Chad Johnston Bike Check
FatTony
- May 07 2009
- 6,857 views
- 24 comments
Name: Chad Johnston
Age: 38
Location: Long Beach, California, USA
Sponsors: S&M, Revenge, Primo, Lotek, Flat Clothing, inTRIKat
Frame: S&M LAF 19″ Top Tube, 13.75″ Chain Stay (Coming Soon: LTF 19″ Top Tube, 13.65″ Chain Stay)
Fork: Bizhouse, Aerospace (Zero degree offset.)
Bars: Ronin, Big E’s (8″ rise, 23″ wide, minimal sweep.)
Stem: Quamen, Macross with four 1/4″ spacers underneath.
Grips: Bizhouse, Gym Rings (22 on each side.)
Barends: Revenge, Plastic
Headset: FSA, Impact
Clamp: S&M
Seatpost: MacMeil, Pivotal
Seat: Primo, Pivotal
Cranks: Primo, Power Bites 170mm, Titanium Spindle
Sprocket: Fit, 27t
Chain: KMC
Front Tire: Primo, Comet 1.75″ (Kevlar belt.)
Front Wheel: Sun Ringle Rhyno Lite Rim 36h, Fly Hub w/ Primo Jewels, radial laced
Rear Tire: Primo, Comet 1.75″ (Kevlar belt.)
Rear Wheel: Primo, Balance Rim 36h with Nankai Freecoaster 11t (34 Black Primo Spokes, 1 Red Primo Spoke and 1 Yellow Primo Spoke). Three cross laced.
Pedals: Primo, Plastic Stricker
Brakes: Lotek, Mike size 8.5
Modifications/Other/Extras: Dragonfly cone nuts/14mm dropout adapters on Nankai 3/8″ axle.
Which parts do you go through the most? Shoes and tires.
Describe your bike setup and how you like your bike to feel…
I like my bike to feel solid and responsive. I need a bike that fits. I like to ride the same set-up for a long time so it always feels right, even if I don’t ride for a couple of days I like to get back on and have it feel natural and ready to go. I’d rather have strength over extreme lightweight. I like a clean, minimal feeling bike, just the basics, steering, seating, transmission, and two 20s framed with a classic double-triangle design.
What part are you most particular about or do you feel makes the biggest difference on your bike?
Bald, narrow tires, and forks with a long steer tube.
Do you remember your first “real” BMX bike?
Yes.1980 Huffy Pro Thunder, black and yellow. I recently rebuilt it. My first freestyle bike was a 1984 Haro Freestyler; I wish I had that thing still! Ha ha.
What do you bring out with you to a typical session?
Water and ID, again the basics. I don’t like to ride around with much in my backpack. I live close to my ride spots, so I can walk home if I need repairs.
Are you particular about the pressure in your tires?
Yes. With these tires, 90-95psi is good on most surfaces.
Tell us about your frame from S&M, most people haven’t seen a 19″ LAF.
It’s not really custom, but definitely limited. There’s a small batch of 19″ LTF’s on the way as you read this. Call S&M, Flatland Fuel or Dan’s Comp and ask them for one now before they’re gone. They’re too good. It’s very stable and responsive at the same time. I’ve been riding this frame for months and there are no signs of weakening.
Check out Chad’s old interview about riding flatland without pegs here.
Here’s a new video of Chad’s riding from Jomopro ‘09.
To upload photos or videos, 
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May 7th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Go Quamen!! nice bike
May 7th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Joe Schiavi always used to ride without pegs too. I wish I had the patience to learn more flat tricks…
May 7th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
such a crazy style
May 7th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
HOLLA!!! thats my boy REPRESENT “WESTSIDE”…….. you are truely light years ahead of the game!
May 7th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
reppin’ the bars, yes chad!!
May 7th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
This guy is talented as hell and original too, but that bike sucks! Support flatland and ride for a flatland company.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Great, innovative rider and a great company. (S&M) Y does a company hafta be strictly flatland to be a flatland company. S&M Has been around a looong time supporting BMX Freestyle in general, flatland as well. I loved my old Sabbath. Moeller is awesome. Ease up on the support only “Flatland Specific” companies. Besides, Chad is doing tricks most others cant, If the bike works for him and he’s happy, Y should he change? LONG LIVE S&M!!!! LOL
May 7th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
joe schavili started the modern pegless flat trend ,he still rides too so dont be saying chad is e only pegless flatlander .k thanks get your storys straight first there funboy
May 7th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Sure he’s happy. But companies like S&M don’t need the flatland support. Flatland is in the shadows of street, park, dirt these days thanks to the media. Flatland needs every bit of support from flatland riders. I rode a Sabbath too, but it didn’t feel right, so I rode a SIck Child when they came out. So why ride a street frame for flat. I don’t see the likes of Mirra or Edwin Delarosa riding flatland frames. I use to hate that all this got so specific to its discipline, but it’s evolution. Remember back in the 80’s they one bike for everthing.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Yeah Chad! Best Bike-Check yet. I’ll be ridin with ya at Zuma if not sooner. And Mckinney said it right, you’re truely light years ahead of the game. Can’t wait to see those new tricks you were talkin about at JoMo. Keep it up!
May 7th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
please tell me youre the same Jay that commented on Fat’s recent flat article.
you cry about flatland being in the shadows because of the media, but you crap on Fat’s ideas of blowing flatland up and making it bigger and better than ever!
chad’s frame is a flatland frame, it just doesnt look like a pretzel like everyone else’s.
somebody needs to take your keyboard away
May 8th, 2009 at 2:52 am
The comment about Chad riding for a flatland company baffles me, if anything Chad riding for a big bike company such as S&M is good for flatland, has crossover appeal, may get a more street audience looking at flatland, and getting a new audience into it. Chads riding is awesome, keep it going!!!
May 8th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Somebody let the “NewbY” Know about the S&M that the Sabbath Frame Kind a revolutionized Flat and street ridin in one Product. Ask Mckinney,Steve Moulder,Troy McMurray,Brian Tunney rode one for a while.Bob Haro was a “flatlander” first. It is all freestyle so stop Trippin’ son. Yo, Chad thanx for using MY song “Farmfresh Manifesto” in one of your Flat videos featuring Moulder years ago. Whuttup McKinney!!!
May 8th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I love that Chad rides for S&M…good bikes, and I love that S&M supports flatland and flat riders. Chad obviously rides to his own tune…and that is a good thing.
I really want one of those LTF frames.
May 8th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
s n m bithches,keepin it real x
May 8th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I did a search on Joe Schiavi trying to find videos of him riding pegless. Instead, I found that he’s making his own frames (Endemic BMX) these days. Here’s the link: http://www.endemicbmx.com/endemic_site_007.htm
May 9th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Man I’ve been in the game since 84. I’ve ridden a Sabbath. Too over built for me. How is S&M good for flatland? The Sabbath effort never caught on. Yeah I wrote that flat is in the shadows. RIDE only wants to publish street and some dirt. They throw flat and vert IN THEIR MAG just make others a little happy. Street shit and the street scene is blown up. RIDE doesn’t care about flat. Fat Tony has interest now, cause he thinks it’s rockstar now. Before as he said, he would hardly evr ride flat, but now he is. There’s a die hard rider for you. Look Chad is awesome. I’m not taking anything away from him and what he does for flat. So are you flat guys who hate my comments gonna start riding a street frame? Hell no you won’t and why? Point made!!!
May 9th, 2009 at 9:52 am
That was incredible. Chad seems like a soul surfer with an appreciation for the purity of riding. Extremely difficult to balance on the unstable b/b as opposed to pegs.
Cool!
Sincerely,
John Dale
RedEndo BMX
Curbrider LLC
Tucson, Arizona
May 9th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Why rail against S&M for supporting flatland with flatland products? More competition is a good thing. You are entitled to your opinion, but then…so is Chad.
Sincerely,
John Dale
RedEndo BMX
Curbrider LLC
Tucson, Arizona
May 9th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Sweet bike check Chad!
Heads up people for the oldschool flatland jam Chad Johnston is hosting on June 6th, 2009..
May 9th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Jam information on:
http://www.OS-BMX.com
and
http://www.OldSchoolBMXSociety.com
May 30th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
“Remember back in the 80’s when they had one bike for everything.”
That’s the way it should be! and if S&M is making smaller top tubes on their street frames for flatland appeal then sign me up cause I need a dual purpose bike
June 7th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Cant wait untill it touches my hands
July 21st, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Hey chad nice bike man hows riding and i hope i get to ride with you again sometime soon.
stay awesome,
Michael McNary