wheelie wars: FOAD goes to SE's oakland rideout

Jackson from the FOAD fam rode out to oakland to join some of the oldschool eb86 crew to hit up the SE bike rideout. Wheelie culture is huge right now, and SE bikes has been bringing it since day one. so many heads out there, including D-Blocks, BEASTMODE, and the wildman/SE head honcho todd lyons. glad to see there was a good FGFS and tarck turnout as well! digging the vlogs jackson!

jmik

B is for BHSK: 3b's 2018 team teaser

the 3B's team has been hard at work for the past few months putting in some work. they're about to drop 5 full length videos featuring Dylan Row, Kevin Hall, Pteror (AKA Parker Thompson), and the newest part of the BHSK familia Jake Matsukawa and (THE FIXEDGEARGOD) Sam Allgood. Yes, you read it correctly- I gave the keys to BHSK to two of the raddest and insane dudes out there. I've seen a good amount of the parts, and am hyped to bring them to y'all. but for now, this is all you get. look for the full parts soon, and follow my boys on instagram!

jmik

the footjam jam: matt bastard almost dead ep.1

damn, 2 posts featuring bay homies in one night? damn son. like andy, matt has been around for a while and y'all fuckin slept. i'm a sucker for riding styles that are more dictated by obsticles, and matt's style is definitely that. THAT ENTIRE SEQUENCE FROM 1:20 ON IS FUEGO.

damn FGFS aint dead.

jmik

eb86: andy sparks for encore wheels

andy is my boy from up 880 who has been repping the same OG flatground riding style since i've known him. the boy is smooth and pretty much revolutionized the bigspin and fakie wheelie. it seems like he's teamed up with encore wheels (which, to be hones i have no idea who they are), and knowing how andy rides, they take some abuse. keeping shit smooth isn't forgiving on parts.

by the way if you want to ride like my boy, follow his youtube channel. he posts tutorials from time to time.

jmik

i did it for my fixie goonz: the goon, blocboifame x throne cycles

I'm only doing this because bloc is my boy, so i'm going to hold my tongue when it comes to throne cycles (there's only two frames i would really see myself riding from them and this is one of them because my goonz came up). for those who are unfamiliar, blocboifame holds it down in LA. When disrespectful came out in 2013, he made a damn fixiefoo anthem. I remember talking to him a few years back and he was one of the most genuine dudes out there. He rode my bike at interbike (shit, that was hella long ago) and immediately wanted to hop on the big wheel fgfs wave. now here he is 5 years later with his own signature bike.

#FIXIEREUNION2017: prickly syringe jam 2017

Prickly Syringe Jam AKA #fixiereunion2017 from BHSK_cogblog on Vimeo.
i had the weekend off and i had every intention to go down to monterey for the sea otter classic at laguna seca. but this came up and i made the executive decision (pretty much the night before) to ditch burning up and being caked in dirt in monterey, in order to head to 3rd and army in san francisco where it was overcast and ocean salty. i made the right decision. there were so meany heads out there that i havent seen in years and there was so much shit going on. now this is basically only the tip of the iceberg- i have a shit ton of photos i have to sift through tonight. anyway, shout out to mike and matt for making this happen and dudes like ramon and jball for putting up some prizes.

i'm fucking stoked how this came out by the way. holy hell....

jmik

what the fuck happened to FGFS part II: the shift and split

when i last left you on this series of essays,  i dove into the origins of FGFS. it was quick, and basically spanned from the days of breaking carbon forks doing keo spins, into breaking everything doing 360 flyouts. now here comes the stuff that will make you either love what i'm saying or hate what i'm saying. get it after the jump.

brap brap brap: racing y raicilla with kyle warner

remember when i reintroduced myself and said there will be some different things that pop of from time to time? this is one of those times. this really is not out of left field, however- kyle and i go back. we actually worked at the same bike shop in chico. his life has gone on an intense journey through the north american enduro tour. he's been with marin bikes for a while and this past year he hung up his attack trail for a hawk hill. for those who don't speak mountain bike, some would consider it a downgrade of sorts, pinning a 120mm platform against the competition that runs 150mm.

and he won that shit. for a third time. it comes to show that it doesn't matter what frame you're on, you can slay it as long as you're a badass. mr. warner is a badass.

jmik

home base: a time for reflection SF & NYC by chrome

Chrome Industries - A Time For Reflection SF from Chrome Industries on Vimeo.

Chrome Industries - A Time For Reflection NYC from Chrome Industries on Vimeo.

this is a rad series that's been popping up on the interwebs lately. chrome is a staple in our community and they're highlighting both sides of the country. each spot has their own style and tastes, but the common denominator is the stuff we're riding and the stuff we're hauling. first we got the fam in san francisco- there's way too many people in that to mention. then on the other end of the spectrum we have a core crew in new york; both are big cities, both are wildly entertaining to ride, both have bridges (and both have the home matt reyes, because slum is a hard working motherfucker and defies time and space). the year is ending, and next year might be rough so maybe we should all look back and reflect on the people with us and surroundings that we live in.

oh and watch out for those autonomous uber cars, eh?

jmik

the year off: sMc & wheeltalk at sf bike expo

(via SMC & wheeltalk)
i have previously been a part of sf bike expo since it's second iteration, but this year i regrettably could not go due to scheduling conflicts. luckily, my fam jball and slumworm were there to keep an ear to the wall and got some pretty slick photos of the event. you should slip on by sMc and wheeltalk to see some of what went down.

also, nice to see jball still rockin' the #bigboywheelclique.

jmik

the revival, fam: empire 2 teaser

Empire 2 teaser from crihs on Vimeo.
i'm going to be honest here, this blog has been in the back of my mind ever since work started consuming me whole. i thought that building up a track bike would spark something in me to start it up, but that was a couple months ago.

i've never really been compelled to return and pick up the pieces until november 23, 2015 at precisely noon; because for some reason some planets aligned and my computer autoplayed a video on alex gonzalez' facebook as i was leaving to the gym. what stopped me was at :24..... "IS THAT FUCKING TOM LA MARCHE?" (this was probably the most fanboy fixie thing to scream out)

that is what grabbed my attention, but what kept my attention was seeing alex, wonka and slum owning the city. mind you, i haven't set eyes on anything FGFS or track bike related in several months so my mind was blown into chunks to see how much these guys have progressed. well fuck, if that's not inspirational, i dont know what is. i might be late to the game on the second coming of the empire movie, but hey- i was never good at keeping up with this shit anyway. if you havent watched it, i highly suggest you do. now excuse me, i'm going to tell the gym to fuck off and find the nearest steep hill to huck myself off of.

jmik

the end of an era: iminusd is closing it's retail store

the other day i heard some somber news that cut me pretty hard. our familia at iminusd will be closing down their retail location by the end of the month. these guys have been supporting me since the beginning and have contributed to the fixed gear community around the world since it's founding in 2009. they put me on wheels, put some shirts on my back, let me judge contests, gave me beer and food, allowed me to blog on their website, and have allowed me to make connections with bike people near and far. i would like to take a minute to thank jeffy d, trang, jp, and all the other folks that let me loiter around the shop in my off days when i was in town. most off all i would like to thank mr. mark cosio for bringing the epicenter of fixed gear and fgfs to san jose. if it weren't for his efforts, i dont think fixed gear would be get this far.

if i didn't have their support, BHSK would have ceased to exist. that's how much this shop means to me. i was a punk ass kid trolling san jose fixed's forums with a cruddy website and a shitty bike. they were the first company to respond to my emails when i needed some stuff for my contests i threw up north. since then i was the basically the first to show up to their events and first to celebrate their achievements. it kind of sucks seeing such a big part of my own life shut it's doors. BHSK is definitely indebted to iminusd.

though i dont know what the future holds for imd just yet, it's really sad to see your hometown shop lock it's doors for the last time (hopefully indefinitely), especially when it's had such a big impact on your life and others worldwide. there will never be another shop like imd, and never will.

ride forever fam.

jmik

mosdest mouse trap lord: the good times are killing me

The Good Times Are Killing Me from 3b's Krew on Vimeo.
i'm on the late bus right about now on this one. jake is BHSK fam, a FOAD collaborator, and a fucking mad man. this dude is fast, and he's got steez for days. it doesnt matter if it's raining, snowing, there's ice on the road- he's out there ripping and tearing that cinelli vigorelli to bits. considering the absolute speed he carries and shitty weather he rides in, i have no clue how the kid is in one piece. keep them coming bro!

jmik

meanwhile, in the past: FOAD 2011 lost edit

2011 Lost Edit from FOAD on Vimeo.
there was a time where the FOAD fam had not existed. yes folks, it may be hard to swallow but it's true. this one was unearthed a couple of days ago and it may not seem like much as compared to today's standards, but damn.... the "not giving a fuckery" FOAD is known for is still transparent. i havent seen one of those original grime joints in a minute and sam's fucking bars are so fucking tall. back then i would've said shit but today with the standard being around 5 inches.... dude was ahead of his fucking time. good shit my dudes.

jmik

40 ounces of smooth: arizona iced out trip 2015

ARIZONA ICED OUT TRIP 2015 from JBall on Vimeo.
this one popped up as soon as i was leaving the HQ so i didn't have any time to really look at it until now. it's got a ton of folks on it: congo, mike penrose, corey, matt spencer, steven jensen and jball. it's quite long, but it's got some slick bangers. everyone's got their own style, it's easy to pick out who is who- jensen is super tech, congo's got that heavy throwdown, matt spencer never bars is super flowy, michael penrose threads shit so nicely and jball is fucking jball. not only that, we have some 29er action going on with jball and corey.... and you know how much i love the wrong sized wheel. yes, it's 15 minutes long, but it's packed full of good shit.

shouts to SMC and WOLFDRAWN for making a killer joint.


jmik

omgfrancisisbackonabike: day at downtown

DAY AT DOWNTOWN from Francis Roque on Vimeo.
i havent seen francis roque on a bike in a long ass time. but in this double feature with drabzong her, there he is... on a bike. both these dudes are mad talented, and come from the mighty mighty 209. i havent seen much activity from the area in a while, so it's refreshing to see that place pop up every once in a while. we all know francis is a bad dude, but i've never heard of mr. her until now. dude slays as well too with that like at :45.

jmik

many clouds of smoke: fyxation humboldt

(via fyxation)
fyxation and BHSK go way back. back when i used to throw fixed gear comps in college, they supported my stuff for a long time. i still run their bars on my FGFS bike. lately they've been creeping into the handmade goods, and i couldnt be more proud of that. with a ton of stuff coming from overseas nowadays, we need more stuff made stateside. the newest piece they're making is the humboldt- a rolltop bag handmade in brew city. named after a street in mikwaukee (sorry california peoples, it's not named after a certain county know for growing certain green plants) this thing is pretty damn good lookin', and pretty weatherproof. you should always support US manufacturing, and fyxation's doing a good job of keeping stuff in house. get to it y'all.

jmik

all i feel is pain: godandfamous united in pain

(via gnf)
yup i'm still playing catch up. our familia at godandfamous has this weird thing for pain. deep down in all of us, we're suckers for pain. continuing with this theme and is the united in pain gruppo which involves a patch (you know how much i love my fucking patches) and a bottle. these things go fast and when they're gone, they're gone. join the pain fest and get you some now.

jmik

this one goes out to the ladies: bombtrack 2015 line in video

now that i'm plopped in front of this computer, what's the first on the agenda? well let's take a minute and catch up with the bombtrack familia, shall we?

The DASH 2015 from WeMakeThings on Vimeo.
now i'm sure just about everyone who frequents this blog has seen this one on the internets. low and behold, this is a wolfdrawn joint disguised as a teaser for the bombtrack dash. and you should already know about the dash as well as the guy at the helm, elliot milner. so we wont really get into it. just sit there and enjoy it.


The SCRIPT 2015 from WeMakeThings on Vimeo.
now this fucker i want in my stable immediately. the script is bombtrack's aluminum track monster. it's sexy as fuck. tapered head tube, sram omni-nomnomnoms, a female axle front wheel with buttery smoothed out welds all over makes me want to take this thing out to dinner and kiss it goodnight.

to say i want this one is an understatement.


The NEEDLE 2015 from WeMakeThings on Vimeo.
actually no, i want this one in my stable. if the script is the sexy one that flirts with you all the time, then the needle is the one that keeps it real. this one is all new for 2015, and it's right up my alley with the reynolds 725 tubing- yep. it's fucking steel. and all of it is steel right down to that 5 piece fork. it's the blue collar beast and it even has a place where you can put that chris king headset you've been sitting on for ages.


The ARISE 2015 from WeMakeThings on Vimeo.
still staying within the singlespeed realm, bombtrack brings us the arise. this one we've seen photos of before but not much else. another steel offering, this one ventures off into the wild as a SSCX bike. but it's not so simple. you see, this one has a derailleur hanger, removable cable tabs, a built in singlespeed chain tensioner..... hell the thing has rack mounts if you really want to get into it.


The HOOK 2015 from WeMakeThings on Vimeo.

this is the part where things get rad. the hook is a full on cyclocross bike. it's a straight up, built to fucking kill, cyclocross bike- and a damn good one too. we're talking sram rival, avid discs, mavic wheels, all strapped to (wait for it) columbus tubing. holy fuck. i was gonna type something witty and funny here but all that comes to mind is "holy fuck that's built ass bike"


The OXBRIDGE WOMEN 2015 from WeMakeThings on Vimeo.


The OXBRIDGE MEN 2015 from WeMakeThings on Vimeo.
and now for something completely different. the oxbridge is bombtrack's mild mannered city bike. we're talking, full fenders, box rims,  gum wall tires, and everything old school. oh and ladies? you got a version of the oxbridge as well.

two bikes that haven't seen video treatment yet are the divide and zone. the divide is the "old school" 700c FGFS on which bombtrack is recognized for, and the zone is an urban super commuter that features a shimano internally geared hub.

it's crazy to see how much the bombtrack fam has grown in a matter of a few years. they may have a few more in the garage but the focus has still remained as their offerings have the common thread of being badass rides with top shelf stuff installed.

jmik

the photo that brought me back: james madarang hits the stockton rail.

(via alxgonzalz)
so, a whole lot of shit has happened. i stepped away from the blog for a long time because of a lot of things. at one point, i kind of lost faith in fixed gear. seeing all these uninformed fixed gear idiots on the internet and in real life took a toll on me- so much so that i started riding mountain bikes and bmx a little more. hell, i even took up rock climbing and went with that for a while (well actually i still do that but whatever). then about a week ago, this photo surfaced. the bhsk fam alex gonzalez captured the younger madarang hitting a double peg on the infamous stockton rail.

why is this even relevant?

first of all, alex is a rad dude and so is james. james kills it, and doesnt give a flying fuck about it. funny thing is, james is known for his classic style focused on flat riding. he also rides a 29'er, which is basically a "fuck you" to both the fixed freestyle elitists and bmx riders alike. as soon as i saw this, all the politics and bullshit that plagued me went out the window and i (almost) threw my laptop at the wall because i was so stoked over this.

that, and because i forgot to turn off automatic payments for my URL.

oh and follow alex on tumblr and make him famous or something.

jmik