"NIGEL SYLVESTER ON ADVANCING BMX WITHOUT FITTING IN"

[Brooklynrider]

I realized everyone basically covered what I just said after I pressed reply, sorry for the pointless rant.

[Brooklynrider]

When I first started riding 5 or 6 years ago, bmx was awesome. Maybe it was just my child's perception of things but companies were diverse and riding was just way more "real". Videos like All Day and Can I Eat was all anyone ever watched and that was when someone decided to lend the DVD to us. Every product released was radically different that the one before it and bikes were still not light enough that any middle-schooler could just pick one up and learn whips in a week. I almost want to say that there was a lot more culture in bmx. Maybe the internet ruined bmx or technology in bmx has reached it's limit in most areas or I simply grew up and I'm less impressionable. Either way, bmx is now generic in almost every aspect.

[blueee]

i read this whole thread
have you ever tried manualing through a busy intersection

[locomotive]

After thinking about it and watching part 1, Nigel is growing on me. I still don't believe his skill is on par with majority of top pros, but it is admirable of what he was able to accomplish riding a bike. He also doesn't sound like an egotistical asshole I expecting him to be from watching his other stuff. His mind set of becoming a pro rider at all costs is not one I would advertise, but thats what got him there, so I guess he has the right to talk about it. BMX is about having fun, and not a ticket to fame/fortune. He is an exception, and kids need to realize that. If kids start dropping out from school to become a pro bmx rider, they should know that most of them don't make that much.

It still bothers me that he didn't ride when he came to our local street jam. Maybe he wasn't feeling it, or didn't want to get hurt for a local bmx jam.

[Cole]

My comment was more of a reply to Condorbkr's comment before mine, not necessarily to Nigel's riding. I also didn't say I wanted to quit because of Nigel, which is kind of outrageous and I'm not sure why everyone thought that's what I meant. I do believe BMX needs to evolve but definitely not in that direction. I'm still just as hyped on bmx as I was the first day I started riding but I just completely gave up on following what is going on in bmx. There definitely are several companies out there that are doing the right thing and riders that are doing real riding that deserve recognition but simply aren't getting it. Odyssey constantly pushes new technology into bmx yet everyone is infinitely more hyped on a new shadow chain simply because it looks cool and Shadow claims it is "the strongest chain on the market". Obviously since bikes have gotten lighter, younger kids will be able to participate in the sport but it seems that it is now only mindless 15 year olds and companies know that. It has become extremely rare to actually find a company or a rider that cares about the sport and not what puts more money into their pockets.

If I was a pro, and money from sponsorship/competition was my only way to get paid, I'd be suckling the teet of anyone who was willing to throw money at me. If you're only willing to ride for a company that puts money directly back into the sport because of "love for sport" you're a fucking idiot. It makes financial sense to sell out to a company like Nike, Monster, RedBull and whoever else is pumping money into peoples pockets these days.

Professionals in ANY sport/hobby don't do it for the love of the sport/hobby, they're doing it for the money. Otherwise, you wouldn't see multi-million dollar contracts being given out. According to your logic, athletes shouldn't accept big money sponsorships from companies who don't directly put that money back into the sport and they shouldn't take huge contracts from their teams head office unless they're giving their fans back a lot of what they're paying to see, instead of lining their own pockets. Obviously there's a few exceptions, sports like lacrosse aren't big in Canada, so in that case, most players have to work a 40 hour week in addition to being a professional athlete.

[Brooklynrider]

Obviously businesses are there to make money but a company that has a KHE freecoaster, pivotal seatpost, and a fat seat should not be getting more money than a company that designs their own products and stands behind them. Unfortunately, kids would rather buy something thats cool rather than functional so companies have no incentive to actually care about what they put out. As for riders, it is a miracle that they can make a living off of a hobby. If they can make it happen, then good for them. The main problem is that the little amount of money that BMX actually has is going to the wrong people and there is not much anyone can do to change that.

[Cole]

Then you can change things. Start a company and make your own, original parts. Or, open a shop and sell only what YOU think should be sold, then promptly go out of business because you're selling things that the people who actually buy parts don't give a shit about. Fucking supply and demand, dummy. Welcome to the real world.

[Brooklynrider]

Then you can change things. Start a company and make your own, original parts. Or, open a shop and sell only what YOU think should be sold, then promptly go out of business because you're selling things that the people who actually buy parts don't give a shit about. Fucking supply and demand, dummy. Welcome to the real world.

What the fuck are you even saying? Did you read anything I said?

[Cole]

Your last sentence, shit fuck. You can change things, but you'd rather whine like a pussy on an internet bulletin board

[Brooklynrider]

Your last sentence, shit fuck. You can change things, but you'd rather whine like a pussy on an internet bulletin board

The majority of BMX is younger kids who don't really know what they're buying. That is why generic companies stay alive. There are generic companies in every sport, but most of them don't last long because people know better. The reason BMX is in this state right now is a combination of many reasons. Real companies will never strive until the majority of people who buy bmx parts make reasonable decisions. There is no way to change that because kids are kids. As a single person, I cannot make a noticeable difference. On the rare occasion that I buy parts, I make sure they are from a company that I think deserves my money. Since I don't buy bike parts often, I buy DVDs from companies that I like. When a kid asks about what bike part to buy, I always give them good advice as to what companies to buy from. That's as much of a difference as I could possibly make. Some companies have found a way around this problem. Take Cult for example. While I don't like how they try to push their image, that is the way to do it. They are that "cool" company but still manage to put out new things. They put out different and better working products even though they don't have to.

[dude...]

^^^ cult pick parts straight out of the taiwanese catalogues (although they did change the bearing setup for their coaster, ive not heard of one lasting more than 2 months without the driver shitting itself though), and their tubing straight out the bus

[Prodigal Son]

Cult is worse than shadow.

[barcodebilly]

I'll never like shadow parts. Stupid kids keep stupid companies alive. I have nothing against the team though.

[DontcallmeKenneth]

A few shadow riders are usually out cruising parks with the locals here. it probably helps move product when you can ride with the guys. Thats just around here though since the shop is always getting shadow shit and selling it quick.

[dude...]

shadows better than they used to be. their hubs and stuff seem decent for the price these days. still not really into the aesthetics of their non hub offerings though