a point of view by cbcl - the skatepark etiquette for rad

[Philbert]

o.k

i've only just picked up on all the crap that has gone on over the last week or so, so i'm late into the conversation.

as many of you know i'm not what you'd call a 'novice', not to sound arrogant or anything, just reality! a lot of people seem to feel intimidated by the 'experienced' rider and kind of sit back a bit as they don't want to get i n the way, feel stupid, blah blah. i can understand that, when i first started going to parks i was exactly the same. looking at it from the side of the coin i'm now on i get frustrated not seeing people ride. because i can see on thier face that they want to. so i want you all to know this:

I and every 'experienced' rider on this site, myself, alex, reay900, billy, stevie b, everyone i can't remember will give anyone the same amount of props for dropping into a ramp for the first time as we'd like to get for pulling something rad at our level. i don't see that there should be any segregation in my opinion as we all have the same goal. to hook up with friends, have a laugh and ultimately try and progress in the sport that governs most of our lives at whatever level we're at

so thier really is one rule and its simple

1. ride. get props!

love you all, regardless of your level! see you in feb, maybe some of you on sunday mornings
and if anyone wants any pointers, just ask. only too happy to help.

p.s. i'm not looking for this to be a big thread with loads of replys. just to read and hopefully feel inspired by it, and to ride for yourself, accomplish what you want to accomplish, and the props will be there

[JT71]

I'm sh1t dude but would love to ride with you on a regualr basis, I'm in cov and I can only get better. 

I'm desperate to ride a concrete bowl cos I never did as a kid, just to ride in and pop out would do. 

As for what's CBCL has said, I agree, although I'm a complete noob. It really helps to have someone there to explain what to do, I tried the "teach yourself" method in
the memorial park in the wet, it's hard to get the courage up to roll in with no one around to encourage you...or call for help if it goes wrong. 

[billstup]

Well said Phil 

[TwoBobRob]

My thoughts exactly   

[SaMAlex]

I hate riding crowded parks, its a nightmare! Id rather not ride if its too full! Some kids a so lame and they WILL give you a hard time if you aint amazing on your bike, and they wont cut you any slack to get a ride. Crap, but some kids are to55ers.

Right there with you Phil. Its all about riding with mates and knowing what they can do, and when they are doing something for the first time, what ever the trick is. We all get the same feeling when you push youself and it works out well.

Im not going to get involved with the Bill Stup - Meddle thing at all, but after reading the thread, I went straight to the Creation thread to check that it wasnt a "Novice" event! haha.

[Trev]

nice post Phil.  To be honest, at a RAD meet, I have no problems riding with the experienced riders. I've ridden with people like yourself, Alex, Reay900tap,TwoBob numerous times now and it's been great. It can be quite daunting at first, but after a quick chat everything is cool. Every rider that has turned up to any RAD event has been sound. I don't think there's been any real knobs there. However, going to a public skatepark full of kids, you may not get the same respect from the kids. we're quite lucky that the kids on here like Billy-BMX & JoeStups are really cool kids, although i'm sure they'd soon be told by their fathers if they acted differently.

roll on the 23rd!!!

[superbikedan]

phil,  needed to be said from someone of your skill level and respect

so true about giving peeps props for dropping in or whatever,  everone needs to know

that each trick pulled is a massive step for that indivisual rider,

when billy pulled the 360whip everyone went mad     but before that some pros where

pulling backflip whips

[Trev]

it's weird, cos at my level, i always feel like i'm in the way of more experienced riders even though i know they don't feel like that.
i know when i am trying to teach riders how to ride in etc, i have all the time in the world for them and really want them to do it. so it should be exactly the same for me. just something stupid in my head, that's all. 

[dct]

i cant even do a kic turn but im still up for a wobble

cbcl when do you ride the parks in cov - may hook up


danny

[JT71]

i cant even do a kic turn but im still up for a wobble

cbcl when do you ride the parks in cov - may hook up


danny

ditto dude. where abouts in cov are you? I'm in Whitley....oops, thread hijack...sory. 

[Flatcap]

I've no idea what was said between Billy and Meddle so I can't comment on that. I too hate the attitude of a lot of the young riders, but there are some out there that are cool and extend some respect to you for just riding regardless of what you are doing. I'll always congratulate people if they're pushing themselves and pull something for the first time. Even if it's a basic trick, who cares, we all have our own levels and limits. My only problem is I'm not very good at explaining how I do something, no idea why but I struggle. So sometimes if someone asks my advice, which is rare to be honest, I can't really help them. This can make me look a little off hand but it's just the way I am. It's the same with the rallying, I can't really explain how I do that either - strange!

Daz. 

[Dingobmxer]

Its weird because I can hustle a bit round a track but put me in a park with other riders and I freeze 

maybe I should come on the 23rd and learn some stuff (I cant even really drop in  )

  DINGO

[QUADROPHENIA]

still find it intimidating riding with people like ray but  quite happy to sit and watch tho

[Philbert]

we should start with as session at the car park under the ringroad  by the boys club one sunday morning. people hardly ride there these days. awesome for learning kickturns, tyretaps, rollbacks, etc.

i reside in coundon!

now back to topic.

thanks, was hoping i said the right thing, guess i did so its all good

i know what people mean by normal skatepark terms. lets face it. there all tw@ts. i don't like kids that ride these days apart from billy and joe but they've had good etiquette drilled into them so they're exceptions. this is friends though, and friends give encouragement, however tough something may be

[Voodoocars]

Ha! I remember goin to that car park before you were probably on a bike Phil.Wow, that brings back memories-there was a 1/4 pipe there for a while that later got taken to earnsford grange behind kwik save that we used to ride.Loads of kids used to turn up there night after night.It was great.

[welsh denny]

i've always tried to help riders wherever i can to improve. it can be intimidating at times to ride with some of the bad attitudes on the newer riders frowning on the older rider but like iv'e argued with em before ' its a small community bmx, we should all treat each other like a family as you never know when you may need each other'.  i used to watch mainly bitd in awe at the pro's in cardiff warehouse - even though i was riding pretty much up to date tricks around 86/87- double footed barspining backwards infinity roll. can still do a lot of the tricks and love helping other to learn some of the older tricks. even some of the more respectful 'new' riders ask me to teach em stuff on occasion and it makes me feel good if i've helped them to achieve it. nicknamed 'grandad', uncle den , denny amongst the welsh riding community. and it feels like a family.

[se bikes]

maybe I should come on the 23rd and learn some stuff (I cant even really drop in  Sad )

Thanks to Meddle even i can drop in, although only the tiddly 1 at Rom so there's hope for you too Mark

At the end of the day you learn from watching and riding with peeps with a higher level of skill, it gives you something to aim for and benchmark against, my only rule inracing was Corine Dorland rocks AND I WILL BEAT HER, it nearly happened on a number of occasions, although i never achieved my ultimate goal i stepped my game up, whether it's racing, freestyle or street the same mentality will see you right

[tricknuts]

 I am completely crap on a bike, but mustered up the courage to come out of retirement a  few years ago.   Several times I drove to the skatepark, and from the carpark i could see it was full of riders.  so i would just turn around and drive  home again.

Now i realise that i probably only have a few years left before the body gives up, and thats it over for ever. so I got over the embarrassment and  went.

i spoke to one of the "good' riders there about this subject. his attitude was  that he would have more respect for a newbie if they get on their bike and start plugging away at a trick regardless of how difficult it is- as opposed to sitting  on the sidelines watching  everyone else.

[perry]

well said 

its hard work riding out of your teens as everyone percieves you as having all the tricks in your bag but in 14 years i still cant manual and ive never managed a barspin

not that i cant do a few things ( i did a few grinds/stalls that i still havnt seen done anywhere else ) but i cant ride in a crowd of more than a couple people without feeling in the way 

its a crushing feeling when you turn up somewhere and get that deadly silence as everyone stops to watch your first move be a sketchy 180 

i used to ride with this lot

http://www.inertiabikes.com/blog.htm

ive found that the people that are really good are like that because they love riding everyday , regardless of who with , they have no problem with peoples ability and just want to ride and watch people ride

ant there feels very awkward when people hes with dont ride , he doesnt see himself as anything special and would get iritated with people constantly telling him that he should be sponsored ( which he deserves as hopping a standard lenghy bar height just isnt normal lol ) he never feels that anyones in the way , just wants everyone to get on riding

but its hard to hop kerbs when your stood in awe lol

the people with the attitudes are often in it for the image

[fletchy baby]

i cant even do a kic turn but im still up for a wobble

cbcl when do you ride the parks in cov - may hook up


danny

  put me down aswell !!

 as for the quote Phil , well , you could'nt of said it better !!!   big thumbs up !!!!

[pickle]

Phil....speaking as a complete novice myself i find your post a real breath of fresh air!  i guess i'm like every other newbie/novice in that i do/did find it a little intimidating riding in the same park as guys like yourself........but after the last Novice session at Creation i managed (after about 2 hours of trying) to pull 2 peg stalls.....i'd hardly say i nailed it but i felt so good about managing the 2 i did i could've stopped then and there and gone home...(sounds a bit stupid) but if it wasn't for Trev and Stoke bloke i'd never of had the balls or the techneque to pull it off.

It's great to hear all you guys say that they want guys like us to ride with you......i think of it like BITD when people like Mason Smith would come to our skate park.....it was a feeling of "i'm not worthy" and would just stop riding around as i felt i wasn't worthy of being on the same concrete as him.

But you guys ROCK!! and i shall be trying to nail those peg stalls and grinds on the 23rd!  so BRING IT ON!!!!   

[bmxer4ever]

Interesting thread and very relevant to us all.
I've always had the same feelings as at lot of the 'novices' most times I ride in front of folk I don't really know. ( And even those that I do!)
Doubting your own ability and lacking confidence to try stuff in front of others - I've been like that for years.
I've usually found that once I just get my head down and get on with it, I get over the nerves.

Skatepark etiquette is a different thing to me - it usually means not getting in the way of the established lines. Not so much about skill levels, more about not causing a big crash!
There's nothing worse than psyching yourself up to do something, pedallin' hard only to have to abort because someone has rolled in front of the ramp or is sitting in the landing zone. Even worse when it's too late to stop!

[Gary72]

I'm not a very good typer so
NAIL ON HEAD Phil.
With regards to etiquette I'm Ok but it's my 6 year old that I worry about which is why I prefer trying to go to RAD meets because the numbers are limited and the riders that are there have there heads screwed on. My son seems to be like the ever ready bunny when we go riding just keeps going and going We have only been to rOm and Skaterham with RAD but are going to Epic/Creation on the 23rd. He does now look to me and normally waits for me or someone else to tell him when to take his turn.
Pickle you are going to have to teach me peg stalls, it's on my todo list this year.

[subversion]

I pretty much stopped going to indoor parks a few years back as I didn't seem to 'fit' into what freestyle has now turned into. Thanks to this site I have been to 2 RAD meets so far & really enjoyed riding & meeting like minded people instead of the conformist, narrow-mindedness that has now prevailed over BMX Freestyle in general. As far as peoples riding goes, I always get stoked seeing someone do something for the first time, whatever it may be, you can tell from their faces that sense of achievement & I find that quite infectious. Take what you want from other peoples riding, be inspired by it (not intimidated) & always do your own thing

it's FREESTYLE afterall...

See you all on the 23rd

[Broggie]

I've got to admit that getting into Bmx was more for me a style thing, I just love the colours, variations and 'specialness' of an old school bike.  When I looked deeper I found Radbmx and I'm pleased I did.  Its like a family here and though I am in awe of the pros on here...and everyone else too cos I'm currently very crap, I know that Radbmx members wont leave me on the sidelines because I'm afraid of getting in the way.
I dont know at my age (50 in march) and weight etc whether I'll ever be much good, but I do know that I'll be given every encouragement...and with everything else (MK08 etc), it'll be good time well spent with friends.



Ray.