SNAFU ANOREXIC PEDAL PROTOTYPES

XTRM Sports Network:

1/2/09, Written by BART

John Chen at Wellgo outdid himself with SNAFU’S new Anorexic pedals for BMX, MTB and 700c: these babies are awesome. The weight of one 100mm wide Anorexic pedal for MTB and BMX is 178g—ascant 10 grams heavier than our incredibly light PC pedal.

Granted,the Anorexic pedal is four times more expensive than our plastic pedal, but it lasts four times longer, so the cost is a wash. Pro’s are becoming disenchanted by the disposable nature of plastic pedals,and our super low-profile Anorexic pedal has everyone on our team psyched. Ride testing on these prototypes begins immediately.

The 75mm wide Anorexic pedal is designed for direct-drive track bikes (narrow pedals are preferred on these machines to aid cornering clearance), but tiny BMX riders will love it, too. Everyone has a 16-and an 18-inch hardcore freestyle bike these days, and the SNAFU Anorexic 700c pedal is a perfect high-tech upgrade for these small BMX machines.

Colors include black, purple, bronze and  blue ano, and the traction pins will probably be black electroplate, not shiny nickel, on the finished product.

Cred:  FATBMX

XTRM: 10 Ways to Lighten Yor BMX Bike

XTRM Sports Network:

In a world of quadruple tailwhips, double backflips, and 20lb bikes, many people nowadays are going to great lengths to lighten up their bike. Some people say they can ride longer and stronger with a lighter setup because they use less muscle and energy to do things. Others claim the bike whips, spins, and flips easier if it is lighter. Whatever the reason, light is in, so here are 10 things you can do to save some weight on your whip.

1. Remove Unnecessary Parts
Some things that many complete bikes come with that you may not need are: chain guards, reflectors, detanglers, brakes, and pegs. All these things are personal preference of course, but take a good look at your setup and see what you could do without. Just don’t tell your parents that we were the ones that told you to take off the reflectors and brakes. And if your bike has a basket and/or a bell, you probably need more help than this article can give you, so good luck.

2. Buy Lighter Components
Some of the first things you’ll want to look at are the more inexpensive parts like pedals, seats, posts, pegs, etc. However, for every part of the bike, there is a “lightest” out there. Start where you can save the most weight for the least amount of money and go from there. A lot of mail order shops even have weights of parts on their Web sites and in their catalogs so you can easily compare several parts, their weights, and their prices.

3. Buy Titanium Parts
Titanium spindles, bolts, and spokes are lighter substitutes to traditional chromoly or steel parts. Some companies even have titanium bars and cranks. But remember, titanium is an expensive metal, so these upgrades will definitely cost you.

4. Use 36-Hole Wheels
Yo, old-schooler…48-hole wheels are a thing of the past. 12 more spokes per wheel plus a larger hub means more weight—and more rotating weight. I’m not a physicist or anything, but rotating weight feels like more than what it actually is. So any weight on your wheels will make your bike feel heavier while it is in motion. Don’t believe me? Just ask ol’ Wiki… The Internet doesn’t lie—you know that.

5. Use Kevlar Bead Tires
“Foldable” tires, as many companies are calling them, are lighter than traditional steel bead tires. This goes right along with that rotating weight concept we just talked about. And since tires are the farthest thing out on your rotating weight, this will make a big difference in how your bike feels.

6. Get Thinner Or Smaller Tubes
Back in the day I used to use a heavy-duty, thorn-resistant tube lined with the skin of another tube. And back in the day my bike weighed 45 freakin’ pounds, too. Screw that crap man. Be dialed, don’t case or hang up, watch out for glass, and don’t get flat tires. You can buy tubes with thinner rubber that weigh less and even get 18″ tubes instead of 20″ tubes. The thin guys or 18-inchers will still expand enough to fill your tire and will save you a few grams of rotating weight.

7. Drill Holes In Your Parts
This may be going to the extreme for some people, but I’ve seen it done. Some companies already have holes drilled in various places on their parts and frames. If you are skilled and creative though you can find plenty of places to drill out excess metal and/or plastic. This will definitely void any warranty the parts may have, but dude, you’ll look soooooo hackin’ cool.

8. Saw Parts Off
Do your axles stick out farther than the nut? Saw them off. Are your bars wider than you need them to be? Hack off an inch or so on each side. Is your seatpost slammed with 8 inches of extra post inside the frame? Cut that sucker down to a nub. Do you have a bunch of extra spacers on top of your stem? Cut down that steer tube on the forks, my friend. Not running a detangler or brakes? Get rid of those gyro tabs, cable guides, and brake posts. Cutting excess metal will definitely save you weight, and will often make your bike look a little more sleek and sexy.

9. Pay Attention To The Little Things
Bolts, spacers, washers, nuts… All these small pieces of metal are things that can be replaced with aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber, or other smaller/lighter versions. Also, paint and clear coat will add a little bit of weight to your frame as well. If you are really getting down to the nitty-gritty of lightening your bike, try running a raw frame.

10. Put Your Bike (And Yourself) On A Diet
Seriously, tell your fame to lay off the soda and candy and start making that lard ass bike of yours eat healthier. And while you are at it, loose some pounds yourself and take the quarters out of your pocket. Oh come on, let me see you come up with 10 things. It doesn’t sound as good if you say “9 Ways To Lighten Your Bike.” Don’t like my jokes? Well then you need to “lighten” up. Oh god, I kill me.

Total details can be found at bmx.transworld.net, written by FatTony

http://bmx.transworld.net/2008/10/27/10-ways-to-lighten-your-bike/

XTRM: From The Pros – 10 Tips For Filming a Web Video

XTRM Sports Network:

Tips From Glenn PP Milligan
(Fuel TV, Red Bull, Fox, Nike, Vital)

Shooting or Composing Your Shot
This applies to any medium, not just Web. You all watch videos and you know what you like. Pick two or three of your favorite shots that you’ve seen in a movie, video, or Web vid. Go out and re-create that shot. Now watch what you shot. Does it look like the shot you like? Is it better? Is it worse? What can make it better? You watch TV and Videos everyday. That pretty much makes you an expert. Use your expertise to make a better video!

Contrast
Web videos wash out a lot of color and contrast. Try turning up your saturation and play with the contrast to give you subject (the rider or action) more distinction from the rest of your shot (the Background).
[Editor's Note: You can also do color and contrast changes and corrections to individual clips in your editing software.]

Get In There
Ok maybe you are filming a contest and you don’t want to get too close to the action, or maybe you have a great idea for a shot but you feel like a nerd asking the rider to bear with you while you need to get set up or figure it out. You have a mouth, use it. If your goal is to make something good, do it! Don’t let feeling like an idiot get in your way. When you read a comment on the Internet that says your filming sucks, when you know you had a better idea, you’ll feel way more like an idiot then. Or way worse, when you see your own final project and you know you could have done better, you’ll realize feeling like an idiot for a couple minutes to get it right is WAY worse then feeling like an idiot with something you cannot change.

Tips From Kyle Carlson
(Vital, Vimby, BNQT)

Compression
Compression is an art in itself and it’s always progressing. You’ve probably noticed that YouTube videos don’t look as good as Vimeo videos, which don’t look as good as HD videos that are occasionally hosted on individual sites. That is because of the way the different sites compress your video files. Play around with your export settings until you get something that looks proper. There are quite a few options in the QuickTime Conversion settings within Final Cut Pro and Sorensen Squeeze is a program devoted to compression that works great.

I switch it up a lot depending on the project; for Vital using Flash is a key part in exporting and that’s a bit harder to explain and requires a few more programs than average kids have.

Rather than spitting out some settings, I’d just prefer to link to Vimeo’s HD Q&A that gives some pretty dialed settings for compressing and uploading good quality HD videos to their site. I think that would help out a bit more than any settings I could give of my own. They’re pretty on point.
http://vimeo.com/help/hd

Tips From Harrison Boyce
(MacNeil, Defgrip)

Don’t Think Of It As A Web Video
It’s an easy way to make excuses for not trying that hard. Think of every project you do as a portfolio pieces. There’s no reason to half-ass something when you can spend a little extra time and make it something you are really proud of. This will ultimately elevate the quality of your work and also the quality of BMX content on the web! Video is definitely the future of the web and sooner than you think, we’ll be watching every video online at full screen and in full quality.

Know Your Equipment
It doesn’t matter what kind of camera you have. A lot of kids send me emails asking what kind of gear I use. If you are just starting out, just use what you have and really get to know your equipment.

Get Inspired
When you watch TV and movies, really pay attention to every camera movement, focus shift, edit, and take what you see and apply it to your work. Taking inspiration from something completely different from what you are working on can give you some great results. Also watch every film on hillmancurtis.com. Create concepts and produce videos that are more than just riding montages. Try to tell stories and mess around with voiceover, establishing shots, and elements that make up memorable content

Tips From Dave Mavro
(Fuel TV, Red Bull)

Use Common Sense
Hold the camera steady—use both hands. Figure out the most stable method of holding the camera, while still being able to function all the necessary controls. Keep your light source behind the camera. Stay away from having to move the camera or zoom too much while filming. Think ahead, and keep it simple. Think of the shot as a “moving” picture. Realize how much space you have on screen, yet keep the perspective in check: for instance, if you’re shooting a 10-foot air, keep the lip/coping in frame. Keep a level head, realize something can and always will go wrong. It’s all in how you deal with it. And most important…practice, practice, practice

RIDE BMX Tips

Don’t Rely On The Fish Eye
The fact that you have a Death Lens on your VX doesn’t mean you are a pro. Don’t get confused—the distortion that a fish eye lens gives a shot does not always make it look good or cool. Try composing a good shot long lens and don’t use the fish eye as a crutch.

Zoom In
Since Web vids are usually small and low quality (compared to the 42″ flat screen in your living room) it’s hard to see a rider if he only takes up a small fraction of the frame. Zoom in then zoom in some more. Try zooming a little more than you think you have to and see how it comes out.

Detailed info can be found at ridebmx.com, bmx.transworld.net

http://bmx.transworld.net/2008/12/18/from-the-pros-10-tips-for-filming-a-web-video/

XTRM: Step by Step BMX Tricks

If you are a just beginning to learn BMX tricks, you should begin by learning the steps you take in order to complete each trick.  Before performing these often dangerous stunts, you need to have complete knowledge of the trick you are attempting to complete. Every technical aspect should be clear to you.

The first thing you need to learn is your Bike. You should not choose a bike based on how it looks. Technically, all bikes are different. If you feel confused, you should read reviews on Internet.

When it comes to performing tricks, do not go to advance tricks first. Start at the beginning.

All BMX tricks can be classified into three types. These types are beginner level, medium level, and advance level tricks.

Tricks like bar turns, and kick outs can be tried easily. They are beginner level techniques.

Once you master beginner tricks, you can go for middle level tricks like one-handers, one-footers and 180s.

Remember that middle level techniques require good practice, and concentration. You can enjoy them when you perform them. However, you should learn how to be safe as well.

When you feel you are comfortable, you can go for advanced techniques.

These techniques are somewhat difficult.  If not performed properly, you will injure yourself. You should perform these tricks only under the observation of an experienced person who can guide you.

Tricks like 360 are ‘advanced level tricks’. Before performing these tricks, you should first perform them on the ground. Perform them in the air later on.

This is the ideal strategy to perform step by step BMX tricks.

Detailed information can be found at maniacsportsfan.com

XTRM: How To Do BMX Tricks

XTRM Sports Network:

Bar-turn
Turn your bars to the left or the right. Turning the bars to full 90 degrees gets you extra points.

Kick out
When back wheel leaves the jump, you can swing the rear to the right.
Gradually, sway the rear out farther each time you jump.

One-footer
Simply take your favorite foot off your pedal. Then, kick it to the side, and stick it back. Be sure to get it back in time. It requires a lot of practice.

One-hander
Pull up hard on your bars. Keep the bike in near-vertical position. Take hand off now. It is quite simple. Isn’t it?

Can-can
Perform much like one-footer trick. However, here, you should take your leg across the top tube of your bike.

Cross-up (X-up)
Do this trick only when you can spin your handlebars all the way around. Now, lean back and stretch legs apart.
Next, turn your bars a full 180 degrees, and “whip” them back in the reverse direction.

Tabletop
Push down to the right on your handlebars, and turn them down to the left simultaneously. It should be done when you push the rear of your bike up.

No-footer
Take your feet off just a few inches, and then pull them right back in before landing.

360
Start doing this on the ground.

At least, you must be able to do a 180. When you are about to bunny hop, initiate turning before your bike leaves the ground. Turn your head, and handlebars to either left or right. This trick is not easy, and requires a lot of practice.More than reading these tricks, you should practice them.

Trick details were found at Maniacsportsfan.com