The 50 Greatest BMX Logos

Words by Taj Mihelich

A former world champion, Taj Mihelich spent 16 years as a pro BMX rider. He has helped design numerous BMX products and is co-founder of Terrible One. After a major back injury in 2009, Taj became a member of Odyssey BMX's design studio (OTX) and also runs the bicycle brand Fairdale.

I have to admit, the first thing I thought when I heard about this article was "top 50 BMX logos? Are there even 50 at all?"

It might be from years of getting concussions riding ramps that I had forgotten a lot of great logos, or that all my years in the BMX industry have jaded me, but I really thought I was going to have a hard time finding 50 BMX logos worth mentioning. I was pleasantly surprised when I started digging around, though.

For one thing BMX is a gold mine of '80s awesomeness. Some of it is so cheesy and hilarious but I love it. Also, with almost 40 years of history there is a lot to choose from. Way more than I even knew about. I steered away from most "modern" logos… I think we'll let those logos prove themselves over time. There are also a lot of gray area logos I couldn't figure out what to do with. Companies that have been heavily involved with BMX but maybe weren't specific BMX companies… like Moto-Fox, Vision Street Wear, Life's a Beach, Etnies… they probably shouldn't be in here.

Also, keep in mind this list is hardly an exhaustive search of the history of BMX.

Take it for what it is… one ex-pro's poor-memory list of some of the best BMX logos of all time!

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I took the time to dig up these logos, so let's give them a look before we get into my top 50:

Standard: Standard bikes had a number of iconic graphics. The baseball font Standard always stuck out to me.

Lord Clothing: Lord has kept the upside-down cross logo for a long time and managed to make upsetting social situations fun for ages.

Peregrine: For a generation of riders in the later '80s to mid '90s, there was no better wheel than Peregrine Super Pro 48's. Their little falcon head font treatment logo is very recognizable.

Troy Lee Designs: Considering how much success this company has had and that its part of the the backbone of BMX history it probably should be higher. I just wasn't sure how to weigh that it wasn't specifically a BMX company with roots in MX as much as BMX.

Mutiny: I'm having a hard time adding newer companies to this list. I think Mutiny is going to make it through the test of time though and be a standout. Minimalist simplicity with a balance of design... or something. WTP, Subrosa, Shadow, Sunday, Orchid, and a bunch of others are all on my future list too.

RAD (movie): This logo is so godawful, but it really is iconic as it gets for BMX imagery. I'm probably just being jaded by not including it in the list.

Flite: With a logo screaming "MIami Vice," Flite pads had a good run on being cool for a while.

I had this jersey. I used to wear it to high school. I also had those shoes. Somehow there was a point in my life where these things seemed so cool to me that I would feel buzzed and invincible when I wore them. I don't really see it now and am actually a little embarrassed for my 15-year-old self. Still… maybe there's something to Dyno's logos.

I always liked this Volume Bike Co speaker logo. Cool and boxy and simple.

Is this actually a good logo or does it just represent an important (albeit completely absurd) part of BMX? Aggroman was a video from 1989 which featured Mat Hoffman riding at an absurd level that was above and beyond what the rest of the BMX world deemed possible. It would have been one of the best video parts in history had it been a straight rider section like a modern BMX video. So progressive and so ahead of its time. As it was though, in a homemade movie Mat played the superhero/ ninja fighter Aggroman on an epic quest of chromoly steel. It's an awful video! But it's the most awesome video at the same time… so goofy and silly and backed up with amazing bike riding. Anyway, the Aggroman logo ends up here if only because Hoffman BIkes just re-released that graphic on a shirt and I can't help but really want one.

Cycle Craft was famous for selling custom-painted bikes in the kookiest colors. Imagine teenagers of the late '80s and early '90s free to order splatter painted and fade color bikes in any color combination. I would say they were pretty awful except that all-time great BMX legend Brian Foster painted a lot of them and that instantly makes them cool. This logo isn't much more then rub-on type, but it has a certain something that made my friend Jim insist I put it on this list.

From the BMX racing side of things comes Race Inc. Like I mentioned in the intro, there wasn't much design sense in the racing world — just slant that font over to make it look fast! This Race Inc has a bit more going on than that, though. Balanced looking, simple and to the point.

This is one of those so-bad-it's-good logos. I don't think this logo was ever not cheesy. Top it off with a little Dizz Hicks and Ceppie Maes advertising and you got yourself a real BMX logo you can't quite forget.

I'm not sure how many lightning bolts I'm allowed to have in one logo list, but here we go. Before anyone made a good seat, this was the seat to have. The lightning bolt on the side of the seat turned out to be a staple iconic BMX image and logo.

Freestylin' Magazine launched in 1984 and is such a cornerstone of modern BMX. The combination of its writing, photography and art direction made it the standout in the golden age of BMX magazines (back when the internet came printed on paper). You know a logo's important when years after the mag's demise loads of people still try to copy it. You might agree with me that this logo deserves to be higher on the list, but if you ever read the magazine then you might also agree that "43" is right where it belongs.

How much does this logo scream 1980s? Kind of interesting how you can date a logo just by the design style. There is definitely some connection between lightning and BMX. You can find lightning bolts on all kinds of BMX imagery. I think that maybe the very bones of BMX, chromoly steel, can only be created by a direct lightning strike.

Another one of those animals in the logo things I like so much. Big Mr. Toro is saying peek-a-boo! Fly Bikes has always had a very consistent and quality aesthetic to their graphics.

This isn't a very good logo, is it? While I was making my logo list I kept putting A'me on here, but it just isn't very good. I guess I remember it being way cooler when it was on all my favorite BMXer's uniforms in the magazines. If 14-year-old me was writing this, A'me would be in here for sure. As it is, 37-year-old me thinks this ad is so funny its worth showing you this logo just so we can run the ad.

Not sure what it is about Bullseye that I like so much. Doesn't really seem to be anything but a font, but somehow it stands out.

I sadly don't really know much about the history of Jive Handles, and I also have to admit that half of the reason they are on this list is that I used to love them so much during my most formative teenage years of BMX. More then anything I remember how cool I thought the packaging of Jives were. The cool box made it seem like so much more then just a pair of grips. If nothing else, the logo is more then just a plain font right? Someone made that thing.

My office co-workers at the BMX company I work at insist this be in here. I'm a little apprehensive, since I made it, but one time the skateboarder Gonz did tell me it was really cool and looked a little bit like a lightning bolt. Lightning bolts are foolproof in BMX, so maybe we were on to something.

I had a really hard time finding this logo, which is surprising because Little Devil was huge in BMX in the '90s. Nice little icon-like graphic logo and a company with a great legacy of riding.

As I now work for Odyssey let me word this carefully — this logo was never quite a favorite, I don't think, but Odyssey's longevity in BMX and relentless distribution of this logo in the late '80s/ early '90s has made it (for better or worse) into an iconic BMX logo.

Well, is linking the C to the W with a little arrow thing really that cool? I don't know, but CW gets my nod as a standout BMX logo. Plus, hell, look at this ridiculous ad and the lightning bolt frame design! I don't know what its talking about, by the way… did they re-launch CW last year? I didn't hear about it.

I wonder how many of these shirts were sold back in the day? A great contest series and a graphic that was plastered over all the pro's backs in the end of the '80s and start of the '90s. Incidentally, see that little Vision Street Wear logo in the top corner of the sticker? I went back and forth trying to decide if I should include Vision as a BMX logo. They certainly sponsored tons of riders and were all over the BMX mags, but in the end I just never really saw them as a BMX specific company. It'd be like putting Coca-Cola in here because they sponsored some riders a long time ago.

I don't know much about this BMX company from the '80s, but the logo seems kind of cool. Real nice classic feel to their logo, I'm surprised it didn't catch on.

Shimano sure has staying power with their logo. That thing hasn't changed a bit. Shimano's BMX-specific line was Shimano DX so I'll include the "DX" so no one gets confused with their fishing reel line logos. Freaking lightning bolt again!

This is the only bike shop logo I'm putting on here. Empire BMX's logo is probably already classic enough to be on this list, but then I'd feel bad for not searching all the BMX shops I've ever heard of to see if they should be on here. Rockville's graphics were a big deal back in the day, that little triangle sticker was everywhere. Plus, its got a lightning bolt. Shoo-in!

Where other companies made a point to say made in USA, or quietly try to hide being made somewhere else, Kuwahara made no bones about its Japanese heritage, including the flag right in the logo. Somehow it worked, and I remember my kid mind of 1986 thinking that made it kind of exotic.

One of the Japanese companies that played such a big part in BMX. Araya made BMX rims forever. Just a very simple and recognizable font treatment from Araya. A classic in BMX.

This is from a 1979 BMX magazine, and I'd never seen it before. Izumi was a big part of BMX for a long time and this classic logo seems like the kind of thing you might find printed on a rusty metal sign in an antique shop or something.

Still going strong, Redline's early days in the '70s were part of the very birth of BMX. I kind of like the old typeface logo on the right ad the best even though its weird because it kind of reads Red {space} Line rather then Redline. I guess they are cool with either version. On the bottom of the left ad you see the more modern '80s Redline logo that was on their infamous Flight Cranks.

What the hell is Panda? Way before my BMX memory starts, but I keep finding their logos in the late '70s BMX mags. Stoked on it. Looks a lot like skateboard company Enjoi's thing. I now realize, thanks to Panda, Jag, and Tuf Neck, I seem to really like animals mixed in with my logos.

This icon-like graphic was big with UGP (underground products) back when I rode for them in the '90s. So much more then a typeface modified with a few bumps of kerning, this logo did a good job of turning the brand name into a cool design in its own right.

'70s BMX is way out of my memory range, but this DG BMX logo keeps jumping out at me. A nice little package of a logo with the rider jumping through the middle and the cool type.

I mostly just like the tiger in the logo, but it might also be that the Tuf Neck logo was burned into my young mind carrying a little bit of the euphoria I had when I got my first "real" bmx bike with a Tuf Neck logo staring at me from the top of the "gooseneck".

With around 30 years of BMX heritage, Profile deserves to be included for that alone. The fact that they've stuck with something more or less close to this logo for so long makes it one of the great logos from BMX. More than anything, though, I just like the whole uniform/colors in this photo. What a classic BMX image straight out of the early '80s.

I admit it, I'm a sucker for anything on that holographic sticker background stuff. In the '80s. Mongoose and Diamond Back were the kings of it (along with the dashboard of my cool uncle's 1978 Trans Am). Diamond Back has a very classic logo at this stage in the game.

I don't know a thing about Jag, but that jaguar in their logo looks like he would be fun to party with and their logo is cool!

The Patterson Bros had some sweet sticker sets showcasing their cool logo. Yet another racing company with a slanted font but, yet again, it gets the point across. This logo means speed.

This old 1980s ODI logo is on here for a few reasons. For one, the "mushroom" style grip it represents is still the most popular style of grip in the BMX world, so they must have done something right. Second, the type is all off in an almost comical way, and third, selling any product (outside of a head-shop) with a weird-ass mushroom as your logo is an admirable feat!

Club Home Boy was a phenomenon of underground DIY coolness. Straight off Xerox machines, the zine was something no amount of computer technology can ever duplicate. Spike, Lew, Andy Jenkins… so much talent behind this thing.

SE Bikes classic logo and brown/blue color way is unmistakable. I'm also including on this page SE's "P.K. Ripper" logo. The "P.K. Ripper" might be the iconic BMX bike of the 20th century. Everyone wanted a "P.K.". For me what stands out is the quotes in the logo. I can't even think the name "P.K. RIpper" without seeing quotes popping up in my head on either sides of the logo. I'm tempted to do that little annoying quotation hand sign gesture people do every time I say the name. I think the "P.K. Ripper" might well be the most popular product ever made with its name fully in "quotes".

I really like JMC's shield. I see it is a bit of pre-cursor to S&M's shield. Classic BMX to the core here.

Another monumental company that got its start in BMX. [Well, skate. —Ed.] The Vans logo is about as recognizable a logo as can be and they've never had to change it.

Ok, so for this one I am re-interpreting the assignment to be top 50 logos with an actual BMX in them. That little flying BMX bike scene from "E.T." is quite possibly the most recognizable BMX moment on film.

Drawn by legendary BMX artist — and one-time Ride BMX mag editor — Roni, the Metal Bikes Ace of Spades logo has transcended BMX and found itself wrapped around normal people's bodies or stickered to their cars.

There must have been a million of these shirts printed in a half billion color combinations. Sketchy as hell, not exactly pretty and printed outrageously big on the t-shirts of the day, the flaming H was one of the most recognizable logos of BMX for a big chunk of the '90s. Bonus Trivia: Johnny Knoxville got his start shooting himself in Big Brother magazine wearing one of these shirts!

I really want one of these hats. That's a good enough reason to put this 35-odd-year-old logo on the list since it still holds up. Bicycle Motocross Action Magazine simply was the definition of BMX during its run.

You can't spell BMX without Mongoose… or something like that. About as classic a name and logo as there is from our bar-bangin', berm-blasting history. Started almost 40 years ago, Mongoose's name and logo resonate with BMX history. It's a shame they are mostly crappy department store bikes now. Also, the Mongoose Motomag logo. This logo stands out to me right now. That late '70s look and feel is unmistakable and so hard to authentically reproduce. And although the actual Motomag was such a heavy and awful performer, it was also at one time the coolest thing on earth. Also, pretty awesome the ad says there can be only one number one, but the guy's number is three.

There's a number of Haro logos to choose from through the years, and Haro's influence on BMX is second to none. Personally I'm saying one of the most influential designs from Haro is the lightning bolt number plate. Knocked off by just about everyone in BMX, and just the outline of the Haro plate is enough to signify BMX for most people.

From way back in time comes this Oakley ad for BMX grips and googles. Considering how successful Oakley is and that their logo was created in the world of BMX, we have to call this one a standout.

About as classic a BMX logo as there can be. Let's remember GT this way and not as yet another cornerstone of BMX fallen to department store/ad company junk bikes.

What can be cooler than a graphic made on a Xerox machine? Forget Photoshop for just a second and go back to the days when borrowing time on a photocopier was how graphics and media of the underground were made. It's also far and away the winner of the most-tattooed logo in BMX history. If nothing else, there a lot of people out there who "have" to like this one. I just spent a bit of time trying to analyze the metaphor of it all… we're all in this together or something like that?

The Skyway logo is such a standout. Plenty of other designers have paid homage to the Skyway logo by knocking it off, and tons of vintage bike collectors have gone through hell scrounging up original sticker and padsets for their Skyway TAs.

For sure one of the most iconic logos to come out of BMX. Any modern designer who wants to make an '80s style BMX design always seems to gravitate to the Hutch graphics. It one-ups BMX's standby lightning bolt by introducing stars and tornadoes!

I think this might be the winner for most iconic BMX logo. At least, I can't think of a logo I've seen more people wear as a t-shirt or buy as a sticker. Its one thing to have a logo you promote the hell out of and pay your riders to wear, its another when pros who don't even ride for your company are wearing your t-shirts on their off time and stoked to stick your stickers. I can't think of a brand/logo or style that better represents BMX as a whole. A little bit rough on the edges, but still a badge of powerful imagery of do-it-yourself, make-it-happen-your-way style that's stood the test of time.