You Will Miss All That Heavenly Glory

Sometimes, when I'm not busy hating, I like to contemplate how certain ideas in BMX came about. And one day recently, sitting at my desk, I realized I was looking right at the source of many recent "innovations."

The Flick Trix finger bike:


How could I have been so blind? You know every designer and editor has at least one of these things, whether they use it to do Luc-E's across the top of their laptop screen or nosewheelies across the space bar or just stare at it when the day goes too long. And despite the Fatboy seattube interrupted and the Jay Miron handlebar angle, there were a lot of design cues to pilfer. Check out these detail shots:


One piece bar/stem combo? Check. Fork with built-in race? Check. Bonded seat/post combo? Check. Plastic pedals? Check. Two-piece cranks? Check. Plastic bottom bracket? Check. Massive tires front and rear? Check. Even ideas that have already come and gone—like the beer can headtube and plastic sprocket—were first seen on these little bike-shaped crystal balls.

So when belt drive and plastic frames finally become a reality, don't blame the "designers." Blame their inspiration.

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