Innovations Timeline
Over the years Eastern Bikes invented many products in BMX that other companies have adopted and still use today. Here are some of our proud innovations.
Whether it's our famous Grim Reaper frame, Titanium products, or even our loose ball 9 tooth driver hub Eastern has always pushed the envelope on product design.
LB-9 HUB - 2007
One of the most subtle products that had the biggest impact was our LB-9 hub. Prior to 2007, any BMX bike under 350 bucks had a gigantic sprocket. Eastern Bikes changed all that with an economical loose ball 9t driver hub. This was not necessarily a high end product, but it definitely changed the way complete bikes are spec'd. These days you don't see as many kids rolling around the skateparks with sprockets the size of Russia. We try to make products better for kids just starting out, so they can have a good bike to build their skills on and hopefully enjoy riding enough to stick with it. Although the design was good, if it was adjusted improperly it could significantly damage the hub. This is a shame because it was a great hub and many companies have adopted a similar design which they are still using. However, we always knew there would be a day when a simple sealed bearing hub would be mass produced and economically available, so it's not a surprise that the LB-9 hub had a short life. It's amazing to us that other companies are still using it or a similar loose ball design when it's already outdated.
FRAME CUTOUTS - 2005
Eastern lead the light weight craze several years ago. When we brought out the Grim Reaper, we used cutouts to save weight. One cool outcome was the "EB" logo in the headtube. Again, we are flattered that other companies adopted our stuff, but we decided to find other ways to save weight. For example, the Helix tubing we're offering on our high end completes and aftermarket frames is an awesome way to increase strength and save weight without cutting holes in the tubes. But, the iconic look of the cutout logo in the Headtube and seatube are undeniably Eastern. So we had to bring it back. You might see other cutouts around, but anything else is just a wannabe.
BIRECTIONAL RIGHT / LEFT HAND DRIVE HUBS - 2007
Birectional Hubs are one of our proudest achievements. The first LHD/RHD hub ever. See how it works here.
PLASTIC HUB GUARDS - 2010
A little product that we think has always been awesome. When your grinding the last thing you want to have is an alloy hub guard catching against cement or binding against a steel rail. Plastic slides right over that junk and keeps on sliding while protecting your spokes. Other companies are finally catching on to the properties of a plastic hub guard, but Eastern is the original and it pops on easily to any Eastern Hub and some hubs from our sister brands like EZRA.
