Fashionable?...Moi?

I've been toying with the idea of getting a freecoaster for years now but hub design & cash were always a big issue for me, seeing as BK was changing up some of his stuff for his next project (post to follow soon) I thought I'd grab his old one...

Changing gearing can get expensive these days & it was through getting the chance of buying up Bob's old stock & the favorable exchange rate, that I decided to get it on. As this coaster only came in a 10t version, I had to look at downsizing the sprocket too. Originally I was waiting on the new BSD 'Alex' sprockets but the excitement got the better of me & I couldn't wait to get this project going. I have also been looking at Treebikeco sprockets for a while now, as I'd heard nothing but good things about them & after a check of their site, I discovered that they had a new 'light' sprocket in the works. After the offical launch indicated on Tree's site, I had BK get on to our ever trusted US BMX supplier, par excellence, Pat @ Flatlandfuel. Before long it's here (along with a fuck-off, massive order of lovely flatland components for Rayo & Bob) & the upgrade is on a roll...

I stripped & rebuilt the Odyssey Reloader freecoaster to make sure all was well.

I had to true the wheel of some spiteful up & down action & it was a couple of mm out on the dish but nothing major as far as the wheel was concerned.

The sprocket is the correct size (22mm) for the BSD Ti axle already on the bike so it was all a real nice fit & went together without heartache & I was glad to get rid of the nasty top-hat spacer for some super true sprocket rotation ;-)

With everything together, I don't think the weight has changed much? The freecoaster wheel is definitely heavier than the Proper cassette wheel it's replacing but with loosing the links from the chain due to smaller gearing & the difference between the 36t ANIMAL BIKES sprocket & the Tree light, it's kinda balanced it all out...

Always good to get new stuff for the 20" & I have enjoyed getting this sorted. Now just need to wait (for ever?) for the damn rain to stop falling so I can go test the beast...

Thanks:

BK for the wheel
Alex for the BSD offer
Pat for getting hold of the Tree light

In the midst of a waster generation...

What is it with kids today? Last night we tripped over to Chacombe for a relaxing evening session & had to sweep the entire park due to glass everywhere, fires lit against the back of the mini & basically sort out a fucked up mess of a park! I don't get it? if I'd have had this sort of facility on my doorstep when I was a nipper, I would have been using it for it's intended purpose & shredding the place daily! It's so easy to be a fucking waster these days eh kids?

So...

BobK, Co, Pornchai & I got our stuff together & after the above cleanup operation we had a good little session. Co has borrowed Bob's old 'Big-D' & seemed to be enjoying a bit of flat & ramp action & hopefully this will be just what he needs to get back in the saddle & back to being the little ripper of old! BK was just chipping away at some bits he's working on, I'm sure he likes to get out on his own solo missions to get some stuff learned but it's always good to see him riding... I just made a few of my normal bits & had a good time.

Summer evening sessions are the best eh...?

Combe next...

A great way to get rid of £6...

Bought the Smiths album 'the queen is dead' for my birthday & it's such a great CD. I worked in a record store (remember those!?) when this came out in 86 & remember buying it on vinyl at the time. After 20+ years it hasn't aged a day & still sounds great, so go & spend a few quid on a copy & kick back & enjoy the fantastic, often funny, song writing & great melodies, it's worth every penny.

Or if your a tight git then go see I-tunes, Ares or whatever his name is for the ripped, compressed & rubbish sounding MPfree version...

enjoy

For Dummies guides vol:1

Available from Amazon now...

Celebrity Race - I don't think so...

from vitalbmx.com:

Dave Mirra Wins Celebrity Race!

The annual Toyota Grand Prix Celebrity race was held April 15th in Long Beach, CA. The race is full of Hollywood actors and professional athletes, and the winner for 2007 was none other than Dave Mirra! Apparently Dave can do anything he wants and come out on top. Congrats to Dave, and you can check out Toyota.com for more info. Crazy.

Results
1. Dave Mirra - NO Dave we said celebrities

2. Martina Navratilova - too busy eating pussy to win

3. Joshua Morrow - who?

4. Mike Skinner - in full factory Burberry uniform

5. RJ Romero - He owns the fucking company! he shoulda won by default

6. Bucky Lasek - you can't skate on gravel, he was destined to place low

7. Scott Kelley - KELLEY is wanted by the District of New Hampshire - New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Taskforce, based on arrest warrants issued by the U.S. Marshals Service and Coos County Sheriff's Office, NH for Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution and Non-Custodial Kidnapping. - last seen in 7th place!

8. Emily Procter - won worst actress awards in 2001, 2002 & 2003 & her dad is a Doctor?? would that be as in the porn film "Dr Proctor - Anal Specialist" what a winner!

9. Kell Hu - & fuck you too unknown

10. John Salley - Ex NBA, aka 'the spider' I reckon had he not gone with the 280mm profile cranks choice he woulda placed higher...?

11. Aisha Tyler - Actress & avid 'home beer brewer' (piss head) was probably too fucked up on 'Old Thunderpussy Barleywine' to give a shit about some poxy BMX race

12. Jery Westlund - A former political consultant for the U.S.-controlled Bicycle Club casino has been indicted on charges of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the card club's political campaigns - how could he loose?

13. Kathryn Morris - shes a hottie, I have nothing derogatory to say about her

14. Robin Quivers - I bet he does being up against that 'legendary celeb' Dave Mirra!

15. Annamarie Dean - Toyota race car driver - should have come second right behind RJ??

16. George Lucas - not even the force could elevate George to place higher

17. Kendra Wilkinson - one of Hugh Hefners bunny's - stick to your inevitable porn career girl, you certainly have the rigged up face for it


So I can see it now, DM thinking 'I could beat those mofos for the gold medal!?' If it was that much of a bargain bin celeb deal then where where the following Z listers??:

1. Vera Duckworth - go go you spiteful old fucker!
   
   
2. Carol Thatcher - hot off her 'I'm a retard get me outta here!' win in 05, she would been hot for rockin' the 20" & leaving DM in her wake
   
   
3. Gareth Gates - someone coulda pulled this looser fuckwit outta the dumpster he now resides in & put the goons career back on the track
   
   
4. Joey Deacon - what a legend! well if he wasn't RIP he must have been down for the win, all he needed to do was have a chat with DM pre moto & he would drenched him in spit from all that whistling shit & DM's Oakley Razor Blades ((or whoever he's sponsored by this week)) would have been fully misted & he woulda put it over the first berm without a doubt...

Celebrities one & all then...

where's Wakey?!?

What with the perfect weather we seem to be having here of late, the bike sessions are becoming more frequent :-) So Saturday comes around & we find ourselves on the road to Chacombe once again...

Mikey, BK, Sboy, myself & Dopeammo maestro, Co put in an appearance this time round. We all had a great session in the sunshine, Milkey made 'bus driver' disasters & was trying foot jam foofs, Sunil was well back on form & riding the best I've seen him ride in years - go-go-dude!! BobbyK was inspired by watching a legendary old bike video of us from 10+ years ago & was out to prove that riding with craig'MuttDogg'walters back, circa 1994, was not the highlight of his flatland career & he's now set to blaze his way through 2007 - on one wheel. Co seemed to be enjoying himself & will hopefully rejoin the ranks this year & it would be great to see... watch this space ;-) After filming some 'comp runs' we were all shot & so retreated home, for some much needed shade & hydration, Same time next week then dooods.


Oh yeah, I did some more nose picks.

Blue skies for Easter

Well for the first time in ages, I rode twice in less than a week over the Easter BH-weekend. I'm really getting into this riding thing eh? Whilst some people think nothing of riding on a daily basis, it's a bit of a big deal for an 'old timer' like myself...

So after having a good little session on Thursday with Milkey, Rayo etc, I find myself hooking up with Sboy & BK for another nice little trip over to sunny Chacombe :-) I hope this is a sign of things to come this year as it's a bit of a rarity getting to ride with Sunil & Chack is also suitable for a little rock & roll, in a flatland stylee, which meant BK was also attending - all good!

The sun was out, we had some Slapshot on the tape deck & the old road trip feelings were resurfacing once again. It's great at this time of year, to think you have all that potential good weather & sessions to come, in the months to follow...

There were about 20 skaters 15 bladders & 35 BMXers already sessioning the ramps when we got there... thats a bit of an exageration actually, in reality, there was just one 10 year old girl & a toddler using the ramp as a slide & they soon scarpered as we rolled up :-) you gotta love having a park all to yourself eh?

Having ridden only 2 days earlier I was soon familiarising myself with Chacks curves & Sboy was soon in his element too, going for his tricks including those classic TM fast plants ;-)



Bob was squeaking his pinkies & looking forward to knee surgery



I made some more nose picks (I can do some other tricks - I think?)

& we snapped these photos which I feel really capture the good little session we had on a Saturday afternoon @ Chacombe ramps.