Back in the early 1980s Redline introduced the 401-series Flight cranks.  They were the cream of the crop for BMX racers and even freestyle riders.  The tubular chromoly Flight cranks represented a departure from the heavy single piece and weak alloy cranks of the day, finally giving larger BMXers a crank set that they could never break. The Flight cranks were such a good design that even today most BMX crank sets are based off their design, and the modern Redline Flight crank retains most of this original design.

:: Original Redline magazine ad from 1982 showing both 400 and 401 series Flight cranks ::

When Redline introduced the Flight crank series, there were actually two crank sets - the 400 and 401 series.  Most people will remember the 401 Flights as the quintessential Redline Flight crank with its trademark four-spoke chainwheel - a simple and elegant design that stood out at the time as high tech and expensive.  Very expensive.  In the early 1980s, the 401 Flight crank set had a street price of $149.95.  That may not seem like much today, but at the time most BMX crank sets didn’t cost more than $40.00.

:: New, never installed set of Sugino-made Redline 400 series cranks - click to enlarge ::

So what were the differences between the 401 Flights and the 400 series?  To be blunt, the two have more differences than they have in common.  The Redline 401-series Flights are American made tubular chromoly crank arms which use a splined interface and a pinch bolt to secure the arm to the spindle.  The 400-series Flights were designed by Redline and manufactured by Sugino in Japan.  They are tubular chromoly and share the same fluted arm design as the 401 series, however the 400-series cranks utilize the older (and less reliable) square taper interface to secure the crank arms.  The 400 series Flights use a larger spindle size than the Japanese square taper crank interface standard, for adds strength - which was good for the design, but it also means that only a Sugino 400 series spindle will work with these cranks.  Finally, the Redline 401 series cranks used a standard 19mm chainwheel or chainwheel adapter with a single fixing bolt, whereas the Sugino 400 drive arm had a 110 BCD five-bolt aluminum spider permanently installed.

:: Sugino 400 cranks on a 1985 Haro Master (Dan Durr photo) - click image to enlarge ::

So what does this all mean?  Since both crank sets were relatively expensive, most people opted for the Redline 401 series since they were considered the superior product to the 400 series cranks.  If someone was prepared to spend $100 or more on a set of BMX cranks, they would be inclined to simply buy the best they could, rather than a ‘lower model’, which the 400s were designed to be.  Of course the 401 series Flight cranks were better - they were stronger, allowed more chainwheel options, and permitted chainline adjustments, which the 400 cranks did not.  Eventually Redline dropped the 400 series cranks from their product lineup, although Sugino continued to produce them under their own name, as well as for Diamond Back, although those looked much different than the Redline variant.  The Sugino-branded “400″ cranks looked identical to the Redline units, except that the arms are stamped “Sugino” instead of “Redline”, along with the arm length.  It should also be noted that many Redline-branded 400-series Flight cranks were stamped “Sugino”, presumably used when Redline-stamped units were not available during production. Both Redline and Sugino variants are worth the same today on the collector market, which brings me to the point of all of this - the irony of the collector market.

:: Modern Redline Flight cranks retain most of the original design - click to enlarge ::

Since the 401 Flights sold far better than the ‘budget’ 400 series Sugino cranks, the latter are now commanding much more money on the collector market.  As with anything collectible, previously undesirable items become worth a lot of money years later primarily due to their scarcity.  I’ll be honest with you, I think the 400 series Sugino cranks look better too, and I was thrilled when I finally found an NOS set, thanks to BMX Addicts owner, Juan Mattos.  To say these cranks are rare would be an understatement, and NOS sets of these cranks are unheard of.  This is not to say that 401 Flights are not worth much these days - actually, they command quite a value, although ironically, the Sugino 400s will usually bring more money on the collector market, all variables being equal.

:: Redline/Sugino 400 cranks are highly sought after by collectors today - click to enlarge ::

These days when people see a mint set of Redline/Sugino 400 cranks on a show bike, they instantly skip a breath - and adding to the rarity of these cranks is the fact that restoring them is very tough due to the difficulty in re-chroming the drive side arm, with its permanently installed chainring spider.  You may be wondering, what are these cranks worth today?  A complete set of Redline or Sugino-stamped 400 cranks in good condition will bring between $500-$650, while a complete set of 401 Flights in the same condition would bring about $300-$450.  What are the values of these cranks in NOS condition?  The early 1980s 401 Flights should bring about $750 or more in NOS condition.  As for the 400 series cranks, I could only speculate, since I’ve never seen another NOS set, and no, I’m not going to tell you what I paid for mine. : )

Back in 2005 Shimano started a revolution when they introduced the Saint MTB component group.  Saint components were not designed to be extremely light, rather they were engineered for strength and reliability.  This of course, is where they get their name - the Saint crank set is said to be the strongest and stiffest in the industry.  Soon after its release, BMX racers started using the Saint crank set for racing and found that they worked very well for this application.  Of course, the Saint crank set can accommodate one, two, or three chain rings, and it is compatible with 68, 73, and 83mm bottom bracket shells.

:: 2009 Shimano Saint cranks are 100 grams lighter and 200 percent  stiffer - click to enlarge ::

Shimano soon saw that the Saint crank set was gaining momentum (no pun intended) in the BMX race scene, so they introduced the 68mm BB shell-specific DXR crank set, which is a direct descendant of the Saint unit.  The DXR has had unprecedented success, gaining the Saint virtues of strength and stiffness, leaving previous BMX mainstays such as Profile and Redline in the dust, literally.  Many BMX racers still run the Saint cranks, I suppose because they prefer the black finish to the DXR’s polished look.

This year, Shimano introduced a new Saint crank set, which was redesigned completely.  The spindle design remains exactly the same, however Shimano claims the new Saint crank set is 100 grams lighter and 200 percent stiffer. 200 percent.  I have not personally tested the 2009 Saint cranks yet, but I have a few sets here for evaluation and I’ll say that when I picked them up it became immediately clear to me that these are much lighter than the 2008 Saint or DXR cranks.  The arms are a different shape - more chiseled in appearance and slightly narrower.  The “Saint” logo is represented in appealing brushed aluminum, and the gold bolts and bottom bracket bearings look great.  Another point of interest is the left side bearing cup has longer threads now, which means running double spacers on a 68mm BB shell will not compromise strength at all.  Very nice.

:: Shimano DXR cranks are the BMX-specific version of the Saint - click to enlarge ::

The bad?  So far, all I can see is that the 2009 Saint cranks are available up to only 175mm - no 180mm this year.  Guys like me with longer legs may have an issue with this in a BMX application, but for MTB this is of no concern since I run 175s on my mountain bike.  The real problem for BMX racers is that currerntly there’s a huge shortage of DXR cranks, and the price has gone up substantially, so the Saint crankset may be a welcome return for BMX racers, at least for now until the DXR crankset gets the same redesign.

Another day, another adventure; I went up in a Robinson R44 Raven 1 yesterday over Miami to photograph the Miami/Bimini Offshore race.  To say this was fun would be to miss the point entirely - it was a total blast.  Our pilot, who’s also an instructor, flew the machine very well, and at times pushed it pretty hard to keep up with the faster boats.

:: My ride for the shoot - a Robinson R44 Raven 1 - click to enlarge ::

My standard workhorse lens for most action shoots is the Nikon 70-200 AFS VR 2.8.  Originally I thought I would just use this lens and bring along my Nikon 16-85 AF-S VR for wide shots.  When I realized we would be in the air for only an hour, I knew the shooting pace would be frantic, and I would not have time to change lenses during the flight.  Looking carefully at Nikon’s lineup, I figured the 24-120 was a possibility, but its reputation isn’t so great.  The Nikon 18-200 AF-S VR is a lens I told myself I would never buy, but I soon found myself ordering the $700 lens for this shoot.

:: On our way to the race location at Sunny Isles Beach, Miami - click to enlarge ::

I was worried about shooting with a new Nikon 18-200 VR lens - I actually never use prosumer “superzoom” lenses, but in the copter I would not have been able to swap lenses and my Nikon 70-200 would probably have restricted us a bit.  As it turns out, the 18-200 performed impressively - it focuses fast and the resolution was pretty good.  One complaint I do have though, is that when facing forward, the wind would immediately compress the lens, and I had to grip the focus ring tightly to prevent this from happening.  This is another reason I do not like telescoping lenses, and the mechanism doesn’t look very robust either.  As usual, my Nikon D300 performed flawlessly, and after 1285 shots (using VR), the battery meter indicated a full charge.  Incredible.

:: Yes, the water was this deep shade of blue about 32 miles offshore - click to enlarge ::

Image quality with the 18-200 was very good, but not excellent.  It’s good enough to handle professional assignments, but compared to the 70-200, its optical limitations become clearly obvious.  But remember that the 18-200 is a multipurpose, ‘one-lens’ solution, not a professional-grade constant-aperture lens.  I’m not sure I’ll keep this lens though, since I would rarely need it specifically, but I had a good time using it.

:: A view of Miami Beach as we return from the shoot - click to enlarge ::

For the shoot, the right side door was removed which made shooting from the side of the copter very easy.  I also had a great view, but I would not recommend this type of activity if you’re scared of heights.  Miami is a beautiful city, and it’s even better as seen from the air.  The water went from beautiful bright green to a deep rich blue as we headed 30 miles out.  While we were shooting the boats, we spotted a few whales just hanging out at the surface since it was a very calm day.  It was a perfect day - life does not get any better than this.

I’ve had this site long enough, so I guess it’s about time I posted a healthy rant post.  Well, this isn’t a rant post per-say, but I’ll say it’s a dedicated opinion piece on how I view the BMX race scene since getting back into it a few years back.

When I first moved here, I didn’t know anybody and Cape Coral is a pretty laid-back place compared to Massapequa, so I had to actually look for things to do.  While looking through some websites a few years back, I read that Cape Coral had its own BMX track, and that it was only a few miles from my house.  Awesome, I thought - heck, this sounds like a good reason to get back on a BMX bike.  So I went to Paradise Bicycles, purchased a new Haro BMX race bike and signed up with the National Bicycle League (NBL) at the Cape Coral BMX track.

:: As the gate drops: Brian Callahan (right) and I practicing gate starts - click to enlarge ::

Fast forward a few years to where I am today - inspired by BMX and yet disappointed at the same time.  Soon after I began riding at Cape Coral BMX, I soon realized that there are essentially two types of people there - the ‘core’ of the track - those that run it, maintain it, and help instruct new riders - these people are what inspired me to keep riding.  People like Todd Lackey and Mike Powers - racers that are genuinely happy to help people with endless patience - even though I’ve even tested their patience a little sometimes.  Like any good role model, racers like them made me want to improve - they motivated me to gain their respect.  Not just them, there are many others too - respectful, good people. Most of the people at Cape Coral BMX are this way, and I’ve made some great friends there.

Then there’s the other contingent at the track - these people will shake your hand and in the same day talk behind your back.  No big deal I suppose, but some of the things these people say can be pretty alarming.  Yeah, these types are everywhere, not just the BMX track, but in all the performance boat races and events I’ve frequented, I’ve never seen this level of ruthless immaturity.   Why do I care?  Because these people seem to go out of their way to want to upset a great family-oriented community.  Does it kill the fun I had there?  Not really so much, but often times while riding there, the old saying of “too many chiefs in one small tribe” comes to mind.  This brings me to my final thought - the double-edge sword of reaching out.

:: A typical summer evening at Cape Coral BMX - click to enlarge ::

I won’t get into a long dissertation here, but since I am in a position to, I’ve always felt that helping others is a moral obligation for those that are able to.  Without getting into the details, I’ll just say that sometimes feeding the dolphins baits the waters for sharks.  I wasn’t looking for cred or respect - or even appreciation, I just like helping people.  Sometimes, once people get what they want, they have little or no use for you afterward - a sad truth.  In the end, it’s a shame because a feel-good thing like having fun at the BMX track and contributing in a positive manner becomes complicated and a catalyst for stress.  Do I lose sleep over it?  Nah, it’s not worth it, but in my life I’ve learned never to burn the wrong bridges.

Some people take BMX very seriously, even to a fault.  I do not.  I’m there just to have fun and socialize.  But it’s not as fun as it used to be, and I’ve come to realize that somtimes I can’t march lock-step with everybody.  Sure, I’ll still ride, but I think I’m due for a break.  Before BMX I was an avid mountain biker, and I understand Florida has some great cross-country trails.  One thing I’ve always liked about MTB riding is the independance and much less structured riding environment - it’s essentially the rider and the trail, and nothing else.  BMX will always be in my blood though.   So, thank you and a shout-out to Todd, Chuck, Brian, Chris, Mike, Paul, and everyone else that made Cape Coral BMX a great experience for me.

Reading my post on the Team-BHP forum - an India-based automotive enthusiast website, I see there’s some confusion as to this car’s legitimacy.  All in good internet fun I guess. I registered to that site after finding it while searching the web.  I found it interesting to read about another culture and how similar their interest in performance cars is to ours in the United States.  The internet is great for shrinking the world like this - just 20 years ago this type of communication would be unheard of in the casual sense.

In any event, well, I know they’re reading, so here’s a quick video for you - enjoy. : )