BMX Bikes wheels

meeting by Mark Noble

That’s a fairly bloody huge question straight away. However it’s really worth thinking about for certain – the fresh addition to S&M Bikes’ manufacturer product line is a Holmes framework and hand kit which can be sized for 22-inch wheels, alongside a wheel kit from Revenge, with appropriate sized rims and tyres. So, if it’s adequate for S&M, could it be adequate for everybody?
Being mindful of this we approached to Keith Easom at Faction Bikes; Keith along with his brothers raised the 22-inch wheel question an extended, very long time ago and, convinced that they'd one thing really worth pursuing, start producing a bicycle organization that only made bikes with this particular wheel size – which will be positively a tremendously strong move for Keith and his brothers. They put their money where their particular mouths had been, and have now spent considerable time and cash purchasing this idea.
But, does it work? Keith and co have inked a great deal of study, and have experienced all of the comments from individuals who have purchased and rode their particular model bicycles – so they really understand what they’re talking about. They’ve made use of extensive feedback and evaluation to fine-tune their particular latest bicycles, that things are searching good. Apparently, versus a regular BMX cycle the 22-inch bikes are faster, more steady, however as well drop nothing associated with flickability and agility we all know and love. The 20-inch wheel dimensions are a throwback from the delivery of BMX therefore the old Stingray-type bicycles. Maybe, just maybe, could it be time for a rethink?

So, rapidly describe your background when you look at the BMX company…
KEITH: My brothers Kevin, Paul and I also are involved with BMX as riders since 1982. Paul and I also always test frames for OT Bikes, who later became Rebel bicycles. We organised demonstrations, comps and battle conferences through the 80s, after that we created and built the Shrewsbury Skatepark in ‘88, in which we continued working our activities although 90s. The skatepark had been a non-profit club setup that was the first of the type in UK. Paul and I had our Skate and BMX shop Subculture from ‘89 till 2006.

The 3 of us formed Faction Bike Co in 2007, but we started searching for investment for first prototypes and investing our very own cash on it in 2002.

What exactly inspired you to receive into making 22” wheel bikes?
For people it were only available in ’84 – I happened to be 14 and also at college, sketching a picture of Eddie Fiola from Freestylin’ mag. We unintentionally received the rims somewhat larger than 20” and I also thought, ‘they look more like 22s’. We began thinking the reason why don’t 22” bikes occur? And I also question whatever they would ride like when they performed? In identical article there is a pic of Ted Emmer riding in a skatepark on their 24” while the caption called him a ‘mad man’. I thought if he can do this on 24s he could surely ride better still if he was on 22s, maybe even as effective as if on a 20”? However began considering exactly how 22s would do in a racing contrast with 20” and 24” bikes? Evaluating within the benefits and drawbacks, and it ended up being all positives. Such as for instance, they could out-run a 20” on straights and away speed up a 24” out the gate, perchance you may even race them in both courses?

the reason why did you not perform some 22” in the past, the reason why didn't you do so till today?
Dealing with it with my brothers we thought that obtaining the tyres made ended up being beyond us during those times, even as we were simply teens without cash. Regardless of the 22” subject never becoming discussed in publications, we constantly mentioned united states doing it 1 day if no-one else made it happen very first. By 2002 with nonetheless no word of 22” bicycles in BMX mags, we're able to maybe not genuinely believe that nonetheless nobody had done it yet. That’s as soon as we believed… ‘right we’ll do so then’.

Just how tough was it to make or supply 22” wheel services and products, like those tyres like?
22” stuff performedn’t exist back then so we couldn’t source something. We had to create making every little thing into the 22” dimensions from scratch, and that's why nothing was effortless in developing the 22”. Kev and Paul had been both currently expert welders therefore we applied for funding to create our personal framework welding procedure within Shropshire in 2002 but had been refused capital as a result of the 22” being classed as increased threat concept. Therefore plan B was to check out Taiwan, which turned out to be a better move as no-one would question the quality when we could work using most useful factories here.

Were there any problems with dealing with Taiwan?
We understood the only method the industrial facilities would know very well what we're wanting to create is to get on an airplane and go satisfy all of them. Even with ideal CAD drawings and photos, there’s no substitute for face to face dialogue. Kev went along to Asia in Jan 2003 after which Taiwan in 2004 to meet up with factory proprietors to demonstrate them we had been serious. During the time, only a small number of rider-owned companies had been performing complete 20” bicycles. He was online without 3G phone no cash as his card got consumed by an ATM device. It’s amazing your 22” ever got past that phase. He stated those trips had been a nightmare!

S&M’s recently circulated 22″ system. Frame, hand, wheels and tires.

You performed an entire bicycle early on – do you feel you're jumping in during the deep end?
We desired it to be easily accessible for riders to use the 22” so a mid-range cost complete was essential. The bike reviews said the Zeitgeist ended up being the best spec bicycle with its budget range – of every wheel dimensions. As far as I’m aware hardly any other rider-owned company has actually attempted a complete bike as its first product, the actual fact it absolutely was a 22” too just included with the danger, so it was a proper step of belief. Following the Zeitgeist bicycle we desired to make a unique greater spec version known as the Amero cycle – this meant we required a street tyre with a foldable bead to fit that which was readily available for 20” bikes. Really the only tyre factory in the World that would cope with us in practical volumes – less than 40, 000 devices – and who does strive to our design specs is a business in European countries. A now close friend whom works there trapped his neck out going against the board of directors to give united states this one-shot chance to prove our brand-new 22” tyre can perhaps work. We held right back releasing the newest Amero framework and wheels because it would be useless to release all of them without good tyres.

Just how do you begin designing the frame it self?
The framework had to be created from scratch to suit 22” rims which required figuring out brand-new geometry for it. We developed our Amero frame geometry over a period of 5 years concerning bikers from all riding experiences of BMX to help with test biking. This included making many prototypes to test geometry options, test the construction various factories, attempt different tubing designs and push the restrictions of exactly how light we're able to cause them to, including making completely heat treaded variations.