Author: JBall

Fixed Gear Historian

SAMURAI TRICK COMP HIGHLIGHTS

HIghlights just dropped from 84Kick of his recent Samurai Trick Comp event that went down last weekend! Lots of good things to say about this:

I really love seeing people I’ve never heard of shredding these bikes we love. There are so many new faces and names I’ve never heard of that came out the woodworks for this and killed it with some skills that certainly aren’t new. Seeing all the different kinds of bike setups is also super fun. We’ve got everything from track bikes to 26″ builds in the mix and a lot of bikes in between. Riders really going for it all throughout too, so fun to see! A few riders specifically that stood out to me:

Keisuke is officially one of my favorite 700c hybrid riders now. His drip on and off the bike is fun to watch and he has such clean tricks. He also isn’t afraid to send it, his slam in the finals looked rough. Doesn’t hurt that he rides my frame too!

Kazu looks like an OG. He’s got a classic bag of tricks and clean style that’s super fun to watch. If you told me he’s been riding since 2008 I would believe you.

Takataka’s energy is contagious. I want to meet him and just hang out with him.

Minami has a creative mind. I want to see him develop his bike control more so he can put that creativity to use. There’s lots of potential there.

Sota’s bike setup is crazy and his sends over the blocks was super respectable.

Shun is the complete package and the future. He’s got the speed, style, and tricks. He deserved the win for sure!

FOAD – Throwback Skatepark Edit

FOAD just uploaded this gem from 2015 with the OG FOAD crew plus Matt Spencer hitting some SLC parks! Original title for this one was Concrete Waves from July 2015. Matt’s 3’s were dialed in this one and Chase’s 540s out of quarters are nuts!

Off Track Ep. 38 – ELLIOTT MILNER

This week in the virtual studio we’ve got one of the GOATs of our sport, Elliott Milner! We discuss his origins, Stay Strapped, how he get so damn good, some beefs, and so much more. Huge shoutout to Elliott for joining the show!

If you like what we do with Off Track, be sure to check out our Patreon where we continue the conversation with Elliott!

Wheeltalk – Night Moves with the Euro Boys

After SMC 8 the Euro boys (Crispy, Bean, Marc, Max, and Youri) made their way to SF and met up with the Mayor himself Matt Reyes. They went on a night excursion around town and shot some really cool pics with the gang. Check out the full writeup and photoset on Wheel Talk!

Bike Check – JBall’s Black Ruff Glimmer

Recently I built up a fresh Ruff Glimmer frame in a rare color choice for me… black! Although the only reason I did this was because they were sold out of raw at the time, I ended up being really happy with how the build turned out. I’ve had a black Ruff before but wasn’t in love with how that bike looked. Why do I like my black build now though?

I think the black fork, proto bars, and chrome details are really helping me love my current bike. Full rundown after the jump!

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FIXIE FOO STREET JAM

Yes!!! Oscar the Grouch and the LA homies are hosting a street jam on March 14th starting at Hollenbeck Skatepark and then riding out from there. I already know this is gonna be a good time and I’m even more hyped that Oscar is putting in the effort to do something for the community! We need more excuses to get together so this is perfect. We’re not on this version of the flyer but SMC will be sponsoring the event with cash prizes for tricks that go down.

You know I’ll be there riding, hanging, and documenting. See you there!

Here’s what Oscar has to say about the event:

“The Fixie Foo Council has come together to present you: The 1st annual Fixie Foo Street Jam
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We want to see all the Fixie Tricksters pop up and show out, if this flyer reaches you, this is your invite.
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Don’t have a fixie? DONT WORRY!!
Pull up with the Bici, that good musika and good vibes!!
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3/14/26, Meeting @Hollenbeck Skate Park. Bring tubes and tools. Be ready to bike it to a couple spots. We’ll be doing some mini games, so be ready to win something or watch some Sick Ass Foos get down on Fixed Gear.”

MUSSIKKAAA