tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4528453916317253842024-03-14T01:13:55.288-07:00BMX tec - BMX Product Design Blog. Bikes, parts, manufacturing and prototypesBMX Product Design. Check the latest bikes, parts, frames and prototypes.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-86834255466272593922010-07-02T13:34:00.000-07:002010-07-02T13:52:14.473-07:00Japanese PornDon't get confused, this blog is still dead.<br /><br />Strangely, it actually has more followers than when I used to post stuff. And of course it now gets far more Japanese porn comment spam than ever before... so that's a positive.<br /><br />But you see, I just lost a hundred of my hard-earned on Brazil v Netherlands, so I needed some cheer... And then I saw the latest Fly vid... and it was perfect... and it's in Melbourne.<br /><br />In fact, it was so perfect that it got me reminiscing about that classic Lotek mini vid. So here's a couple for old times sake:<br /><br /><object height="225" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=12970881&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=12970881&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="225" width="400"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="270"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=944542&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=944542&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="270"></embed></object>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com73tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-47918649179153099852010-02-19T03:23:00.000-08:002010-02-19T03:47:43.101-08:00Taste the Virtual Blood<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.simplebmx.com/include/images/news/18february-ejectalu_sm.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 420px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.simplebmx.com/include/images/news/18february-ejectalu_sm.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>You gotta say that Jimmy from Eject / Simple is stepping up his rendering game. That PC stem looked so real you could almost taste the blood and feel the holes where your teeth were as it snapped and you face-butted the concrete.</div><div><br /></div><div>And this one... the little bit of machining on the body... the touch of rust on the bolts. You just want to save it and upload it straight to your steerer tube.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway... damn fine looking stem is what I mean. You can read the interview with I did with Jimmy <a href="http://bmx-tec.blogspot.com/2009/08/jimmy-rostlund-eject-bmx-interview-part.html">here</a> and <a href="http://bmx-tec.blogspot.com/2009/08/jimmy-rostlund-eject-bmx-interview-part_03.html">here</a>, or you can head over to <a href="http://www.simplebmx.com/">Simple</a> for a couple more flix of the Eject v4 stem.</div><div><br /></div><div>god natt.</div>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-88625427676709386412010-02-18T16:55:00.000-08:002010-02-19T03:48:40.495-08:00Plastic Death StemIntroducing...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ky1m94e4bK1qzowzio1_500.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 420px; height: 290px;" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ky1m94e4bK1qzowzio1_500.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><h2 style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" class="posttitle icon icon0"> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">New Simple Eject v4 PC stem </span> </span></h2> "After doing massive material research we came across this High Strength Plastic, with an incredibly high molecular mass. This allows us to make a very light, yet very strong stem without compromising on the durability. We have taken this stem through a lot of testing and abuse to see how it would hold up, and so far it's proved to last very well."digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-42521778300148960352010-02-17T20:44:00.000-08:002010-02-17T21:19:16.068-08:00Dropping InAre cats still cool?<br />Anyway, here's mine dropping in on the backyard ramp:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S3zGcnRJm-I/AAAAAAAAAk8/Xr00QqgMxN4/s1600-h/dropping+in.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S3zGcnRJm-I/AAAAAAAAAk8/Xr00QqgMxN4/s400/dropping+in.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439440644836269026" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Bhusta gets rad</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S3zHPXE3oxI/AAAAAAAAAlE/nayTGspH3Xs/s1600-h/bhusta.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S3zHPXE3oxI/AAAAAAAAAlE/nayTGspH3Xs/s400/bhusta.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439441516663120658" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">stoked</span></span>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-68242554067871991582010-02-03T13:00:00.000-08:002010-02-03T14:28:34.495-08:00No Comment(s)That last post felt good. Cleansing. And it got me thinking.<br /><br />Back when this blog actually existed as a blog - like, with updates and stuff - there was one thing that always shitted me. And that was visiting the Colony site. Being in Australia, I suppose I always felt some vague loyalty to Colony and though I didn't particularly rate them, I bit my tongue and hid behind my <a href="http://bmx-tec.blogspot.com/2009/05/positive-negative.html">75% positive content policy</a>.<br /><br />But I was there again today, and enough is enough:<br /><br />1) Their logo is so fucking rubbish that I almost can't bear it. There is just so many bad things about it. There is the obvious things, like that it rips off the Gucci logo, does a shit job of it, and looks like it's been created by an 11 year old learning to use Illustrator. But there is also a subtle indescribable shitness to it, something that just makes you feel bad:<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S2n4Wgyf17I/AAAAAAAAAk0/pDqI0KIP9Tg/s1600-h/Colony+no+comments.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S2n4Wgyf17I/AAAAAAAAAk0/pDqI0KIP9Tg/s400/Colony+no+comments.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434147491041761202" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:85%;" >Out of the darkness a mysterious, bad looking logo appeared</span><br /></div><br />2) Every post on the site says "Yo yo!!" at the end of it. That also makes you feel bad.<br /><br />3) The comments section of each page, makes me angry:<br /><br /><b>No Comments:</b> OK, fair enough.<br /><b>No comments yet:</b> Of course there is not comments yet, cause there's no fucking comments.<br /><b>RSS feed for the comments on this post. TrackBack URL:</b> Would you like a feed of the comments that aren't allowed on this page? Maybe you'd like to leave a trackback that won't get left in the comments that don't exist?<br /><b>Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time:</b> No fucking shit.<br /><br />If I could just make one comment, I would suggest that someone spends the 60 seconds that it would probable take to remove all this bullshit.<br /><br />Sorry kids, that was just so negative, but felt so right. Some stuff just can't stay bottled up.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-9833805121866829922010-01-21T02:09:00.000-08:002010-02-03T02:28:06.386-08:00Guilt and Neglect... HoneyLast night I had a dream...<br /><br />Actually, it was probably leaning more towards being a low level nightmare. I was being talked at by one of those guys who hang around in skateparks, on bikes, but with the sole purpose of honing their relentless and uninterruptable, talking-at-you skills. You probably know the dude.<br /><br />Anyway, the light was fading and I was cornered and this uncontrollably verbal bmx bandit, he was really going for it. He was spitting all over me as he ranted with this mentally imbalanced, manically enthusiastic expression on his face. Wasting the valuable final minutes of my session as he repeated his crazed idea that the <a href="http://www.danscomp.com/images/products/mid_472115.gif">Fly not-pivotal seat post</a> was the best bmx part ever created.<br /><br />When I woke, I was confused. His views where controversial at best. What was all this about? Why had my sub-conscious conjured this impossibly annoying yet almost realistic character? Upon reflection, I decided that it was my inner self's effort to have me face up to the feelings of suppressed guilt and neglect that I've been carrying around with me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Guilt</span>: that I pretty much shut this blog down a few months ago in more of a fade away, than a burn up kind of way - I'd always thought that was a shitty way to go out. Guilty.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Neglect</span>: of the unposted jpegs of new the Fly Bikes bits that are still hanging around in my inbox. Why had they not been either posted, or deleted? Neglect.<br /><br />So it seems that the only way to exorcise this imaginary nightmare man talking blindly at me about bmx parts, is for me to. . . . . .<br /><br />Talk blindly at you about bmx parts. At least this one last time. Sorry.<br /><br />I couldn't actually tell you for certain, but I'm pretty sure that the last few months would have seen the standard shitload of new parts let loose via internet, stoking the fires of capitalism and exciting teenage males all over the western world to part with their parent's hard earned in the quest to <a href="http://www.cultcrew.com/home.php">define themselves</a> by the parts they ride.<br /><br />But I'm not going to sweet talk you with all that, I want to make you feel <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> special. I'm going to take you to my private place and show you the "things in my inbox".<br /><br /><table class="contentTable"><tbody><tr id="f3420221u3251" class="message"></tr></tbody></table>Pretend like it's the 11th of November and you've never seen this lovely piece of framesmanship before:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S2k92wNzwDI/AAAAAAAAAkc/JOWekhk1mGI/s1600-h/flybikes+luna+frame.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S2k92wNzwDI/AAAAAAAAAkc/JOWekhk1mGI/s400/flybikes+luna+frame.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433942436264263730" border="0" /></a><br />Ooohhh... yeah... it's the Luna. And it's purple <a href="http://www.flybikesbmx.com/files/products/luna_white.jpg">(or white)</a>.<br /><br />Please don't complain that this is old news - I don't care - this isn't about you. I'm exorcising, and you just happen to be on the other end of the cable. If you're going to get all needy and naggy, you may as well put your pants back on and leave.<br /><br />You don't need the specs. I don't have time and they're fucking everywhere, including <a href="http://www.flybikesbmx.com/frames/products/luna_info_white.html">here</a>.<br /><br />If you do like that kinda thing though, here's an illustration showing the features of Fly's 2010 frames. It is here because I like technical illustrations and it's a particularly fine example. Hats off to whoever at Fly draws that stuff:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flybikesbmx.com/files/site_image/2010-frames-structure-features-2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 232px;" src="http://www.flybikesbmx.com/files/site_image/2010-frames-structure-features-2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Next: 24th of November and and you may recognize this sprocket:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S2k-sT_V46I/AAAAAAAAAkk/JKZDroxYuHw/s1600-h/flybikes+circulo+sprocket.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S2k-sT_V46I/AAAAAAAAAkk/JKZDroxYuHw/s400/flybikes+circulo+sprocket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433943356400329634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Circulo by name, circulo by nature. All in all a very sprockety sprocket. They do always have good photos though, don't they darling? 2.2 oz.<br /><br />5th of December now. The Pantera was the second bmx frame I ever owned. This is the Pantera V4, it's covered with investment castings, it's red, and if you click the pic, it's almost like it's real:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S2lAvJk-Y2I/AAAAAAAAAks/2oKz6ooHji0/s1600-h/flybikes+pantera+frame+flat+red.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 243px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/S2lAvJk-Y2I/AAAAAAAAAks/2oKz6ooHji0/s400/flybikes+pantera+frame+flat+red.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433945604168246114" border="0" /></a><br />Yeah...<br /><br />So...<br /><br />That's it. Thanks. And all the best.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-15771368777502120702009-10-26T03:14:00.000-07:002009-10-26T15:38:05.425-07:00Can't See the Hammer for the TreesOK, enough hammer, back on the horse:<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.treebicycleco.com/"><br /></a><a href="http://www.treebicycleco.com/">Tree Bike Co</a> are the legendary little guys of bmx. They only make new shit when it's better than the old shit, they don't advertise much so just rely on the quality of their stuff to sell itself, they don't do gimmicks, and they should be the heros of anyone that rides bmx and has ever laid hands on any lathe or some kind of rudimentary milling set up.<br /><br />Their most recent bit of machinemanship is to be a stem they've done with the help of <a href="http://www.superratmachine.com/">Super Rat Machine Works</a>. At the risk of waving a red flag to the nothing-is-new-that-was-done-in-84 crowd, I'm saying that this stem features a new clamping system.<br /><br />I can't tell you exactly how it works, but I can try to tell you exactly how I think it works. Will that do? I'd say the collar that goes around your fork steerer is slightly larger than the cavity that it sits in, so as the top and bottom pieces of the stem are tightened, the collar finds space by contracting in on itself and clamps your steerer in the process. Of course your bars are also clamped by the two bits of the stem body.<br /><br />That was a shit description, but it's all I've got. Hopefully you get what I'm talking about, and hopefully what I'm talking about is what actually happens. Do you ever feel like you're wasting your time reading this? You could always go back and watch that MC Hammer clip in my last post.<br /><br />Anyway, here's some pictures of the Stem With No Name and some captions from Sam Tree himself:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWDuO6ob4I/AAAAAAAAAjU/rMv_NtlNizQ/s1600-h/image001.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 383px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWDuO6ob4I/AAAAAAAAAjU/rMv_NtlNizQ/s400/image001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396864558774644610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:85%;" >One stem. Three pieces. Four bolts. High Five!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWEi1GbPnI/AAAAAAAAAjs/tofYyTNZ5uo/s1600-h/image004.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWEi1GbPnI/AAAAAAAAAjs/tofYyTNZ5uo/s400/image004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396865462377856626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:85%;" >He had some other captions for here, but the first one was better</span><br /><br />I once had a hand in designing a stem.<br />It was shit.<br /><br />Well... I didn't actually design one, I just made an almost entirely unresolved sketch. And although it may well have turned out to be shit if it was ever made, the shittiness that I'm refering to is that it attempts to solve a problem that I don't really even think really is a problem. You see, I had a friend who had an idea to design a stem that slotted onto your steerer so that your bars were all nice and straight. Of course people have been putting handlebars onto bikes for years and you don't often hear someone complaining that they just can't get their bars straight, but working on the principal that my hunches are very often wrong and just being generally keen to draw some bike stuff, I had a go and came up with this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWSFi0JByI/AAAAAAAAAkE/_-4s-Hjz2H0/s1600-h/stem+sketch.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWSFi0JByI/AAAAAAAAAkE/_-4s-Hjz2H0/s400/stem+sketch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396880352415909666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's based around Superstar's Neutral fork which has an internally fluted steerer tube, but is probably too complicate to bother even trying to manufacture, especially when you consider that even 0.1mm slop in any of the fits would probably be amplified to a really noticeable amount of movement in the bars. My friend didn't like it and so together we came up with this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWSGLFsgwI/AAAAAAAAAkM/VrWEkVs2h0o/s1600-h/stem+sketch+2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWSGLFsgwI/AAAAAAAAAkM/VrWEkVs2h0o/s400/stem+sketch+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396880363226956546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That one might have been a little more realistic, and could have been done by machining a really slight groove down the sides of the steerer rather than the fluting that I sketched. But really you're probably just complicating things without really adding much other than the possibility that due to some slight error in jig set up or whatever, you'd end up making bars that locked on crooked to the steerer. That said one of the advantages of this idea is that the stem could come with two sets of wedges - with or without tabs - so it would also work without the slotted fork.<br /><br />Anyway, whay am I posting all this? Well, apart from trying to make things a little more interesting, I'd been thinking that the Shola stem which was around at InterBike might be trying for something similar with what looks like little grub screws on the clamping collar:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWSDmKSGCI/AAAAAAAAAj0/58oJRCIGqPQ/s1600-h/Shola+stem.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 219px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWSDmKSGCI/AAAAAAAAAj0/58oJRCIGqPQ/s400/Shola+stem.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396880318954346530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And while we're talking stems, I may as well try to make up for some recent slackness by posting up the current incarnation of T1's Cyclops stem that was also around at InterBike. But that's it, I'm all outta stem news:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWSEsWU_hI/AAAAAAAAAj8/vnJLqMs83l0/s1600-h/TI+cyclops.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 187px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SuWSEsWU_hI/AAAAAAAAAj8/vnJLqMs83l0/s400/TI+cyclops.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396880337795350034" border="0" /></a>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-69567380281684306592009-10-26T02:30:00.000-07:002009-10-26T03:14:32.455-07:00Here Come the Hammer...Hey, long time no blog. How you been?<br /><br />I admit that a week between blogs is pathetic, but I've been busy man. Take for example the fact that I recently formed a band named Hammer that are poised to set eyebrows on fire all over the globe. Said forming also included the development of a marketing strategy for the band involving popularising new slang uses of the word "hammer" such as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVv73jOosVE&feature=player_embedded">"Mirra is all hammer on that special flip"</a>, or "Sergio's new tyre looks the hammer":<br /><br /><object width="410" height="230"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7064414&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7064414&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="410" height="230"></embed></object><br /><br />Truth be told, that whole Hammer thing only required a couple of mis-spent saturday evening hours and that the infrequent blogging thing is probably more about the fact that on this side of the world clocks have gone forward, we get an extra hour of light and after work sessions are back. Anyway tune in to see how that goes, but in the mean time, here come the Hammer:<br /><br /><object width="410" height="330"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gd1j5L2gCpA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gd1j5L2gCpA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="410" height="330"></embed></object>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-29933044798034491802009-10-20T02:41:00.000-07:002009-10-20T04:32:53.388-07:00The Odyssey<a href="http://www.odysseybmx.com/catalog/2010-download.pdf">Odyssey have written a novel.</a><br /><br />Odyssey actually haven't written a novel, but they have put together an encyclopedic product catalogue with a word count unprecedented by any bmx publication to date. I wonder who they think is going to read all those words? The BMX acedemia? I have a fairly high tolerance for that kind of stuff, but I've got to say, lost heart pretty quickly. That said, it's probably not so suited to an online experience. In hardcopy it'd be sure to be a thing of beauty - there's lots of nice photos and artwork, little tech diagrams and cut-away sections... and words, lots of words.<br /><br />As said, amongst the words there are some photos of their new stuff:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/St2eWAwMMWI/AAAAAAAAAjE/bq6Hinf3y54/s1600-h/chainwheel+sprocket.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 236px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/St2eWAwMMWI/AAAAAAAAAjE/bq6Hinf3y54/s400/chainwheel+sprocket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394642029656158562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is their Chainwheel sprocket. I saw this from the InterBike coverage of their stand, but didn't really know what to say about it. It just kind of looked unfinished and I didn't really understand why they wanted to add a bad looking sprocket that kind of has a milled-in-your-grandads-back-shed feel to it, to their range of really dope sprockets. But the answer to all question are to be found within the pages of the Odyssey encyclopedia. If you make it through the 500 word intro, you'll find that it's actually supposed to look bad. At least it's supposed to look like a chainwheel / spider set up of yesteryear. Fair enough.<br /><br />Anyway let's offset these negative vibes with some afore mentioned "dope" sprocket imagery:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/St2eWspwqYI/AAAAAAAAAjM/Qm7FQWU4-18/s1600-h/vermont+sprocket.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 326px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/St2eWspwqYI/AAAAAAAAAjM/Qm7FQWU4-18/s400/vermont+sprocket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394642041440348546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Awwwww - that's more like it! They've updated the Vermont sprocket and are calling it the Burlington. And that's a 25 tooth, in gold and looking rad. Apparently they've changed the tooth profile on this and the Chainwheel sprockets to something they're calling an Incisor tooth profile. And that's pretty much how it looks.<br /><br />Pedals. While we're talking pedals it should be noted that you actually would need an encyclopedia to keep up with the number of colourways that you can get Odyssey's PC pedals in. This may, or may not be the newest edition added to that list:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/St2eVs0Lz6I/AAAAAAAAAi8/MxK2LzcwStM/s1600-h/gold+twisted+pcs.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/St2eVs0Lz6I/AAAAAAAAAi8/MxK2LzcwStM/s400/gold+twisted+pcs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394642024304201634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That's also gold in case you didn't catch it. I have no idea how many colour variation these pedals have seen in the couple of years since they've become the pedal of choice for just about everyone, but my guess would be 23. Just sounds about right. I'd also guess that somewhere out there is a Ody PC freaker who has a cupboard full of bagged up mint editions of every colour ever released. Definitely. In fact, if you are that guy, could you please fill me in on the official total?<br /><br />I suppose you can't count these as straight PCs, but you can definitely count me in for a pair. And of course they're set to open up a whole new world of pedal mixin'n'matchin:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/St2eUwRVNzI/AAAAAAAAAi0/PVtqV1Z4d6k/s1600-h/JC+PC+pedals.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 336px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/St2eUwRVNzI/AAAAAAAAAi0/PVtqV1Z4d6k/s400/JC+PC+pedals.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394642008051889970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />JC PC's. That's a lot of little piec-es.<br /><br />But Jim, while I've got you here: What's with the crappy 3rd wave tube photos in this flip book? You've managed to focus on just about everything but the fucking tubes!<br /><br /><object width="410" height="287"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://www.sundaybikes.com/v3/widgets/photo-gallery.swf?p=3912"><embed src="http://www.sundaybikes.com/v3/widgets/photo-gallery.swf?p=3912" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="410" height="287"></embed></object><br /><br />Anyway, I don't want to get on Jim's bad side, so I'll leave that. But you think there would be a few 3rd wave frames lying around the Sunday offices and it might be worth actually snapping a decent photo - I mean Adam managed alright.<br /><br />Anyway, in amongst the shoes, tyres, promotional displays and whatnot in focus was what looked like... wait for it... a new PC pedal colourway. Camo, it seems. That is new isn't it? So at least some good came from it.<br /><br />I think that's more than enough.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-77302060568302383422009-10-17T04:10:00.000-07:002009-10-17T04:33:07.717-07:00Gold SoundzIt's Saturday.<br /><br />And I just heard that Pavement are re-forming.<br />And doing shows in Melbourne.<br /><br />I know you don't care but...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rj6QilYg5VA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rj6QilYg5VA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />So drunk in the August sun<br />And you're the kind of girl I like<br />Because you're empty<br />And I'm empty...<br /><br />Gold soundz.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-53439454203554235142009-10-15T17:01:00.000-07:002009-10-15T18:12:49.865-07:00American MetalIf you're a machine head, or even just somewhat mechanically inclined, you'll appreciate this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StfDQPm0A5I/AAAAAAAAAis/LjEjIL1q0-A/s1600-h/fbm+steadfast+tubing.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StfDQPm0A5I/AAAAAAAAAis/LjEjIL1q0-A/s400/fbm+steadfast+tubing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392993762634105746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There's a <a href="http://www.fbmbmx.com/features/steadfastFlipbook.php">flipbook up on FBM</a> with all the detail of their new Steadfast trails frame. The frame looks damn nice and has the added bonus of coming with a <a href="http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss327/bmx-tec/fbmsteadfastheadtubebadge.jpg">cast pewter headtube badge</a>. But really I just wanted an excuse to lift that photo and put it here. There's just something about it isn't there? Precision metal, ready for some precision weldsmanship, and just a few hours away from being someone's object of desire. Nice.<br /><br />And here's another nice one for the mechanically inclined - the making of a Fit DLR stem. Along with the precision metal, this even has the added nicety of couple of bad-asses doing there thing.There's Van Homan disregarding his personal safety and flicking the bars 6 feet up, as well as some anodiser doing the dip and filling his lungs with hydrogen and sulfuric acid fumes all in a self-less quest to feed the colour machine. Enjoy:<br /><br /><object width="410" height="335"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JMkjDdu8b5U&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JMkjDdu8b5U&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="410" height="335"></embed></object>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-65357407043580012692009-10-13T13:28:00.000-07:002009-10-14T17:09:41.639-07:00Van Homan will save... Fit?So Van Homan put out a statement with his word on the whole Fit situation. It was pretty long and he said some things. But what really comes through is that the guy is not only a hard ass, but humble, loyal and smart - that's a combo that you really can't fault and a reminder how the word "pro" is short for <span style="font-style: italic;">professional</span> - not <span style="font-style: italic;">promotional tool</span>.<br /><br />Anyway, you've got the option for the <a href="http://blog.defgrip.net/2009/10/a-statement-from-van-homan/">Defgrip</a> or <a href="http://thecomeupbmx.net/news/van-homan-speaks-on-the-fit-break-up">TheComeUp</a> flavoured version, but it's only the comments that taste different.<br /><br />Just sticking with the drama for a moment. Then came the news that Sean McKinney, who's been at S&M for ten years, had quit. Apparently to pursue a career being photographed wearing Cult shirts... or something:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StTnKRKoiqI/AAAAAAAAAik/SrwRbmdQKCM/s1600-h/as_bmx_mckinney_630.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StTnKRKoiqI/AAAAAAAAAik/SrwRbmdQKCM/s400/as_bmx_mckinney_630.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392188817462037154" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Turned out that was bullshit.<br /><br />Really it's a great little soap opera isn't it - like a little daytime bmx drama. Of course there's more, and there'll be more, and more.<br />And more.<br /><br />But what about this guy with <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cultbmx">the OG Cult set up?</a> It was a good name - he knew it was. So he went ahead and registered Cult-Bmx.com and has been socially-networking like a man possessed. Now finally all that hard work is paying off and <a href="http://www.cult-bmx.com/">the AdSense chickens are coming home to roost</a>.<br /><br />But really, you can get some valuable information about "BMX bikes" over there at Cult-Bmx.com. Apparently they have the have <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"exact steering mechanisms to be able to perform tricks and stunts specifically and precisely"</span> - Nice. But beware <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">"they can be adventurous, dangerous and loads of fun as long as the individual uses the proper safety measures"</span>. Disclaimer right there.<br /><br />Anyway, do the dude a favour and click a bunch of ads while you're over there - he might just have a little legal battle on the horizon.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-3011114400854837262009-10-13T03:25:00.000-07:002009-10-13T04:15:28.078-07:00Angry Space Invaders100 posts in 6+ months. Blog slackness.<br /><br />Anyway, no slacking at Odyssey. They've got <a href="http://www.odysseybmx.com/">a new site up</a>. I still can't find anything, but at least I'm getting lost more quickly - if you get what I mean. Death to Flash I say... or whatever god forsaken program created that old site.<br /><br />So they've also put up some more info on their Quadrant rim and have been good enough to including a good old fashioned section pic:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StRZI7zf3_I/AAAAAAAAAiM/YDy5SEhUVsA/s1600-h/quadrant+section.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 171px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StRZI7zf3_I/AAAAAAAAAiM/YDy5SEhUVsA/s400/quadrant+section.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392032663896842226" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:85%;" >The Quadrant: 420g of cheapness and cheer<br /><br /></span>As you can see the Quadrant rim is an innocent and optimistic character just doing his best to keep everyone happy. At 420 grams he's light and being a simple pin jointed fellow, he doesn't have the ego that some of those welded rims have. I mean, just have a look at 'em, giving everyone attitude like a couple of angry space invaders:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StRe3CmQxqI/AAAAAAAAAiU/T6lveVCtlVQ/s1600-h/hazard-lite+section.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 170px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StRe3CmQxqI/AAAAAAAAAiU/T6lveVCtlVQ/s400/hazard-lite+section.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392038953552496290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:85%;" >The Hazard Lite: 500g, hazardous, light, with a chip on his shoulder</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StRe3uDKg2I/AAAAAAAAAic/pgTHkNwYiu0/s1600-h/seven-k-a+section.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 171px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/StRe3uDKg2I/AAAAAAAAAic/pgTHkNwYiu0/s400/seven-k-a+section.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392038965216445282" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The 7-KA: 453g... 7 and K with an A</span></span><br /><br />If you'd like to read something about these rims that makes sense, you're probably best off going <a href="http://www.odysseybmx.com/catalog/rims/">here</a>.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-55906913346161836602009-10-08T03:58:00.000-07:002009-10-08T03:40:00.111-07:00AustralianaI'm in Australia. Most of you are on the other side of the world. You probably have no idea, and possibly no interest, about what's happening down here. If you have absolutely no interest, now is the time to change the channel, cause I'm going to drop a little Australiana on ya!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Te72A35AC_s/SQ2m5n6wd0I/AAAAAAAAAOE/t9Gmrs5scPo/s1600/seat%2Bhype.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 410px; height: 180px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Te72A35AC_s/SQ2m5n6wd0I/AAAAAAAAAOE/t9Gmrs5scPo/s1600/seat%2Bhype.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />First up there's a company that you might, or might not know, called <a href="http://www.temperedbikes.com.au/">Tempered Bikes</a>. They've got a small but perfectly formed product catalogue at the moment - frames, bars, forks, seats - but there's also a load of 2010 stuff about to turn up and I'll be posting it up when it does.<br /><br />Then there's <a href="http://www.focalpointbmx.com/news/news.htm">Focal Point</a> which is a Melbourne based website, but pretty much covering the whole Australian scene. If you were a somewhat regular reader of TCU you'd probably have come across links to the Focal Point mag that they put out quaterly, as well as edits and trailers for their DVDs .<br /><br />My mind is continually blown with the amount of work that the dude who runs it puts in. The mag, the site, videos, interviews, reviews - relentless. In the past it was pretty much just a zine that you could pick up for free in bike shops. You can still get it in hardcopy, and still reads like a no-bullshit zine, but the quality of the photos and layout just gets more and more pro all the time. These days they've even gone all Issuu on your ass:<br /><br /><object style="width: 410px; height: 330px;"><param name="movie" value="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf?mode=embed&documentId=090818010448-be66a7baa3104d2492c0e4b3abf61bf0&documentUsername=focalpointbmx&documentName=issue_17&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" style="width: 410px; height: 330px;" flashvars="mode=embed&documentId=090818010448-be66a7baa3104d2492c0e4b3abf61bf0&documentUsername=focalpointbmx&documentName=issue_17&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true"></embed></object><br /><br />Amongst the truck load of stuff on Focal Point there's a recent Top Fives type-thing with Jimmy Rostlund from who designs for Simple Bikes. It's at the bottom of the page <a href="http://www.focalpointbmx.com/newsite09/09articles.htm">here</a>. If you missed the BMXtec interview that I did with Jimmy, you can <a href="http://bmx-tec.blogspot.com/2009/08/jimmy-rostlund-eject-bmx-interview-part.html">check that here</a>.<br /><br />While we are talking flipbooks and work loads, James Wade out of Adelaide in South Australia is a busy man looking after a forum called <a href="http://www.ugzine.com/forums/YaBB.pl">Ugzine</a>, a blog by the name of <a href="http://blog.ugzine.com/">Stay Fresh Yo!</a>, and clothing brand called <a href="http://www.dishonourclothing.com/blog/">Dishonour</a>. And he puts out<a href="http://www.jamesdwade.com/photobook/#"> rad photo flips</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsxvuUUc9ZI/AAAAAAAAAhs/T3NOTL-vzz4/s1600-h/Dishonour+Clothing.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsxvuUUc9ZI/AAAAAAAAAhs/T3NOTL-vzz4/s400/Dishonour+Clothing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389805695574799762" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:85%;" >A little Dishonourable goodness</span><br /><br />To round it off there is <a href="http://www.nightfallbikeco.com/">Nightfall Bike Co </a>out of Northern Queensland - which if you don't know it, is just about the most Australian part of Australia. If you wanted proof of that you'd only have to check their blog to see them spinning the bars on <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_37WFRL7Ah-8/SsFyOUDV03I/AAAAAAAAAh4/Mz6Garzs-OI/s1600-h/IMG_0807+copy.jpg">some weird object</a> that looks like it's in the middle of nowhere, or actually spinning them in the <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_37WFRL7Ah-8/Sp_OyAlHeqI/AAAAAAAAAbg/w_rEt2s2OK0/s1600-h/IMG_6892.jpg">middle of nowhere</a>. Or you could check <a href="http://nightfallbikeco.blogspot.com/2009/09/we-told-ya.html">this post</a>. That's Australiana.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/Ssx3QO2EuhI/AAAAAAAAAiE/wggm1Lqnk3Y/s1600-h/Nightfall+level+frames.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/Ssx3QO2EuhI/AAAAAAAAAiE/wggm1Lqnk3Y/s400/Nightfall+level+frames.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389813974802151954" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:85%;" >Nightfall's Level frame - hit up their eBay shop<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/Ssx0CZo_YXI/AAAAAAAAAh8/OS6mGsvOEtw/s1600-h/Nightfall+3sprockets.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/Ssx0CZo_YXI/AAAAAAAAAh8/OS6mGsvOEtw/s400/Nightfall+3sprockets.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389810438647013746" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Nightfall's Killuminati sprocket<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></span><br /></span></span>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-68387169604634900672009-10-04T15:07:00.000-07:002009-10-08T18:16:23.014-07:00PC or not PC?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://flybikesbmx.com/noticias/images/982_flybikes%20ruben%20graphite%20pedals.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 410px; height: 346px;" src="http://flybikesbmx.com/noticias/images/982_flybikes%20ruben%20graphite%20pedals.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />David at Fly has posted up some more info about the plastic Ruben pedals, so if you've been wondering if Fly were going to bring something new to the PC pedal table, have a listen to what he's got to say:<br /><blockquote>"We wanted to make a plastic pedal with the same thin shape as the Ruben aluminum ones so we searched for a harder material to achieve that. After some testing we found a new compound out of nylon and fiber glass that we call “graphite” which is harder than the material currently used on other plastic pedals. These new pedals are only 1mm. thicker than the aluminum ones on each side so the feeling is the same as the alumium ones.<br /><br />Other detail on these pedals are how grippy they are. We used coned 3 x 3mm. Squared pins that are grippier than rounded ones. And since this material is harder, the knurling on the whole pedal surface is sharper. Of course still the aluminum ones are grippier but the difference is not much…The low profile makes them really light as well with a a weight of 360grs. / 12.6 oz. per pair."<br /></blockquote>How new is that? They're not PC. That is, they're not molded in poly carbonate, they're graphite. Well... they're not actually graphite either, they're glass filled nylon. So what the hell is that? Here's a little something, lifted from somewhere:<br /><blockquote>"Nylon ® is significantly strengthened by the addition of glass-fibers. The added glass provides stability & rigidity, but reduces the non-lubricated wear properties. 30% glass filled nylon has 200% better strength than general purpose nylon but it is highly abrasive and will abraid or gall mating surfaces."<br /></blockquote>"Abraid or gall mating surfaces" - Careful, that's your shoe man!<br /><br />Though if you're counting grams, they will have the additional pull of being the lightest (don't quote me) freestyle pedals on the market and regardless of possible abraiding or galling to the soles of my Orchids, I'll be tossing up between a pair of these and Odyssey's JC PCs. It's that recurring dilema: "superior grip v.s possible shin carnage". It's hard isn't it? Life. Just one big decision after another. Fortunately these wont be dropping till December, so all fretting and obsessing can be postpone till then.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Edit:</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> OK, they're not the lightest. </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);" href="http://www.danscomp.com/465083.php?cat=PARTS">These</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> probably are, but really? As for the titanium thing, can you count pedals with ti spindles as freestyle pedals?</span>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-76017024611113383882009-09-30T17:38:00.000-07:002009-10-01T17:27:50.183-07:00Holy Fit!So to not have heard this news already you would have to be living in a non-wi-fi enabled cave or something. That is, the super-team is no more – Fit have split.<br /><br />Tunney is well and truly on the ball and has already posted up a <a href="http://espn.go.com/action/bmx/news/story?page=fit_moralesyears">Fit obituary</a>. Yeah OK, so it’s not really an obituary, since Fit ain’t dead and they’ve still got a legendary team, but it's pretty obvious that it's the new breed riders that keep the new breed dollars rolling in and it seems like all that is going to change. Moeller is going to have to pull a big, gold plated rabbit out of somewhere to keep Fit’s momentum going.<br /><br />And then there's the rumours of a cult… at least of a new brand headed by Robbie called “Cult”. Really, if that is the name, you’ve got to give it to him for piss-take value, especially since the irony of it would be lost on the majority of kids that flock straight to it. And born-agains are usually pretty quick to renounce their bad old ways, so you gotta wonder what the hell is going to happen to all that old Fit stuff once the kids start worshipping the new Cult? Ebay glut.<br /><br />Alright, so that was a bit of bullshit, but now for some semi, halfway, tenuously, somewhat related news. Lotek have a look at some new pair of samples up on their page:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsSExbKDVJI/AAAAAAAAAhE/XIjgUIRXgog/s1600-h/lotek+samples.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 362px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsSExbKDVJI/AAAAAAAAAhE/XIjgUIRXgog/s400/lotek+samples.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387577038880330898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yep, looking nice, and you can also check Rich and Hoder talking the talk on some of the new Lotek stuff <a href="http://www.vitalbmx.com/videos/features/Lotek,10189/GlennPPMilligan,1772">here</a>.<br /><br />BUT, while we're talking shoes, here's a little something from InterBike:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsSGWJ7xjvI/AAAAAAAAAhM/OoF3J-YOU6g/s1600-h/almond+footware.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsSGWJ7xjvI/AAAAAAAAAhM/OoF3J-YOU6g/s400/almond+footware.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387578769423830770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There is a new BMX specific brand of footwear called Almond that's about to drop. It was launched at Interbike and apparently the money behind it is from a "German brand of BMX frames" and the designers behind it are <a href="http://www.franckbdesign.com/">FBDesign</a> who do work for Etnies, Es, Emerica, IPATH and Burton. So the credentials are there, looks like the colourways are there, hopefully there's some quality to match.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-31786037446661540792009-09-28T16:11:00.000-07:002009-09-29T05:41:31.702-07:00Zen Minimalism, Metal and DeathWell InterBike's out of the way and I managed to get through about 1/100th of stuff that was on show, but you can bet your titanium Ratchet axle that there'll be a flood of re-caps and reviews, reminders and re-launches coming up - so it ain't over yet.<br /><br />I never did get round to saying anything about the morsels on offer at the Fly booth at InterBike and they've already posted up their re-cap. So you could <a href="http://www.flybikesbmx.com/en/">check that here</a>, or bear with me while I pick out the tasty bits:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsHoJkCPqpI/AAAAAAAAAf0/11Y2GdwUKB0/s1600-h/fly+frame+booths.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsHoJkCPqpI/AAAAAAAAAf0/11Y2GdwUKB0/s400/fly+frame+booths.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386841880301382290" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So that's basically how it all looked - flat colours on white, simple graphics. Translated, the names of the frames and forks are Moon, Lakes, Mountains, Earth and Water. All very minimal and zen. But then, of course, there's the Pantera, which is more metal and death, but hey, you gotta stick with the classics.<br /><br />That said, the Pantera forks are no more. And neither are the Tierras. Instead Fly'll only be making the Agua forks - the ones with the <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SiO-zmN78AI/AAAAAAAAAK8/Zz9fT90anLE/s1600-h/fly+fork+dropouts.JPG">investment cast dropouts.</a> And speaking of discontinued models, there was no sign of the Campillo frame on their stand either. I'm not sure whether or not this means my current ride is now officially an antique, but since it was one of the lighter frames going around (4.3 lbs) it'd be interesting in that it would be another manufacturer joining WeThePeople in moving away from lighter weight frames. Yeah, sounds doubtful.<br /><br />Another fairly doubtful scenario is the mass re-emergence of brakes and that's just not going to happen until Fit's street kids put 'em back on. Regardless, Fly just keep pumping out brake related stuff - which is admirably untrendy:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsHzCEpuZPI/AAAAAAAAAgU/NBPA_-tVFRo/s1600-h/fly+brake+pads.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsHzCEpuZPI/AAAAAAAAAgU/NBPA_-tVFRo/s400/fly+brake+pads.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386853846245860594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Just a bunch of brake pads? Yeah, I suppose so, but apparently they're a different compound and are a bit fatter so you've got more rubber on rim, and they use a female bolt system to keep them looking tidy. Also the curved adjustment surfaces are integrated into the bolt and the pad so you've got a couple of less washers to faff about with. Incidentally Odyssey have just posted up some <a href="http://www.odysseybmx.com/dailyword/2009/09/a-brake-pads-and-linear-slic-kables/">new pads and cables</a> and are saying that the clear pads work the best for painted rims. So there you go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsHzCrIQi6I/AAAAAAAAAgc/EMescgKCeus/s1600-h/fly+cable+hanger.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 228px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsHzCrIQi6I/AAAAAAAAAgc/EMescgKCeus/s400/fly+cable+hanger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386853856574475170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Rigid straddle cable = less flex and easier set up.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsHzCxXVy1I/AAAAAAAAAgk/ZzYEkS-QlaA/s1600-h/fly+removable+mounts+close.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 202px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsHzCxXVy1I/AAAAAAAAAgk/ZzYEkS-QlaA/s400/fly+removable+mounts+close.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386853858248346450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Possibly the most boring photo I have ever posted, but anyway, it's a close up of their Spanish removable mount set up that <a href="http://vimeo.com/6296984">Sergio explained in a web vid</a> not long ago.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsH5hHbGFNI/AAAAAAAAAgs/M-Q64L_r4XI/s1600-h/fly+sprockets.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 190px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsH5hHbGFNI/AAAAAAAAAgs/M-Q64L_r4XI/s400/fly+sprockets.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386860976635516114" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They dropped a new sprocket at InterBike as well - The Circulo. What did I tell you ... Zen.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsH6Lq1Re3I/AAAAAAAAAg0/Bbhrswpz5kY/s1600-h/fly+stems.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 187px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsH6Lq1Re3I/AAAAAAAAAg0/Bbhrswpz5kY/s400/fly+stems.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386861707695061874" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The red stem pictured is a new topload stem. And like superstar they seem to be suggesting that you should run it upside down. Bottom load stems are officially hot right now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsH7N-s32hI/AAAAAAAAAg8/IGepG2D6SF0/s1600-h/fly+pc+pedals.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 217px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SsH7N-s32hI/AAAAAAAAAg8/IGepG2D6SF0/s400/fly+pc+pedals.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386862846899902994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And lastly, but definitely not least, a chance to have a decent look at the PC Ruben pedals. Fly are pretty much the last to jump on board with PCs, but at least they're not just hijacking a Wellgo and calling it Sliced Bread.<br /><br />So in homage to the pedal, to the man, to the middle name of my first born, to no-footer to flatty wall rides (@1:11) and to Built to Spill:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lQE_j2-F_70&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lQE_j2-F_70&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-28162137472702937702009-09-27T05:00:00.000-07:002009-09-27T20:50:39.359-07:00That's Low Bro!A few days ago Obama became the first US president to chair the UN security council and try to ban the bomb, then Stay Fit premiered and just blew that news out of the water (ahem). Now Diamondback in a selfish attempt to take out the controversial Low Top Tube 2010 award have dropped their own bombshell. They are now mass-producing bmx frames with co-linear top tube / seat stay geometry. That's right, a straight line between the head tube and rear drop out! Do I need to spell out the gravity of this? It's like we're standing on the edge of cliff - one more step and we'll all be riding <a href="http://s.bebo.com/app-image/7928326604/5411656627/PROFILE/i.quizzaz.com/img/q/u/08/04/09/72092227-ZOO-PYTHON-0607-MK2P9540.jpg">trials bikes</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/Sr9eQWhbCfI/AAAAAAAAAfc/cy40ZANwuZQ/s1600-h/Diamondback+Nicholi+Rogatkin.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/Sr9eQWhbCfI/AAAAAAAAAfc/cy40ZANwuZQ/s400/Diamondback+Nicholi+Rogatkin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386127314375084530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So this little rocker is Nicholi Rogatkin, he's 13, he's sponsored by Diamondback and that's his bike. And bro... it's low.<br /><br />I've got to say that I had never heard of this guy, but something tells me that you're going to have to learn to pronounce his name properly, cause in a few years time he'll be everywhere and you'll have to see stuff <a href="http://thecomeupbmx.net/backend/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Picture-21-500x600.png">like this</a>. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's where he was at when he was 12 (warning: mute it)<br /><br /><object height="320" width="410"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VcxkPmbcd8s&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VcxkPmbcd8s&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="320" width="410"></embed></object><br /><br />Ahh, kids these days and their 360 backflips. I remember when I was a boy we were just happy to hop a curb. Progress eh? I suppose if it's going to help him with his 360 flip-whips he can keep his co-linear, 180 degree, straight line, as-low-as-you-can-go geometry (what would you call that?), just as long as he doesn't start hopping around on stuff.<br /><br />Edit: This just got posted up today. The kid is definitely not hopping around!<br /><br /><object width="410" height="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/otq_bQVcSTg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=nl&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/otq_bQVcSTg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=nl&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="410" height="330"></embed></object>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-38437733015201423852009-09-25T06:30:00.000-07:002009-09-25T06:56:19.934-07:00Odyssey / GSport: Get Frugal<object height="287" width="410"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://www.odysseybmx.com/togo/flipbook-gallery.swf?p=5475"><embed src="http://www.odysseybmx.com/togo/flipbook-gallery.swf?p=5475" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="287" width="410"></embed></object><br /><br />Yeah, yeah fire engine red everything, but did you see that little flash of the new Odyssey Quadrant rim in there? There is a little more information out about this rim now. Specifically that it's pinned rather than welded, making it an economical alternative to the other Odyssey / GSport models. But, it's a pinned rim with a difference. The name Quadrant comes from the fact that it uses 4 pins rather than the standard 2 that hold most cheap rims together. This means that you wont get that annoying little step in the braking surface caused by the mis-alignment of the outer most edge of the rim wall. Simple ideas are often the best + everyone loves a bargain = winner.<br /><br />There's also a new Ratchet hubguard that is forged rather than machined, so it's also going to save you some cash as well. It looks like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrzJxdDLE-I/AAAAAAAAAfM/Fbm7wiuKVQ8/s1600-h/ratchet+hub+guard.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 159px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrzJxdDLE-I/AAAAAAAAAfM/Fbm7wiuKVQ8/s400/ratchet+hub+guard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385401105876980706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And apparently Odyssey have a new sprocket. They may or not save you money:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrzJ2iIVwoI/AAAAAAAAAfU/A_0wZmJz5Vo/s1600-h/odyssey+sprockets.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrzJ2iIVwoI/AAAAAAAAAfU/A_0wZmJz5Vo/s400/odyssey+sprockets.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385401193140175490" border="0" /></a>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-28973769317106763652009-09-25T05:33:00.000-07:002009-09-25T06:44:22.118-07:00S&M WTF... what the fuck?I'm sorry to do this to you, but I'm going to embed this. You have my sincere apologies for any skating or skaters that you might see, but this is something:<br /><br /><object id="flashObj" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="300" width="410"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/22077132001?isVid=1&publisherID=1343581801"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=41911859001&playerID=22077132001&domain=embed&"><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com"><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/22077132001?isVid=1&publisherID=1343581801" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=41911859001&playerID=22077132001&domain=embed&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" swliveconnect="true" allowscriptaccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" height="300" width="410"></embed></object><br /><br />The S&M WTF. Being over here on the other side of the world I don't have that patriotic little piece of DNA that genetically pre-disposes me to loving everything that S&M do. But I like this. Sure all these ideas aren't going to work. Maybe even none of them will end up as practical, but it's a whole lot of radically different ideas packed into one bike. It'd be cool to ride the thing and see how it feels.<br /><br />In case you didn't watch the video, here's the run down: The S&M WTF is a complete bike that weighs in at 20lbs without a piece of titanium in sight (and at a guess I'd say without any post-weld heat treatment either). The fork legs are shorter by 1/2". Wtf? To save weight. And the head tube is 5/8" shorter than a standard frame. That's got to really change the geometry of the frame - have they adjusted the BB height and head angle to compensate? Don't know.<br /><br />Then there's the shorter pitch chain and the sprocket with little miniature teeth to fit the chain! Wtf? Apparently this allows for even smaller drive trains than what's around now. Read: 7 tooth rear driver. It's an interesting idea, but it's going to have to do some serious self-promotion before everyone rushes out for new sprockets, drivers and chains.<br /><br />Next: The Black hole dropouts on fork and frame. Clearly it'll work on the fork, though I think people will need a little convincing as to the point of it, but on the back end? Wtf? How's that going to work? Really small drive trains with no chain adjustment sounds like chain slap hell to me.<br /><br />And just for the record, not only does the hub have brass bushings replacing the driver bearings, but there are also <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9Wh1WtpbiSU/SpZg9abh1wI/AAAAAAAAAiU/ghKiOHpRQ-s/s1600-h/ratchet8t.jpg">little holes drilled in each of the driver teeth</a>. It's all getting very cute.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-73666065214885653632009-09-25T00:04:00.000-07:002009-09-25T05:51:10.561-07:00Sunday @ InterBikeA closer look at some more of the Sunday stuff with Jim C videos shot by BMX feed.<br /><br />This one's got the 3rd wave tubing, new removable mounts and cable guide system:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='410' height='335' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwMWNEtA2qpWHXCxO1cSJSFud1PIxFo7Iekdh5elTt4BZmnR6qfhauO7O5lFSEiF_ZnYsLFao34XVBHTRCJpQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />This one takes a pretty good look at the new completes that are looking damn nice:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='410' height='335' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwX0lOMqKNDgsgQrfu3TTZNxhFkfqTcoZXVJsPN36ULW7uuvCcGojbR2iy2os97mm5WKolK8gpI-v-HeKgSzg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />This is kind of a Sunday product. It's Kink's rip of Sundays hollow drop outs and who better to introduce them than Jim himself with some words taken from his Facebook:<br /><br />"Here it is! Bootleg hollow dropouts by my own distributor and former sponsor Kink! Wow!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrxluAut0SI/AAAAAAAAAes/hN9HGfoHc7o/s1600-h/Kink+hollow+dropout.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 335px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrxluAut0SI/AAAAAAAAAes/hN9HGfoHc7o/s400/Kink+hollow+dropout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385291095572599074" border="0" /></a>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-28040855876044520072009-09-24T23:51:00.000-07:002009-09-25T00:24:40.453-07:00Animal @ InterBike 09Animal were keeping it in the gutter at Interbike with a bit of a street stall:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrxpCJ2pUSI/AAAAAAAAAe0/HUnm1ZZ98HA/s1600-h/animal+booth.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrxpCJ2pUSI/AAAAAAAAAe0/HUnm1ZZ98HA/s400/animal+booth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385294740154044706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Though the hardcore would be questioning whether a plastic peg was keeping it street, but really steel pegs? You're living in 2007. Who goes to InterBike in 2009 and drops a steel peg. Not Animal. The new Butcher peg has an aluminium inner and plastic outer sleeve, similar to the Demolition numbers. It's light and it slides good. Oh, and it has approximately 1/100th the lifespan of a steel peg. But don't be too hard on 'em, they've still got the OG 2.0's and Light 2.0's if you like steel. <a href="http://bmxfeed.posterous.com/animal-plasticaluminum-pegs">Check 'em here.</a><br /><br />They were showing a multi-tool as well:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/Srxuz8J9x7I/AAAAAAAAAfE/_sFWhEaZAIc/s1600-h/animal+tool.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 176px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/Srxuz8J9x7I/AAAAAAAAAfE/_sFWhEaZAIc/s400/animal+tool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385301093028579250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://bmxfeed.posterous.com/animal-plasticaluminum-pegs">Go deaf watching the video here.</a>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-14481000923982847972009-09-24T23:27:00.000-07:002009-09-24T23:35:55.252-07:00NOT InterBike 09Just so your brain doesn't blow on product news. Clip. Watch it big:<br /><br /><object height="301" width="410"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z8Y1MalRrDc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z8Y1MalRrDc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="201" width="410"></embed></object>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-48476180530009657312009-09-24T17:23:00.000-07:002009-09-25T07:00:03.987-07:00New Profile HubsNew hubs from Profile is big news. So here's the big news:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrwV6mg-caI/AAAAAAAAAeM/lwvXZddhqQQ/s1600-h/Profile+elite+hub.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 327px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrwV6mg-caI/AAAAAAAAAeM/lwvXZddhqQQ/s400/Profile+elite+hub.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385203350943723938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />At this stage they're being called "Elite" hubs, which apparently isn't their final name and although these look to be racing specific, there is a <a href="http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd263/bmxunion/BMXunion%20Album%202/IMG_7351.jpg">14mm version with a 9t driver</a>. I don't have any details on what's actually inside these hubs, but they do bring up a few questions. The name "Elite" would suggest that these are a step up from Profile Mini cassettes - could bmx hubs really get any more elite / expensive than the Mini? It's either that or Profile are getting all marketing-speak on your ass and calling a cheaper model a more expensive name, but since Madera is locked in as being their affordable product line that seems unlikely. So the question remains - what makes these hubs the elite of the elite?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrwV7JpTttI/AAAAAAAAAeU/dPNKuUkk9pw/s1600-h/profile+elite+front+hubs.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 317px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrwV7JpTttI/AAAAAAAAAeU/dPNKuUkk9pw/s400/profile+elite+front+hubs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385203360373913298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Anyway, they're looking nice and clean and there is definitely a saving in machine time on the hub shell that might allow them to put in a few more internal features - Different bearings? More pawls? New materials? According to Profile all will be revealed officially some time after InterBike. But for now, that matte green anodising is looking the goods and is definitely a step away from the techni-colour of the current Profile range.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Edit:</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> Check the comments for official news from Christian at Profile.</span><br /><br />They've got a new spline drive sprocket (Demolition have actually also gone that road - if you <a href="http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd263/bmxunion/BMXunion%20Album%202/IMG_7020.jpg">take a good hard look here</a>) that looks interesting:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrwV72ORHII/AAAAAAAAAek/WNx4H7mX7c8/s1600-h/profile+spline+drive+sprocket.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrwV72ORHII/AAAAAAAAAek/WNx4H7mX7c8/s400/profile+spline+drive+sprocket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385203372340092034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And they've I suppose you'd say it makes sense for them to do an 7075 aluminium peg. So they have:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrwV7v8O2zI/AAAAAAAAAec/20fM5WpJ7V0/s1600-h/profile+ali+peg.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 211px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrwV7v8O2zI/AAAAAAAAAec/20fM5WpJ7V0/s400/profile+ali+peg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385203370653834034" border="0" /></a>digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-452845391631725384.post-6592960679718599172009-09-24T04:55:00.000-07:002009-09-24T05:56:07.207-07:00InterBike IncidentalsJust a few Interbike bits and pieces:<br /><br />Klaus from WTP / Eclat has a vid up on Ride where he talks you through their stuff. You get a look at the Eclat complex seat and post combo that's looking slick in clear with an anodized gold inner sleeve. <a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid30500149001?bctid=41782845001">Vid here </a>(corporate milk warning!). You also get a good look at the fork prototype below that uses investment cast dropouts. :<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrtrUqaG0rI/AAAAAAAAAd8/gQ3iGA-FGTA/s1600-h/eclat+fork.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrtrUqaG0rI/AAAAAAAAAd8/gQ3iGA-FGTA/s400/eclat+fork.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385015782176903858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Demolition have come up with something new in pegs - though I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. Now for the first time the grind friendliness of a plastic sleeve has been combined with the strength of 7075 aluminium. Or is that the softness of plastic combined with the softness of aluminium. Judgement reserved: the proof is in the ledge. You can either squint at the picture below or check <a href="http://bmxfeed.posterous.com/demolition-pcaluminum-pegs">this vid.</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd263/bmxunion/BMXunion%20Album%202/IMG_7020.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 600px; height: 400px;" src="http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd263/bmxunion/BMXunion%20Album%202/IMG_7020.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />MacNeil have a 22.2mm pivotal post out. The theory being that everyone runs their seat slammed so why bother with a 1 inch post when you can save weight with a 7/8". Kind of makes sense, but really is it worth it? Jay himself doesn't seem too sure in <a href="http://bmxfeed.posterous.com/macneil-222mm-with-jay-miron">this vid.</a> Anyway, the rest of the MacNeil range is looking really nice and you can definitely see Harrison's hand in <a href="http://www.bmxunion.com/blog/events/interbike-2009-macneil/">the colourways and textures etc.</a> Apparently there's a couple of new stems. A front and top load of similar design:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrtpwbKFKgI/AAAAAAAAAd0/n0pwyEJs_hs/s1600-h/MacNeil+stem.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_26wElA3Lq6A/SrtpwbKFKgI/AAAAAAAAAd0/n0pwyEJs_hs/s400/MacNeil+stem.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385014060096236034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Thomas Goring from KHE talks you through some of the Shola stuff in <a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid30500149001?bctid=41788284001">this vid</a> (Milk warning). Including a nice looking <a href="http://twitpic.com/iudsw">new stem</a> that looks to use a similar clamp to the KHE Anchor bar / stem combo and he also goes over one of new KHE Shola street completes that seems to have a <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> slim set of Shola pedals on the bike that the camera is trying to check out, but Thomas doesn't touch.digaholehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12558330851494095155noreply@blogger.com1