Randy Brown: S&M Grips

Randy represents a proper slice of East Coast BMX history. The riding was stylish, raw and built around making street spots work without overcomplicating everything. Bringing his grip back is a small product, but it carries a lot of BMX memory with it. BMX moves quickly and has never been especially good at sitting still, but that does not mean every old idea needs replacing. Some riders leave a mark because the riding, the bike setup or the way they carried themselves became part of how BMX looked for everyone after them. That sort of influence is hard to measure with a contest result. It shows up years later in the bars people choose, the lines they try and the clips they still go back to watch. Keeping those names and products around is not about pretending nothing has changed. It is about recognising where the good stuff came from and why riders still care about it now. The good thing about Randy Brown is that the riding never feels like it was designed by a marketing meeting. It looks like somebody spending years working out what they enjoy, what suits them and how they want the bike to move. That is normally where the most memorable BMX comes from.

S&M Randy Brown Grips. Very different feel from the big fat grips everywhere now. Contact points do a quiet amount of work. Grips and gloves affect how the bars feel, how easily the hands move and whether a long session stays comfortable. They are not going to add a new trick, but a shape or texture you actually like can make the bike feel familiar straight away. That is especially true for riders who catch bars, move their hands or spend hours holding on through rough landings. Signature contact gear is best when the rider has made a real choice about feel rather than just picked a graphic. The small details are the whole product here, so comfort still matters more than copying somebody else's colour. None of that means bolting on Randy Brown's parts will suddenly give you the same riding. Sadly, BMX does not work like that. What you do get is gear shaped by somebody who knows exactly what they like. Use that as a reference, compare it with your own setup and make the call from there. The bigger point is that Randy Brown has put enough time into BMX for those preferences to mean something. The setup has been tested through actual sessions, travel, filming and the ordinary missed attempts that never make an edit. That background is what gives a signature product some weight. Watch: RBV2 - Welcome to Brown Town Hero image: S&M archive video still.