I’d like to thank Paul from Retro BMX for alerting me to the latest sign of the apocalypse: ActionVillage mailorder is getting into BMX. It’s such an important part of their business that they list it right in their header along with paintball, skateboard, Airsoft, apparel and snowboard gear—oh wait, no they don’t.

Stuff like this really confuses me. Especially now, when the economy’s in free-fall. On the one hand, maybe it makes parts cheaper for kids who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them, and maybe it pushes BMX to another market. That’s good, right? But on the other hand, it takes business away from longtime BMX-only mailorders like Empire and Albe’s who have done so much for the sport. Hobby. Pastime. Addiction. Whatever you want to call it. That’s bad, right?

Yet at a glance it appears that all the major companies are behind it. I understand that the goal of a company is to make money, but do you really want your stuff sold alongside snowboards and Airsoft guns? Do you really want to take business away from the mailorders that have supported you from the start? Isn’t this about a step away from LAFs being sold at Dick’s? Is that what the goal is?

Honestly, this sucks. Cash rules everything around everyone, but isn’t there more to it than that? Somewhere around here I have my first-ever BMX mailorder receipt. It’s from Trend Bike Source, back in 1989. I ordered an R.L. Edge wheelset (with the coffeegrinder “freecoaster”) and an Odyssey six-bolt stem. The stem was out of stock, so they replaced it with the more expensive TKO Pro at no additional charge. From that point on I ordered from Trend, and when Tom and Tina left to start Empire, I followed them there. It wasn’t about price, it was about relationships, as corny as that sounds. I could e-mail Empire in the middle of the night and hear back right away. I could ask a question about a new part or video, and know I would get an honest answer. Is that how it’s going to work with ActionVillage?

My gut tells me this won’t last. That people will continue to order from Albe’s and Empire and even Dan’s, keeping things in the family, and that ActionVillage will get out of the BMX business as quickly as they got into it, preferably with a Lotek footprint on their corporate ass.

Then I see this, and I’m not so sure.

If you’re a glutton for punishment, I started a SPRFLS Twitter page. If I remember to update it for a week, I’ll be amazed.

This bike is awesome. I want it. Send me one, Jim. Please?

In other Odyssey-related news, I’m pretty sure this is my fault:

(Hey, why is the team shirt lighter than the Aaron Ross shirt?)