Redline bicycles
Encyclopedia
Redline Bicycles is an American manufacturer of bmx
, freestyle
, cyclocross, mountain
(mtb), and road
bicycles and components who is currently owned and operated by Seattle Bike Supply in Kent WA. They also own and operate a clothing line and 5 race teams. Redline is dominantly known for their long heritage in bmx racing. They are often referred to as the original bmx bicycle manufacturer having innovated many revolutionary components for the sport such as tubular chromoly forks and cranks.
California for making chromoly motorcycle frames and swing-arms. The company consisted of a staff of 6 people and was receiving much success with their motorcycle swing-arms. In 1973 Kastan decided he would weld a bicycle frame for his son as a Christmas
gift that same year. His son soon after raced this bike under his fathers company name Redline. The bike was noticed by a company called Pedalers West and they challenged Kastan to come up with a stronger and lighter fork specifically for 20" bmx racing. Kastan accepted the challenge. In Feb. of 1974 the first pairs of tubular chromoly forks were being produced. They were an instant success and became a favorite amongst racers at the time. Later that year Redline would release its first chromoly frame the Squareback. Due to the high price at the time of $85.00 the frame sales were dismal. In 1977 Kastan and Konle agreed to go separate ways and Kastan would take over full ownership of Redline Racing Frames and Konle would carry on with the motorcycle side re-naming his company Champion. By this time Kastan had designed and was releasing the Proline, their first official Team Model frame and fork. Soon after the famous V-Bars handlebars, the MXll frame and the Microline frame (mini series) were released. With these additions the company was gaining success again and by January 1980 Redline Flight cranks were going into production. They would be bmx's first tubular chromoly 3 piece cranks which would become Redlines most popular product they had ever produced.
1982 Redline introduced the Proline ll, and the MXlll series and expanded their line with the PL-20 and the PL-24. The PL-24 would be their first bmx bike with 24" wheels, commonly known as a cruiser.
In 1983 expanded further still into the freestyle
market with the RL-20 Prostyler. Not an instant hit but would later gain popularity with the RL-20ll in '85. 1985 was arguably the height of Kastans success with Redline. During the next 3 years they would continue to further develop these models with many variations.
In 1988 Kastan sold Redline to Seattle Bike Supply (SBS) and they re-located the company to Kent Washington. The company produced its first mountain
bike in 1989 and changed its colors to pink, white, and black. They went on to manufacturing road bicycles in the early '90s and would eventually change the colors back to the original red, black, and white in 1993. Kastan went on in 1988 with his new bmx company which he named Kastan.
, freestyle
, cyclocross and mountain
competitions.
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
, freestyle
Freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX is a synonym for BMX stunt riding, a sport branch that hails from extreme sports. It consists of six disciplines: street, park, vert, trails, dirt and flatland .-History:...
, cyclocross, mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
(mtb), and road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
bicycles and components who is currently owned and operated by Seattle Bike Supply in Kent WA. They also own and operate a clothing line and 5 race teams. Redline is dominantly known for their long heritage in bmx racing. They are often referred to as the original bmx bicycle manufacturer having innovated many revolutionary components for the sport such as tubular chromoly forks and cranks.
History
The company Redline Racing Frames was founded in 1970 by Linn Kastan and Mike Konle in ChatsworthChatsworth, Los Angeles, California
Chatsworth is a district of Los Angeles, California, United States; in the northwestern San Fernando Valley. The district is bordered by the Santa Susana Mountains and unincorporated Los Angeles County lands to the north, Porter Ranch to the northeast, Northridge to the east, West Hills, Canoga...
California for making chromoly motorcycle frames and swing-arms. The company consisted of a staff of 6 people and was receiving much success with their motorcycle swing-arms. In 1973 Kastan decided he would weld a bicycle frame for his son as a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
gift that same year. His son soon after raced this bike under his fathers company name Redline. The bike was noticed by a company called Pedalers West and they challenged Kastan to come up with a stronger and lighter fork specifically for 20" bmx racing. Kastan accepted the challenge. In Feb. of 1974 the first pairs of tubular chromoly forks were being produced. They were an instant success and became a favorite amongst racers at the time. Later that year Redline would release its first chromoly frame the Squareback. Due to the high price at the time of $85.00 the frame sales were dismal. In 1977 Kastan and Konle agreed to go separate ways and Kastan would take over full ownership of Redline Racing Frames and Konle would carry on with the motorcycle side re-naming his company Champion. By this time Kastan had designed and was releasing the Proline, their first official Team Model frame and fork. Soon after the famous V-Bars handlebars, the MXll frame and the Microline frame (mini series) were released. With these additions the company was gaining success again and by January 1980 Redline Flight cranks were going into production. They would be bmx's first tubular chromoly 3 piece cranks which would become Redlines most popular product they had ever produced.
1982 Redline introduced the Proline ll, and the MXlll series and expanded their line with the PL-20 and the PL-24. The PL-24 would be their first bmx bike with 24" wheels, commonly known as a cruiser.
In 1983 expanded further still into the freestyle
Freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX is a synonym for BMX stunt riding, a sport branch that hails from extreme sports. It consists of six disciplines: street, park, vert, trails, dirt and flatland .-History:...
market with the RL-20 Prostyler. Not an instant hit but would later gain popularity with the RL-20ll in '85. 1985 was arguably the height of Kastans success with Redline. During the next 3 years they would continue to further develop these models with many variations.
In 1988 Kastan sold Redline to Seattle Bike Supply (SBS) and they re-located the company to Kent Washington. The company produced its first mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
bike in 1989 and changed its colors to pink, white, and black. They went on to manufacturing road bicycles in the early '90s and would eventually change the colors back to the original red, black, and white in 1993. Kastan went on in 1988 with his new bmx company which he named Kastan.
Teams
Redline has several teams competing in each bmxBMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
, freestyle
Freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX is a synonym for BMX stunt riding, a sport branch that hails from extreme sports. It consists of six disciplines: street, park, vert, trails, dirt and flatland .-History:...
, cyclocross and mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
competitions.
BMX
- Flight Team Carbon Pro XXL, XL
- Flight Pro 24, XXL, XL,
- Flight Expert, Junior, Mini, Micro
- Proline Pro, Pro 24, Pro XL,
- Proline Expert, XL
- Proline Junior, Mini, Micro, Pitboss
- MX 20, Expert, Mini
- Roam
- Raid
- Raid 16
Freestyle
- Column
- Covet
- Asset
- Recon
- Complex
- Structure
- Random
- Romp
- Syntax
- Rise
- Issue
- Rival
Cyclocross / Road
- Conquest Carbon Team
- Conquest Carbon Pro
- Conquest
- Conquest 24
- Conquest Pro SS (frame only)