Phil Wood Hubs, Single Pinch-bolt Redline Flight Cranks, Hutch Pedals, Vintage Campy Cranks, Landing Gear Forks, ACS Z-Rims or Mavic Touring Rims, Aero Speeds, Cooks Brothers Frames, even HED 3’s. For those of you familiar with these products, know what I am referring to. If you can’t afford a car as a fixer upper, you go to the next best thing, man’s best invention, the bicycle. Yo, if it’s not a skateboard, it’s a bike.
It’s common for a lot of skateboarders to roll with bikes, who wouldn’t want to mash down the streets with a bike? Just like when we were rug rats. Back then we had “real spoke cards” that clicked with every revolution of the wheel. Some riders even use the bikes for rehabilitation of injuries or just plain fun. Even Shiloh Greathouse is a rider, turning this lifestyle into a business, owning Bici concepts, based on bicycle accessories. And let’s not forget good’ol HUF, Keith Hufnagel with the popular Deep V Rim Tape and Jovantae Turner affiliated with the MashSF crew. Fixies are big, especially with Rick Mcrank and Keegan Sauder. But the legendary PK Ripper brought back for their anniversary in collaboration with DC Shoes is a sure stunner for BMX heads. Lindsey Robertson and Ryan Smith would agree, since they can be seen riding these limited edition beauties.
Ok, I’m going to have to take back the idea of the bike being man’s greatest invention. The bike is actually a product of the best invention, which was the wheel. You know what I mean. But do you remember your first bike? It seems so traditional for kids to have their “first” bike. Mine was a 1989 Loop tail Mongoose BMX bike, it was chrome and beat to shit with the drop outs crooked as hell. I got it for $5 off some kid named “Corn Dog” who probably stole it, but I was young and wanted a bike. In contrast, those from an older generation may also recall track bikes or 12 speeds. You miss your Bianchi or Bridgestone bike? They’re still around, buried sometimes in people’s back yards or thrift stores. Old school, mid school, new school, it doesn’t matter. Love your ride, love your bike and remember that bike was built by you to ride. Ride it hard and remember as Squid says from Team Puma, “If it’s a fashion accessory, it could be a dangerous fashion accessory.”
Getting from Point A to Point B on a bike is a very different experience from driving in a car. Depending on where you live, a bicycle can be a more efficient way of traveling, but can also be dangerous. Midnight Mashes on your cruiser or fixie will take you through alleys and shortcuts, but if you don’t pay attention and respect it for what it is, you will re-live that nasty face plant to the cold, hard concrete. Yeah, you remember that time. You either cried or got right back up and acted like no one saw you. Inner city cycling has really grown in the last decade. I think people are really starting to realize this alternative to cars, using bikes to zip through the headache of traffic and even get some decent exercise while at it. Now everyone has a preference, whether you’re cruising on your BMX or mashing on your fixie, the bike becomes your way of getting around the city.
Some of the parts listed earlier go for as much as your beater-ass car. Vintage Campy track parts and old school BMX parts are rare and hard to find, making them sought after that much more. For all you shoe fanatics, you can relate. And this is where it gets interesting. When it gets down to the bare bones of bikes, it’s all about the parts and how they function together. The number one rule for bikes always to remember, is when buying a used bike/part, make sure you buy accordingly to your size. This goes more importantly for track bikes. Having a fit bike is the difference from comfort to safety. Invest in your bike and it will be well worth it. Riders know the importance of trued wheels, torqued bolts and greased parts. That’s the respect your bike deserves. Some people keep their bike to old school spec, some mix new with the old, some people have brakes. It’s up to you, build something that suits “you.”
Now, the whole “cool” factor to bikes and what to have/or not have, kill all that. This isn’t Vice Do’s and Dont’s, this is your bike, this is your life. If you love bikes and want to get into fixies, the best way is a FF Hub or Flip Flop hub. It only adds a few ounces of weight to the bike, but it is worth it. If you still need practice on a single speed, flip the hub around to the free wheel, and ride on that. Once you get the feel for the bike, you can flip it back to the fixed /hub gear. With this, your wheels have to be true and the chain must be straight, and if you have to, add spacers between the spindle and crank arms so hey are aligned properly. This is important because this is where the power and pull comes from in fixed gears. And for yours and others safety, put some brakes on there if you must. Sure, skids may look fun and suicides may look easy, but if you can’t do them like your life depends on it, use the brakes. You think you’ll look cooler flying over the hood of a car?
Ah yes, the BMX bike. Your childhood memories are nostalgic as mine. Me, I always wanted race nationals or ABA, as much as fixies wanted to be on the Velodrome track. Back then, as kids we rode 20 inch bikes, but as you get older, the 20 inchers are harsh on the back for long riding, especially if you are cruising the city. 24 inch cruisers are a bit better on the back, giving more leg room. And little kids won’t point at you and say “look at that grown man on a kids bike!” Bmx bikes are a bit easier on the legs, since it is a single speed/free wheel, and perfect for just city “coastin.” Parts for vintage bmx bikes seem to be on the rise and the demand is there. Ebay listings for Hutch cranks are reaching $3,000+, for cranks! And talk about SST first generation hubs, better get ready to crank out roughly $1500. Obviously, parts like these are mainly collectors. But folks like the Casual Suspects (CSBC) in Los Angeles mob the city with parts from Haro to Hutch to Kuwahara alike.
So revive that old BMX, grease up that track bike. Take a break from the gas prices, ride that track fixie, ride that BMX cruiser. Got a hill around the way? Bomb that. And if you are riding at night, make sure you got some lights so some moron doesn’t run you over. Remember, share the road, but motorists will be pissed off. It happens. Have fun though. You know the old saying from Ahmed, “Back in the days when I was young, I’m not a kid anymore. But some days I sit and wish I was a kid again.” Hey, a bike ride may just do that for you. Good luck, now go mash and smash.
Until another day of "joy riding" comes my way...
-P
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