

Need your assistance to refers to local bike shops that carries BMX bikes and parts. I'm looking for racer specific parts and accessories or do we have to import from US/UK since the BMX scene here is basically very much dead? Never see BMX so "dead" after 30 years of cycling............BTW this is for my son.............I'm more into road bikes, but once upon a time a big BMX fans for 13 over years
Any forums or shop list you can refers to will be great.
Thank You so Much!

We replied to his email and hopefully, the shops we listed would have what he needs. As for the scene being dead...

International riders in Singapore? Interesting.

We here at Singapore BMX get mails everyday and we always try to respond with offers of help or referrals. We got this mail recently. Sounds pretty exciting:

Hello. My name is (name deleted) and I would like to find out if you would be interested in working with us..
We are planning on bringing a group of 6 Professional BMX Rides (Freestyle - Park and Dirt) to Asia at the end of December/beginning of January. The group will comprise of 6 international Pro BMX riders (from USA, Germany, Spain, UK and France) and will spend at least 1 week in Singapore.

Our plan is to start in Singapore and then travel through Asia. We would be very interested in performing for shows, and/or offering workshops for the local riders. As such, we are reaching out to you to understand your level of interest in working with us.

Please let us know of your initial thoughts and ideas.

I'd be very happy to share more details. My numbers are listed below. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

We told them we would be happy to work with them. They were happy about it and they said that they would be in touch.

Remember...keep those emails coming in! Send them to admin@osbmx.com

Fiend BMX

We are always on the lookout for good BMX bars that one can use for racing. I was recently alerted on these bars by a friend of mine in the USA, a company by the name of Fiend BMX. These bars look pretty good and are plenty wide to handle BMX racing. Specifications of these bars are:

8.75″

8.75″ rise, 28.5″ width, 12 degree backsweep, 1 degree upsweep, 1.7 lbs; 13 butted heat-treated 4130 chromoly. ED Black, Embryo Red, Embryo Green and Chrome

8.5″

8.5″ rise, 28.7″ width, 12 degree backsweep, 1 degree upsweep, 1.6 lbs; 13-butted heat-treated 4130 Chromoly. ED Black, Embryo Red, Embryo Green and Chrome

8.25″:

8.25″ rise, 28.5″ width, 12 degree backsweep, 1 degree upsweep, 1.5 lbs; 13-butted heat-treated 4130 chromoly. ED Black , Embryo Green, Embryo Red, and Chrome

Not too bad eh?

Happy Diwali

Singapore BMX would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Hindu friends and riders a very happy and blessed Diwali

Rest in peace Kyle Bennett. You will never be forgotten

Picture courtesy of BMX Mania

The BMX World has lost one helluva racer. We read yesterday that Kyle Bennett, one of the smoothest riders that we know, passed away in a car accident. He was 33 years old. So many people are saddened by his death and we here at Singapore BMX wish to add our condolences to his family. We will remember him. Rest in peace Kyle. Rock that BMX track in Heaven!

New VP of BMX in SCF

Old news for some but for those who do not know, there is a new VP of BMX in SCF named Richard Dawson. You can send him emails if you want to know about race schedules and such. Alternatively, you can still send emails to us here at Singapore BMX and we will be more than happy to forward all emails to him. Let us just hope that Mr Dawson brings BMX in Singapore up to a higher level than what it was before. Let us also hope that funding and recognition for BMX in Singapore rises, along with participation. We need your help to bring the level of BMX up. In any case, congratulations to Richard Dawson!

S&M with a whole new bike size

Looks like S&M may be making a special-sized Holmes frame for the taller rider who is too big for a 20" bike. This is S&M's answer, a 22" BMX size. According to them:

Lookin' to roll on twenty-twos? The new Holmes Frame, 22" Pitchfork and Revenge wheels and tires have arrived! Want one? Get your local shop to get 'er done!

I thought that I had seen the "in-betweens" like the Hoffman Bikes 18" frame and fork. Looks like the other "in-betweens" have finally happened. Too big for a 20" and too small for a 24" cruiser? This may be the sweet spot you may have been looking for.

No VP of BMX after the SCF Annual General Meeting?

Yes, that is what I was told. Apparently, no one wants to step up to the plate for the betterment of BMX in Singapore. But then again, it is not an easy task. It is either that or people do not want the responsibility that goes with it. And then, there were people who took it up because they wanted to gain something from it. I just hope that the new person who takes up that position is well-versed in BMX both locally and internationally and that person should have ideally raced in BMX races before. Then that person would have an idea what the sport entails

On an unrelated note, I have been receiving emails from quite a few people about the BMX Grand Nationals. We have forwarded those emails to the relevant parties. I know for a fact that this would not have happened if the stewardship was under my care, like it was last time. But after two terms, it is time I let the younger generation take over.

Take care all. Lets ride!

Rider not allowed to ride the ramps

There is going to be some event coming up soon and one of the riders went down to try it out. He was not allowed to ride the track but the funny thing was, other riders were allowed to ride on the track, as can be seen in the picture here. He was rather disappointed to say the least and I think I can empathise with him. The reason he was told why the other riders could ride was because the other riders were supposed to test the track. But the rider that is complaining was an ex-national rider and one of the best in the cycling scene in Singapore so why the double standards?

Selamat Hari Raya Aidul Fitr

We here at Singapore BMX would like to wish all our Muslim friends and riders a very Selamat Hari Raya Aidul Fitri 

BMX Night Race - 4x Mountain Biking Eliminator

Yep, you read right. There is going to be a race at night here in Singapore at the Tampines BMX track. It is gonna be held at the Tampines BMX Track on Saturday 8th September 2012 from 6pm - 830pm. That is indeed good news and it looks like our dream of finally holding a race at night is about to come through. Check out this site for more details. Get ready for a night of serious racing folks!

Interbike reaches out to BMX

This news comes courtesy of Bike Retailer. This looks interesting!

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (BRAIN) Monday July 16 2012 5:50 AM MT—Interbike is reaching out to tbe BMX industry with several new features at this fall's expo in Las Vegas.

The show will again designate a special section of the floor plan for BMX-only products called the BMX Zone. Additionally, partnerships have been formed with industry leaders for educational seminars, a brand-neutral freestyle BMX history area within the BMX Zone, and a new alliance with the Ride BMX NORA Cup Awards will be launched.

Interbike formed a BMX advisory panel earlier this year.

“BMX has such an important history within our industry, and with the category making its second appearance at the Olympics this year, the sport is growing,” said Pat Hus, Interbike’s managing director.

“We wanted to get the leaders in the segment together to help us understand what we as a business can do to help them get the most out of their experience at Interbike. We’ve had some great discussions since forming the advisory panel, and with their guidance I’m confident that we’re moving in the right direction.”

The advisory panel consists of executives from a cross section of the sport, including Dave Wooten of Stolen BMX, Joe Hawk of Haro Bikes, Bernie Doll of QBP, Robert Morales of Cult and several more.

The BMX Zone will be located in the upstairs show area and will showcase companies from all categories within BMX.

QBP will also sponsor and present educational seminars designed to help retailers learn more about the category and the new opportunities that exist within the segment.

“QBP has a tradition of partnering with dealers to help their businesses grow through educational opportunities,” said Glenn Dussl, QBP’s BMX sales manager. “With BMX being an enigmatic topic for many dealers we want to make this category easier to integrate into their stores and show that there is money to be made. We’ll have two seminars at Interbike this year with different levels of concepts and strategies to help dealers expose the BMX potential in their community.”

The Generations of Freestyle area will show off historical assets from many companies within the freestyle community and will serve as a meeting place for autograph sessions. The area, sponsored by Interbike in association with Haro Bikes, is being designed by industry veteran Mark Losey. Losey has worked heavily in the media-side of BMX (Vital BMX, Ride BMX, BMX Plus!), and is currently the US BMX Freestyle Manager for Nike.

Those interested in sharing items with the Generations of Freestyle display should email Losey at marklosey@gmail.com.

Interbike is also a new sponsor of the Ride BMX NORA Cup BMX Awards. TransWorld Ride BMX Magazine has previously held its invitation-only awards ceremony in Las Vegas during the same week as Interbike, but the two companies have never formally worked together. The 2012 Ride BMX NORA Cup Awards will be held in the Venetian Hotel & Casino in The Venetian Showroom on Thursday, September 20.

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/6994.html    

BMX "National Championships"

There is a so-called BMX National Championships coming up in a couple of days but the thing is, people do not know much about it. All people have to see is this poster above, and even that one I got from a closed group in Facebook. I have not been to the Tampines BMX Track lately so I hope that posters were put up there. All I know is that I have gotten quite a few emails asking me about the time of the race, where its located (mostly from foreigners). It led to someone posting in that closed BMX group:

One of the emails I got goes like this:

Do you know what times etc?
Do you know where to buy a second hand BMX or even hire one for a week or so?
He has a BMX in the UK, but not here.
Thanks

So What is happening out there? When you run a race as important as this, communication is very important. People need information and timing, Looks like some people got goosed.

Media wants BMXers for a local drama

We had an email yesterday from our local media folks and it went like this:

Urgently looking for BMX riders aged between 15 to 25 to act for a (local channel) drama. The filming is next Tues to Thurs. The auditions will be from tomorrow to Sun. Interested talents kindly contact me at (number deleted) or (email account deleted for privacy). Thank you.

We replied to her and told her that we could not help much but we are willing to try again. Anyone needing more info can contact us at admin@osbmx.com

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Guthrie FMC and the Tampines BMX track Singapore

Just the other day, I came across this on Facebook. Someone made some comments about the Tampines BMX track. Apparently, Guthrie FMC is now in charge of the Tampines BMX track and now it seems that people have to pay to use the park if you are conducting clinics. Fair enough...it is maintained by them and I suppose one has to pay for wear and tear. But this posting yesterday really was the last straw:

What the heck is this about? This is going too far! So apparently now we have to pay to take pictures at the BMX park? It seems that pictures taken for commercial use will be subject to payment to Guthrie but apparently, pictures for keepsakes and non-profit use will be free. The thing is, how do we separate the two? Its really exasperating that this is happening. Somehow, I knew something like this would happen after the YOG games.

So what did I do? I did the only thing possible. Call up the Guthrie FMC office and ask for an explanation. But more often than not, I was taken for the run-around. Left my phone number but people did not call me back, sent emails but no response as well.

Alexander Guthrie and his nephew James Guthrie must be rolling in their graves. Imagine, when Guthrie asked William Farquhar for permission to build his godowns near the Singapore River way back then, he was not given permission. When Guthrie threatened to leave Singapore and do business somewhere else, Farquhar and later, Raffles, caved in because they knew that Guthrie was right. It is a shame that the company that he founded, the one that bears his name till today, could be like this.

In any case, I have said what I want to say and I had a chat with someone who looks after the Tampines BMX park. Apparently, even those who come into the park to take pictures with a new bike (probably to capture some of the surrounding scenery) will be levied with a charge as well. I did tell the Guthrie representative that I did not see eye-to-eye with this as this does not constitute wear-and-tear of the BMX park. And I also told him that there is a very fine line to draw between what photographs are commercial and which are not and I did not see eye to eye with that, as it does not help with the development of the sport. At least we agreed t disagree. A nice gentleman and a pleasure to talk too. Thanks Bobby!

Supercross SLT 20mm forks are out!

Got an email to inform us that Supercross BMX is now shipping these 20mm thru-axle SLTs and most Supercross BMX dealers in the USA have them already. They look pretty good too!

BMX star Shanaze Reade: I still feel ten years old

Photo Courtesy of Metro UK

Shanaze Reade is a long way from Beijing.

Four years ago, the Crewe rider was the nearest thing Britain had to a nailed-on Olympic gold. At just 19, the reigning world champion had won almost every meaningful race she had ever entered until her first Games.

But, finding herself second to Anne-Caroline Chausson of France entering the final bend, she committed herself to a last-gasp attempt to pass.

It failed. Reade hit the dirt, finished eighth, and the devastated teenager considered quitting.

‘I just stepped back and thought: I got into sport for the fun, for the enjoyment. Talent mixed with determination and everything else equalled good things. But I didn’t get into it to feel so low and depressed. I was in a very dark place after Beijing.’

Four years later, her commitment to her sport fully restored, Reade is sat in British Cycling’s world-leading indoor BMX track in Manchester, discussing a year which will see her compete on home soil in the world championships, in Birmingham, before seeking Olympic redemption in London.

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/olympics/896466-bmx-star-shanaze-reade-i-still-feel-ten-years-old#ixzz1sMDXnlQE

Greg Hill Products (GHP) Pro XL BMX race bike

I have always been admirer of Greg, even from the early 80s when I used to race BMX. He has always been totally dedicated to the sport and that is something I can respect. He has a stable of bikes for sale and from what I can see, they are specced out pretty good. Take the Pro XL one pictured above. According to the website:

The 2012 GHP Pro XL race bike features a 7005 series aluminum frame with 1-1/8" integrated headtube, chromoly GHP fork with tapered legs, alloy frontload stem, 8" rise chromoly GHP bars, mushroom grips, alloy V-brake and lever, GHP 180mm alloy 2-pc cranks with sealed External Euro BB, 44T alloy 4-bolt chainring, 3/8" sealed flip/flop alloy hubs with 16T Dicta freewheel, 32H GHP double-wall rims, Tioga Powerblock 1.95 front/1.75 rear tires, GHP Pivotal seat, quick release seat clamp and Wellgo alloy platform pedals. 21.25" Toptube (20.4 lbs) 

Not too shabby! This would be great for the discerning rider who in Singapore only has the likes of ABD or Polygon to choose. I would even take these over the Kuwahara bike sthat are being released now. One thing I can say is, Greg knows his stuff. And we know that

Kuwahara padsets

Kuwahara padsets. That is what is missing from my ride. Unlike the ones that are currently available, these are meant for handlebars which are more easily available nowadays and the quality is absolutely fantastic. I managed to get a set and I was impressed!

RedlLine rolls out the flight carbon kit

I saw this being posted in BMX News today. Redline has been working on this Flight Carbon kit for some time and has always been in the prototype stages, or so I have heard when i made some enquiries. It was then called the Project 79. According to the article:

Redline has put together an impressive mid-step between the frame and hub kit, and the full-on, Veyronesque build at $2799. The Flight Carbon “Rolling Chassis” is kitted out with an Answer Dagger fork, Sun Ringlé polished wheel set with black spokes and red nips and headset hardware with “Team” top-cap for the Daggers.

It costs about $1300 for this kit alone. Well, unless you are a serious racer, by all means, break the bank and get it. For me? I'd stick to the material that got Linn Kastan into the BMX industry by making unbreakable and reliable products: chromium molybdenum steel or chromoly for short.

SunTour XC-II pedals

Back in the day, when one used to race, these pedals were the choice of many. These Suntour XC-IIs (photo courtesy of Helix BMX) really gripped your shoes and were deadly strong, thanks to the chromoly axle it had and the rather strong, replaceable cages. There were more exotic and expensive alternatives available like the Hutch Bear-trap pedals. Quite a few people used to file these Suntour pedal cages to make them sharper so that they would grab the soles of their shoes better. Remember, these things came out even before clipless pedals came into our sport. I have seen a pair in a shop near my place. I might get them for memories sake and put them on my old BMX.

Emails!

We love getting emails. Questions will always be answered so send your questions to us today at admin@osbmx.com. We got this email today:

Hey sorry to bother you, I came across your blog when I was searching for BMX Bikes in Singapore. I'm really interested in starting BMX riding, maybe not racing yet but hopefully to start from street. Any idea which shops that you would recommend a beginner to go to? Really appreciate your time reading this. Thanks!

We replied back and gave him a list of recommended shops that we know of, even though there is a dearth of good BMX shops in Singapore.

We also got this one from Germany:

Hello, I'm the Webmaster of a german BMX Forum and I was wondering if you're interested in Link Trade.I will put your Link on my Site if you add my Link to your Site.


We took him up on his offer. More BMX sites on the Internet means more people are interested in the sport! So keep those emails coming!

Odyssey XTRO thru-axle

A lot of people are talking about the 20mm thru-hubs, the supposedly new technology, that will be gracing bikes very soon. Very few people know that Odyssey already had that idea way back, in the mid 90s actually. So the concept was already there and I knew about it; I just never took it up as I only got back to BMX in 1999. This picture comes courtesy of BMX Society. Beefy looking fork too!

Profile Racing race-specific crankset

This was spotted at Interbike and someone sent it to me via email so i do not know who to credit this picture too. If any of you are reading this know who this picture belongs to, please send me an email and I will give credit where it is due.

In any case, this is the race-specific crankset from Profile Racing. Looks like they are using outward bearings and that the spider only has four arms. Nice bit of kit and I would take these cranks over any DXR or aluminium cranks.

Eric Rupe, a living BMX legend

I still remember reading BMX action in 1984. Even then, I knew who Eric Rupe was...one helluva BMX racer and still racing today! Stuff of legend I tell you. In any case, he now rides for GT, after riding for Mongoose for so many years. But the best thing I like about Eric? His philosophy, which is similar to mine when it comes to BMX:

What I hate about BMX is people who have never competed on the Pro level before yet they are in charge and trying to impose their lame brain ideas/rules

Yep. That describes some people running the show in Singapore alright!

GT Bicycles pro cassette hubset

GT always had some cool hubsets throughout the years. I remember back in 1984 when they were one of the first companies to make hubs that had hollow chromoly axles. Rob Fehd and Greg Hill used to use them on their bikes. In the 90s, GT came out with the Mohawk hub. Extremely popular too. These are the latest from GT. Specifications wise:

120pt cassette ratchet engagement w/16T cog; 

Female Chromoly bolt system; 

Sealed bearings- 2 front, 4 rear; 

36H- Front & Rear; Front 259g, Rear 494g; 

Available in Black and Gold

Yep, GT is making some cool hubs again!

Profile 20mm bolt-thru front hub

Came across this in the Profile Racing Facebook page and I must say that this could be the future of hubs to come. That picture above shows a SINZ carbon fork and the afore-mentioned Profile hubs. I would keep the hubs but the fork, I'll pass thanks! I must say that I agree that it will be stiffer and I dare say it looks pretty good!

New crank spindle size from Fit Bikes. 24mm?

Seems that Fit Bike's rider Shawn McIntosh was spotted with prototype 24mm spindle cranks, according to the Fit website here. Looks like it was a success and Fit will be releasing it in full. Looks like there is going to be a whole new size for BMX cranks, which previously only had 19mm and 22mm diameter spindles. This should be interesting and from what I read, they do not make Spanish bottom-bracket bearings for these cranks, only mid.

BMX racing in the 80s

As far as I am concerned, this is what BMX is all about. Never mind the terrain, weather conditions, we just race. So we have to ask...has BMX improved, or not?

Stereobikes CC Topload Stem

I have been posting some parts that freestylers use but from what I can tell, they can also be used for racing. Take this CC Topload stem from German bike maker Stereobikes for instance. They are pretty light and since they are strong enough for street riding and stuff, I am sure they will handle BMX  racing pretty well. Check out their website. I like their wheelsets too!

Foundation from France

Europe has not been slack when it comes to turning out quality BMX parts. France is no exception. Since the days when Christophe Leveque was racing on Sunn frames, also Mavic and their legendary wheels for both MTB and BMX, France has had plenty to offer. Foundation is no exception. They offer products like cranks, spindles and pedals. I daresay their forks would be pretty good. Now you know how fussy I am about forks...and I would take these over any aluminium or carbon-fibre forks anyday. Check out Foundation today!

Cult Deathrow bars

After I posted the Cult stem the other day, I decided to have a good look at the Cult website and see what else they have to offer, BMX-wise, that can be used for BMX racing. I came across these bars. Nice and wide, American-made bars. Cult call them the Deathrow bars. According to their website here they are described as:

american made, 100% heat treated butted chromoly. two sizes available.
8.35" rise, 29" width, 12° backsweep, 2° upsweep
8.65" rise, 29" width, 12° backsweep, 2° upsweep
available in black and chrome.

All I can say is, pretty good!

Excess Components wheelsets

There have always been people in the BMX world making pre-built wheelsets. Kovachi was one. Sad to hear that he passed away because his wheelsets were the stuff of legends. Sun used to make them too, as can be seen in their past Superstock wheelsets. There is a new kid on the block, well, actually, not really a new kid. I had the chance to see a pair of these wheel the other day and I was impressed. Well-built and looking good. The company's name is Excess Components and their pre-built wheelsets can be found here. They also make other BMX product like freewheels, now almost non-existent when cassette hubs came into play. Check them out!

Happy Chinese New Year

We at Singapore BMX would like to wish one and all Kung Hee Fatt Choy. May the Dragon Year be a better year for everybody. 

Haro numberplates

Bob Haro, the freestyle legend, was pretty much an entrepreneur back in the day. He started off by making numberplates, using a hot stove to bend plastic...just to earn a little money. He made these plates for friends of his and pretty soon, everyone wanted a number plate made by Bob Haro. I never had one of his plates back in the day...I had a Zeronine plate. But most of the BMX pros back in the day had Haro numberplates.  They would not look out of place even at the races today!

Macneil Tabarnak Bars

When Jay Miron left Macneil, many in the industry thought that it would be the end of the company. Frankly, I do not think so. They still continue to churn out quality product and these new bars from them, called the Tabarnak bars, is testament to their reputation. Many riders nowadays are riding bars that would not look out of place in the 1980s, with the wide stretch and nigh height. According to Macneil's website, these bars:

...feature full post weld heat treating, multi-butted Sanko tubing, 19mm cross bar and is available with 8.25″ or 8.75″ rise. The 8.25″ rise version is 28.5″ wide with 10º backsweep and 1º upsweep and the 8.75″ rise version is 30″ wide with 12º backsweep and 1º upsweep. Available colours are ED black, green, purple, raw and chrome.

So there you have it...more colours available than a Mexican blanket. Good enough to use for racing and strong enough to take bumps at the trails. Pretty nice don't you think?

Seaspec sunglass for extreme sports

A buddy of mine is bringing these Seaspecs in. Very useful for cycling as it keeps debris from flying into your eyes. Very useful for racing as it prevents any loose mud or stones getting thrown into your eyes and bogging up your performance. And the darn things even float on water.Check out this link on the forums and give Peter a call. They are relatively inexpensive and they will protect your eyes.

Cult salvation stem

I have always been a sucker for clean-looking stems and this one from Cult looks as clean as it should. This was made by a company that makes bikes and parts for freestyle so I think that it would handle BMX racing with no issues at all. To me, a strong stem is very important and I think this stem can deliver the good when it comes to durability. Cult has an online store so you should be able to order from them

Elevn Technologies stems

I still have my DK stem from many years ago. This stem is still functioning nicely and I do not think I need to change it. DK used to be THEE company to turn to when it came to BMX stems, along with Pro-Neck and Tuf-Neck and even Nitto, for us guys in Asia. But there are new guys in the market now...there always have been.

Looks like the boys down at Elevn Technologies are no slouches when it comes to new BMX product. According to BMX News, this is the stem that they have produced. Looks like they are getting more product in the market. The specs are:

Elevn Stem Specs
1” 35mm 38mm 40mm 45mm (MSRP: $64.95)
1 1/8th 45mm 50mm 53mm 57mm 60mm (MSRP: $69.95)

Colors: White, Black, Polish, Red, & Blue

That is in US dollars for you guys. Not cheap but I dare say that this stem would be great.

S&M Bikes 20MM race fork with a thru-axle

Looks like S&M Bikes are stepping up the ante when it comes to having thru-axles. They already have a 20mm thru fork so this was the next step. And I might add, that is a very interesting way of lacing the wheel, from what I can see

Supercross Bolt LT

With all the aluminium BMX race frames out there, it is great to see that Bill Ryan of Supercross still sticking to the roots of BMX and releasing a chromoly race frame. This is the frame that can be used for racing and in the off-peak racing season (if there is any like it used to be) can be used to session the trails. It will last longer than an aluminium BMX bike and it is a lot more resilient as well. The features of the bike, according to the Supercross website are:

• Triple Butted Air Hardened 4130 Cro-mo Frame Construction.
• 4.2lb Pro Race Frame that can be used as an everyday race frame and trail bike
• Same race winning geometry as the Supercross ENVY
• Integrated Campy Style 45/45 Headtube with CNC’d LOGO
• CNC Machined Euro BB shell ( 68mm Width )
• Backside CNC’d Cro-mo Dropouts
• Built in Low Profile Seatpost Clamp with replaceable Nut and Bolt ( Quick Release Compatible )
• Uses a 27.2mm Seat Post
• Tapered Chain and Seat Stays
• Bullet Tipped Rear Stays

The bike is only very slightly heavier than its equivalent aluminium cousins but I bet that it would give a more comfortable ride. Thanks Bill. I respect your respect for the roots of BMX 

The story nobody wants to report

My friend Jack Baruth, using the pen name Jim Boswell, wrote this article for BMX Basics years ago. BMX Basics was his site and he had some very interesting articles in it, including this one. I learnt a lot from Jack and I am glad to have him as my friend, even though we have never met in person.

Recently, there were some posts in Facebook about high-end BMX frames. Some pretty influential riders were praising these frames to the skies. This sends the wrong message to kids just starting out in racing. I should know. I started out with a crappy bike but I won races with that bike. I think Lance Armstrong was right...its the rider, not the bike. I thought it would be great if I posted this article up because it is very relevant. Hopefully, someone will learn something from it

The story nobody wants to report.

Did you ever play 'make-believe' as a kid? If you did, or even if you didn't, let's play it together, now. Let's make-believe that we are the people in charge of a large bicycle company, selling BMX, trail, and flatland bikes. We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year buying advertising, paying for our factory team, bribing the color mags to keep them from trashing our products in print, and promoting our brand in general. It's tough work. Worse yet, we long ago lost the battle for "coolness" to the Standards and S&Ms of the world. About the best thing anybody has to say about our bikes is that they are a good value.

Still with me? Okay, good. Let's pretend it's World Championships time. We pay to fly our top riders to the Worlds. Our Pro rider doesn't make the main - oops! That's yet another main event in which we won't be represented. In fact, it's hard to find a main event which features our bikes. Looks like another wasted weekend, right?

Except... We receive an email stating that one of the World Champions used one of our bikes to win! And better yet, he used the cheapest bike we make of that type, a bike that originally sold for under two hundred dollars! Best of all, there were photos and videos taken that clearly show our bike winning the whole thing! What are we going to do? Should we sponsor this guy? Should we buy ad space? Should we even verify that the email is true?

Well, if "we" were pretending to be Seattle Bike Supply, doing business under their brand name "Redline Bicycles", we would probably do anything but what Redline has done - that is, sit on the information and not breathe a word about it to anyone. Oh, yes - that is what they have done.

As reported earlier on the BMX Basics front page, Raul Ruiz Astorga, my friend and houseguest, won the World Championship Challenger Cruiser class on a Redline 444. For those of you who aren't aware of what a Redline 444 is, it is a tri-moly cruiser weighing a solid thirty pounds and retailing in most shops for around two hundred bucks, maybe less. With the exception of the hard-to-find Huffy Radius 24", it's probably the cheapest "race-ready" cruiser to be sold in the past five or six years.

I purchased two used RL444s from a BMX Basics reader last year, a 1998 and a 1999 model, for the princely sum of $200 - and I really thought, after looking at them in the cold light of day, that I had paid too much. Only my general sense of Redline-related nostalgia permitted me to justify the purchase. "I'll have some backup frames in case I break my PL-24," I told Mrs. Boswell, but truth be told I figured the bikes would spend the rest of their lives in my basement.

When Raul told me that he wanted to race Cruiser in the World Championships, I offered him the free use of either of my 444s, an offer I also made to Andres Barrios. Neither of the bikes had a functioning crankset, so Raul and Andres installed some used cranks, some new grips and brake pads, and they were ready to rock - on bikes that weighed half again what their competition would be riding and didn't have Super Box Stays, Monocoque Construction, Mono-Tubes, True Temper OX Platinum Tubing, or any of that other good stuff. I figured that Raul and Andres would use their Cruiser laps as warm-up laps for their "real" rides in 20" Challenger.

They both made the semis with little difficulty. Andres put a foot wrong in his semi and didn't make the cut to the main, but Raul sailed through, lined up for the main, and blew everyone else away to take the World Championship (for the NBL, anyway).

It took a couple of hours for the significance of Raul's win to sink into my mind. He had won the Worlds on an entry-level bike, a bike built in Taiwan at a raw cost of under a hundred dollars, a bike that most local-track 15 Cruiser riders wouldn't be caught dead on! Not since Shannon Williams won the ABA Grands on a steel Team Murray frame - that his father cut apart, added two inches to the top and down tubes, and welded back together - has there been such a Cinderella story in this sport. This was great news for Raul, and great news for the Bolivian team, and great news for his new sponsor, Kami Racing, but it was also great news for all of us out there in Average BMX Rider-Land. It conclusively demonstrated that my constant mantra here on this website, "Spend money on your riding, not on your bike," was correct. It was news that could put hope into the heart on every kid out there on a cheap bike.

I contacted Redline. I emailed BMX webmasters all over the world. And I sat back and waited for the news to be posted, for Redline to give Raul a new Proline in exchange for the World Champion RL444, for BMX Mania! to mention it... and I waited... and I waited... and heard nothing. This news, for better or for worse, would be blacked out.

I could understand why some of the BMX news outlets would ignore it - who cares what kind of bike somebody's riding? I knew the color mags would pretend it never happened - after all, they depend on ads, and nothing pays for ads better than selling $400 aluminum frames that cost $125 to make. But why would Redline ignore it?

Perhaps they ignored it because it simply didn't fit in with the industry worldview - that Winning Costs Money. To win, you need a $1500 bike with titanium washers and triple box stays. You need a personal trainer, a forty-five-week schedule, full factory support, and a brand-new neon racing outfit. The idea that a rider could come to America, play Nintendo 64 eight hours a day, ride around my house a little bit, and win the Worlds on a $200 bike was so far over their heads they had to pretend it didn't happen. The problem is, it did happen. Raul and Andres proved once again that anyone with the right talent and dedication can win it all. No factory support needed.

I'm not saying we should all go out and buy old Redline 444s. I let Raul and Andres keep the bikes, and I don't know where to find any more. What I'm saying is that BMX is about riders, not bikes. It's about heart, not factory box vans. It's about you, not the GT Bicycles Marketing Department. If you aren't winning, stop blaming the bike, your parents, the track operator, the phases of the moon - look inside and see what you need to do to win. Assuming, that is, that you really want to win. I've been very happy in BMX with nothing but local wins to my credit.

If you do want to win, though, what better way to do it that on a four-year-old, tri-moly, bargain-basement bike? Congratulations to Raul and Andres yet again for proving me right. I think it's the first time

Haro Pro-XL race bike

First and foremost, Singapore BMX would like to take this opportunity to wish one and all a very happy New Year 2012. We hope that this year will bring more to the BMX table here in Singapore and we also hope that more people in our esteemed Singapore Sports Council will stop referring to BMX as a kid's sport. In short, we hope that they understand that BMX is here to stay.

While on the subject of BMX, we have had many emails and letters asking us about what bike can be used for racing. Of course, they want the best bang for buck BMX racing bike. This Haro Pro-XL bike above has everything for the beginner...at a relatively inexpensive price. A description and brief details of the bike are:

Like the smaller sized models below it, our Pro is built using aircraft-grade 6061 aluminum and features a sealed Euro BB and hubs. The biggest difference between the smaller frames and this one are the 3D dropouts with integrated chain tensioners (found on our Pro and up). A 21” top tube and full size 8” bars make this a perfect fit for early-to-mid teens serious about winning a title or two.                      

• + 6061 T-6 Alloy Frame with 3D Drop Outs & Chain Tensioners
• + 100% chromoly fork
• + 175mm 3-Piece Crmo Crank Set with Sealed BB
• + 36 Spoke Alloy Rims with Alloy Hubs And Sealed Bearings
• + Kenda “Kontact” Tires
• + DX Style Alloy 9/16” Pedals

Pretty good componentry for a good price. If you are just getting started in racing, this would be a good bike to start on.