BMX Brand
S&M Bikes
S&M Bikes is a Southern California BMX brand founded in 1987 by Chris Moeller, known for US-made frames like the Dirtbike and Holmes and an irreverent culture.
Updated 3 min read602 words
S&M Bikes is a BMX brand from Santa Ana, California, founded in 1987 by Chris Moeller. It is known for frames and parts welded in its own factory in the United States, for models such as the Dirtbike and the Holmes, and for a loud, irreverent attitude that shaped the culture of core BMX from the 1990s onward. Its sister brand is Fit Bike Co.
History
Chris Moeller was a racer and dirt jumper from Southern California. He started S&M in 1987 with Greg Scott, and the name is simply their two surnames. Scott left within a few years and Moeller has run the company ever since. The early frames were built for racing and jumping, and the brand grew alongside the trails scene rather than the freestyle contest circuit.
Its two best known frames, the Holmes and the Dirtbike, date from the brand's first years. The Dirtbike in particular became the archetype of the trails frame: a plain chromoly frame with a short rear end and a tough build, sold without gimmicks. Through the slump of the early 1990s, described in BMX in the 1990s, S&M stayed small, kept making frames in California and built a following through magazine advertisements that were crude, funny and unlike anything the bigger brands would print.
S&M also made videos. Titles such as Feel My Leg Muscles... I'm a Racer, 44 Something and Please Kill Me mixed riding with the brand's sense of humour and helped define the look of a core brand video. In the late 1990s Moeller started Fit Bike Co as a second brand with a larger team and overseas production, while S&M kept its US-made identity. In the 2010s a smaller sister label, Credence, was added for frames and parts with a different look.
The brand still operates from Santa Ana and still welds frames there. Its factory has also built frames for other small brands over the years.
Products
S&M's catalogue is built around frames and the parts that go with them.
| Product | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Holmes | Frame | One of the brand's earliest frames |
| Dirtbike | Frame | The classic trails frame, produced in many versions |
| ATF | Frame | All Terrain Frame, a longer running all-round model |
| Mad Dog | Frame | 1990s frame |
| Hucker and Hoder | Frames | Signature frames for Mike Clark and Mike Hoder |
| Pitchfork | Fork | The brand's long running fork |
| Slam bars | Handlebars | A staple two-piece bar |
| Redneck | Stem | Front load stem |
| Speedball, Mainline, Trackmark | Tyres | Tyres for dirt and street |
S&M has also sold a small range of complete bikes. Its parts are a common choice for riders who want to build a bike from parts rather than buy a complete.
Team and riders
The S&M team has leaned towards trails and raw street riding rather than contests. Riders associated with the brand have included:
- Chris Moeller, the founder, who rode for his own brand
- Dave Clymer and John Paul Rogers in the 1990s
- Troy McMurray
- Chase Hawk, before he moved to Cult
- Clint Reynolds
- Mike Hoder
- Mike "Hucker" Clark
- Charlie Crumlish
Influence
S&M proved that a BMX brand could stay small, make its products in the United States and still matter. Its advertising and videos set the tone for the irreverent, anti-corporate side of BMX culture in the 1990s, and the Dirtbike remains the reference point for what a trails frame should be. Through Fit Bike Co, S&M also produced one of the biggest teams of the 2000s, which in turn seeded Cult. The cluster of core brands in and around Santa Ana owes much of its existence to Moeller's company.
Related
Frequently asked questions about S&M Bikes
What does S&M stand for?
The name comes from the surnames of the two founders, Greg Scott and Chris Moeller. Scott left early on and Moeller has run the company since.
Are S&M frames made in the USA?
Yes. S&M welds its frames and many of its parts in its own factory in Santa Ana, California, which is unusual for a BMX brand.
Is Fit Bike Co the same company as S&M?
Fit Bike Co was started by S&M as a sister brand in the late 1990s. The two are run from the same base but have separate teams and product lines.
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