Five Decades Later, Bullseye BMX Cranks Still Have No Equal

All of the old school BMXers will remember Bullseye – they were the company that made the exotic cranks and hubs that were super cool and super expensive. We all wanted Bullseye parts badly. Very badly. When BMX died in the late 80s, so did Bullseye, or so it seemed. Unlike many companies of the era, Bullseye rode out the downturn in the BMX economy, while sticking to their proverbial guns of producing extreme-quality components that are American engineered and produced. For now, let’s have a look at a piece of hardware that cemented Bullseye as one of the most innovative bicycle components manufacturers that exists.

Bullseye director Steven Jackson has brought Bullseye back into the limelight by releasing old stock of Bullseye cranks and hubs, and creating new, modern stems and pedals for a new generation of BMXers — and us old school people that wanted these products as kids but could never afford them. But sometimes having is not so great a thing as wanting, right? Wrong, I wanted Bullseye parts!

The crankset I purchased directly from Bullseye is an original new-old-stock item, though it has been show-chromed and the included American bottom bracket bearings are new parts. I will accept the risk of dealing in hyperbole when I say that this exotic crankset is gorgeous from both engineering and aesthetic perspectives. It truly has no equal.

Coincidentally, the 40+ year-old Bullseye two-piece design is very similar to the popular current two-piece designs being used by Shimano, Supercross, and some others. Did these manufacturers get design inspiration from Bullseye? Maybe, but there’s no doubt that Bullseye’s crank design was decades ahead of its time. And still is.

I’m not yet sure what I’ll do with these cranks, but I can at least say that I finally own a set, and it was worth the wait. These will match my Bullseye red and polished hubs perfectly, so whatever I install them on will get both the hubs and the cranks. Most likely, I’ll install these pieces on my 25th Anniversary Skyway TA, but that’s if I ever even build it. For now, I’m just happy having a set of these awesome cranks. when you get a chance, head on over to Bullseye Cycle’s website and check out the photo gallery to relive that awesome feeling of radness again.

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