Today’s Bike Of The Day is a 2020 SE Fast Ripper with a custom grey/gold cerakote colorway. Joe Ruazol really payed attention to the details on the build and made sure everything matched. Definitely a sick build!
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Growing up in the 80s, I was surrounded by guys that worshipped Dogtown, G&S, and Simms boards. I never liked how pebbles could make me eat it so I took to bikes. First one I ever had was a Redline MX-II. I loved that thing until a neighborhood thief stole it. As much as I begged for a Cook Bros, I ended up getting another Redline. This time it was an MX-III and I tried my best to save up allowances and gift money to build it up right. We had a local “dirtlot” in my neighborhood, and one of the guys that worked at the Schwinn shop I always took my bike to saw me there racing other kids from the neighborhood. They decided to sponsor me and helped me build up the bike and got me into races at the Corona, Devonshire Downs, Long Beach, Irvine, etc. Man that thing was hooked up, Flight Cranks, Bullseye hubs, Araya rims, Skyway pedals, Elina seat. For a little junior high kid, I was really proud of that thing. Even when I stopped racing, I always loved that 20, and I took it with me to college.
Fast forward to the not so distant past, and one of my best friends is building bikes like crazy. We’re talking all kinds… PK Rippers, Redlines, Cook Bros. I couldn’t help but get interested, but life just doesn’t allow you to do things sometimes. The farthest I got to re-entering the game was getting a set of Maxy Cross cranks, AME grips, a Kashimax seat, and KKT pedals to replace old stuff on the MX-III, and that was it. I really regret not building the Cook back then when parts were much cheaper.
Last year, for Father’s Day, my wife surprised me by buying me a Fast Ripper. She knew I was eyeing one because when my buddy showed me a 29 incher with disc brakes and gears, I was sold. Although I still have my MX-III, my body would punish me for trying to ride it for more than a couple blocks. Our little group already had 6 Fast Rippers, and everyone wanted to be different. I simply wanted to paint it black and have gold accents and stickers as kind of a tribute to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then I found out the 2021 Fast Ripper was coming out in black and gold. Back to the drawing board. As I was trying to figure out what to do, I started seeing all my friends’ builds and wanted to just fit in. I still wanted black and gold, then I found my new inspiration. I’m also a gun guy. I have a 1911 I cerakoted in a not so common, patterned camo. I even worked with the cerakoter to actually come up with the colors and pattern. It came out great on the pistol, so why wouldn’t it look okay on the bike? When I made the decision, I was really skeptical and worried about how it would turn out, but I was all in. I decided to go with all the parts I’ve liked from the past. Of course there is always better out there especially because I’ve been out of the loop for so long, but I wanted everything to flow the way I wanted it to…smooth in some places and sharp in others, just like the camo. A few of the little details tell little stories like the bullet air valve caps and little Punisher sticker paying tribute to my inspiration, the 1911. The number on the Pro Round pedals protectors is 42 which was the number I’ve always worn in basketball. I mean, anyone can throw good parts together, but it’s the little details that make it personal. Hopefully, other people will appreciate it too.
~Joe Ruazol
Parts List:
- SE Racing 2020 Fast Ripper (Frame and fork in custom cerakote)
- Bullseye Rogers Pedals Bullseye Pro X Pedals
- Bullseye Elite Raceworks Seat Clamp
- Bullseye Elite Top Load Stem
- Bullseye 45/45 Raceworks 1-1/8″ INTEGRATED Sealed headset
- SE Racing Flyer Seat
- SE Racing Power Wing Handle Bars
- SE Bikes Speedster Tires
- Knight Bike Co 5-bolt Ruf-Tooth Chainring
- Knight Bike Co Knight Starburst BMX Spider
- Profile RHD Race Crankset
- Paul’s Brake Levers – Love Levers
- ODI Rogue Lock On Grips
SHOUTOUTS LA Rippers Boyd-Cerakote RND Bikes
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