Our 10 Favorite BMX Innovations and Collaborations from Interbike

Interbike is an annual tradeshow that takes place in September in Las Vegas, Nev. Bicycle brands, shops, and media come from all over the world to show off their products, check out new products, and publicize the event. Kurt Hohberger, from The Union, was on hand covering the show. Here’s a look at 10 interesting products that he found in the BMX zone.

For further info, check out The Union (http://www.bmxunion.com/blog/events/interbike-2011-wrap-up/), where you can find a complete breakdown of every brand and links to each post, with photos and further information.

Collaborations in BMX have been happening for years, but recently the trend has picked back up. United has teamed up with Etnies shoes for a collaboration shoe and complete bike. The shoes and bike will be available in three different colors: yellow, green, and blue. The release date is to be announced.

The past few years have brought on major changes to the complete bike market in BMX. Brands like Verde have introduced complete bikes that are built with all the same features of an aftermarket custom build. You can find features like an integrated headset, three-piece cranks, cassette hub, pivotal seating and proper frame, bar and fork geometry. These are all features that have allowed more people to get into BMX the past few years, without breaking the bank or all of the parts on their bike by the end of the first day.

The Captive fork from The Shadow Conspiracy is a prime example of thinking outside of the box. One big thing for Interbike this year is that brands are offering different fork offsets of around 35mm and 26mm. The traditional style is 35mm, providing a stable feel, while 26mm is more responsive and gives easier nose balance. Instead of making two separate forks with different offset options, Shadow created this system. Essentially, this fork has a removable insert in the drop out that you can flip around for either style of offset. You could ride trails one day, pop the wheel off and flip the dropouts around and ride street with that added nose balance the next. Or within minutes. This one is ideal for the indecisive person, for sure.

Brakes might not be the most common feature found on BMX bikes these days, but they are definitely starting to come back. Fly Bikes had not only a new version of its popular brakes to show, but also a brand new bridge cable system with an integrated barrel adjuster on the cable. This barrel adjuster allows for micro adjustments that balance the brake arms and adjust the distance of the brake pad to the rim in smaller increments than a frame-mounted barrel adjuster. These are two important features that help dial brakes to perfection.

The BSD WZA frame was a point of interest. The reasons for this is that it’s a prime example of what was seen almost across the board among BMX brands at Interbike. The low-slung top tube is becoming a thing of the past with the majority of the BMX frames at the show seeing a raise in the seat tube height to sizes that were common in the past. Trends are an interesting part of BMX because like clothing, they change about as fast as the seasons, and there is always going to be a hideous look that catches on for a short period of time.

Fiend is the new brand from one of the most unstoppable riders in BMX these days, Garrett Reynolds. After deciding to cut his ties with Premium (Haro) after a few years, rumors that he would be starting his own brand followed. Fiend was announced around a month ago, with some high-profile riders like Ty Morrow leaving their bike sponsors for this new venture. Anyone who understands the BMX business knows that a reputation will get you the initial support to get something going (Robbie Morales and Cult, for example). The first day of Interbike was the official launch date for Fiend. There was word that mail-order stores were selling out within minutes of the launch.

When Éclat acquired freecoasting wizard Shane Weston earlier this year, there was speculation of a possible signature freecoaster hub. This past week at Interbike, Éclat had on display the prototype sample of the hub. The design of the freecoaster is different than others on the market because it is designed around a cassette hub with a unique pawl system that relieves the stress on the bearings that is common among current freecoaster hubs on the market. The prototyping is nearing completion with a smaller hub shell and a more effective slack adjuster due for the final sample before heading to the production line.

Anyone who has been in BMX long enough knows that Odyssey doesn’t stick to the “Joytech catalog plan.” The company is always on its game with creating new and innovative products. Earlier this year, Odyssey debuted Chase Hawk’s Tomahawk stem. The stem was designed around an internal compression system that allows for a clean front load look with fewer bolts. At Interbike this year, Odyssey premiered the Lincoln stem, which is the top load version of the Tomahawk. This version uses a new hinge system that hasn’t been used before in BMX.