BMX Brand
Sunday Bikes
Sunday Bikes is an American BMX brand founded in 2005 by Jim Cielencki, known for Wave tubing frames and its link to Odyssey through Full Factory Distribution.
Updated 2 min read515 words
Sunday Bikes is an American BMX brand founded in 2005 by Jim Cielencki, a long time pro rider from Buffalo, New York. It makes frames, parts and complete bikes, and it is best known for its Wave tubing, a down tube with a wave shaped bend that resists dents. Sunday is part of the same Southern California distribution group as Odyssey, Full Factory Distribution, and shares design and engineering resources with it.
History
Jim Cielencki turned pro in the 1990s and rode for Odyssey among other sponsors. By the mid 2000s he wanted a frame brand with the same engineering focus Odyssey applied to parts. Sunday launched in 2005 with the Wave down tube as its signature feature. Early frames of that era were often dented just behind the head tube by the front tyre or by impacts, and the Wave shape was designed to stop that.
Sunday grew through the late 2000s with a team spread across park, street and trails. The brand adopted the 41-Thermal heat treatment process developed within the Odyssey group, which allowed lighter tubing without sacrificing strength. Signature frames for team riders followed, and complete bikes became a large part of the range.
Cielencki kept the brand's design side close to Buffalo while production and distribution ran through Full Factory in California. Sunday remains active with one of the broader catalogues among core brands, from entry level completes to signature frames.
Products
Sunday's catalogue centres on frames and completes, supported by bars, forks, cranks and seats.
| Product | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wave | Frame | The original Sunday frame built around the Wave down tube |
| Soundwave | Frame | Park and trails frame |
| Funday | Frame | Signature frame for Aaron Ross |
| Street Sweeper | Frame and complete | Signature model for Jake Seeley |
| Broadcaster | Frame and complete | Signature model for Alec Siemon |
| EX | Frame and complete | Signature model for Erik Elstran |
| Primer, Scout, Blueprint, Forecaster | Complete bikes | Range from entry level to higher specification |
The Primer and Scout are common first bikes and appear in guides such as how to choose your first BMX. The way Sunday describes its frames is a good introduction to frame geometry for riders comparing models.
Team and riders
Sunday's team has included:
- Jim Cielencki, the founder
- Aaron Ross
- Gary Young
- Jake Seeley
- Alec Siemon
- Erik Elstran
- Julian Arteaga
- Brett Silva
- Chad Osburn
Several of these riders have also ridden for Odyssey, which sponsors many of the same people on parts.
Influence
Sunday brought an engineering mindset to frame design at a time when most core frames were variations on the same plain chromoly template. Wave tubing was copied in spirit by other brands looking for ways to stop head tube dents, and the heat treatment work it shared with Odyssey raised expectations for frame strength and weight. Its team edits in the late 2000s and 2010s, particularly those featuring Ross and Young, were among the most watched of the web edit era. The Odyssey and Sunday relationship is also the clearest example of the shared distribution model that now runs much of the industry.
Related
Frequently asked questions about Sunday Bikes
Who started Sunday Bikes?
Jim Cielencki, a long time pro rider from Buffalo, New York, founded Sunday in 2005.
What is Wave tubing?
Wave tubing is Sunday's down tube design. The tube has a wave shaped bend near the head tube which stiffens it and resists dents from the front tyre and from impacts.
Is Sunday owned by Odyssey?
Sunday and Odyssey are both part of Full Factory Distribution in Southern California and share design and engineering resources.
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