If you weren’t, let me give you the scoop.

Back in 1982, Skyway came out with the  T/A frame. T/A stood for “Totally Aerodynamic” and featured teardrop-shaped tubing that made it an instant classic.

It was widely available as a 20″ and Skyway was said to have produced thousands over the years that it was available.

However, despite the 20′s popularity, Skyway decided to only produce a 24″ version in limited quantities. You pretty much had to be a factory rider like Richie “The Avalanche” Anderson to get a hold of one of these puppies.

This kind of exclusivity has made them a much sought-after item for collectors. You either had to be extremely lucky or have deep pockets to get a hold of one of the 24″ Skyway T/As.  (Being as hot as Eva Gabrielle didn’t hurt either.)

But now PlanetBMX and Skyway are working together to bring a 24″ Skyway to the masses.  It’s going to stay true to the original classic design but have a few modern elements thrown into the mix.

Check out the specs:

• 22″ top tube
• Euro BB
• 1-1/8″ threadless headtube
• V-brake mounts
• Headtube angle- 73.5 degrees
• Seat Tube angle- 73 degrees
• Chainstay length- 15.4″ to 16.75″
• BB Height- 12.3″

I just love the look of these frames…especially the chrome ones. Throw on some black Tuffs and some skinwall tires and you’ve got a serious looking machine on your hands.

When you’re using a tool from Park you know you can rely on it.

I like using them because it appeals to the bike geek in me to be using the same tools that bike mechanics use.

That’s why I was so stoked to get the Park Tool PZT-2…their Pizza Tool!…for Christmas from my good friend Lynn.

Featuring a large diameter stainless steel cutting wheel and a large handle for easy grip, this thing cuts through pizza like nobody’s business!

I tried it recently on a Delissio Hawaiian Pizza and it worked like a charm. If you’re into bikes and you like pizza, I highly recommend the Park Pizza Tool.

That’s right….Homeless Bikes made a 24.

Word has it that this frame, featured in a Ride BMX ad in August 1995,  is one of the (only) three manufactured. (That’s it leaning against the car.)

Talk about a once in a lifetime find.

For more on this frame, check out the thread on BMXmuseum.

So before we ring in the new year, let’s check out the top ten things that went down in 2011.

10. Sunday and S&M kicked off the year by introducing two of the most of the popular frames out there right now: the Sunday Wave-C and S&M 24″ Dirt Bike.

9. This was quickly followed by news that a lot of people had been waiting for: 24″ forks with front brake mounts. S&M was first to market with their 24 “Pitchforks with 990 mounts which was quickly followed by Sunday’s 24″ forks with 990 mounts (although they were testing prototypes much earlier).

8. Some great 24″ flatland vids surfaced almost immediately after from Joe Cicman and Danny Sirkin. (Could this be related somehow to #9?) Heck, even flatland legend Bobby Fisher surfaced a few months later riding flatland on a Sunday Model-C.

7. Low-rise traditional handlebars for cruisers dying off.  The tall handlebar trend is firmly established in the freestyle end of 24″ bmx but it looks like it starting to take hold in racing too. MattyJo Shelley (of BMXActionOnline) tried it out on his race bike in a special guest post and he found taller bars had advantages for racing too.

6. “Older” guys  continued to make their presence felt in BMX on their 24″ bikes.  From the older cruiser classes in racing to a skatepark rider proving that age is just a number it’s great to see that there is no age cut-off for having fun!

5. DK introduced a line of bikes in Wal-Mart, including a 24″ version of the General Lee. Is this good or bad for BMX? The jury is still out.

4.  Mongoose, Stolen and InDust introduced new 24s to the scene. Great to see companies responding to the demand for bigger wheeled BMXs.

3. Cruiser Revolution celebrated its 3-year anniversary this year. A great milestone and a testament to the great cruiser community that is continuing to grow.

2.  The 4130 rides. I was lucky enough to participate in the 4130 Sin Series ride in Las Vegas back in September and it was one of the best times I have ever had on my bike.  Bombing the streets with a couple hundred of your fellow BMXers is something everyone has to do at least once.

1. Having a good time on your bike. Sure, it’s fun to debate the pros and cons of how tall your handlebars are, talk about the latest parts and comment on the latest video edit but when it comes right down to it, when you’re out there riding none of that really matters. Whether its with your bros, your kids or just by yourself, you can leave your worries behind and let the good times roll as soon as you step on those pedals.

Happy New Year!

For many of us this means having a beer or two with some good friends.

But what happens when you reach for a cold one and realize that you can’t find the bottle opener? (And you’re drinking the good stuff without the twist-off caps..)

What are you going to do?

Paul Hoerdt shows us the way.

(Warning: audio NSFW)

Happy holidays everyone!

Looks like Wayne is still tearing things up…this time on his backyard ramp. Check out this color pic by Chip Riggs…so rad!

And check out this sorta arty black and white shot.  Nice work Wayne!

To see more pics of Wayne shredding, check out his blog, carrot-bag.blogspot.com.

Jon is 47-year old rider with great dirt jumping skills that only got into the BMX in his late 30s.

In this video, he not only provides some great dirt jumping tips, he even talks about why he prefers a 24″ bike over hard tail MTBs and 20″ BMX bikes. Definitely worth watching.

Check it out.

To kick things off they had:

• Pyro
• A light show
• Music to get the crowd hyped.

It got me wondering why things like that hadn’t been incorporated into some of the bigger Nationals. Surely the ABA Grand Nationals, billed as the “greatest race on earth”, warrants this kind of treatment.

But year after year, it sames like just a slight variation of what’s gone on before. To be sure, the Grands is still a big deal and exciting to watch–if you’re into racing–but it lacks a certain “wow” factor.

Now compare clips of the Grands (or any other major race lately) to this clip of a recent race in St. Etienne, France.

This race has:

• Pyro
• A light show
• Music to get the crowd hyped.

What else?

Stands packed with spectators.

This my friends, is what a National should look like.

(…and if we could add the Monster Energy girls into the mix…well, that couldn’t hurt either.)

Joyride 150 is my home away from home during the winter months and it is a godsend.  With jumps, a skatepark area, pumptracks and cross-country stuff there’s a little something for everyone.

Heading out there for a weekly session is how I keep myself sane over the winter. While I miss hitting the local trails, I do kinda look forward to the laidback weekend sessions that happen during the colder months at Joyride.

As an added bonus, Drew Bezanson is a regular there.  As you might gather from the video below, that keeps things pretty interesting as well.