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Along with Skyway Tuff Wheels and Shimano DX pedals it's hard to imagine a more iconic and influencial BMX product from the 80's than Redline Flight Cranks.
Every tubular three piece crank today owes it's origin to the Flight Crank. We're talking millions of cranks here!
At the time - the late 70's - BMX was exploding in America. Not all tracks were "more pedalling than jumps" and there were downhill tracks gnarlier than we have today - Saddleback, Conrona, Rancho San Diego. So, with the hard landings, wheels and cranks might only last one race.
The only crank option were a one piece Ashtabula or an alloy 3 piece road-derived crank - which while OK for the younger kids - the bigger riders would bend arms or twist the spindles. It was a huge problem.
Meanwhile in Chatsworth, California Linn Kastan under the Redline Engineering banner, had been making chromoly motorcycle frames and swingarms. In 1973 Kastan decided he would weld a bicycle frame for his son as a Christmas gift that same year. His son soon 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 inch BMX racing. Kastan accepted the challenge. In February 1974 the first pairs of tubular chromoly forks were being produced.
They were an instant success and became a favourite 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 the 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 renaming 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 three piece cranks which would become Redline's most popular product.
In the Summer of 1981 we brought over the Torker factory race team of Clint Miller, Dave Marietti and Jason Jensen along with Torker owener Steve Johnson for the Anglo-American Cup in Redditch. At the end of the race I bought a set of pre-pinch 180mm Flights off Marietti's Torker (now the owner of Hot Shoppe Designs) and promptly put them on my Robinson:
The main drawback for Flights was the cost - over £150 in 1981 - over £500 in today's money, almost the price of a brand new Mongoose Supergoose complete bike. Redline realised this and came out with the cheaper Sugino-prodced 400-series cranks with a built-in in spider and square spindle in 1982.
Due to the different types of bottom brackets being used nowadays, like most cranks these come with just the arms, spindle and bolts. We can supply them like this or with American sealed bottom bracket bearings for old school bikes, these kits come in a choice of red, blue, gold, black or silver. Additionally we sell Mid, Spaninsh and Euro (threaded) BB's as well if that's what you need. For example the re-issue Skyway T/A frames from a few years ago use this Euro BB.
BUY HERE: Redline 401 Flight Cranks
Assembly
These are simple enough to fit without any specialist tools. See video above showing you how to replace your one piece cranks with a Flight Crank upgrade. You will need to buy new pedals with a 9/16" thread. Your existing sprocket set-up should fit, you will probably need a "top hat" adaptor washer that we sell here.
Pedals
If you are looking for pedals, we do a huge range that would be suitable for a race or freestyle build here. We especially like the MKS BM-7 caged pedals for a early 80's race build, the Wellgo XC-II for slightly later and the Haro Fusion DX or MKS Grafight-XX for a freestyle or later 80's build.
Spiders & Power Discs
There are few options for you here. The Neptune Helm sprocket is based on the original Redline sprocket, but you could also run a spider and chainring set up. You will need to make sure the hole in the spider or sprocket is 19mm - some are designed for one piece cranks and are 23.8mm bore, in which case you will need a 23.8mm to 19mm "top hat" washer adapator that we sell here.
As always, if you have any questions you can contact us sales@alansbmx.com or give us a call on 01942 826598.
