Author Topic: Hats off to bmx engineering....whats your favourite bit? (Read 2221 times)

oberonspacefruit · « **on:** February 21, 2014, 08:03 PM »

Im sat here looking at the seat tube on my TA and Ive got to hand it to skyway, they made a great looking frameset.
Its not just a case of lopping off lengths of chromo tubing and sparkling them together, as with a lot of framesets. Even taking into account the aero tubing, a feat in itself, the taper on the chainstays is a million miles away from cold drawn steel stock. And even though I'm a practical guy, Ive no idea how the sculptural part at the top of the seat tube is realised in steel. Plus the dropouts are a work of art. they look more like the head of an oriental dragon, than a bit of steel for holding the wheel in place.
Its great, looking at good engineering, on what was essentially/probably a kids xmas present in 1984, and seeing the thought and design thats gone into it, and as such, its one of my fave bits of bmx engineering.

Got any faves of your own to share?

vestanpance · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2014, 08:14 PM »

Not old school, but an Alliant Billet frame is an amazing piece of work.
A bit of hydroforming, monocoque & much more. no wonder they cost a bit bitd.

Dannywhac · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2014, 08:17 PM »

Not really a specific manufacturer thing, but the evolution of three piece cranks. From the loose-ball axled and pinches right through to lovely machined axles, pinchless, bloody lovely welds, the bizarre inbetween trying to work out what works (and doesn't snap) to end up with gun drilled, pinchless sealed bearing wuberleyness.

Bfellows · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2014, 08:27 PM »

Tuf neck stems - not big, not clever, just simple, basic engineering that does what it should.

Bfellows · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2014, 08:28 PM »

At the other end - Shimano DX crank sets. I just look at mine and think why go to so much bloody trouble.......

stidds · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2014, 08:34 PM »

I love hubs personally, track hubs, road hubs, bmx hubs. Some amazing engineering going into something that we all just take for granted but is integral to use.

I also love my R&R frame, it is one piece of tubing all along the twin top tube, back end, looptail etc. Just one piece bent and bent again and all done in mid 70's.

rooski · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2014, 08:42 PM »

Welding on Race inc,rippers

Japanese mass produced works of art,DX pedals/posts,Suntour sealed hubs(all made in the same month for same anno colour consistency

)

Campy stuff,all exquisite

Mid school VG,PMC,CRUPI,JP all great designs

fischflo · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2014, 08:47 PM »

OS Ace skyway rims ...

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,154127.0.html

Clean · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2014, 08:50 PM »

Gussets; a sure fire way of identifying a BMX Versus non BMX in the early eighties; a really iconic design cue.

From the generic gusset you can then get into ID-ing specific brands from specific gusset design: DB, Kuwahara, Mongoose, Burners etc..

When I was ten, riding my Grifter, I longed for a 20" bike with a gusset.

I still long for gussets!

sawzall · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2014, 08:57 PM »

MY BRITISH BUILT S.J.K HURRICAINE WITH THERE UNIQUE HEADSET DESIGN

oberonspacefruit · « **Reply #10 on:** February 21, 2014, 09:13 PM »

Quote from: fischflo on February 21, 2014, 08:47 PM

OS Ace skyway rims ...
http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,154127.0.html

Cant believe ive not seen that thread before...

kungfunky · « **Reply #11 on:** February 21, 2014, 10:48 PM »

Floval tubing and anything Bill Bastian put his hands too, Cook Bros stems and Motomags.

fischflo · « **Reply #12 on:** February 21, 2014, 10:58 PM »

well yeah you been off a bit

ORB · « **Reply #13 on:** February 21, 2014, 11:16 PM »

- Hutch Pedals
- Curtis, Rickman & MRD framesets

Betty · « **Reply #14 on:** February 21, 2014, 11:18 PM »

DX pedals

In2bmx · « **Reply #15 on:** February 21, 2014, 11:42 PM »

Bob Reedy pedals ..... 70's pedals that actually looked cool !

rodriguez · « **Reply #16 on:** February 21, 2014, 11:43 PM »

Cook Bros A Head type stem 1980, way before it's time you have to wonder why it didn't catch on then.

http://www.23mag.com/com/cookbros/cookbros.htm

Araya Aeros

Dannywhac · « **Reply #17 on:** February 22, 2014, 12:11 AM »

Quote from: Betty on February 21, 2014, 11:18 PM

DX pedals

Hell yeah

On a grippy to 'no fudge your shins' ratio.

Peter J · « **Reply #18 on:** February 22, 2014, 09:55 AM »

I know it's a love hate thing with these but it has it all, CNC machining, monocoque 1 1/8th and new brakes

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Jaan · « **Reply #19 on:** February 22, 2014, 10:11 AM »

A timeless classic

Sent from my be-atch using Skills

Dark Diggler · « **Reply #20 on:** February 22, 2014, 12:26 PM »

Profile cranks, a major contributor to the progression of all the disciplines of BMX, race, flatland, dirt, park, street.
They have been around for almost all of BMX and still are.

OrgasmDonor · « **Reply #21 on:** February 22, 2014, 01:07 PM »

profile cranks
tuf-neck stems
GHP forks
TNT rear drops
and my fave bit ever, which I find it surprising the lower end makers did not jump on and copy, has got to be the perfectly formed and functioning VG seat guts

animal · « **Reply #22 on:** February 22, 2014, 01:56 PM »

R.G.D. racing stems
anything mr Brian Curtis Braised

brakedancer · « **Reply #23 on:** February 22, 2014, 04:06 PM »

a gyro ...

vestanpance · « **Reply #24 on:** February 22, 2014, 04:12 PM »

Quote from: brakedancer on February 22, 2014, 04:06 PM

a gyro ...

Now you're talking.

Author Topic: Hats off to bmx engineering....whats your favourite bit? (Read 2221 times)

In2bmx

rodriguez