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See anything strange here?
Just another generic street/trails bike, right? How about now?
That's right, boys and girls, it's a 22" BMX bike! Yay! That means we now have every size covered in increments of 2, from 10" right up to 26". A reader e-mailed me the link to this blog, and a quick search revealed the Faction Bike Co. website.
The advantage of a 22", best I can tell, is that it's bigger than a 20" but not as big as a 24". According to the UK's only certified BMX and skateboard coach (huh?), the Faction is "a lovely blend with the handling of a 20" and the stability of a 24"." And on Faction's own website it states "the bike is designed to fill the demand for a freestyle-capable bike that is more ergonomically suited to adult-sized riders. The customers for this bike are older BMXrs or MTB riders who want a cross-over bike between freestyle mountain-biking and BMX."
Skateboarders don't have to put up with this crap.
I've spent a lot of time around BMXers, and I've yet to hear anyone say "man, I wish there was a wheel size between 20" and 24"." I've certainly never thought it myself. Will there be a market for a 22"? Probably. I'm sure some guys who quit riding years ago will say, "hey, it's not a little kid's bike, but it's not a cruiser. Perfect!" Blech. What it is, is a novelty. Neither fish nor fowl, as they say. And unless it catches on in some sort of major way, you won't be able to buy aftermarket forks, rims or tires from any company except Faction (not to be confused with the late, lamented BMX magazine). Clever move, that.
(I reserve my right to change my mind if companies like Odyssey and S&M buy in, or Faction assembles a team of super-tall riders—starting with Neil Harrington and Magilla—or if they send me a bike and I really, really like it.)
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