1.
Standard's prototype race fork features stylistically sculpted dropouts that incorporate the Standard logo. When you look at them, what do you see?a) Company pride
b) Fine worksmanship
c) Substantial weight savings
d) A pair of stained glass windows
e) An enormous lawsuit waiting to happen
2.
Standard's new frame dropout also has their logo all over it. Fourteen of them. Obviously someone in Iowa loves their new CNC machine. (It will be highly disappointing if their new frames aren't covered in exactly 63 logos.) The question is, how many of these new dropouts would be required to make one old STA dropout?a) 2
b) 4
c) 10
d) 27
e) 63
3.
The in thing to do these days is to hang your newest frame like a prize bass in order to show how unbelievably light it is. (The fact that Standard is making a lighter frame in-house than any that Waterford made for them is awesome, and by awesome I mean completely terrifying.) From what I gather, this is a prototype of Rick Moliterno's signature frame, which he's seen holding in another photo. One has to wonder what it will be called:a) LTA
b) Lighty
c) Boss 4.19
d) Eleanor
e) Suck It, Moeller
23 comments:
Once again, a lame ass posts in the hopes that this blog's cynicism doesn't get the attention it deserves. This must be the same lame ass that posts in all the other blog entries.
The fork dropouts make me cringe. The all-over logo on the frame dropouts isn't as bad, but we'll just have to wait and see. I don't mind the logos on the head tube, that looks kind of cool.
I'm glad Standard -may- be making a comeback, they have too much history and fame to be forgotten by the wayside.
It will be a pity to see them go if their newest stuff doesn't meet the hype.
^what gave you the idea anybody was hoping to hear your opinions.
Standard isn't going anywhere. people with true roots in bmx and not just a hazy recollection of the mainstream bmx media will make sure standard's still here when Fit's gone and Robo's spent the dollars on lipo.
fucka maxi pad mush
I didn't even think of the all-over print motif. Sigh. I'm not nearly as cynical and negative as I could be.
Standard was great in part BECAUSE their frames were being made by Waterford. The STA was possibly the best frame ever—and remained so for a long-ass time. They made revolutionary changes (Aheadset, chainstay length) in the industry.
That said, they failed to see what was happening in the rest of the industry in the late '90s/'00s. They were late to make the switch from American to Euro, late to switch from Euro to mid, and INCREDIBLY late to switch to internal headsets. These were actual improvements, not stylistic changes. And they got passed by.
So now we're supposed to get all excited because they're releasing a sub-4.5 pound frame? Yawn. Everyone else already makes those. Standard became who they are (were?) by making revolutionary changes in the industry. They were actually the standard. Now it looks like they're just another follower.
I like this blog a lot and I knew it was only a matter of time before we showed on here. That said, you just don't know enough, so you're info is wrong.
1. Pretty sure the bullit was the first freestyle frame to have euro
2. That frame is not a production frame. Its for rick only.
3. All those reasons you gave for standard being behind the times were because of waterfords refusal to change things. So waterford is not as nice as you think.
I think I did know that about the Bullitt—although it was advertised for "the refined rider," so not many people bought them. At least not in the street-crazy East.
I can see how Waterford may have been anti-internal (my Waterford road frame has a conventional headset), and apologize for that misperception. However, I still stand by the fact that Standard's lateness (whether it was due to the manufacturer or the designer) hurt their standing in the BMX community at large. They were the dominant brand for years, now they're an afterthought.
And I owned nothing but Standards for six or seven years—I bought one of the first R-Model STAs, I believe—so it's not like I was rooting for them to become obsolete.
P.S. Those forks are still terrifying.
the ox platinum/r model stuff was good but it was almost 400 bucks for a frame when most others were around 300.
I remember Standard at it's prime and I think it was honestly cooler then any company ever to be at that point. In my eyes the biggest part of the problem was the loss of taj and joe. Those dudes became like heroes to most of us right out of the split with Standard.
That's not all over print, that's just maxipad perceiving it as so due to his mind being damaged by street wear nerd suits.
The euro was never an improvement.
Reference George's tech column for why the internal was a dubious improvement and see what he's done on the new Sunday to fix it.
Standard still makes some of the best frames. I'd wager that 4lb frame is stronger than any of the other light weights on the market.
I'd ride those forks, they have to be stronger than the five year old rusty fits I have and happily drop stair sets on.
Rich your dates are way out. Standard was still the only bike for 90% of street riders here right up to 2005. Five or six years after Joe and Taj left. Besides the height of Standard's cool was Ratboy's foot plant double whip in 'Rolling on the River' and his multiple other mind fucking manoeuvres.
There's so much pure bollocks in BMX, companies that don't even design their own street wear clown suits, but just rip some other cheesey company for instance. Take a shot at that those guys before talking shit on Standard.
Does "here" happen to be Davenport Iowa? Of course local kids are going to run the local brand. Standard lost its appeal to the rest of the market in 01-02. A few years after Joe, Taj and Robo left. All of the kids HERE who rode a Standard moved onto T1s and later FITs. Standard is out of the game. Kids dont know the history, and are to stuck up to give a fuck anyway. You can be the best forever, just accept it and be glad to know that you were the shit at one point(and for like 5 years)
That's it. Its over. Accept it.
No 'here' is North London UK.
BMX has reached a stage where it isn't going anywhere, but that said it ain't going to evolve round the embarrassment of bent stem, pastel coloured, swagger print goon companies that it does at the moment.
When the going gets tougher the proven companies will remain and prosper.
STA
*revolve
Besides name calling I don't see anything substantial or even remotely relevant being said any more.
Come on guys, try harder.
My Standard STA 500 finger bike is still riding strong, so these forks should hold up for any thing.
Standard doing this is like DeNiro doing comedy movies...it just seems wrong.
I think Rick has bi-polar disorder.
I guess the real question is whether the low-profile, ultra-butted steel BMX frame has come as far as it can. How light can you realistically make a frame before it becomes dangerous? And if all "progress" is these days is making things lighter and lighter, what's next? It's not like chainstays can be made any shorter without going to an 18" rear wheel (or really small tires). And if you go away from the double-diamond design you get...Jad. And I don't think anyone wants that.
The real question is how much you're willing to pay. When I bought my last bike a buddy of mine had his Enduro mountain bike in the shop. Fully suspended, 26" wheels and all, 26lbs, which was 3 lbs less than my relatively stripped down (at the time) BMX bike.
The difference is, his bike cost $6000, mine cost $400, even after replacing damn near every part on the bike I'm looking at 1/6 what his bike cost.
There's really only so far you can go with a double diamond frame, round tubing AND a price ceiling of ~$300.
I recently designed a frame with a bit different geometry to try and and I like it a lot. Seems like people could play around with that a little more instead of just trying to make everything lighter. Even though my bike is real light I really can't tell the difference after the first 5 minutes they all feel about the same. That said look at basketball shoes those things have gotten insane and stayed in a feasible price range, hopefully bikes don't "innovate" quite that far. Although that's really all personal preference.
"Reference George's tech column for why the internal was a dubious improvement and see what he's done on the new Sunday to fix it"
what a load of shit, George French rubbished too many good current things, it was never a dubious improvement
it's pretty dubious if you flared a bean can.
those rear drops are fucking sweet.
how many things did king George French rubbish in Ride mag only for them to become the new standard??
Being a new standard, or being accepted doesn't vindicate anything in BMX. Euro BB anyone?
crighter..
from
verhoren.
myspace.com/crighter ..
standard is amazing
if my lenghty was a lil bit lighter i still would ne riding it and tearing streets and trails up. i actually just retired it this winter and bought a brand new sunday 2nd wave ian sig. gotta love lifetime warrantys. i buy bikes that i want to last a nuke dropping. anyone that wants to talk shit on standard can eat a dick....
standard byke co.
-
terrible 1
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kids these days need to do their homework..
pm me if u wanna talk more
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