Ride BMX US august 1995: Steve Crandall described Ring of Fire as the only thing he's ever done in his entire life. Ring of Fire is the new FBM flick and after watching it you're likely ta agree with Steve, it's really good. Steve lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana's Fat House with sixteen other riders/skaters, but still went beyond bis own backyard to accumulate footage (from Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, California, etc...). Super good riding's served up by Colin Winkleman, Leigh Ramsdell, Jeff Harrington, and S&M's Timmy, as well as such midwestern BMX icons as Herb Hill, Greg "Born to Lose" Beem, and Wilber Istreet (of Props fame). The name Ring of Fire is likely due to the film's frequent pyro tactic clips and Steve also threw in plenty of cat abusing for added flavor. Steve himself makes quite a few riding appearences and has gotten really good at riding BMX.
The Bar Is closed. from FBM BMX on Vimeo.
Descentes de collines en caddie, canapé ou luge, Jeff Harrington, Colin Winkleman, ...
Ride BMX US #31 december 1997: Oh lordy, lordy... The Fat Bald Men are at it again! Steve Crandall and Mike Tag have once again managed to make one of the most entertaining videos I've seen this side of 1201 ... Only with all the explosions and destruction that make FBM so dear to me.
Once this video starts, it never slows down. It's full of fast-paced riding, good and heavy music, and some of the funniest titles I've ever read. Titles? Yep, each and every shot is titled so you know just who everyone in the video is. Nice touch.
As far as the riding goes, it features street, dirt and ramps from all over the place. And all of it is top notch, to say the least... Taj, Joe Rich, Mike Tag, Greg Walsh... They're all there.
But, then there's the explosions. And the guy flying down a hill on a shopping cart going about thirty. And Timmy Ball lighting his head on fire and running around the house. And, well, just get this video. Get it now.
" (...) funny songs, awesome crash sections (most of the video) and just plain kick ass riding (...) "
RIDERS.
Nathan Wessel, Ralph Sinisi, Mike Tag, Kelly Baker, Ryan Corrigan.
MUSIC.
Intro: The Lovin' Spoonfull - Summer in the City
Misc Section: Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster
Misc Section (after Lou eats lightbulb): Motorhead - No Remorse
Misc Section: Clutch - Binge and Purge
Misc Section: The Rolling Stones - Under my Thumb
stupid boy, www.bmx-test.com, july 2002: Once again the FBM crew has proved themselves a force to be reckoned with in BMX. I'm not usually part of the BMX scene, but I was fortunate enough to attend the premier of the FBM: "All Time Low" video here in Austin, Texas. I had quite a few beers at that particular event and remembered very little specific about the video until I got my copy. But I do remember thinking as I walked out the door, "How the hell do these lunatics make such damn amazing videos". I don't think many people could forget "Albert Street" if they were lucky enough to see it. The truth is... FBM is a company that lives BMX, loves BMX, is BMX. And they do not hold back when it comes to expressing this in their videos. (So for those of you unexperienced, always remember... FBM = not parent friendly.) Seriously though, FBM's dirty little secret is, believe it mofo, Crandall is a fucking genius. FBM is about something bigger than grown men doing "tricks" on little kids bikes. For me it is about living life and having fun and the truth is... there is really nothing else. This video comes very close to transcending just being a bike video. It becomes something that any person could watch and be entertained by and enjoy. It is a celebration of life and BMX. Alright, way too much bullshit said - on with the flippin' review already.
So you might have a guessed, I really like this video and anyone who has anything bad to say about it is a fuckin' idiot - case closed. In my humble opinion it is an amazing video for many reasons. Whereas Albert Street was all random sections, this one is mostly rider sections and possibly as close to being a team video as one could get. From what I understand Crandall had the biggest hand in putting this vid together with the help of Mike Tag and others, as well. Really though, Crandall did a first rate job putting this video together. Very nice footage and clean editing. The music is good, varied, -- the riding flows well with the music, and the music is very well chosen.
It seems that this vid is a good 45 minutes long, beginning with an awesome random/intro/mayhem section. Then there are the many, many rider sections, the credits/antics section - then a quite brutal but entertaining crash section - and finally a hidden/bonus/sick section, as hard evidence of FBM's professionalism. (Guaranteed, your mom will not like this hidden bonus sick section at the end, so be on your toes.) I would have to say that the vid contains mostly street and ramp, but there is some good, really cool trails riding. (Magilla's section in particular is a lesson in good trails.) There is even a bit of flat from Pat Schreader.
Most riders have a full song (more or less) for their section. But there were a couple of longer songs which had 3+ rider mini sections. Some bastard recently had the nerve to bring in a major BMX magazine that these sections were boring, and I could just not disagree more. Hey bastard, fuck you. All kiddin aside, most of these mini sections were packed with some unbelievable riding from people that you don't always see too much of. And the fact is, if you don't know it already, believe this -- there are so many amazing riders that don't receive the coverage they deserve. My favorite mini sections were Phil Wasson (excellent original stuff), Josh Stricker (he can kill a tabletop off a treetrunk), Brock Yoder (clockin' in with some seriously wild dirt style), Sean Emery (he can bunnyhop pretty damn good), Matti Branscombe (he is underrated and kicks serious ass), and finally JD Heino (he grinds and bashes the shit out of everything -- really brutal). I also liked Garrett Byrnes snippets in the intro.
In general, most everyone's section is enjoyable if not eye opening throughout. My favorite sections come from Butcher (unreal nollie to gappin' a double set of stairs?), Pat Schreader (versatile and innovative), Ron Kimler (smooth + tech + big = good), Ryan Corrigan, Derek Girard (the maniac -- really, really dialed -- jumps it big and kicks back like he is in a Lay-Z-Boy - oh so smoothe - the man is a machine), Vic Ayala (can you say Fuckin' Unreal), Magilla (= a lesson in trails + too much milk), Scerbo & Dossantos (as expected, deliver solid parts), and Mike Tag (what can you say, he rules -- this proves it once again). The really standout section for me was Vic's. It's truly amazing -- incredibly tech and burly at the same time -- one of the best sections of this year (or ever in BMX video history). Hey, even Crandall has a perfectly respectable section.
This vid is amazing in so many ways. It's packed with incredible riding that will engage you from beginning to end. There are some big burly tricks and plenty of tech stuff too. And as I said at the beginning...FBM really knows how to capture what is great about BMX and get you psyched on it. In my opinion All Time Low is one of the best vids of the year 2002, so far... which is to say that it is definitely worth the money. But just remember, this vid is not one for the whole family, so keep it on the down low.
Joe Cox, www.streetphire.co.uk: I first watched this video when we went to the backyard jam at Telford and one of the booths had it and we pleaded the guy standing there to play it for us. all we wanted to watch was Vic Ayalas section and its quite far from the start so we watched the sections hoping and praying that Vic's would be next. after a while i wasn't even watching the video but checking whether Vic's was next at the end of each section. his part came and we all jumped to attention and were blown away by his riding. once his part finished we walked off amazed by what we saw. A few weeks went and my friend bought it and i wanted to see Vic's section again. i sat and watched it and i was amazed by how good the rest of the video was not just Vic's part. from the beginning i loved this video. The party/drunkenness intro section is funny and gets me psyched on bmx. The music really fits well with each riders section and you even get to see George Dossantos going mental (and you all thought he was quiet and chilled haha) at the start of his section. Highlights for me were of course Vic'ssection, along with Bob Scerbo, Mike Tag, Steve Crandall and Afro Pats sections. One problem though; Bowlhead wanted to use 'the doors - people are strange' for his video part and boy is he pissed at Vic now!
volume4130, www.bmx-test.com, march 2004: I decided to purchase "All Time Low" because of a review in a bmx magazine. When it arrived in the mail I had no idea of the antics the guys from FBM got up to so make sure your parents are not around when you watch this, anyway onto the review. Mainly this video is riding but it also features cars being blown up, pants being lit on fire, beer drinking, nudity and a secret section at the end of the video so be ready to press stop at the end of the crash section because if you watch it you will be grossed out for a long time. This video includes riders such as Kelly Baker, Pat Schraeder, Bob Scerbo, George Dessantos, Mike Tag, Vic Ayala, Magilla, Derrick Girrard, Ryan Corrigan, Steve Crandall, Ron Kimler and many more. The videos highlights are Bob Scerbo's section, George Dessantos's section, Ron Kimler’s section, Vic Ayala's section, Butcher’s section, Mike Tag’s section, Magilla’s section, the mixed section that includes Phil Wasson and Josh Stricker and of course the crash section. You might have noticed that the majority of this video is highlights. My favorite section is Bob Scerbo's. If there is one part that sucks about this video it's the music, which is okay in some sections, but it is mainly country/western crap music. I was disappointed with Vic Ayala’s section because the riding was the best but the music makes me want to puke. Hardcore street riding and country/western music goes together like water and electricity. Overall this video is good for all except parents and definitely worth the money. With full pipes and funny stuff aplenty, I believe it is best watched with your friends and no parents in sight. This video has some awesome riding and I recommend you buy it. FBM is a good company and this was a good video. But since I am not a fan of stupid country music I gave this video an 8.5/10.
MUSIC.
Intro: DMX - Party Up
intro suite: motley crue - wild side
Bob Scerbo: U.S Bombs - The World
Ryan Corrigan: Lucero - kiss the bottle
Derrick Girrard: bad religion - along the way
Fisher's little ghetto part: blood for blood - goin down the bar
George Dossantos: Gorilla Biscuits - New Direction
Ron Kimmler: Public Enemy - She Watch Channel Zero
Unknown: Blood forBblood - Goin' Down the Bar
All Time Low from FBM BMX on Vimeo.
Released in 2004. Featuring: A 10 Year Slide Show, the history of FBM on film, New Footage, All Five of FBM's Previous Videos, A Collection of FBM's Past Commercials, A Credits Compilation, Unseen Bonus Footage.
www.streetphire.co.uk: Think what you will about fat arse, speccy twat Steve ‘only for the cameras’ Crandall and his cronies but they certainly can put a video together. All the FBM videos sum up the good times and attitude I like in riding. With plenty of crashing on street, getting drunk at the trails and barbeques at the pool this makes me feel both fun and nostalgic. For me that’s exactly what it’s all about, acting sketchy, having a laugh and eating shit. If I was a nerd like Carmine Fortini I would probably diss this for its poor interface and hard to read menus but since I’m cool I couldn’t give a shit. This release still doesn’t shed light on why they changed from fat bald men to fire beer mayhem but who cares anyway. 10 years of good riding, drinking and goofing off all on one disk with new footage thrown in 9 out of 10. Note to Brian Tunney if you thought it was hard to find the bonus material on soul 24 your shit out of luck with this release.
Bonus Features: Raw Footage, Leif Valin Flatland Section, 2004 Ghetto Comp, Unreleased FBM Video from 1994, FBM Commercials.
Steve Crandall, www.fbmbmx.com, may 2007: You might be wondering what the deal is with this video. It's called "don't Buy this" and its a 5 dollar DVD, not a full feature production, but it is a full DVD, just not in a traditional format, it's informal,lighthearted and fun. Riders also in the DVD include Mike Tag, Mike Corts, Derrick Girard, Tony Hamlin, Dylan Cole, and more. The Bonus section has an old, semi obscure Albert Street Promo, I found on VHS in My closet, a handful of songs in live performances By Lucero, and Portals, and FBM road tip promo, a bunch of commercials from the past year and half, etc... Tony Cardona also has a section thats pretty awesome! In case anyone was wondering, Aaron Ross does not have a part in this DVD, no Human in the world is capable of Puling off THAT MANY video parts, He just finished the Chill Bro section, and the Etnies Video, and is also working on the New Odyssey Video, so we are going to wait till he is done with those projects, and hopefully have something in the near future, sans bike throwing. We Heart AAron Ross Big Time!
www.danscomp.com: 2 disc set. Disc 1 features the Gypsy Caravan park tour with teams from FBM, Recycles/Blacken, S-Luck/Team Major Air, Sun Ringle, Savage South and Credence. Disc 2 includes Lords Of Fun video, bonus footage from each team and slide shows. Parental Advisory: Brief Nudity, Language, Partying
Gypsy Caravan Part 1 from FBM BMX on Vimeo.
Brian Tunney, www.expn.com: The American Dream is defined as a phrase referring to the freedom that allows all citizens and all residents of the United States to pursue their goals in life through hard work and free choice. But when applied to the universal laws and truths of the freestyle BMX industry, something always seems to run askew in the pursuit of the American dream. The "freestyle-influenced" part of the brain begins to battle the rational part, begging the obvious question: "Why can't we do this?"
It's a theme that's explored time and again in Joe Stakun's new documentary, I Love My Bicycle: The Story of FBM Bikes. And through the analysis of this theme, a new version of the American Dream begins to take form; a version birthed not only on the hard work and free choices of the good folks behind FBM Bike Company, but also on their propensity towards trying whatever seems possible and seeing what happens as a result. In simpler terms, FBM represents a step into the unknown, something that no other company could or would choose to follow. And something that FBM's legacy was built upon.
It started innocently enough in Ithaca, NY in 1993, printing t-shirts in a bedroom, and slowly gained momentum until the small but dedicated BMX scene throughout the U.S. knew of or had heard about the FBM crew. Steve Crandall, Jeremy 'Magilla' Reiss and Mike Tagliavento moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana not long after high school. There, they met more BMXers with similar aspirations, moved into an affordable house in the ghetto and did whatever they wanted, from launching lawn mowers off the roof to blowing up fireworks in the toilet. Soon after, FBM began releasing their own videos, which would later grow to gain worldwide acclaim for the cutting edge riding and antics contained within. More t-shirts and stickers followed, and sure enough, Crandall and FBM had begun to get noticed. Then Crandall broke his leg, and that's when things started to get even more interesting for FBM.
The group moved out of Indiana. Crandall headed back to Ithaca, picked up a responsible business partner and decided to turn FBM into a fledgling bike company. Well, they started down the path anyways, but things, as we all probably know, didn't go quite as planned. And I'm abbreviating this as much as possible so that I don't give away too much about the film. But FBM suffered through a series of ups and downs that most businesses could not even begin to fathom. Though rather than retire to the Belmar Bar to drink away their sorrows, FBM learned from their mistakes and mishaps, and were even able to better the company along the way.
"Every disaster becomes a better opportunity," said Crandall during the film, and it's as if FBM adheres to this anti-dictum of Murphy's Law as a means of operating their business. Growing up, I'm sure Crandall might have assumed that Murphy's Law was simply just a comical punk band from NYC, but as FBM continues to evolve, it almost seems as if the very concept ("Anything that can go wrong will go wrong") becomes a secondary team rider on FBM Bikes. Again, rather than write every mishap off as a business loss, FBM embraced each run in with bad luck, becoming haphazard alchemists that could take a negative turn and change it to gold. And it worked wonders for the very ethos of FBM, or at least proves that the "freestyle" part of the brain isn't something to run away from anytime soon.
There are many timeless and moral lessons to take away from I Love My Bicycle: The Story of FBM Bikes, but that's not even close to explaining the film in full. This film is, to the best of my recollection, the first documentary style feature to tackle mid-school BMX in general, integrating historical magazine articles and video footage alongside current testimonies from over 30 recognizable names in BMX, including Mat Hoffman, Dave Mirra and the entire FBM staff. Through analyzing the growth and progress of FBM, the film also captures the many forgotten chapters of BMX, from the era of chain wallets all the way up to 2008 and in between. Not only that, for a story that's stacked with equal parts triumph and tragedy, the film flows beautifully, with captivating shots of Binghamton's industrial decay, a soundtrack that features Fugazi and Lungfish and even words from Lou Bickle, who at the time of production, was in prison. It's clear to see that Joe Stakun spared no expense in telling this story, while still adhering to the DIY, find a way to do it ethos of FBM bikes and to greater extent, BMX in itself.
To sum it up, this film is a must see if you ride BMX. And if you don't ride BMX, this film is a blueprint for how things work. A blueprint for starting with nothing, embracing the bad and rising up above the post-industrial decay of Binghamton, NY to produce an endearing product and movement that any of us can believe in. In short, a new American dream.
Brien Kielb , www.expn.com: A few years back, legendary video producer Mark Eaton released a movie entitled Joe Kid on a Stingray, chronicling the origins of bicycle motocross. The movie was a high-class affair, with plenty of vintage clips, interviews with the forefathers of the sport, and narration by famed motorcycle builder Jesse James. While it glamorized the early era of BMX, some viewers felt that certain aspects of BMX's history weren't fairly represented. Racing was the obvious focus, along with the birth of freestyle and the creation of the X Games, but street riding and the emergence of rider-owned companies seemed to fall by the wayside.
Enter I Love My Bicycle: The Story of FBM Bikes. Directed by Philadelphia's Joe Stakun, the hour-long documentary made its debut at the Bicycle Film Festival in New York City. Playing to a packed house of 200 riders and coinciding with the end of FBM's second Gypsy Caravan tour, the film garnered numerous cat calls and rounds of applause throughout the screening; even drawing tears from company founder Steve Crandall at its conclusion.
Entitled after one of FBM's most popular t-shirts, the film focuses on how a group of bored Ithaca teen-agers created an East Coast empire through screen printing, chromoly and chaos. While the documentary focused on one specific company, the film could be used to describe the entire second wave of rider-owned companies at the end of the '90s. Pioneer brands S&M, Standard and Hoffman bridged the gap from the neon heyday of '80s vert contests to the bashguard sliding, chain-wallet slinging origins of street riding in the early '90s. Homegrown brands like FBM, Terrible One, Metal and Volume picked up where Moeller and Hoffman left off, and there are few companies in BMX today that aren't owned or ran by actual bike riders. The fat, bald men that were once at the industrial helm have been replaced by riders who knew what bikes they wanted to ride, and what they wanted BMX to be.
As unique as FBM has always been, I Love My Bicycle hammers the point home in documenting the creation and history of their in-house manufacturing facility. In an era where a bike company can be created with some t-shirts, a credit card and some e-mails to Taiwan, it's humbling to bear witness to the trials and tribulations of starting not only a bike company, but also a machine shop from scratch. Stakun's film is a gritty portrayal of the hardships endured by those in the BMX industry, and FBM has endured some unique ones; including Chris Hallman burning down their office, jail time, various team changes, and being evicted from their longtime home beneath the remains of East Coast Terminal skate park. The fact that the movie was shot against the bleak Binghamton skyline only further highlights the fact that running a bike company isn't nearly as glamorous as some people may think.
The film is narrated by a shovel-swinging Crandall, along with shop foreman Dave Harrison and the nicest guy in BMX/head of sales John Lee. Additionally, the film features interviews with former team riders, employees, and legends such as Mat Hoffman, Dave Mirra and Joe Rich. Filled with lots of great old footage (including Kelly Baker in pink JT leathers), the entire history of FBM is covered thoroughly, and is a stark representation of the bike industry and a generation of riders who've helped shaped BMX over the last decade. Comparing the flick to Joe Kid, the tone is far more topical and realistic, and is likely to be well received by both message board groms and trail veterans alike.