SunTour BMX 36-hole coaster brake hub

I have been running a coaster brake hub on my BMX bike for years. I love coaster brake hubs because they work in all kinds of weather. This hub above is a SunTour 36-hole coaster brake hub and that is the one that is on my Kuwahara BMX bike. There is a strange rule in Singapore where people who ride bikes on the road will get fined if their bikes have no brakes. The enforcement officers just cannot fathom the idea of a coaster brake hub. To them, if they see no brake calipers, it means that bike is brake-less. I personally feel that it is stupid. I have been running coaster brakes on quite a few of my bikes for years. I have had no issues with them at all. Maybe these idiots that make these laws need a schooling on the different kind of braking systems for bikes!

Cycling along Jalan Hwi Yoh in the early 1980s

I was reminiscing about the time when I used to go exploring a lot, riding my BMX with a white, canvas bag slung over my shoulder. In that canvas bag were a bottle of water, a Singapore street directory and not much else. My BMX could handle all those old and bumpy roads in the country that then ten-speed racing bikes could not. In any case, one of my pastimes was cycling to Serangoon Gardens via the old Jalan Hwi Yoh. Jalan Hwi Yoh was then an old, windy road, peppered with kampungs and provision shops. There was even an old pottery kiln there and I remember cycling past it. Now, when I close my eyes, I can still imagine that old road that was Jalan Hwi Yoh…myself cycling along that road, inhaling the smells and the enjoying the sights and sounds that only the kampongs could provide. The houses were made of wood with attap roofs. Sometimes, when I was thirsty or hungry, I would go to one of the coffeeshops there for a drink or food. The road was a tarred road, sandy in some places, with coconut trees growing beside it. Jalan Hwi Yoh does not exist anymore now. All that is left of it is a small section of it along Yio Chu Kang Road. That section was once part of that road. Memories.

The ride in Coney Island

I had the chance to ride my bike in Coney Island a few days back. I have never ridden my bike in there before so this was a first time for me. The road or path was relatively smooth, as can be seen in the picture above. It looked like any jungle track, with trees surrounding me on both sides. There were lots of monkeys all around and at the entrance, some visitors had their personal belongings stolen by those very aggressive monkeys. Terrain-wise, I was afraid that my Brompton would not be able to handle the rough road but if you ride slowly, it is perfectly manageable. I think the next time, I will come with my BMX cruiser. That bike can handle all this terrain with no issues.

Stripped threads in crank pedal boss

One of the reasons why I really, really hate aluminium cranks is this issue of stripped threads. Look at the picture above. This is a picture of an aluminium crank’s pedal bosses which have the threads totally stripped. It is pretty straightforward why it happened. The stronger chromoly pedal spindle is harder than the softer aluminium crank arm it is attached to. After a while, something has got to give and you get this result – stripped threads. That is why for heavier riders, you should at the very least get a crank with steel pedal bosses or steel inserts. If possible, run a chromoly crank. I used to get these issues in the 80s when I raced BMX and used alumnium three-piece cranks. After a while, when they get worn out, this happens. That is why I went back to one-piece steel cranks. So always remember, check your cranks often to make sure that the thread is not stripped

Vespa scooter race at a BMX track

Quite a few years back, when I used to race BMX, one of my friends made this joke while we were sitting around after a race. He said that wouldn’t it be cool to have a Vespa scooter race on the BMX track? The rest of us burst out into laughter. I mean, just thinking about it sounded so funny and ridiculous. Then I came upon this picture on the Internet. Damn. Looks like it already has been done before! Food for thought indeed!

Why I dislike BMX now

I miss the days when BMX was hardcore. You know, back in the day when BMX stood for Bicycle Moto-Cross. Bikes were built out of chromoly and some were made out of aluminium. The forks were almost always made out of chromoly. race tracks had berms and sometimes, to jostle for third place, it was not unusual to see riders “trading elbows” to get that slight advantage. That was BMX

Fast forward to present day. Nowadays, BMX riders ride with clipless pedals. There are almost no berns on BMX tracks nowadays. Tracks are smooth. Bikes and forks are made out of lightweight aluminium and carbon fibre. I would not trust a carbon fibre BMX fork and will not touch one with a ten-foot barge pole. And there is reason for my choice. Look at the picture above. See that fork? Case closed

In short, BMX has become a circus. It is no longer the hard-core sport it once was, especially BMX racing. And what is with the radial lacing on the front rim?

Motorcycle wheels with small axles

I used to ride BMX bikes some time back and got a bit of a shock when I saw the axle size of this motorbike. It is pretty thin and it looks like a 10mm axle, the same type that is on my BMX bike. I wonder why the axles on this motorbike are so thin. I would have expected them to be a little wider, like at least 14mm. I have seen downhill bikes with bigger axles! I wonder. What gives?

Cheng Shin snake belly BMX tyres

First of all, I would like to credit boydsbikes.com for the photo of the Cheng Shin Snake Belly BMX tyres that I bought yesterday. The tyres on my old-school BMX were about 16 years old and since I have not ridden this bike in a while, I was afraid that the older tyres would not hold out. So I went to a bike-shop near my place and found these snake belly tyres hanging from a hook. I took them down and asked for a couple of inner tubes as well. Total damage? $20. I did not argue with the price and agreed immediately! So I fixed up my bike with these new tyres and immediately I felt better.

These tyres are nice. They offer good grip on the roads and for $20, I cannot complain at all. Cheng Shin have been making quality tyres for BMX for many, many years and so I do not doubt their quality. These tyres brought new life to my old-school BMX bike and they are well worth it. Check your tyres and make sure that they are not too old. Change them if they are older than 10 years or more. I do not ride my old-school bike that much so I am pretty sure that the old tyres had hardened. Better to be safe and not sorry.

Kuwahara Bravo from 1985

I saw this being sold on Ebay and it made me want to take a second look. I really miss Kuwahara bikes when they were made this way, from 4130 chromoly and built to literally last. This Kuwahara 1985 Bravo was tempting…really tempting but I already have enough bikes. I can always dream though. This would look great in a rebuild!

Standing pegs on a bike

Years ago, and we are talking about at least 30 years, Skyway, a BMX wheel maker, had a great idea to make standing pegs that were necessary for freestyle tricks. These pegs screwed in to the axle of the bike, like what is seen here. Notice those black extrusions on the bike wheel. In any case, many people had them on their bikes as they were pretty popular. If you could not get or afford Skyway’s peg stands, there were lots of, uh, compatible ones available. Most of the time, people would screw them into the rear axle. This was to facilitate the bike rider giving a lift to his friend. All the friend had to do was to stand on the pegs. This bike I saw had the pegs installed in the front. These bring backs lots of memories…