Simple Session

Simple session is a competition and bike jam that goes down every spring. This competition takes place in a huge warehouse thats been converted into a BMX course featuring ramps, ledges, rails, banks, and many more features.

 

 The 2015 Simple Session Finalists

Many pro and semi-pro level riders are invited to compete in this competition, and after many riders are eliminated, the last 20 riders battle it out for the top spot. The Elimination goes like this: each rider has a 45 seconds on the clock to preform a run using the whole indoor park. After receiving a score, riders are either eliminated or move on to the next heat. Riders are judged on many things, and a perfect run uses the whole park, while combining different tricks and creative lines throughout the 45 seconds.

Chad Kerley Flairs a quarter pipe

The fun thing about Simple session is that all the riders have different styles and backgrounds, so all of the runs are unique and special in their own ways. Some riders use big air time to bust out tricks while others use more of the street features such as stairsets, rails, and ledges. 

Drew Bezanson has won more simple sessions then anyone else, for his massive style and runs full of tricks and technical skills. He rides so many indoor parks he is at home every year at simple session.

Drew Bezanson flipping off of a boat

Another thing with simple session is its popularity. This comp gives young, new riders on the scene to make a name for themselves if they get good results. There are a lot of spectators and publicity with media and sponsors.

Simple Session is also a skateboarding competition, using the same indoor course. 

Rider Pofile: Tom dugan

Tom Dugan is freestyle BMX rider known for going huge and pushing whats possible on a bike. He's probably my favorite rider for his unique style of riding, dressing, and viewing the world.

BIO
Tom grew up in a small suburban town, where one day stumbled upon a little bike jump in someones yard a few blocks from his house, after riding this little jump on an old crappy bike, he was hooked and from there he proggressed to pro level and picked up some of the largest sponsors in the BMX world such as Etnies, Rockstar Energy drink, and FIT bike co.

HOME
Dugan currently resides in Austin Texas, as the riding there is very good when it's not too hot. He has one of the coolest backyards a BMX enthusiast could ask for. He has constructed huge quarter pipes, jumps and drops off of his own roof. It's a really unique setup and his favorite place to ride. A lot of pro level riders live in Austin, so large group sessions between Tom and local shredders will go down in his backyard.

Big ramps and quarters make the backyard a quick way to progress

ACHIVEMENTS

Tom is known for his massive airs, which is when the rider jumps out of a quarter pipe or skatepark bowl and then turning in the air to land back in the bowl or quarter. Not only has he set the record on the mega ramp at 26 feet from coping, but he has won many competetions for highest air, such as X games. Keep in mind 26 feet is the measurement from coping, the coping is 28 feet from the bottom of the transition, so he is actually 54 feet off of the ground. 

Dugan continues to ride and push the limits of riding and the creativity that is vital to BMX riding. 

Handlebars!

Your handlebars are some of the most basic and vital parts on a bike, This will cover the different types of BMX handlebars and their differences.

2 Piece Bars

 2 piece bars are as they sound, handlebars made of two pieces, a crossbar strengthening the main bar bent into the shape. These bars are also called butterfly bars because they resemble a butterfly. These bars are the most common bars on BMX bikes and are the most simple type of handlebar for BMX.

4 Piece Bars

4 piece bars, again are as they sound, with 4 bars that make up the handlebars. This design is very similar to 2 piece bars, except they have a cross bar on the bottom connecting the two side bars. This design is merely a different design and is not any stronger then 2 piece bars. It's a person preference of looks. 4 piece bars are becoming more and more popular these days. In my opinion these 4 piecers look pretty gross, but many people like the look.

Rise

The main difference in handlebars is the rise. Rise is how tall the cross bar is from where the bar attatches to the bike. Depending on how you like your bike, you might want a taller or shorter rise on your bike.

Tall riders usually choose taller rise, such as 9- 10 inches tall, 10's are the tallest rise you can get, and while they make your bike feel tall, some people such as myself find that feeling perfect.

Tom Dugan tries some comical 20 inch rise bars

Other riders who are shorter or ride different styles prefer using a shorter rise of handlebar. There are also different upsweep and backsweep specifications can be made to handlebars depending on your liking.

Width is also an option depending on how broad your shoulders are and what feels right to you. There are so many different options and measurements for handlebars that can make your bike feel great.

BMX detanglers

Detanglers (also called gyros) are a contraption on BMX bikes that allow you to spin the bars as many times as you want without tangling up your brake cables.

 

Many freestyle BMX riders don't use brakes at all, but many riders do use a brake for different reasons.

. Brakes allow you to control your speed on jumps, for some riders who ride dirt jumps, controlling speed and having safety in stopping, a brake is a necessity. 

. Brakes allow some more advanced tricks that require the rear wheel to be completely stopped. 

A lot of tricks involve spinning the handlebars around 360 degrees, at least once, sometimes up to 5 times depending on how much time you have in the air. Other tricks include kicking the bike around 360 degrees, while holding on to the handle bars. Another reason why detanglers are nice to have is because when trying a trick in which the bars move, you don't have to untangle them every time you try the trick, which can take MANY tries. 

How does it work?

 

Well it's pretty confusing, but I'll break it down for you in a more basic way. There are two plates connected to the front of the bike. When you pull on the brake lever, the top plate moves up, but the bottom plate is connected to the top plate with grooves that allow the bars to move around freely, but still pulls the bottom plate, moving the brake and causing you to stop.

 

You can get a kit like this for around $20 to $30 depending on the brand.

I myself have never ridden with a gyro, but I plan on getting one in the near future to make barspins easier, while holding the capabilities to brake.

TDS 2015

I've done a blog on the TDS race before, but I just had a blast at TDS 2015, so I thought I'd do a blog on this years race.

Every year TDS (the dirty sanchez) race gets larger and larger, with more spectators, sponsors, and surprises. This year was the biggest, and by far the craziest.

So TDS is an enduro race, which if you don't know what that is it's a race in which you ride down a hill from point A to B and its timed. Then you have to climb back up to the top for 5 other runs. The climbing time is not counted but it drains you of energy, so you have to endure the race. Enduro races have all different numbers of stages, TDS had 11 this year, more then any previous year. A lot more pro racers also raced this year.

A lot of sponsors and bike companies came to the race to support their riders. Redbull, Pinkbike, Cannondale and more had tents up and full mechanic setups for the racers. Of all the 11 runs, all were different trail combos and made for a tricky race. It was really hard to make up for lost time but some racers were able to. The mountain has a 600 vertical ft climb that had to be climbed 10 times over the span of 2 days. By the end of the second day, riders were really bonked and tired. Most fell asleep or left before the after party was over.

For one of the stages, riders had to ride through 4 of these massive wallrides that were all painted with sponsors logos and rad designs.

The first day was very rainy and mucky, providing a challenge for riders, but the second day the sun came out and the dirt was prime.

Finally after 11 grueling runs, the results were in, Jerome Clementz' from France took the overall title at this years comp.

Retro BMX

I recently had the chance to inherit a vintage Gt BMX bike. I'm pretty stoked on how old but original bike is. I will go into some of the techniques I used to make this bike look nice.

 

This is a GT racer bike from around the late 80's-early 90's

This bike features some all of the original parts and was the BMX bike to have of its time. While we view it as inferiour and low tech today, it was ahead of its time and innovative in its way. Upon getting the bike, I noticed there was some moderate rust action on the frame, bars, fork and and cranks. This rust was on the parts that were chrome plated. I had heard that using diet coke works as a solvent for rust and so I thought I'd give it a shot

The above picture is what was claimed to be the result of using coke. I wasn't sure if it was gonna work or not, but as soon as I poured some coke on a piece of foil and scrubbed the frame, the rust came off instantly! It was so quick and now the chrome plated parts look great, just as they did when it was bought in some spots. I reccomend this technique to anyone trying to remove rust from chrome plated things.

Old BMX bikes were originally not used for trick riding or freestyle. In the beggining these bikes were used for racing. BMX actually stands for bicycle motocross. These bikes were meant for riding dirt tracks at high speeds alongside other bmx racers.

A film called "BMX Bandits" was filmed in the late 80's and was a hollywood film about kids riding bmx bikes. Nicole Kidman first stared in this movie. The stylish outfits and gear that was worn back then would look ridiclous on today's world.

Noggin Protectors

In the world of bikes there are are many different ways to roll in style while protecting your head. I will go over some of the basic different styles of lids.

The"Commoner" helmet

This helmet is the helmet most of us own and/or use. If you wanna look like you ride a bike under $500, then wear one of these. These helmets have a basic visor and have lots of vents to cool you off when pedaling your cheap bike up a hill gets exhausting. Also, the colors come off of the back of a 2001 iMac.

The "100+ miles per day" helmet

If you own a $5K+ road bike and you enjoy espresso and spandex, this is the helmet for you. These carbon helmets will complement all the carbon things in your life, such as your bike, and your burnt toast. You might look like an alien on a bike, but who cares when your life goals are aerodynamics.

The "I ride at ski resorts" helmet

 If you like riding 40 pound downhill bikes and would rather pay 60 bucks a day to get picked up by a ski lift then walk up the hill, this helmet is for you. These protect your head when you crash going fast down rocky trails, because after all, you are riding a motorcycle without a motor down a big hill.

The "I ride bike jumps" helmet

These little helmets are for people who ride big dirt jumps and those who throw down big tricks. Even if you cant do any tricks or jumps, you can still look like you do when you are cruising down the street. Many of these helmets come in an array of different colors and designs.

The "I ride BMX" helmet*

If you spend your time in a skatepark or on the streets riding your BMX, this type of headwear will make you look stylish while NOT protecting you at all whatsoever. So many BMX riders don't wear helmets, and you may look cooler... well until this happens

This dude is in for a rough time without a helmet

Cassette VS Freecoaster hub

In the BMX world there are 2 main types of hubs you can buy. Cassette and Freecoaster.

What are Hubs?
Hubs are the cylindrical parts of wheels that connect the spokes to the rim that fit on the frame.

 Rear Hubs are different then front hubs because the back wheel has a gear on it that makes it possible for the bike to be pedaled. When you pedal, it turns the gear which turns the rear wheel, making the bike go forward. Below, you can see one of the hubs has a gear on it, this is the rear hub.

 

So here's the big difference between the two types of hubs:

Cassette Hubs

These hubs are the more common of the two. These hubs are found on 95 percent of bikes. As you know, you can coast on a bike without pedaling, where the cranks don't move but the wheel moves freely. Try and coast backwards though, and you'll find that the hub wont allow you to coast, and this makes your pedals go in reverse (the opposite of you pedaling forward) but unlike pedaling forward, you don't engage the hub so you only have momentum to take you. In BMX terms, when you are riding backwards in tricks, you have to follow the path of the pedals and control your speed by controlling how fast your pedals go. This can be tricky and difficult for riders at first and requires more skill. A distinct way to tell if you have a cassette hub is if you hear the clicky noise when you are coasting. 

Freecoaster Hubs

These hubs are similar to Cassette hubs but have a few major differences. when pedaling forward and coasting forward, the freecoaster is the same as a cassette hub, except there is no clicky noise, it is silent. When trying to coast backwards though, you'll find that you can actually coast backwards without pedaling. This makes riding backwards in BMX trick riding easy and less complex. 

Which hub to use?

It's really all personal preference and what feels better to you. I've ridden both hubs and I prefer using a cassette hub.

Here's some freecoaster riding so you can see how it looks;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARqWi2MDvEE

Why Scooter kids suck

In this blog I will be discussing why scooters are the deffenition of being un-cool, and what we can do to stop this epidemic spreading over the US.

Reason #1: Scooters are easy

It really does not take someone very long to learn scooter tricks, which makes skills and riding scooters less of a big deal and less cool. On average it takes BMX riders 3 years to learn tailwhips, while someone can learn tailwhips in one day on a scooter. Scooters are making things too easy and attracting kids because of how easy tricks are.

Reason #2 : You look ridiculous

Lets be honest, riding a toy that is meant for kids under 10 is not the most attractive or cool thing. Especially when people run their handlebars super low and hunch over the bars. If you thought BMX riders looked goony, then scooter riders are something else.

This kid is the typical scooter kid, shorts, some nike shoes, a T-shirt, and always a white skateboard helmet. Riding around on a contraption with wheels the size of Raley's cookies is pretty weird, especially when your handlebars reach up to your knees.

Reason #3: You're in the way!!

The biggest problem I have with scooter kids by far is in the skate park. Besides how silly the whole "sport" is, the scooter kids crowd the skate park by the dozens on some days, and block your way because they have absolutely no skate park ettequite whatsoever. My rule is if youre under 10 years old and ride a scooter, its ok, its a kids toy, but if youre 15 or 16 and take it seriously, then thats where I draw the line. I can't tell you how many times I've hit a scooter kid on my bike trying to ride the park. There are a few kids at the park I respect but the majority I despise of.

How to stop this epidemic?

Start kids off at a young age by teaching them the love of bikes. Here's why bikes are better.
>Bikes keep you in shape, scooting around isn't much of a work out
>As they grow older, bikes don't look silly on them or become awkward
>Bikes are somewhat expensive, your kids will never have money for drugs or alcohol
>Bikes take you places and are efficient machines, unlike scooters
>Your child will not be bullied in the skatepark for being lame

In conclusion, ride a BICYCLE, not a scooter for an improved life in general.

Frame Materials

Many different bikes are made of different materials depending on quality, intended use, and desired look. All of these beautiful frames have their uses.

Aluminum Frames

 

This Cube frame is made from Aluminum. This metal is a fusion of Iron and Steel, and as a result, its much lighter then steel and Chromoly frames. Most mountain bikes are made from aluminum, as it is relatively cheap and pretty strong. These frames are built by having pre cut tubing welded together where it will be strongest given the frame design. 

Carbon Frames

 

Carbon fiber frames are a pretty recent technology, and is pretty advanced. Carbon fiber frames are made of carbon fiber based fabric-like strips. The closest thing I can compare it to is using paper mache' strips, when the fiber strips are laid down, but laid down over a super light frame. they are heat treated. Next the carbon is let to cool, but the temp must be very slowly lowered over a longer period of time, such as a few days. If they aren't cooled down slowly, they will not have as much strength. A few factories had this problem while making carbon handlebars and the result was not pretty. Carbon frames are lighter then any other frame material currently, and also the most expensive. Although the production of these frames is complex and much harder then metal frames, carbon is becoming more and more common on bikes, and not just in frames. Carbon handlebars, wheels, seats, pedals, and even carbon brakes. 

Chromoly frames 

 Chromoly frames are not a recent innovation in technology. Chromoly is mainly used for BMX frames because while it is not the lightest material, it for sure is the strongest. Chromoly is also used in some mountain bikes, but its roots are in BMX. Some frames are half Chromoly and half steel, this saves the companies money, which is why full chromoly frames are more expensive. Chromoly welds are a lot stronger and wider then those of an aluminum bike. I have yet to see a chromoly frame snap. I've seen an aluminum frame snap, but never a chromoly.

Home Trails

I have a few trails near the house in which I can ride out of the garage and I'm at the trailhead in 5 seconds. I used to spend hours every week maintaining and building new trails, but these days I haven't done a whole lot of work on them. I'm gonna try to start working on them and improving them.

A photo of me riding "Orange Burrito

I have built wooden structures with lumber and cut down trees along with large dirt berms and landings. Within 3 acres of woods I've created a decent amount of trails and features to keep me entertained. From downhill bike drops to bmx jumps, the property has some good stuff. I built the above feature last summer with some wood lying around and some cut down trees. I like building with wood and moving earth in the forest.It's calming and invigorating in good ways. 

Some of the features are super fun and never get old. The front yard step up is a addicting jump that I session with friends quite a bit. I love stuff like that because its so close to the house and it helps me and my friends progress while having a blast. There are a lot of trails within 5 minutes of my house which I consider "home trails" but to me real home trails are the ones right outside my house.

Brown Pow

Dirt Heaven

I recently discovered a mountain bike trail building gem with Evan a few months ago. We never got around to building in the area until a few days ago. I have to say out of all the places I have made trails, this has the nicest dirt I have ever seen in my life. I have to say I'm pretty jazzed on this spot.

The location offers everything I could want for an area to build. Its close to home, only a 2 min ride away. The dirt is the most shapeable dirt I have seen, as it is a perfect mix of clay and sand. The clay is sticky and can be shaped into almost any desirable shape, while the sand makes it pack well and not stick to your shovel when digging. Also, the natural terrain offers fun trail aspects such as rolling hills, elevation drops and more.

 

It's always good to have a second eye when building trails because you can get different peoples perspectives on angles and how the trail should go. At this point Shendo is also having a lot of input on the trails.  It can get kinda crazy when everybody has different opinions on how things should go, but usually we come to a concensus.

 There's a great feeling when you pick up a shovel and create a work of art in dirt, out in nature. It's a form of creation that can be so temporary. A lot of these illegal trails get torn down or people get kicked out. The important thing to me is to build the trails, ride them, document it somehow and to leave it. If the spot is meant to be usually it lasts a while. Building 400 feet away from a buisness and 100 feet away from homeless camps aren't the best of conditions, but the dirt is totally worth it. 

I look forward to continuing building in this zone for the weeks to come.

Hardtail 29ers

Recently I've been looking in to getting a hardtail 29er in addition to my bmx. A hardtail 29er is a bike with no rear suspension (hence the hard-tail) part of the name. It also has 29 inch wheels, which are 3 inches bigger then the conventional 26 inch wheel that most of our bike have these days. There are many advantages to these bikes that I will go over.

Trek's hardtail 29er, called the X-Caliber

Wagon Wheels

29ers are relatively a new thing in the bike world. They have been around for around 7 or so years and still are being worked on and improved as an idea. The advantage to having wheels 3 inches bigger is the fact that they roll faster, and have more traction and surface area then the smaller 26 inch wheels. The disadvantages are they are heavier slightly and aren't as strong as smaller wheels. Over the years though, these problems have been improved and changed. 

Hardtails

The hardtail part of the bike makes it lighter and stiffer then any other bike. A lot of these hardtail 29ers are made of carbon fiber and are super stiff and lightweight.

What are these bike for?

These bikes are made for long distance riding, whether it be climbing up mountains or riding down a rocky trail. These bikes are made for taking you up and down with ease.

 

The freedom to ride pretty much anywhere is a pretty rad feeling. Being able to just hop on your bike and ride 30 or so miles and ride back home is super nice. I love riding BMX and will continue to but I want some nice views and some miles put in the mountains once in a while.

Learning new BMX tricks

Since I started riding BMX, there are some tricks that I have always wanted to do. I made a list of all the tricks that I want to accomplish, checking them off as I have executed the trick correctly

Here's the list, even though most of these trick names are unknown to most people

 

Just started the list. I hope to get most of these done in a year or so.

 Learning new tricks usually starts out the same way for me. First, I watch some online videos and "how-to's" so I know the basics, and usually these videos have a few useful tips that would take a lot of trial and error to figure out. Then the hard part, which is going out and actually trying to do the trick. If I want a trick really bad, I will try it again and again and will not stop until I get it. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 hours of constant trying. I recently learned 2 new tricks that took me over 2 hours of constant trying to get. In the big picture a few hours is pretty good considering it takes people a few months or years to get. 

Footjam whips.

This trick I have tried for a few months on my mountain bike, and I just started doing them on my BMX bike. This trick took quite a few tries, and a pair of ripped jeans in order to get only one time correctly. Rainy days are good for practicing in your garage if you have enough room. This trick involves stopping the bike with your foot, and kicking the bike around 360 degrees with the other foot.

The Barspin

I've wanted to get this trick for years, and never had the balls to actually try it until a few weeks ago. This trick sounds pretty simple, but in reality its hard to do at first. Like the name says, it involves spinning your bars in the air and catching them. It's pretty easy to loose balance or hit your knees with the handlebars. This trick took maybe 100 tries once I committed to throwing the bars. A lot of times your mind tells yourself to do the trick but your body doesn't allow it because it doesn't seem safe.

I landed around 5 of these that night and plan on mastering this trick in as many places as I can.

 

I look forward to learning the rest of the tricks on the list, and pushing my riding to increase my skills and fun.

My latest favorite Lens

I've shot photos and videos with most every type of lens focal length there is, and my lastest favorite has been the 8mm. Before I continue, a focal length is the field of view (FOV).  A long focal length means there is a longer distance from the glass of the lens to the camera sensor.

Short focal lengths make for a wider field of view, while longer focal lengths create a smaller field of view. 

           

Above, this was Taken with 7.5mm (extra short focal length)

 

Above, this was Taken with 500mm (extra long focal length)

I recently got an 8mm lens, which shoots very wide angle images. to be exact, it shoots a field of view of 167 degrees around the lens. This lens allows me to get pictures that I was not able to get before with the advantage of such a wide field of view. Here are some interesting shots I've gotten in the last few weeks.

 

I really like the distortion of everything in the image. It puts a feel in a photo that is different than a photo taken with a regular lens. It makes things very dramatic and unreal looking. All these photos share similarities, with everything in focus. You can get really close to things and they will look like they are farther away then they really are, which adds to the distortion factor. It's for sure my go-to lens these days. 

The bulbus shape of the fisheye lens makes it vulnerable to being hit. Most come with a lens hood (as shown) which helps protect the lens to a certain degree.

I will continue shooting photos and  videos with this lens, and explore the creative options and hopefully get some good photos!

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