BMX Brand
BSD
BSD is a Scottish BMX brand based in Glasgow and run by Grant Smith, known for pegs, hubs, frames and tyres and for a strong team of UK street riders.
Updated 2 min read421 words
BSD is a BMX brand from Glasgow, Scotland, founded and run by Grant Smith. It began in the early 2000s as a small parts company and grew into one of the leading street brands in the United Kingdom, known for pegs, hubs, frames and tyres and for a team that includes some of the best known British riders of the 2010s.
History
Grant Smith started BSD in Glasgow in the early 2000s, at a time when almost every BMX part sold in the UK came from the United States. The brand began with a handful of parts aimed at street riders and built a following through the Scottish and wider UK scene. Smith also filmed and photographed the team, and the brand's videos and edits became as important to its identity as its products.
Through the 2010s BSD expanded into frames, hubs, cranks and tyres, with many products developed around specific team riders. Its full-length video Transmission and a steady run of web edits gave it a reach well beyond Scotland, and riders such as Kriss Kyle and Alex Donnachie brought international attention. The brand remains based in Glasgow and continues to release parts, frames and videos.
Products
BSD's range is built for street riding and most of it is tied to a team rider.
| Product | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Donnasqueak | Pegs | Plastic sleeved pegs developed with Alex Donnachie |
| Donnasqueak | Tyres | Street tyre in the same name |
| ALVX | Frame | Signature frame for Alex Donnachie |
| Passenger | Frame | Street frame |
| Raider | Frame | Signature frame for Reed Stark |
| Revolution | Cassette hub | Cassette hub |
| West Coaster | Freecoaster hub | BSD's freecoaster |
| Substance | Cranks | Chromoly cranks |
| Aero Pro | Rims | Street rim |
The brand also makes handlebars, forks, stems, seats and softgoods.
Team and riders
BSD's team has been heavily UK based, with a few riders from elsewhere. Riders associated with the brand have included:
- Kriss Kyle, from Scotland, known for park and street riding and large scale video projects
- Alex Donnachie
- Reed Stark
- Denim Cox
- David Grant
- Dan Paley
- Liam Zingbergs
Influence
BSD showed that a core BMX brand could be built and sustained outside the United States and outside the big European companies. It gave Scottish and British street riding a brand of its own, and its riders have been among the most watched in the world. Along with Federal, it is one of the two UK brands that defined British street riding in the 2010s, and the Donnasqueak peg became one of the standard plastic pegs of the era.
Related
Frequently asked questions about BSD
Where is BSD from?
BSD is based in Glasgow, Scotland, and was founded there by Grant Smith in the early 2000s.
Who rides for BSD?
The team has included Kriss Kyle, Alex Donnachie, Reed Stark, Denim Cox, David Grant and Dan Paley.
What are BSD Donnasqueak pegs?
They are plastic sleeved pegs designed with Alex Donnachie. The name is a play on his surname and the sound of a plastic peg on a ledge.
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