Anyway, no slacking at Odyssey. They've got a new site up. 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.
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:
The Quadrant: 420g of cheapness and cheer
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:
The Hazard Lite: 500g, hazardous, light, with a chip on his shoulder
The 7-KA: 453g... 7 and K with an A
If you'd like to read something about these rims that makes sense, you're probably best off going here.
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.
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:
And apparently Odyssey have a new sprocket. They may or not save you money:
Federal's design guy, Chris Harrison has answered some questions on the Dig site where he's outlined his long term plan to get out of the bmx industry and make some real money. The short term plan is simpler: "I think I’ll most likely just work in the mornings, ride in the afternoon, do more work after that and then have the evenings for chilling." Sounds pretty good to me. Check the rest here.
Steve Buddendeck and Cory Muth are apparently the guys behind that clean website and two bike range at Verde and are in on Duo together with Chris Doyle. Now they're doing wheels as well under the name of Cinema Wheel Co. They were having trouble finding rims that they thought fitted the Verde image so they decided to do their own. I suppose by doing stuff under a bunch of different names you open up the possibility for brands in direct competition with your own line of completes to still spec your grips or rims on their bikes. Not stupid. But you wonder how many names they'll end up operating under ...maybe they just like designing logos.
Mark Noble on does some really interesting industry articles and interview over on the ESPN blog. If you have any kind of interest in bmx product design and you haven't been over there, you're missing out. He did a great two part interview with the guy behind Fly Bikes - David Quesada and now David has answered a few more straight forward questions on FAT FAVs.
And then there is this. Last, but definitely not least. Though I myself fall into the "started riding after '98" category, this is gold:
Edit: Seems like the vid was just too damn controversial and has been liquidated by the fun police. If you missed it, just imagine yourself a very upset Hitler slagging off just about every bmx company around. Hopefully it makes a reappearance somewhere.
Or do you just like dogs? Maybe you should cheer yourself up from all this negativity with some happy little canine pics and download some dog vector graphics. I don't know, just an idea.
A while back I posted up some stuff about Simple Bike Co. I put my appreciation on the record for their minimalist approach to the design of bmx parts. Well now they've got a new site up and they've used that same approach in the design of the site, keeping it... basic.
To go with the new site there's a few new products and new colours for the older stuff.
There are no less than two new rim designs with a bit of an old school feel to them and a bit of pun trickery going on with the names:
Apparently the Keypit is the more tech of the two - which I assume means lighter, while the Plainan takes some inspiration from the old Peregrine HP48 but, like the Keypit, is drilled offset for cross lacing. They both are available in 36 hole only and come in the same colours as the seatclamps below.
In those same colours they've now got cassettes, wheelsets, a few stems and pivotal seat posts... loads of stuff.
I don't usually give a lot of time to the full spec, but this got my attention:
"REAR RIM: Odyssey Quadrant prototype"
So that's a new rim from Odyssey on the way. You'd have to say they've already got a fair stable, especially if you include GSport in the mix, so why another? And why's it called Quadrant? Don't even bother squinting at the bike check you wont get nothin'.
I know they've got more than that but I'm going with the quadrant theme
You'd have to be betting on the "quadrant" being a lighter design - all their current rims are 17 oz's plus and they must be losing a bit of business while all the weight watchers are out there shopping up Primo Balances and Rhynolites (15.4 oz each) to save some grams.
Anyway, making a heavy rim in the dawning days of light street - you might as well give your money away.
Speaking of light street, Ardelean's wheels are built up with those butted Odyssey race spokes, and he's a street only. So for now, to stop the outrage and confusion - Mike Ardelean = Light Street.
