bmx

BMX: Identiti Rebate 1420 Forks on a Redline D26 – 20mm to 14mm Conversion

September 21, 2016 by Ole Leave a Comment

When my oldest son started racing less and playing water polo more, he asked for a dirt jump bike so he could continue riding BMX in some manner. My youngest had taken a break from BMX also, so I stopped racing and bought a dirt jumper too.

I chose the Redline D26 (2014 model). Here it is the day I picked it up at the bike shop:

After shedding some of the lime green, I took it out to the local skate park with my sons. The knobby tires made me a little nervous on the slick cement of the bowl, but it was fun to ride. Being a bit bigger than the average bear, though, I kept bottoming out the suspension forks.

When increasing the preload of the coil spring didn’t solve the problem, I decided to ditch the suspension and go back to rigid forks.

The problem was finding 26″ rigid forks that would work with a 20mm axle. This is my first bike with suspension forks, and also my first bike with 20mm axles. I didn’t know how difficult it would be to find rigid forks that would work with my existing wheels.

Fortunately, a BMX friend (who also rides mountain bikes) suggested the Identiti Rebate Jump 1420 Forks.

The Rebate 1420 forks have 14mm dropouts and come with an axle that slides in to a 20mm hub but converts down to 14mm at the dropouts.

Here is the Identiti Rebate 1420 axle sliding into my existing 20mm hub.

The Rebate 1420 forks come in two lengths: 425mm and 465mm (XL). I chose the XLs, and ended up having some of the steering tube chopped down.

The finished product.

The 1420 axle installed.

Both of my sons have moved on from BMX (dirt and jump), so I haven’t ridden much myself. In fact, I sold all of our BMX race bikes.

Racing BMX was something that I shared with my sons, so I don’t plan to get out to the track very much anymore. I do plan to go every now and then to hang out with the cool people I met along the way.

I took it out to the “One Last Lap” event at the World Famous Orange Y, and the bike felt very solid around the track.

I moved around a bit in the turns on the knobby tires, so I might buy some racing tires.
(Photo courtesy of Christel King Creative)

Whether I replace the tires or not, the Redline D26 with the Identiti Rebate 1420 forks has now become my race bike. I like riding chromoly again.

One Last Lap at the World Famous Orange Y BMX Track – 08/27/16

August 28, 2016 by Ole Leave a Comment

Orange Y BMX held a special event last night called “One Last Lap”.

Although the last official race is happening as I write this, last night was a chance for riders from the past and present to hang out with friends and say goodbye to the track. This event also raised funds for a local rider’s family.

It was nice to catch up with some of my BMX friends and take a few last laps. I sold all of our race bikes when my sons took up water polo, but I kept this modified dirt jumper so that I would have something to ride at the track every now and then.

I also bought a few t-shirts.

… and took a bunch of pictures. View them all here:

Orange Y BMX
1977 – 2016

Say Goodbye to BMX at the World Famous Orange Y – Come Out and Get Your Last Laps This Weekend

August 26, 2016 by Ole 1 Comment

The YMCA of Orange is shutting down the iconic Orange Y BMX track at the end of this month. Since 1977, this track has provided fun, fitness and friendship for boys and girls of all ages…

Here are some excerpts from public statements posted by Orange Y BMX and the YMCA of Orange, which offer differing explanations of why the track is being closed:

From the Orange Y BMX Facebook page:

ORANGE Y BMX was started by local parents on YMCA property in the late 70’s to keep kids busy and out of trouble. Today the sport has grown all around the world and has become an Olympic sport. BMXers from around the world know ORANGE Y BMX as the Mecca of BMX in Orange County. Today 40 years later the YMCA board and CEO Jimmy Ozaeta have decided to close the only program on their property that benefits thousands of families yearly. Tripling the cost to operate wasn’t enough .They want to charge BMX 10,000.00 a month to use a vacant lot that local parents started the track on.
Shame on YMCA of Orange they forget who they serve.
Last event on this site is AUGUST 28,2016 SUNDAY .Please come out and support us as it’s the last time kids will race BMX in Orange County.

From the YMCA of Orange Facebook page:

As committed volunteers of our community-driven organization, it’s our responsibility to maximize our asset in an effort to serve more youth and families. As an organization we made a concerted effort to allow the current track operator to extend their lease agreement in April, but when it became evident that the BMX track operator was neither going to extend their existing lease agreement nor respond to our request to submit a proposal, we, as a board, then needed to take a different course of action as to the future plans of our property. As a non-profit, we can’t be expected (nor are we able) to subsidize the operational expenses of a for-profit business. Contrary to the inaccurate statements made by, or on behalf of, the track operator, we adamantly deny that our organization requested an absurd monthly lease rate, and that our organization is at the brink of bankruptcy. We would like to thank our community for your continued support during this transition.
As an organization we stand by our decision to take the necessary steps to maximize our asset. The last day of BMX programming on our property will be August 31, 2016, please focus your attention on giving this BMX track the proper send off after so many years of creating life-long memories.

I wanted to find out more, so I asked the YMCA of Orange some questions on Facebook.

YMCA of Orange - Questions Deleted about BMX

Unfortunately, my questions vanished. I have also noticed comments from other people that have disappeared, so this isn’t surprising. In addition, the page on the YMCA of Orange’s website that previously listed its leadership team now returns a “page not found” error (it is archived here).

In contrast to the vanishing content on the YMCA of Orange’s Facebook page and website, the track operator has been very visible, and has even appeared on the news to share the track’s story.

Why do I care about this track? It is a part of my history. I raced here when I was a kid, and got to ride here again when my sons took up the sport about 30 years later. Riding this track (and others throughout SoCal) with my sons created memories that will last forever.

It is very sad that this will be the last weekend for anyone else to make new memories at this track.

Although my sons have moved on to another sport, I still have a lot of friends who call this track home. I didn’t get to race as often as I would have liked when I was a kid, but I know some people who practically grew up here.

The YMCA of Orange owns the property, and is obviously allowed to use it for a different purpose. I am sure that many people will be watching the YMCA to see if the new use conforms to the mission found on the Orange YMCA’s website:

The YMCA of Orange puts Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

If not, I just might have to follow up on this issue in the future.

For now, I hope to visit the Orange Y sometime this weekend to take one last lap. If you would like to ride this track one more time, the last scheduled event is this Sunday, 8/28. Visit orangeybmx.com for more information.

I am ending this post with some pictures of the track that my dad took back in the early 80s. Since there is a certain novice / intermediate who didn’t race for a very long time in many of these pictures, please view them for the memories rather than the BMX skills. Maybe you’ll see yourself in some of them.

1981 – Before the retaining wall was built on the first straight:

1981 – Before the fence was built on the back straight:

1981 – The last turn (notice how close people were allowed to park back then):

1981 – The last straight:

1982 – Summer series?

1983 – First straight. It figures that I quit the sport when I finally started to get out front.

Some info my dad picked up in 1981:

BMX Pros Trick Team at Corona Crossings – 2015

July 5, 2015 by Ole Leave a Comment

For the fourth year in a row, we were able to watch the BMX Pros Trick Team show at The Crossings at Corona.

Here are some pictures of the action:

Austin Coleman:

Jared Eberwein:

Chris Gentry:

Dustin McCarty:

By the way, Dustin McCarty (the guy on the microphone) is also a rider. Here he is during one of the shows at Corona Crossings in 2013:

Harada Heritage Skatepark – Eastvale

September 20, 2014 by Ole 2 Comments

A friend invited me to the skatepark at Harada Heritage Park in Eastvale last Sunday. I didn’t ride, but I caught a bit of the action.

Fellow BMXers might recognize the guy on the bike… BMX freestyle legend, Eddie Fiola.

Enjoy the pictures:

Harada Heritage Park
13099 65th Street
Eastvale

Hunt Park Skatepark, Riverside

September 1, 2014 by Ole 2 Comments

I spent this beautiful Labor Day morning at the Hunt Park skatepark in Riverside.

Since this is the first skatepark we have ever visited, I can’t compare it to others, but it seems like a fun place for young and old alike. I have ridden here with my sons, and this morning there was a father and daughter riding together. Very cool.

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Update: 04/10/17

An excerpt from a Press-Enterprise article posted yesterday:

Riverside police are searching for a group of men who stole another man’s kick scooter and then shot at him Sunday morning, April 9, at the Hunt Park skate park.

Read more here: http://www.pe.com/articles/park-829299-police-city.html
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Here are some pictures from our recent visits:

Hunt Park
4015 Jackson St.
Riverside, CA

Chaparral Motorsports, San Bernardino – Bike Department

April 15, 2014 by Ole Leave a Comment

This post is for my fellow bike riders who live within driving (or biking) distance of Chaparral Motorsports in San Bernardino, CA…

We went to Chaparral this past weekend for some gear, and found out that they now have a bicycle department with a lot of bikes and gear in stock. Here are some pictures:

** Note: This was originally published on my other site (OLESPORT) on 04/15/14. I am consolidating my websites, so it is now published here. **

BMX Shoes: Five Ten vs. Vans

April 13, 2014 by Ole 2 Comments

After a 30-year break, I started racing BMX again last year. I saw how much fun my oldest son was having, and noticed that there were a lot of older riders out on the track so I decided to give it a try. My youngest son followed, and the three of us now spend a lot of time at BMX tracks.

Both of my sons quickly moved out of the novice class and immediately clipped in, but I still ride on flat pedals. I’m not sure when or if I will clip in. It could be next week or never.

Since my return to BMX, I have worn Vans almost exclusively. I wore them as a kid, so I figured that they were the natural choice for me now.

Unfortunately, I frequently slip pedals while racing. I would really like to stop doing this.

I have tried different pedals, but haven’t noticed much of a difference, so I decided to try different shoes. When my last pair of Vans wore out, I decided to try some shoes from Five Ten. To find out which shoes I preferred, I also bought a new pair of Vans so I could compare them both.

Vans AV Native American vs. Five Ten Freerider

I raced class and cruiser the first day I tried out the Five Tens. I did not slip a pedal once. I have ridden with them a few more times since then, and I still have not slipped a pedal.

By comparison, I slipped a pedal on my first lap the day I put on the brand new pair of Vans. That was just one of a few slipped pedals (and a few new pedal bites on the calves) that day.

I am not ripping on Vans. I love the iconic look of Vans and am still a Vans fan, but I am going to stick with Five Ten for riding BMX. The Stealth rubber outsoles really stick to the pedals, and the shoes seem to be stiffer than the Vans. My only complaint is that the Freerider doesn’t come in a 12.5. The Impact Low does though, so those will be my next pair of Five Tens.

If you ride BMX or mountain bikes and are looking for some grippy shoes, you might want to check out Five Ten.

fiveten.com

** Note: This was originally published on my other site (OLESPORT) on 04/13/14. I am consolidating my websites, so it is now published here. **

BMX Pros Trick Team at Corona Crossings – 2014

March 19, 2014 by Ole Leave a Comment

Over the weekend, we watched the BMX Pros Trick Team show at the Crossings at Corona. This is the third year in a row that we’ve been able to catch the show.

Here are some pictures from Saturday:

Austin Coleman

Gabe Weed

Jared Eberwein

Mancha

If you want to see pictures from prior years…

BMX Pros Trick Team at Corona Crossings – 2013
BMX Pros Trick Team at Corona Crossings – 2012

BMX Pros Trick Team at Corona Crossings – 2013

April 28, 2013 by Ole 1 Comment

After a morning of BMX racing yesterday, we stopped by the Crossings at Corona to watch the BMX Pros Trick Team show. This is the second year in a row that the BMX Pros Trick Team has performed at Corona Crossings. Hopefully they will be back next year too.

Here are some pictures of the action:

Dustin McCarty:

Rob Nolli:

Gabe Weed:

Phil Hajal: