Video: Braydon Bringhurst Pays Tribute to the Classic 'RAD' BMX Film

Jan 12, 2021
by Canyon  

Braydon Bringhurst pays homage to the cult-classic 1980’s BMX movie "RAD" in "BRAYD" tribute video.

photo
default
A cameo from an original "RAD" cast member (left); Bringhurst pays forward the inspiration to ride (right).

photo
photo
Old school airs (left) and new school up's (right): Classic style, and classic Bringhurst.

Filmed in Bentonville, Arkansas, "BRAYD" showcases scenes similar to the qualifying races of the original 1986-released movie "RAD" featuring Bringhurst’s innovative riding—inspired by throwback style, like classic flatland tricks, turn-bars, backflips and power wheelies.

photo
photo
With unique features--like wallride landing zones (left) and rideable art installations (right)--Bentonville became Bringhurst's obvious choice for a qualifying-for-Helltrack, "RAD"-movie-inspired video.

photo

photo
photo

photo
BRAYDON BRINGHURST—@bikerbrayd

Frame: Canyon Spectral 27.5, custom RAD-theme
Fork: RockShox Pike Ultimate, 150mm, 95 PSI
Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate, 200 PSI
Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle XX1, 175mm, 34t X 10-50t
Wheels: ZIPP 3Zero Moto
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5, 29 PSI (f), 31 PSI (r)
Handlebar: Deity BF800 Brendog, 760mm
Stem: Deity Copperhead, 35mm
Grips: Deity Supracush
Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS, 170mm
Saddle: Deity Speedtrap

“Since I was a little kid, I always identified with the 'Cru Jones' character—played by actor Bill Allen—in the 'RAD' movie,” says Bringhurst, “The story of an underdog, a bike, and a dream, 'RAD' motivated generations of bike riders, just like me, to pursue the sport.”

photo
photo
Bill Allen, a.k.a. "Cru Jones" (left), with Braydon Bringhurst (right); Old school tire-grab, Bringhurst (far right).

“I hope my tribute video gives viewers the same inspiration ‘RAD’ originally gave me as a child,” says Bringhurst, “To be inspired to ride, and have fun on your bike.”

Produced by: Burst Media Creative
With support from: Canyon USA
Featuring: Braydon Bringhurst

MENTIONS: @Canyon-PureCycling

Posted In:
Videos Riding Videos Braydon Bringhurst


Author Info:
Canyon-PureCycling avatar

Member since Feb 18, 2013
154 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
Thank You For Everything, Pinkbike
75560 views
Pole Bicycles Has Filed for Bankruptcy
52436 views
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Mairiporã XC World Cup 2024
41957 views
First Ride: The Sub-$600 RockShox Domain and Psylo Forks
41755 views
Staff Ride: Matt Beer's NZ MTB Rally-Spec Ibis HD6
40193 views
Tree Root Pierces Harriet Harnden's Foot at Round 1 of the British National Downhill Series
37709 views
Review: Race Face's Era Chainring Uses Steel, Carbon, & Aluminum
27814 views
First Ride: Fox's New Transfer Dropper Post - Adjustable Travel, Up to 240mm of Drop
26415 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

86 Comments
  • 124 1
 Soundtrack, riding, and style all check out. Awesome stuff. Braydon is good for mountain biking.
  • 18 0
 Cheers man. Thank you and so many others for being stoked. Now let’s just go ride!
  • 73 0
 Braydon is the only rider I’ve seen who makes clipless pedals and pedaling like an XC racer on cocaine look both stylish and fun. Rad.
  • 17 0
 I ride the area several times a week that he was playing in. I can’t explain how insane some of the uphill sprints and explosives hops were after seeing this stuff I real life.
The final hop up onto wood was after a steep uphill. He’d need just insane power to do that. Dude is a serious athlete.
  • 10 0
 Hahaha “XC racer on cocaine” that’s funny. Cheers! Shred on
  • 2 0
 @Bikerbrayd: just watched this and was precisely what I was thinking.
  • 60 0
 I used to rent Rad! atleast once a week from the little video store in my home town in the mid 90's. A number of years later I hear the store is closing so I stop by to see if he has it still...soon as I walk in the guy grabbed the VHS and handed it to me. Told me I had rented it enough to have bought it 30X over. I still have that original copy with it's box today.
  • 2 0
 thats beautiful man!!!
  • 2 0
 Thats, Rad!
  • 42 0
 I looked up "Complete Rider" in the dictionary and found a picture of Braydon Bringhurst.
  • 8 0
 Too nice man. Thank you! I am eager to get better at all things mtb so hopefully I can keep making stuff that inspires others to go ride and find that joy that comes from two wheels.
  • 34 0
 what strikes me in Brayden's videos is his fitness and core strength. He shreds, he's got exceptional abilities, but his ability to pull off technical, dynamic strength moves in the middle of a high-cadence technical climb. In an over-saturated media landscape, his videos are always worth watching.
  • 5 0
 I always wonder how much of that power and athleticism comes from him being a Division 1 athlete (pole vault) and receiving that level of training and support throughout college. I know a lot of it is just natural, but pole vault requires some serious explosiveness and coordination.
  • 3 0
 Sorry for getting your name wrong, Braydon.
  • 4 0
 Nice to see video with people actually pedaling...not just hitting jumps and "shralping"
  • 4 0
 @Hogfly: Athleticism is trained. Especially explosiveness. Collegiate athletic background is definitely helpful, but it's not a "one time, I was a college athlete so I'm super explosive and powerful now" type situation. He still trains regularly and busts his ass to maintain those metabolic pathways.
  • 2 0
 @fullendurbro: Sure. I do think that more enduro and DH riders are focusing more and more on training (and BMX, which was his background as well, obviously focuses on explosiveness). I just wonder who just doing trap deads and things of that nature which are huge for building power and explosiveness in sprinting have given him an edge over some other riders who might engage in more traditional cycling-specific workouts.
  • 2 0
 He makes some of those climbs with big steps looks way too easy. Very impressive stuff.
  • 6 0
 Thank you! I really try and up my game in every edit. Very excited to share with others what I have planned for this year. It’s definitely going to push me to my climbing limits. Shred on!
  • 3 0
 @Bikerbrayd: Ya know, you really make everything you do really effortless and stylish, but that failed attempts video at Rock Island on Vital was eye-opening. Maybe, just maybe, if us average mountain bikers tried half hard as you do before giving up, maybe we'd get somewhere.

Not sure why... there are many awe-inspiring edits by other pro riders, but your edits always come across to me as relatable and something to aspire to (except for those 50-foot triples). You have an uncanny ability to make something extraordinary out of mundane trail obstacles.

Thanks, keep doing what you're doing!
  • 3 0
 @KatzT: I very much appreciate the words. There are loads of other pros that are far better than I am but I am focused on riding the way I want to ride. I enjoy the whole concept of mountain biking. The attempts and failures make the success that much greater.

I have a project coming this year that I hope will inspire many to embrace the process of failure and find joy in the climb. Thanks for the good vibes! Ride on!
  • 21 0
 Been waiting on this one for a while. Braydon is such a solid role model and humble guy. He was so kind and down to earth while he was here shooting this video, and a ton of groms got to hang with him and ride. He still offers encouragement and positivity to my kid after he rode with him for a single day during filming.

It’s also mind blowing to see what he’s doing on features that we regularly ride. Just nuts. So much skill.
  • 5 0
 That is all so apparent in the content he produces regularly, even before you throw in bigger projects like Rad. I hope the industry continues to value riders like Braydon and those that give back to their communities and local trail organizations.
  • 15 0
 Granted Lori Loughlin was probably locked up during the filming of this... but where are you Bart Conner?!!
  • 9 0
 Hi Guys
Very cool video from Bill Allen, a.k.a. "Cru Jones" with Braydon Bringhurst. I rode as stunt double for Rex #10 (the twin) and as Glen Adams riding with Bingham's Schwinn. Robby Rupe was my "twin." Great guy and a amazing rider as well.
Braydon, you are an amazing rider and I'm so happy that this movie inspired you! I can say the same about riders that I looked up too like Stu Thompson, Tim Hall, Travis Chipress, Bryson Perry, Toby Henderson, Harry Larry, Mike Poulson, Eddy King, Tinker Juarez, Jeff Kosmala, Bill Allen, Eddy Fiola, Kevin Jackson, Ned Overend and John Tomac.
What a journey on bikes! I will ride my bike until I can't......
  • 4 0
 Cheers man! Very cool to hear all of that and thank you for the kind words. I definitely felt insecure being the rider in such a big tribute but I do know it was sincere and the passion was there. Thank you for what you've done in paving the way for so many. Ride on!
  • 1 0
 @Crankadams - that is amazing you were part of the original RAD movie. I remember reading about the making of it in BMX Action magazine and when watching the movie picking out all the pros I looked up to. Did you film with Hollywood Mike Miranda during RAD? I ended up meeting him at a War of the Stars in Massachusetts and he was the coolest - he hung and rode a small jump with a bunch of us kids between motos.

Do I have it correct that you rode for Bingham's Schwinn back then? Didn't Poulson ride for them?
  • 10 0
 having grown up BMX in that era of 80s Checkerboard nut-saver pads on my Laser 20" BMX with carved dice for stem covers...I can honestly say this is a very very worthy tribute. We all wanted to be Cru Jones back in the day.
  • 6 0
 I begged my mom to take me and my brother to the actual filming of RAD in Calgary, AB. The biggest pros were there and the local pro Jeff Ingram. Remember it to this day. It was also my first realization of how different movies can make things appear compared to how they really were in real life. Getting old is better than the alternative.
  • 9 0
 Heck yes! He’s ready for the Helltrack
  • 9 0
 Nobody's truly ever ready for Helltrack.
  • 1 0
 We can't say that for sure until we see how he does on thje diving board out of the bathtub!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTra9iekYII
  • 7 0
 This vid had me grinning ear to ear. Great tribute. The movie RAD is available on Amazon Prime for anyone wondering, digitally remastered in 4k goodness. Go buy it!!!
  • 4 0
 My buddies got me a cameo video from Bill for my 40th birthday. And when the video started up, my mouth literally dropped to the floor! My best friend and I used to watch that video almost every single day after not returning it to the video store. Sadly one day my mom saw lying around and returned it! This video had all the hallmarks. I love the flatland tricks as well as that was how the movie started if I remember correctly.
  • 9 0
 This is totally rad!
  • 5 0
 Cheers big dog! Thanks for all the inspiration to have fun over anything else.
  • 3 0
 I dare say everyone remembers / knows the movie. Anyone privileged to have seen the movie play in small theaters decades afterward? After the movie, some legends did a show. Eddie Fiola, Mike Dominguez, and one other whose name escapes me (It might have been Byron Friday). What a time-warp to my childhood that show conjured. I got to shake Eddie's hand and tell him he was one of my heroes.

Billy Allen looks older, but hasn't aged a day.
  • 4 0
 dude, the RAD anniversary in Cochrane was a great time! it was so cool to meet eddy! i dont think I will ever pass spray lake sawmills without imagining Cru racing along the tops of the lumber piles.
  • 2 0
 @acdownhill: Copy that on the sawmill. Cochrane is famous...a little bit, at any rate. *Tips hat*
  • 3 0
 That was a really entertaining watch. There are certain riders that when you see their name on a video, you know that it’s going to be great. It is time to put the “must watch” moniker on all Brayden Bringhurst videos.
  • 6 0
 I just spent 4:27 grinning from ear to ear. Cru Jones for ever!
  • 1 0
 Yessssss!
  • 5 0
 Just watched it again on mute with "Break the Ice" playing in the background to dial up the nostalgia factor.
  • 1 0
 Hahah that’s so epic. The music for this edit was a nightmare but it worked out. Doing what you did is totally next level and every rad fan should do it to get the full experience.
  • 4 0
 As a 46 'kid' who grew up BMX racing and RAD on reply in the VHS 24/7, I approve this ...
  • 2 0
 Cool it was shot here in Bentonville
  • 1 0
 Very much appreciate that!
  • 4 0
 So cool that Bill Allen was part of this! I guess Lori Loughlin is still in jail?
  • 3 0
 Mountain biking would be so much cooler if kids nowadays used 80's beats instead of that god awful mumble rap on their edits!
  • 3 0
 That was awesome but HOW DO YOU GET THAT JERSEY at the end!!??

Needed a little ass sliding in there though...LOL
  • 2 0
 Great job Braydon. I hope it turned out just the way you wanted it. It certainly was an epic tribute. Great job merging old school with new school.
  • 2 0
 Oh man, I remember watching RAD with my BMX buddies way back during the 80s. That bmx dance scene is cheesy AF but so RAD lol.
  • 2 0
 What'd it'd take to get Braydon to do the impossible climb instead of Levy? Feel like he could actually make it to the top no problem
  • 1 0
 This has to be one of my fave edits ever! Love the RAD throwback and Braydon’s riding is legend! Very fortunate to have him as a local rider and friend here in Boise.
Awesome work Nicole!
  • 1 0
 I was lucky enough to watch the filming of RAD, some of it was shot at Bowness Park in Calgary, Alberta. Awesome memories for sure.
  • 3 0
 Cool video. But is he doing footjams while riding clips?
  • 3 0
 I wonder what today's BMX'ers would think of this.
  • 18 1
 They would wonder what that plastic thing is on Braydon's head, and be totally confused by the levers on the bars.
  • 2 0
 Awesome video! That custom bike is something else! And the guy never stops pedaling!
  • 3 0
 Heck yes, Brayd! Let the videos keep flowing!
  • 2 0
 RAD was a huge influence on me as a kid BMX racing in the 80s! Two wheels for life!
  • 2 0
 Oh my heart! Where’s the backflip?? Super slick edit, thanks for sharing!
  • 3 0
 Backflip is at like 1:05
  • 2 0
 That was fucking RAD! My 45yr old ass is grinning like the 80's product I am.
  • 2 0
 Such a sick video! Thanks for the smiles guys!
  • 2 0
 That was the best thing I've seen in 2021! Now the gym scene!!!!
  • 2 0
 Braydon. not Brayden. I apologize.
  • 2 0
 Braydon, did you do the standing scene?
  • 2 0
 No butt sliding with Cru??
  • 2 0
 Nailed it. Such a great tribute. Nice work Braydon.
  • 3 0
 So sick brotha!!
  • 2 0
 They can only be one denim destroyer. Jokes sick edit
  • 2 0
 Still have the VHS in my old room at my parents.
  • 2 0
 Give him video of the year. I don’t see that being topped.
  • 2 0
 no Send me and Angel Dance off in the Gym? No Dice.
  • 2 0
 Just gonna leave this here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPVJzi7Ta9w
  • 2 0
 Knocked it outta the park on this one Braydon.....WELL DONE!!!!
  • 2 0
 Rented that movie at least 50 time on vhs so Rad
  • 2 0
 This is awesome!!
  • 2 0
 That was fantastic.
  • 2 0
 So RAD dude. Nice work.
  • 2 0
 Braydon is the Bomb!!!
  • 1 1
 I would sell my soul for his skills







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.056331
Mobile Version of Website