blog · 1 comment ·May 08, 2020

The Rise, Fall & Rise Again of BMX

Happy May beautiful people of the internet!

As we all know, we’re still under siege from this friggin’ virus that has locked the planet down, but things are starting to look up, and the restrictions are beginning to lift. In our world, that can only mean one thing…..

It’s time to ride!

So as you all know, we’re a company that is all about movement. Travelling to work, school, bouncing around town and helping you keep all of your gear together. We love being outside and Covid effectively put a big fat kibosh on all of those things.

We also love cool and stylish things, so today we’re going to combine these two loves and talk about modern BMX bikes.

BMX began in Southern California during the 1970’s when people started fixing up Their Schwinn Stingrays to look and act more like dirt bikes. They carved out tracks on old dirt lots and started racing each other. It wasn’t long until BMX was a legit sport and just like skateboarding, it wasn’t long until every kid had a bike.

By 1990’s BMX had levelled off, and just like skateboarding the only people still doing it were the hardcore riders. Even with freestyle taking over the X Games, BMX was once again a sort of fringe sport, which made it even cooler.

Fast forward to today, the OG BMX kids have grown up and still want to ride. This created a need for modern BMX bikes based on the cruiser class from decades ago. Bike manufacturers like SE Racing who were there at the very beginning of BMX and helped pioneer the sport, began reproducing 24”, 26” and 29” version of their old favorites like the PK Ripper and Quadangle.

Then things got weird….in a very good way.

BMX has always been big in urban communities because the bikes were cheap enough for an average kid to afford. They could score a cool whip and throw down tricks all across the urban landscape.

When the larger sized bikes hit the scene, the urban communities jumped all over it and once again, BMX reigned supreme. Guys like DBlocks and ASAP Ferg became known for their tricks during urban rideouts and pretty soon magazines like Sugarcayne popped up celebrating BMX and hip hop street culture. BMX wasn’t just a sport for middle class Californian white kids anymore, it took over in places like Harlem, Philly and Chicago as well.

The modern BMX bike is a perfect machine for an urban rider. It is a single speed bike, with one read brake and light enough to huck around like the smaller original BMX bikes. They look cool as hell and the larger sized bikes ride exactly like smaller bikes. Currently about 12 bike makers have their own versions, so you’re spoiled for choice, however every year they sell out within a month or two, you have to act quickly to score one. Once you have one, there are a ton of aftermarket parts so you can modify it to suit your style, or just bling it up.

BMX may have started out as a way for a bunch of kids who didn’t have enough cash for a dirt bike to get rad, but over the years it has endured again, like skateboarding.

It is more than simply riding a bike. For those of us who love BMX, it’s a way of life. It’s about going out and gettin’ some. Living life, being rad and tearing it up and not being afraid of a few bruises and gashed knees. It is also a tight knit fraternity of friends that simply “get it” and all are welcome.

BMX For life!

#bikelife