BMX bikes have always been a bit metal, but bike maker Subrosa’s latest collaboration with legendary heavy metal band Slayer led to the most badass BMX and commuter bikes we’ve ever seen, with splatter finish from the headtube onto the frame—a design based loosely on the band's album, World Painted Blood. Combined with Slayer headbadges and tons of little detailing, the collaboration is simply awesome. It consists of four bikes—a balance bike for aspiring metal fans, 20-inch and 26-inch BMX bikes, and a commuter bike—which Subrosa has dubbed the Cradle to Grave series.
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“The collaboration started with us trying to source music for our videos,” says Ryan Sher, ex-pro BMX cyclist and Subrosa’s brand manager. Subrosa had previously collaborated with bands signed to metal label Nuclear Blast, which just signed a deal with Slayer. When Subrosa approached the label recently about potential music for its videos, Nuclear Blast brought up the idea of doing another bike collaboration. “We said, ‘Yeah, you guys just signed Slayer,’ and that’s how it started,” Sher says.
Slayer's relationship with cycling runs deep. In fact, lead vocalist Tom Araya spent his childhood riding BMX bikes, and even had jumps built in his backyard as a kid. “A couple of the guys want the 26” bike to cruise around during their tours,” Sher said. “As soon as they saw them, they were stoked.”
But a Slayer collection makes sense for Subrosa, too. “From my own experience, I started riding, and before I became a professional bike rider, everyone would have a boombox out, and it was almost always metal playing, fueling the session,” Sher says. “A few major BMX videos have used Slayer songs in the background, and they’ve always been a mainstay in BMX culture.”
“And we love the Cradle to Grave concept,” Sher adds. “We want to create lifelong fans of our brand and lifelong fans of cycling. Once a kid gets on a BMX bike—sort of the dirty little brother of cycling—that’s the gateway into cycling. You’ll become a mountain biker, a road cyclist... so the theme starts and finishes your life on a bike.”
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The bikes reflect both brands' personalities. “We wanted to cater to Slayer style and what they were about, but also create bikes that our BMX riders will enjoy,” Sher explains. Fans of the song “Raining Blood” will appreciate the splatter-print details: “It’s a special process water-treated decal that almost goes on like a temporary tattoo,” Sher says. “We painted the headtube of the bike to match the decals so it looks like the whole bike is kind of blood splattered, like one big long decal.”
“And the detail on the chainstay is the shoutout to [Jeff Hanneman], the guitarist who passed away. That was one thing the band was really psyched on, they said they were really pleased with that aspect.”
The bikes will be a one-time run, but the total number of bikes will be based on pre-orders as opposed to a limited edition run. MSRPs on the bikes range between $194 and $750, and aftermarket frames and Slayer bike seats will also be sold separately.
Info: SubrosaBrand.com
Molly writes about cycling, nutrition and training with an emphasis on bringing more women into sport. She's the author of nine books including the Shred Girls series and is the founder of Strong Girl Publishing. She co-hosts The Consummate Athlete Podcast and spends most of her free time biking and running on trails, occasionally joined by her mini-dachshund.
