A while ago Deacon and I headed out to Hawaiian Gardens skatepark to film this fun little promo for the new Crew Defender 26 complete! CG finally posted up the full size promo on their YT. We had a lot of fun on this one and the bikes are a great entry level complete bike.
complete
CREW DEFENDER 26″ NOW AVAILABLE
Insane to think that there are currently TWO complete FGFS (ish) bikes that are now available on the market! Crew just launched the successor to their wildly popular 700c Defender model, now with 26″ wheels! Deacon and I got the chance to test these. While a more in depth review is pending, what I”l say for now is this:
The bike in my opinion is a perfect stepping stone and price point ($400) for anyone who wants to get into FGFS. The geometry is a little long, but most tricks are still extremely doable on the build. The bike as is is strong enough to handle moderate abuse and with some part swaps, it can be built to last.
Here are the tech specs on the bike:
| Frame: | CR-MO Defender 26” Frame |
|---|---|
| Fork: | CR-MO 26”, 1-1/8” Threadless |
| Headset: | 1-1/8” Integrated Cartridge Bearing |
| Handlebar: | CR-MO Riser Style 22.2mm clamp, 700mm width |
| Stem: | Alloy 48mm ext., 22.2mm Clamp |
| Grips: | 130mm Flanged Grip |
| Crankset: | CR-MO 170mm, 36T Sprocket |
| Bottom Bracket: | 8T Splined, Sealed Bearing |
| Chain: | KMC B1H 1/2” x 1/8” |
| Pedals: | 9/16” Platform |
|---|---|
| Brakes: | Alloy Caliper Brakes, 2-Finger Levers |
| Tires: | 26” x 2.5”, 30TPI |
| Wheelset: | 26” Double Wall, 32H, Sealed Bearing Hubs, CR-MO Axle |
| Sprocket/Freewheel: | 16T Freewheel, 16T Fixed Gear |
| Saddle: | Crew Steel Railed |
| Seatpost: | Alloy 27.2mm x 300mm |
| Seatpost Clamp: | Alloy 29.8mm |
Deacon and I had a blast ripping these things around the park shooting some fun content for it. Grab the new 26″ Crew Defender from the City Grounds site here!
DURCUS ONE STYLIN’ COMPLETE
I can’t believe I missed this one! I’ve been seeing teasers floating around for a brand new Stylin’ complete and totally missed that they dropped in August!
If you aren’t aware of the history, the original Japanese Durcus One Stylin’ was an early 2010 trick specific frame ridden by some of the best back in the day including Teppei, Jakob Santos, Marco, and many more. Durcus One has decided to bring it back in 2024 as a complete bike! Complete bikes are a huge hole in our market, so it’s great to see this bike being produced.
With tried and true geometry and quality we know and love from Durcus One, this certainly isn’t just an entry level beginner bike. Big tire clearance, quality components, and light weight, this is definitely the bike to recommend someone next time they ask if a complete bike exists. Here are some of the details:
“The STYLIN’ is designed for enjoying both cruising and active riding.
The frame and fork are made of 4130 CR-MO to support active riding.
In addition, the fork column is made in one piece by CNC machining, just like a BMX, ensuring light weight and rigidity.
The standard tire size is 700 x 35C.
Up to 40c can be installed (not possible depending on the manufacturer and model), allowing you to choose tires according to various road conditions.
Although it is a single-speed and simple body, it is a tough bike that can handle everything from everyday commuting to active riding such as tricks.”
Available in Matte Black, Grey, and Matte Trans Navy. For full specs, check out the product page here.
Lucky for us, W Base DOES IN FACT ship worldwide! For worldwide shipping details, visit their worldwide shipping info page.
The Stylin’ frame is also available as just a frameset! Which funny enough makes it one of the only 700c framesets now available on the market. Full frame specs here
Crew Defender Complete FGFS Review
We got our hands on the Crew Defender, one of the only complete FGFS-esque bikes on the market right now thanks to the kind people at City Grounds, so I decided to give my two cents on the bike! Hit “read more” for a more in depth analysis on the bike.
CREW DEFENDER 2020 PROMO
Look ma, I’m on TV! Here’s a recent ad I made for City Grounds promoting their new Crew Bike Co. Defender complete bike. I’m pretty proud of how it turned out! Stay tuned for a review of this bike coming to an SMC Youtube channel near you.
700C CREW FGFS COMPLETE
City Grounds just came out the gate with a new FGFS complete bike! It’s been a loooong time since we’ve seen the legendary fixed gear shop participate in the FGFS world, so it’s cool to see them stepping back up. While the geo looks a tad dated, at $399 it still looks like a great option for new people looking to transition into the FGFS world!
SPECS:
Frame: Chromoly Defender 700c Frame, Integrated Headset
Fork: Chromoly Defender 700c Fork
Hubs: Sealed Bearing, high flange Flip-Flop Hub. 16t Freewheel and 16t Track Cog Included
Rims: Double Wall 32mm Rims
Tires: Kenda 700x42c
Stem: BMX 22.2mm
Handlebars: Dirtjumper Style Risers 22.2mm
Grips: BMX Mid Flange
Crankset: 170mm BMX Crankarms, 33t Sprocket, Sealed Bearing Bottom Bracket
Pedals: BMX Platform Pedals
Saddle: Comfort Commuter Saddle
Brakes: Tektro Brake levers, Front and Rear Brake Calilpers
Snag one on the City Grounds website HERE!
New Chackong Products
FGFS BUYER’S GUIDE 2016
Fewer and fewer FGFS companies have been in existence over the last few years and people don’t know where to get parts. This post is to shine some light on people who don’t know where to turn for new FGFS specific stuff. Share this with the people who keep complaining about broken shit on their bikes.
SAMTEN BIKES
Chackong, a bike manufacturer out of China, recently dropped a ton of new products via instagram and this shit looks pretty solid for a great price. Not too sure about the geo and specific info about these products, but they look solid and they ship worldwide. Here’s what Samten had to say about their products: “Chackong from China, engaged in the fixed gear bicycle industry five years, we attach importance to cultural development of single-speed bike, and now we have the popular and high quality products to the rest of the world, if interested, contact us at Chackongshop@gmail.com.”
So email chackongshop@gmail.com for inquiries. Prices listed below. More after the jump.
Samten “Navigate” 4 Piece Bars – $30
Wheel Talk | Interbike Dash
While I was in LV for Interbike I got to see a ton of my really good friends including Matt Reyes. He snapped some really nice photos of the complete Bombtrack 2016 Dash that they had on display at the booth and it was looking really good. More photos here.
Suck My Cog 