Got a new bike! (again)

In the previous few weeks, my blogs included BMX related themes. This week, I actually bought a BMX bike and am really getting into the whole BMX riding scene. These photos were taken by me.

I bought this bike, a 20inch wheeled classic BMX bike.

      My first impressions of bmx bikes was long ago, and not very good. I thought they were rigid, uncomfortable, heavy and not fun. This opinion changed a few weeks ago when I rode some friends bikes at the skate park. I knew that I needed to buy one, because these bikes no longer felt so gross, and in fact, felt super fun to ride. I sold my mountain bike, said goodbye to the type of riding I have done for over 3 years and bought a new bike, this one above. This is a huge change for me, but I think it is a positive one. My bike is now super simple, and simplifies my life in more ways than one. I have no gears, no breaks, no suspension, nothing to repair or worry about.

 
     I now ride skateparks and street spots across town. One nice thing is many cities have skateparks of somesort, and traveling to different parks in California is pretty cool. Before I changed over to BMX, I was riding the same stuff (skateparks and street spots) so this was more of a bike change then a riding place change. I'm adjusting pretty quickly to the change, and I have to say its really a nice change. Sure I wish I could be riding rocky technical dirt trails again, but for now, my main focus is on riding bmx.

Pretty stoked on this bike, picked it up from Elite bikes in Citrus Heights. The shop was super cool and the bike selection was prime. After riding a few different models, and looking at a lot of price tags, I chose this bike. I love the color and the way the bike feels, and thankfully, bmx is quite a bit cheaper then mountain bikes! And once you buy a bike, not much on it can break, even if something does break, it won't be too pricey.

 Well, I am pumped on riding this new bike and having new experiences on it as well in the future. Here's to something new.

How to play a game of B.I.K.E

One thing in the bike world I have been doing more and more often is playing games of B.I.K.E. This game is pretty simple, but it has a set of rules. If played right, you can have a blast while learning new tricks on the bike.

What is a game of B.I.K.E?

This game originated from the game "H.O.R.S.E.", played by basketball players for years. If you don't know the game "H.O.R.S.E.", its played like this. Two players or more can play, each of them ro-sham-bo to see the order of who goes first. The player who wins the ro-sham-bo gets to go first, he can try to make a shot into the hoop from anywhere on the court. If he doesn't make the shot, then its the next person try to shoot form wherever they choose. But if the first player makes the shot, all the other people playing the game have to make the same shot from the same spot, or else they get a letter. Getting a letter means they get one letter of the word "horse", the more letters you get, the worse off you are. If you get the whole word, you're out.

So as you probably are expecting, a game of B.I.K.E. goes pretty much the exact same way. instead of taking shots from specific parts of the court, you ride your bike in a specific way, doing specific tricks. If you can't do the same trick as the trick setter, you get a letter from the word "bike". There are some differences though between the two games....

Mulligans
In games of B.I.K.E, you can get a mulligan, which is a chance to retry somebody's trick. You can choose which trick you want your mulligan on as well. For example; If someone does a backflip and lands it, the trick set is a backflip. If you try a flip and don't land it, you can either choose to take a letter, or use your mulligan and try it again. If you get the trick using your mulligan, no letter will be given to you, but if you fail again, you will receive a letter. You only get one mulligan during each game.

Trick Setters
Also in games of B.I.K.E, the trick setter determines if his opponents execute the trick to their standards.

Last trick tries
When you are on your last legs and have a B.I.K. and your opponent throws down a trick that you proceed to fail on, you have a B.I.K.E, meaning you have lost. But for the last trick, you get two tries instead of one.

Most of these features of the game that make it easier make the game last longer, longer games are more fun and exciting.

Bikes and Locations
Most games of B.I.K.E. are played on jumps, or in a skatepark because the options of tricks you can do are bigger, making the game more fun. If you are more experienced, you can play in a parking lot. It won't be as fun, but it's a way to kill time.

The bikes used for these games are either BMX bikes, or Dirt jumper bikes. This is because there is more opportunities for tricks when you have a smaller bike. I have played this game on mountain bikes, but look forward to trying it on a BMX.

Above, Brandon Begin and Adam LZ face off in a game of B.I.K.E.

Competition

Usually, games of B.I.K.E. are friendly and for fun. Playing these games can make you a better rider because when people force you to try tricks you don't normally do, you improve. Sometimes riders use these games to settle beef, there is a lot of talking shit on the streets, and sometimes games need to be played in order to sort things out.

Here's a link to the latest and most popular game of B.I.K.E on the web. So many people wanted these two to face off. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYrQaTJ7cGA

BMX

In recent blogs, I've discussed BMX bikes and riding, but this week I am going more in depth on the topic.

What is BMX?

The term "BMX" actually is short for "bicycle-moto-cross". This originated when BMX first started. At first, BMX was people riding small bikes on dirt tracks that resemble motocross tracks today, with jumps, bumps, and turns. Over the years people realized having smaller bikes are more controllable and better for doing tricks. This then evolved into the BMX style that is more commonly known today, which is riding them in skate parks and doing street tricks.

The Bikes

The typical BMX, shown above, has the distinct features of a BMX bike. These features include 20" wheels (which are considerably smaller then the regular 26" you see on most bikes). The simple single speed drivetrain and the butterfly handlebars also give this bike the look. These light, simple, and bombproof bikes make riding street, skateparks and jumps easier in many ways. The small wheels are lighter and make the bike more maneuverable in the air. One brake and one speed make these bikes simple an light, as well as low maintenence.

The Riding

While BMX originated out in the dirt, today it thrives in the streets and skateparks of the world. Most riders ride concrete these days, while some still race the original bicycle motocross out in the dirt. As you can see from the photo above, the smaller size of the BMX bike allows the rider to control the bike with a lot of precision and accuracy. While small bikes may look easy to do tricks on, keep in mind that launching yourself down big staircases with no suspension besides your arms and legs is not easy to do. Many riders use "pegs" which are metal bars coming from the front and rear axles to do tricks such as grinding and tapping.

Because of the BMX's maneuverability, there are many many tricks you can do, which makes BMX riding creative and gives the riders different personal styles. He

re is a video of a Canadian rider shredding an indoor park really hard. I highly recommend watching this video!

http://www.redbull.com/us/en/bike/stories/1331596248226/drew-bezanson-joyride-2013-edit

Bike check with Matteo

This week I will be doing a bike check on my latest rig.

This is my 2009 Transition Trail or Park (T.O.P)

This is my latest bike and by far my favorite. It's the most fun and simple bike I have owned ever. I will go into the specifics on how my bike is setup for my riding style.

I am running some lightweight but strong custom WTB wheels with a 2.2 inch wide tires. I have a long history of getting lots of flat tires, so my wheels are setup tubeless, meaning instead of having an inter tube, there is just sealant. I got a nail in my tire last week, and after pulling it out, I lost no air. I run around 65 PSI in my tires to keep them stiff and fast rolling on the streets.

I'm also running a custom WTB saddle that is a limited edition seat, only one was created ever like this. It's comfy and keeps away the chafing. My white frame is composed of chromoly tubing. Chromoly is heavier than aluminum, but stronger then steel, carbon, and aluminum. The frame is short, which makes the bike easier to control, especially in the air. Backflips are much easier on a bike that is shorter because the weight is centered closer to the middle, making rotation easier.

A backflip at Shendo's pond

Up front I have a Fox 36 as a suspension fork. This fork is called a 36 because the stanchions (the gold part of the fork) are 36 millimeters in diameter. It offers 100mm (4 inches) of suspension travel up front, while keeping the weight down. I have only one speed, and one brake. This keeps it simple, and the maintenance down quite a bit. The only part I have to replace often on this bike is the rear tire and the brake pads in the back. I like a simple bike so I don't have to keep spending my time and money on fixing it.

I have the bike setup with lots of purple parts. The wheels, chain, and cranks are anodized purple, I really like this look and will continue to buy purple parts to keep the color scheme going strong. 

Now the cockpit of the bike; I have Vans grips (yes like the vans shoe), with 28 inch wide handlebars. These aren't too wide, but not too skinny, the perfect in-between. My brake cable is extra long so I can spin my handle bars in the air for tricks. As you can see in the photo below, The cable is wrapped a few times, but the cable is not too taught. The stem (the part attaching the handlebars to the bike) is extra short for more control over the bike. The more direct the handlebars are, the more general control you will have over the bike.

Dirt Jumping

One style of mountain bike riding is dirt jumping. This style requires specific trails and bikes.

The trails
Dirt jumping trails are very specific trails. Usually located on flat areas, These trails encorperate jumps, berms, and flowy sections. The dirt is filtered usually, meaning that it can be compacted into smooth, hard shapes.

The trails pictured above are in New Zealand. Trails like this require lots of dirt, water, compacting, hard work, and skill. Shaping dirt is an art form, and it takes many weeks to get the dirt to feel like concrete. With good dirt, its possible to make pretty crazy trails. Most places have a "no dig no ride" policy meaning if you do not help build the trails, you can't ride them. This makes sense because there is so much time and effort put in to making the dirt nice.

The berm above looks freshly packed and ready to ride.

The bikes

For ultimate flow and maneuverabiltiy, the bikes used for these dirt jumps are small, light, and stiff. Smooth tires are used and inflated anywhere from 50-95 PSI, making them very stiff and smooth. The bikes are usually simple and strong, which is helpful when you are riding hard and need a solid bike for a budget. You can pick one of these bikes for anywhere from 600 to 2000 bucks

This bike is small, stiff, and maneuverable

Because these jumps are so large and smooth, it allows the rider lots of air time and to do tricks. There are a lot of tricks a rider can do, from backflips to 360's, the options and combos possible seem limitless. Some riders choose to ride the jumps without brakes so they can spin their handlebars without the cables tangling. Some ride with multiple gears while others ride with a single speed. 

A rider does a corked 720 on some local trails in Aptos CA

Brakes

In the world of bikes, brakes are one of the most  needed part to ride well. There are many different types of brakes for different riding styles and bikes.

Clamp brakes
The most common brakes seen on bikes are clamp brakes, these brakes are attatched to the frame and clamp down on the side of the rim of the wheel, thus causing your wheel to stop. When you pull on the brake, it pulls a cable that clenches two arms, bringing the brake pads in to touch the rim. There are different arm configurations, but this one is the most common-

Mechanical Disc brakes

These brakes are becoming more and more common on bikes and are replacing clamp brakes. This brake technology works a little better then clamp brakes. When you pull the brake, it pulls a cable causing two pads to clench on a rotor, which is attached to the middle of your wheel. When the rotor stops, the wheel stops. This technology is better then clamp brakes because it preforms better in wet conditions, and has less problems. If your wheel is not in true, then it can mess up your allignment on clamp brakes, but this problem does not occur with disc brakes.

Hydraulic Disc brakes

Hydraulic disc brakes are the same as mechanical disc brakes except for one thing. Instead of using a wire to  move the brake pads, hydraulic brakes use a cable housing with brake fluid inside. when pulling the brake, the pressure pushes hydraulic fluid against the brake pistons, causing the pads to move in, stopping the bike.

Coaster brakes

Commonly found on cruiser bikes and BMX bikes, Coaster brakes are the most simple of brakes. Technology is built into the rear hub so that when you pedal in the reverse motion, it stops the rear tire. You can only have one coaster brake, in the back. For people who have never ridden a coaster, it can be a weird expiereince. 

Hydraulic Clamp brakes

These are more uncommon brakes, but they are around. These brakes are basically regular clamp brakes with a hydraulic function. Its basically a more powerful clamp brake. Since road bikes dont use disc brakes, this is an option for people who want really powerful brakes on the road. They are found on road bikes, trials bikes, and street bikes.

Brakeless

Finally, some people ride brakeless, This causes people to learn how to control their speed without the aid of something stopping them. Its simple and carefree. For most of us though, brakes are a must on the bike.

No brakes? no problem

Redbull Rampage

Every year, Redbull hosts a mountain bike comptetition in the hills of Virgin Utah. Virgin holds some of the most gnarly, steep, and rough terrain there is to ride on a bike. Every year bikes get destoryed and so do the riders, from broken bones to the 100+ degree temperature, Rampage is one of the gnarliest bike comps there is.

The Rules
The rules of the competition are pretty simple. 30 or so selected riders show up to Virgin Utah and build their own trails down the sides of the cliffs, each with a unique trail route down the mountain. Some riders choose to share trail sections, others don't. 4 or so judges watch the riders and judge them on style, fluidity on the bike, how technical the trail they ride is, and how much air time they can get off the jumps. The riders have to build their trails, practice, and compete in the finals within a matter of a week. Seems like a long time but in reality it's very hard to build a whole trail in a few days in the blazing hot dessert conditions. You can run into problems such as breaking your bike, yourself, or dealing with inconsistent weather.

Brett Rheeder backflips off of a canyon jump in practice.

The bikes
The bikes that are used for this competition have to be built for extreme abuse and big hits. Such bikes have 8 inches of suspension travel, in the front, and in the back. As tough as these bikes may be, Many bikes are destroyed in the process of riding. Broken wheels are among the most common.

Cam Zink's bike

The finalsThe finals are when things get really extreme. Riders push the limits of what can be done on a bike to try and achieve the top spot. A lot of riders crash in the process of pushing themselves, but few reach their goals and prevail. Every year, the jumps get bigger, the trails get gnarlier, and the level of progression boosts as riders improve and push the sport.

Tom Vansteenbergen Attempts a front flip on the canyon gap

The sport has been elevated a lot because of Redbull rampage, and every year people push the limits of what can be ridden on a bike. Can't wait to see what comes up next year.