Profile Racing Fixed Hubs: 'Strong Enough For Fixed Freestyle'

Keeping my eye on the blogs and forums, I've recently noticed that more and more people talking about Profile Racing's new fixed hubs. Now I don't claim to know anything about the BMX scene but based on my limited research, it seems that Profile Racing is for BMX what Phil Wood is for the fixed gear, especially ever since Phil Wood's legendary BMX hubs are apparently sold only per special order anymore.

Basically, high-end hubs and other selected parts, all good lookin', probably super-reliable, and made in the good ol' US of A by a small-ish company who's been in the business for a long time. Today when 97% of all bike components seem to be made in Taiwan, this is kinda special.  

Or, is this just another BMX company jumping on the fixed gear bandwagon? There are plenty of those too but none them seem to have been very successful. 

Well, who cares because Profile Racing seems to be serious in what they're doing, there's a new website for their Fixed Gear venture and a 'Fixed Flow Team' of sponsored riders, guys known from Bootleg Sessions mainly, Keo, John Prolly, Tom LaMarche, SuperTed, Dustin Klein and so on. The best team any company has, because no other company (outside of the Japan) seems even to have a team, yet. 

But what about the hubs then?

"Profile Fixed Hubs are strong enough for fixed freestyle, light enough for the velodrome, and stylish enough to ride to the bar."

They look damn sturdy but are apparently much lighter than what you would expect (front 230g/rear 270g). Sealed bearings, of course. The axle nuts are the recessed hex bolt kind that thread into the hollow axle, just like in Phils. Standard choice of 28/32/36 holes. Fixed/free for now but soon also in fixed/fixed, and besides the normal 120mm width, you can get them also as 110mm or 130mm. And yes, they come in a number of lovely anodized colors. 

Only thing which I'm wondering about is the 44mm chainline but that extra 2mm probably doesn't make such a big difference anyway.

So are these hubs really the new Phils for the fixed gear tricks / freestyle generation? I don't know, time will show that, but I admit they look pretty damn convincing. Now If only I could afford them to try them out. 

Sneakers For The Eco-Conscious Fixie Hipster

Bicycle Shoe E-Leather

"Worn Again is a collection of shoes and accessories made from recycled materials from forgotten sources such as leather from car seats, seatbelts, bicycle tyres and recycled rubber for the soles to parachute silk and tweed jackets."

Team Pegasus 2009 Calendar

The pic above is from Team Pegasus 2009 Calendar. Notice also how my three last posts have all features something in pink. Obviously, pink is the new matte black. Or does that just apply to hipsters?

HED "Skulls" Disk Wheel

Enabled The Barspin Mode

Posting John Prolly's BMW inspired me to post the current incarnation of my Daniel Salmon, which is now much of more trick bike than a track bike. 

After all the videos of guys doing tricks with 650c front wheels and trying Lauri's Sannino's front wheel on my bike I simply had to do it. And it was like fate. Ebay offered me a nice & shiny Ridiga DP 22 UP aero 26" rim and I had no other option left but teach myself how to build a wheel. Which in the end was easier than I expected, even if I first had wrong length spokes... 

John's New BMW Gangsta

Remember the sad fate of John Prolly's old Surly Steamroller, here & here? Now he seems to have a new snappy ride, a Brooklyn Machine Works' Gangsta, which should take the trickster's hard knock life bit better. Or let's hope it does. 

Update:

If you're interested in that chainguard thingy he's running, read more about it here. 

Loving These Photos

ピスト Fun!

nb - Keo Spin 1440° from nb on Vimeo.


MJS Shin-Yokohama Session 2008 9/17 from nb on Vimeo.


Tokyo Trixx Fix II from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.


Faret Cycle Night; Tachikawa, Tokyo from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.

Yamamoto At The River Place

The Freakiest Stem I've Ever Seen.

I'm Ebay-fiend, no doubt the about it, and I've seen some strange stuff auctioned online but this is beyond me. A retro steel track frame, nice green color, made from Columbus tubing and all but made for 24" front wheel but then, as if that wasn't enough, what kind of bizarro-stem is that? And just look at the head tube length on that thing. 

Anyhow, someone just bought it for 207€. Good luck with that. 

EDIT.

Thanks to Kraytwin I learned something new today. The strangeness of the bike is explained by the fact that it's actually a derny-bike that's used at a velodrome with a motopacer. Makes def more sense now.