Signal BMX

Hm. If I keep this up, I can avoid writing about the new STA almost indefinitely. Friday came and went, and I thought it just better to ignore it entirely than come up with another half-baked excuse. Then I had things to do this weekend, and all of a sudden it was Monday again. And here I am at quarter of 10 planning on just posting yet another last-minute, catch-all sort of post. Dammit. I hate it when I do that. So just two quick things today:

• Props to Fly for openly admitting their Spanish BB2 was a failure. One would imagine, given the ease of installation and the cache of yet another new bottom bracket standard, they could have cobbled something together that would have at least sort of worked, then blamed failures on riders. (Most of them would have wound up on/in unridden Bikeguide bikes anyway.) Now, if they'd just admit the whole Spanish BB concept is the equivalent of Betamax or HD DVD, maybe we'd have something.

*Please do not stuff your headset in your bottom bracket shell.*

• When I think "Snafu," I think "cheap." So the idea of an $70 (approximated due to the 4x more expensive than a plastic pedal figure) aluminum pedal just doesn't set right. As it is, there are plenty of options when it comes to expensive pedals, and yet another Wellgo product doesn't seem to be terribly necessary. Not to mention Demolition already ran wild with the "Anorexia" name. Eating disorders are so 2001 anyway.

My favorite part about this release, though, are the smaller versions allegedly designed specifically for track bikes. This is fine, I suppose, if your goal is to die a horrible death. Riding a fixed gear in traffic (or anywhere else, for that matter) with platforms is about as smart as surfing on a 2x4. I could be wrong—there could be provisions for clips and straps—but I doubt it. Good work, fellas.


I'll get back to the proper song vids when I write a proper post. You should also watch this.

Gez just sent me the latest Mandown edit and it’s pretty sick. Glad to see he’s bang on it with the 1 chip!

Mandown Four! from ben gerrish on Vimeo.

A long time, there was a band from the DC area called Circus Lupus, who put out two full-lengths along with a Joan Jett produced single on Dischord Records. The band played a spastic, sometimes messy mix of math rock/punk, and became most notable for vocalist Chris Thomson’s snarled voice. I think I saw them once when I was very young and impressionable and thought, “That music was crazy, but people with hair dyed orange is even crazier.” (Yes, times have changed.) Anyways, like all things DC and Dischord with the exception of Lungfish, Circus Lupus broke up. I don’t know why, but it seems to have been a split between Thomson and the remaining three quarters of the band (Chris Hamley-guitar, Seth Lorinczi-bass, Arika Casebolt-drums), who went on to form Antimony. It was, essentially, the music of Circus Lupus without Thomson’s vocals, which were replaced by a muffled, borderline spoken word soundtrack provided by guitarist Chris Hamley. I got to see the new band once, in a record store in Arlington, VA I think, and was definitely into it. The band eventually headed back to the studio and recorded a full-length produced by J. Robbins of Jawbox and mixed by Ian MacKaye. And then the inevitable happened again; Antimony broke up. I had Phantom Itch once upon a time, but lost it many moons ago. Luckily, I found a link to download it here, and I was very glad to find it again. The music is 14 years old, but it’s stood the test of time very well. I think I actually appreciate it more than Circus Lupus since the very math-driven music isn’t overshadowed by the vocals. But wow, what a terrible album cover…

I hit up Cleggy to see if he was up for venting his thoughts on the way he thinks BMX will go in 2009. Not only is he the first industry type to get content to me the same day, it also came out ten times better than I even could have hoped, read on….

1. I saw this regarding Nigel Sylvester’s new sponsorship move to gaytorade…
“We’re excited to take our presence in action sports to the next level,” said Kenny Mitchell, action sports team manager with Gatorade.  “Many riders are using our products already because they know Gatorade is what you reach for when you want to stay hydrated and fueled so you can session longer.  We think tapping into this interest is a very authentic move for us as a brand.”
Just a quick focus on this bit again yeh
“Many riders are using our products already because they know Gatorade is what you reach for when you want to stay hydrated and fueled so you can session longer.”
I’d love to see them compete with a full cooked and lucozade on a Sunday morning after a heavy night on the ale. Errm predictions for this sort of carry on, well I like Nige, I once knocked about with him for abit he’s a sound fella, so him generating an income from killing it bike wise is totally legit, but seriously lose the presumptions that bmx’ers will consume products to technically benefit their riding, that sort of advertising must die out during credit crunch 2009 and I think it will. Although Attila’s “Hot Bars” will make you hop higher, and thats fact.

2. Regurgitated online zine matter. Right, all you lads who make BMX sites full of news and that, or zines. Seriously right, folk don’t want to go to the come up, then pop to defgrip, then take a peek at the dig site, followed by Ride uk, then hit streetphire followed by a quick shot on vital etc and read the same tat. If say streetphire for example put up “New Synthetic Orchid’s” first, then they have won the right to broadcast that news piece. News should come direct from the source, then onto 1 zine site for comment max. It’s a right cop out when your looking at all the information sites and your greeted with the same news snippet, at least when the tabloids do it they lie and ad to it and have their own exclusive spin on it and make it more interesting than their competitors. If say Orchid, exclusively email Streetphire with news, it stays a Streetphire piece, unless another site can put their own spin on the news piece fucking leave it alone, no one
wants to see the same stolen shoe pic or video or integrated seat clamp on 50 BMX information sites. So yeh, with that, 09 prediction RE: content abuse, it will be fazed out for more thought provoking matter, unless exclusive.

3. Seat stems/poles/posts will get higher, it’s already started, so technically if your wanting to stay one step ahead of the game, keep em slammed, and do shit busdrivers for life.

4. BMX Branded tat. i.e Colony poker set, you might enjoy poker lads, but no one else does, it’s for geeks, I have side interests away from BMX, most notably footy and beer, Attila will never make a footy shirt or beer matts, it’s pointless only I would enjoy it and a hand full of die hard fans. That poker set was the worst, as was the FBM hip flask and the fucking ROOFTOP SHOW, rooftop if your wanting minor celeb status mate, go in the big brother house don’t drag us lot along with you. 09 prediction RE: BMX CHEAP TAT, if it’s not fazed out by the end of the tax year BMX has a serious branding issue that will need sorting at interbike, you know like when all the big lads had that sit down to discuss the BB saga that’l have to happen.

5. Wolf print scene, this has to die out. It was good when it first came along like, the ironic shirt, I was defs into it, then all of a sudden I can’t fucking move for large wolf prints on everything. Point taken lads you thought it was a decent idea at the time but by the time the screens were done you couldn’t turn back fair do’s, but lets leave it at 1 batch yeh. Also checked shirts are well plaid out now, no pun intended, so that should probs fizzle out.

6. Knee’s in slurp out. RE: Roll back snap out, stop slurping, only 1 bloke has made it look decent and thats Dakota Roche, no one can slurp out of a roll back as good as him and when you try it, it looks a right cunt so seriously give it a rest. I think it will die in 09 because not only does it look a twat it feels like your trying to make a snap out a whole new trick, when it’s not. Stop it.

7. Photographers getting flash insurance. If your a photographer I think you and I both know 2009 will be the year you get your gear insured, it’s happened a thousand times…..
“gent slurps out of a super fast roll back after doing a trick for the benefit for the photographer and hits the flash stand, knocking them to the ground and rendering the flash gun either useless or damaged”.
If your say a pro who’s taking pics for a living and your selling on the pics, you should know the drill by now, if your gear gets whacked then so be it. You’l have to make a claim, don’t have a wine at the rider it aint his fault, he’s only trying to ensure you get your rent covered. When Dave the builder damages his drill, do you think he turns to the wall he was working on and has a right go at it? No, it’s his tool, it’s a rough job, so he go’s and buys another one, claims his VAT back, and runs the drills costs through the tax expenses system, which is what you lot should be doing with your gear, so sort it out. Same go’s for filmers and that too. (the above is exempt for amateur photographers who are working with really clumsy riders, everyone has to start somewhere. )

8. Printed magazines will have to be free!! Seriously, unless you BMX mag people are going to produce a magazine sometime this century that’s going to be a keeper, I’d suggest you give them away for free, no one needs to be paying for a magazine that’s 3 weeks out of date news and info wise. 1 or 2 high quality mags every quarter, expensive, but absolute keepers. Real coffee table jobs, that’s the future. Kids wont mind paying £6 or £7 sheets for a keeper, it’s better than spending it a month and reading the mag once then chucking it. So yeh, for 09 mags for keeps, or mags for free.

9. So who’s going to get some kind of union together to provide insurance for BMX’ers? I’m talking yer life insurance, yer bike insurance, even yer media equipment insurance and travel? BMX can’t have legends like Aitken and Murrey in a lifetime of dept while nursing a possible disability. All riders need abit of insurance, you even get it when you play Sunday league footy for a pub team, I’m sure someone somewhere could do sumit. Maybe another one of those interbike sit downs eh or a small percentage from every complete bike sold go’s into the kitty for the riders who endorse the brands! 09, BMX insurance!!! lets hope so.

10. Brown Dickies

Blasting a down-table at York’s best kept secret Beddow’s Pic

Rico text me to inform me that Thursday nights are BMX nights at the Boardroom. Beginners from 4-5pm, Advanced from 5-7pm and 7-9pm. See you all there?

Alan you cant - stolen from LS6.

That’s right. Ride BMX put up a list of the top wood parks in the US and Mesh came in 3rd—and keep in mind 2nd place is a private park you can’t even ride. Congrats to Chad and the rest of the Mesh crew!

Matty sent through this awesome edit of himself, Jack Birtles and Zac Woods riding a few spots down south. TemperedBikes

My boys at FlatlineBMX have just got a batch of their "Almost Dead" frames which have been in testing for a while now. I saw Pete riding one when he came down a few weeks ago and it looked really good built up. Check the myspace for more info.

Wow, I think I might go quit. Also the phrases "don't be a girl" and "grow some balls" probably just lost all meaning.