So what's the deal anyway with riders and attitudes?

Hardcore?

                    Corporate?

                              Old School?

The words are thrown around all the time like they actually mean something more than "I'm better than you!"  But they don't.  People always are calling themselves something, usually to put other people down, or make themselves look better.

But what's it all mean?  WHY is GT corporate?  Because they don't care about riders?  Because they have bikes that are produced in Taiwan?  Because they don't give a damn about YOU?

PLEASE!
                       Give me a break....

There are two companies- GT and Haro that have had a SERIOUS dedication to freestyle since the mid-80's when freestyle first began to boom.  Since then other companies have come in and modernized the sport with some new ideas...  But these companies are once again on the cutting edge with product design and development...  GT is even a step ahead with the all aluminum GT Show-  The Y2K model being their THIRD year in production and other companies riding GT's coattails and producing aluminum flatland frames.

So why do GT's suck?  Becuase more people break them?  Once again-  This is just because more riders are on the bikes than any other bike on the market.  If you break a $300.00 Haro does that mean that Haro sucks? When you go out and spend $1,000.00 or more to build a Standard from scratch what gives you the right to put someone down because they only have that $300.00....  At least they are riding.  Riding a bike that OBVIOUSLY is of lower quality- because the price reflects it.  But Haro AND GT both make bikes that have the quality- and the cost- of the best bike that Standard, T1, or Eastern is producing right now.  The 'corporate' companies will get more NEW riders on bikes than Standard has even sold.

They also have the connections to make their
                                                                      products

                                                                                          better.

So maybe it's the fact that they have all their stuff coming in from Taiwan?  Of course- Primo has THEIR products coming from Taiwan as well- and most people LOVE Primo products...

So what is it?

Is it because they have Trevor Meyer, Andrew Farris, Dave Mirra, and Ryan Nyquist?  Because they aren't hardcore like you? When you call yourself 'hardcore' and think that you are 'cool' because you are a 'trail' rider... not a dirt jumper.  What's it mean?  What is it that sets you apart from other riders?  Because you THINK you are 'better' than them?

When you have 15 years of riding skill- does that make you 'old school'?  Why flaunt THAT...  Wouldn't 15 years of experience mean that you have the history and skills to call yourself something else?  Like PRO?

Or are you a 'soul rider'?  Someone that rides alone because contests suck and being alone is what it's ALL about...

When is it that riding becomes something OTHER than riding?  When riding becomes something other than the most exciting sport in the world?  When did it happen that riding in a parking lot alone, OR with friends, or at the local park, or around the neighborhood...  just being on your bike is anything other than fun?  When was it so important to be the one pulling the trick that nobody else could pull?  Then whining when someone else did it at a contest... before you?  Or being underground...?  What's it mean?

WHY?

This week I turned 29 and am celebrating over 14 YEARS of riding...  I'm old school- and I'm not.  This week I worked 50 hours at my job.  I worked on the electrical system in my bathroom at home.  I shopped for Christmas gifts and got the holiday cards together.  I learned about how to stream video over the Internet for the website and worked on setting up the e-mail system for it as well.  This week I put over 1,000 miles on my car driving to my job... and I listened to twenty or thirty hours worth of music.  Finally....  it rained.

                                 But I rode...

I rode at the local high school, by myself, for an hour.  I didn't learn any new tricks...  But I worked on no-handed upside-down tailwhips.  I am old school- but I'm not.  I'm a soul rider- but I'm not.  I ride my Rigid "RIDER OWNED" company flatland bike... with Haro forks and Standard Axles and Hoffman Bikes seat post...  and front AND rear brakes.  So I am hardcore... and I am corporate.

I would have ridden with friends... if any weren't busy...  I would have ridden at a contest- maybe even enterred...  if I could have gotten to one.  I would have ridden to dance music, rap, rock, punk, or even classical...  but my stereo was broken...  I rode alone...  in silence.  In one hour I had to stop to go home and wrap gifts and take care of my home.

In the end the best hour of my week was spent spinning around on a windy 45 degree day on my bike.

In the end- I am nothing more than a freestyle bike rider.

...nothing more