The Creativity of Street riding

A lot of people think BMX bikers just ride ramps and jumps to do tricks, but the truth is there is a whole other side to BMX. Street riding makes up 50% of all BMX riding, and is common in city areas.

Creativity
This style of riding is creative because the rider sees and rides things that are hidden to most people who ride bikes. In the picture above, Tom Dugan saw this broken bench and thought it would be cool to use it as a ramp to boost over the metal framing of the tennis court. It's all about seeing, imagining, and riding what was not intended to be ridden. It turns what some would call "nothing" into something unique and fun. Sometimes just natural features on buildings are more fun then things built specifically for bikes. For me, I'm always on the lookout for spots to ride around town.

A huge transfer onto a roof. Another Dugan picture

It's quite hard to find the "perfect spot". When I say spot, I mean an area that is man made and not for riding on, but holds the potential for fun riding. Usually there will be what looks like the coolest thing to ride, but there will be a tree or a rock in the way. When you find a spot that actually works, it is super rewarding to ride it. 

I've noticed as I become a better rider, I see more and more places to ride, I think this is because as my skills get better, more things are possible on the bike, opening up more oppertunies and fun spots. Since using pegs to grind is a common part of BMX, I always carry a piece of wax to smooth things out for grinding. 

The spot above is a perfect example of a sweet spot to ride. It just happens to have a soft landing, a good run in, and everything is at the right angle. Street riding offers great oppertunities for photographers to get really unique shots of riders. To me, there's nothing cooler then going out away from town to some remote spot and getting pictures of riders riding a unique spot, and return, maybe never to come back.

here is a link to the most creative rider I have ever seen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7FGGkVxH9M