Jim Cielencki Q&A Nov 21st - 30th

What was the bike you started on? (or earliest you can remember)
What is your favourite trick?
What has inspired the bright colour schemes that sunday is known for?
Free Ian Schwartz Fishie stickers please?

Hi, Jim
I am riding an Ian Schwartz frame, and love it. Are you guys every going to make another frame with the built in pivotal seat?
and I agree with the Ian Schwartz fishie stickers. lol

How come that you started your own BMX company and what influenced you to do that?
Whas it hard to start your own BMX company?
What is your favorite trick?
What do you do on a daily basis?

Thanks

What made you start sunday?
How does it feel to have a top bmx company with innovative ideas?
When will you bring back the Ian schwartz frame?

Hi Jim
First off, I just got a freeze stem and I love it.
My question is this, why do you run right side drive and pegs, is that something you have always done? Does having the Odyssey MDS on grind sde make crank arm grind easier?
Come vist Rochester sometime!
Thanks
Zach

Shakesman69 wrote: What was the bike you started on? (or earliest you can remember)
What is your favourite trick?
What has inspired the bright colour schemes that sunday is known for?
Free Ian Schwartz Fishie stickers please?

Good questions! My first bike was an all red Takara that I bought from a shop called the Bike Peddler in my hometown. It was basically like the current Aaron Ross PRO just in red. Red tires, spokes, hubs, frame and pretty much everything else was red. Aaron's bike takes it a bit further, but this had the same sort of feel.

As for my favorite trick, I'd have to go with crankslides. There's just such a neat feeling that comes with that trick. Some how you are just grinding along fully in control on a very strange spot of your bike. I've grown up skateboarding and snowboarding, it is the closest thing to a boardslide. I'm not trying to duplicate those tricks, but it feels similar

Sunday's bright color scheme comes in part from the idea that a painter never paints the same painting over and over. We are given the opportunity to be creative and the last thing I'd want to do is something we've already done before.

Evil1_4real wrote: Hi, Jim
I am riding an Ian Schwartz frame, and love it. Are you guys every going to make another frame with the built in pivotal seat?
and I agree with the Ian Schwartz fishie stickers. lol

We have talked about the possibility and I have a feeling it will show up again, but there isn't anything concrete just yet. I imagine you're into it. As for the Ian stickers, we've gotten so many requests for it, but our manufacturer hated making those stickers so they won't make them again.

nyram wrote: How come that you started your own BMX company and what influenced you to do that?
Whas it hard to start your own BMX company?
What is your favorite trick?
What do you do on a daily basis?

Thanks

More good questions. I started Sunday because like most of us, we are always looking for ways to improve our bikes. I was always thinking of ideas ever since the early 90's. Companies like Homeless, Standard and Hoffman made it seem like anyone could do it, so why not me? It took awhile to get something fully off the ground, but in 2005 I had reached the limits of what I could do with my current sponsor. The opportunity to do Sunday came up and I was in. It's been a great ride so far.

I previously mentioned that my favorite trick was crankslides, but now I want to add to that. Bunnyhopping is probably not even considered a trick, but I love the feeling of flying down a street and bunnyhopping what's in my way.

Have you seen my Instagram page? I mostly eat cupcakes when I'm not in the office or riding. Haha!

bad monty wrote: What made you start sunday?
How does it feel to have a top bmx company with innovative ideas?
When will you bring back the Ian schwartz frame?

I wanted to start Sunday because there were still many bike problems riders faced that other companies weren't resolving. And for you to ask the second question makes me feel like I've accomplished my goal. Thank you. Honestly, it feels great to think back about all the cool things we've done. My favorite graphics were on the original Wave frames, the graphics just went well with the frame colors. There's a closet in my office that acts as a sort of time capsule because there's all sorts of old frames in there. I've pulled out a few lately to remind myself of the history.

We need Ian to come out of retirement so we can put out his frame again. That would be awesome.

from 2005, what was (or is) your favorite sunday youve made?

weaver wrote: Hi Jim
First off, I just got a freeze stem and I love it.
My question is this, why do you run right side drive and pegs, is that something you have always done? Does having the Odyssey MDS on grind sde make crank arm grind easier?
Come vist Rochester sometime!
Thanks
Zach

Zach,
Thanks! I'm glad you like the Freeze stem. I run the pegs on the drive side because it's something I've done for a long time. I can see the benefits of running a left side drive setup, but it sort of messes up tricks for me. Whenever I do pedal ice pick grinds or pedal crookeds the sprocket would hit. I'd break the chain or go OTB, so I keep the sprocket on the rightside where it's out of the way.
The MDS sprocket is the best. If you're trying to learn crankslides then this is the sprocket for you. I grind on the right and have the guard out. The guard protects the chain when you pust too far down or start to lean over the rail. I haven't broken a chain while doing crankslides with this sprocket.
I'll be in Rochester over the winter. RASP?

AWSpoofwil wrote: from 2005, what was (or is) your favorite sunday youve made?

It's a tough one between the Toothpaste Wave frame and the blue Second Wave. Loved the color and graphics on the Toothpaste and the blue Second Wave was just all around a good set up. The Second Wave frame at that point was the culmination of all the ideas and then add the color/graphics, so it was perfect in my eyes.

What made you make a 24" bike?

Waffles or pancakes and why?

How would you suggest someone goes about starting their own bike company?

When are you gonna come ride in the woods of lovely Denton TX again?

Where do the ideas come from for such innovative ideas and colors?
And do you have a personal twitter page?

What's up Jim? I'm from the ATL and I'm following u on Instagram. U got the best grinds homie. I'm 36 and lived in Houston back in the Trend day. Now it's Empire Bmx.

In a perfect world...

Who would the Buffalo Sabers beat in the Stanley Cup Finals to your greatest delight?

As a brand manager of one of the most original companies in bmx what are some of your influences outside of the bmx industry? Also you seem to have assembled a team that has a lot of creativity on and off a bike. I know there is a lot of thought that goes into who would best fit Sunday and why. Could you explain the thought process that goes into picking a new team member. In your opinion who is the best cook/baker in bmx? What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of bmx and why?

ComplicatedStreetBmx wrote: What made you make a 24" bike?

Basically we were talking about how all 24" bikes at that point were just straight race geometry. No one had ever made a good freestyle geometry one. We thought it would be interesting. I envisioned doing a handrail on a 24". How funny would that be is what I was thinking. Then we got the bike together and it was really fun. To me it feels no different than doing a longer and longer handrail or airing a tighter quarterpipe. After you learn a trick, you want to try it in different places to see if you can do it. So, with the 24", I didn't change the spot I just changed the bike. It's been pretty fun.

SafetyFirst wrote: Waffles or pancakes and why?

Haha! I'm going waffles on this one. The shape is too good and it pools the syrup which is the best part.

Harry-H wrote: How would you suggest someone goes about starting their own bike company?

It's defiitely not easy. Not only do you need a good angle and good product, but you'll also need a way to sell it. You have to get it to shops and make sure people know about it. There's too many questions I have to ask you before I can really help. It's definitely possible.

Bobahesh wrote: When are you gonna come ride in the woods of lovely Denton TX again?

I've heard some new changes, so I'm thinking I'm due for a visit. I just got back on my back after about 6 weeks off, so let me get riding again. Early December?

ninjacat33 wrote: Where do the ideas come from for such innovative ideas and colors?
And do you have a personal twitter page?

Yeah, my personal twitter account is jimcielencki. I'm there just look for the hockey updates and you found me. The ideas come from everywhere really. I tend to call on influences from all walks of life.

Hey Jim. Thanks for taking your time out of your busy schedule for answering a jumble of questions from the BMX community. I appreciate it.

BMX DVD productions are becoming less and less. When I heard Props was stopping DVD production(s) of some of their long term projects, I couldn't believe it! I would always love waiting and anticipating for the next new vid, whether it was Props or a company team video, after seeing the trailer. You know that anticipation Im taking about?
It just seems like there are a lot of these online (decent in length) videos, that are just such excellent quality in both filming/editing and riding, that they can be made into a buy-able video! Productions at these calibers can easily benefit the production crew, the riders and companies if there was small price. I would pay for these videos! I always support anything BMX! iTunes or some sort of payable downloads would be smart. Even if it was $00.99!!

As a rider and filmer/editor myself, I do it because I love it! Those are my passions! For large companies and businesses though, like your own (just for example), just seems it would only be right to charge for that quality of production.

Do you feel the "new-age" BMX community are spoiled with all of these online webits that are free? Is this hurting the industries media formats? How does these steps in to the future of BMX media make you feel?

So what do champions eat for breakfest?
Who comes up with the innovations? Engineers or riders?
Emile

How come you have 7 pros and only Aaron and Gary get completes?,
I'd love to see a Jake Seeley complete,i mean (besides the fact that he's my favorite rider)
He has the best Luc-e in the business,well besides The Butcher and he has such a good style and doesn't need to pack his edits full of bars and whips to demonstrate his talent on a bike. he destroys rails like nothing and if he had a complete I'd fer sure buy it.

When is Aaron & Gary Gonna Drop New Edits & Magallan too.

How do you balance riding and owning a company?

what hobies do you have other than bmx

what brands are you sponserd buy,

what is yourfavarite sponser(other than sunday)?