Name: Rachel Jones
Sponsors: Remix BMX
Mechanic: Myself
Remix, for those who have no clue, can you tell us a little about that brand?
Rachel Jones: Remix BMX is a wheel company that is owned out in Reno by Dale Robsinson. However, it is a little different to your standard carbon wheel brands. They’re complete carbon wheel sets, fixed with a 32h Remix carbon rim, a Remix straitpull sealed bearing hub and aero blades spokes, weighing in at around 3lbs. The idea behind Remix is bringing the current innovation from MTB and Road into BMX Race (That is essentially where the name Remix comes from). If you really take a look into it, the engineering is pretty awesome.
So for a frame, could you choose whatever you wanted to ride on?
Rachel Jones: I can choose whatever frame I would like to ride on, this season I went for a Speedco Pro (white/black)
Did you really want to race on a carbon frame, or would aluminium work just as well, you think?
Name: Emilio Falla
Sponsors: J &R Bicycles, Speedco, Avían, Odi, Tioga, TroyLeeDesigns.
Mechanic: I try to do everything myself, I still have to learn how to build a wheel.
How long have you been riding the SpeedCo frame that you are currently on?
Emilio Falla: I’ve had this bike since February
How many BMX bikes do you think you've had during your career?
Emilio Falla: That’s a good question, so I’m going to say around 30 to 35. I started young in the sport.
You have probably gone from Cro-Moly to Aluminium to Carbon. Does weight matter much to you?
Emilio Falla: I believe weight matters the most when you are a kid, now for me the most important thing is trying to get comfortable and the right setup.
Name: Jayce Cunning
Sponsors: Speedco, Avian, Seven MX, Ethika, Carters Transport, Cardiff Earthworks, Casual Fridays REI, Bell Helmets
Mechanic: Me, Myself and I
How does it feel to build up a new Speedco bike?
Jayce Cunning: It feels great. Building up my latest Teal Speedco was super exciting as it is my favourite colour of the Speedco’s and I was fortunate enough to be in Florida with the Speedco team whilst building that one. It is always super exciting to get a fresh bike that is new and shiny.
Does anybody need to help to get the bike together and tuned in?
Jayce Cunning: My latest bike I built on my own but had moral support from my Team mate’s Anderson Souza, Rico Bearman and Team manager Derek Betcher, haha.
Is the personal tool box well equipped?
Jayce Cunning: I’d say it's well equipped, I got what I need to rebuild my entire bike. Nothing more, nothing less.
Do you take your competition racing machine to the trails?
Name: Vincent Pelluard
Sponsors: GW - SHIMANO - ICE FAST - PROMAX - BOX - UNDER ARMOUR - CYCLES EVASION - RENTHAL - IZUMI - TIOGA - IMPRIMEXPRESS - CALIFORNIA EXTREME - YCF - PWR Club
Mechanic: Myself
How long have you been riding the frame that you are currently on?
Vincent Pelluard: I built up my bike a week before flying to Australia in January 2020.
Can you tell a little bit about GW Bicycles?
Vincent Pelluard: GW is a HUGE brand making 80% of the Colombian market. You can find a bike from supermarket to a really high quality bike for road cycling. GW has around 2000 employees and they make 400.000 frames a year.
Carbon or Aluminium frame. Where do you see the biggest differences and what are the advantages
Name: Carlos Alberto Ramirez
Sponsors: GW, Answer, Fly Colombia
Mechanic: Carlos Huertas
When's the last time you took your bike to the track?
Carlos Ramirez: I've been without riding the track for the most part of the past 4 months, been able to ride one or 2 times.
Have you missed riding your bike during the Covid-19 situation?
Name: Jay Schippers
Sponsors:
-Personal: Berma Sheet Metal Creations, Pro Gate, Crowe Foederer, MetaalFlex, SportsLounge1988, Vision Car Lease, Duisenburgh, BW Rijkers, Lommers tuinbouwmachines, Berkvens
-Team: Meybo, Box, Tioga, HT, Nederlandse Loterij, WLM Design
Mechanic: Willie Meijer
Who picks the frame colours each year? And are you happy with the current colours?
Jay Schippers: The guys at Meybo decide which colour we ride each year. I think the new 2021 colours are looking great!
What's the purpose of the chain device that you guys are running?
Jay Schippers: Because we have a fixed rear end and no real chain tensioners at the back of the frame. They have built a special tensioner that is mounted/integrated to the side of the frame. It is really easy to use if you have to change your gearing, you just slide it up or down.
Do you use the same bike for pump track / trail / jump sessions?
Jay Schippers: Yes I do. I used to have a special trail jump bike. But haven’t used it for a while now.
Name: Payton “P-Nut” Ridenour
Sponsors: Mongoose, WD-40 Bike, USA BMX Foundation, E6, Shimano BMX, EVS Sports, Answer BMX, HRP Designs, Potter Racing, FLY Racing, Socksmith, Onyx Racing.
Mechanic: Dad
How long have you been riding for Mongoose now?
Payton Ridenour: This is my first year riding for Mongoose and I’m loving it! Since everything’s on hold I haven’t gotten to do too much stuff with the team yet, but hopefully I can sometime soon!
How do you like the feel and look of your bike?
Name: Connor Fields
Sponsors: Chase BMX, Monster Energy, GoPro, HOTSHOT, Fly racing, Shimano, Tioga, ODI, Razor, KMC Chain, Onyx, Ikon
Mechanic: I usually start, then Jamie Staff, Andy Hughes, Max Cairns, or someone else who really knows what they are doing comes and fixes it for me.
How long have you been riding for Chase BMX now?
Connor Fields: 10 years! I have been with the brand since my first year Elite and their first year as a company!
How do you like the feel and look of your bike?
Connor Fields: I'm not too picky, but I also have never had the opportunity to pick what I ride. The Chase team picks my colors and parts and I really only get to choose a couple of things. I am totally OK with it though because I like what they pick and I have never had a bike I didn't like.
What comes first, the colours of your bike and then the matching FLY gear, or the new gear colours followed by the bike decals?
Name: Joris Harmsen
Sponsors: Meybo, WLM Design, BOX Components, Tioga, Shimano, Pro Gate, KNWU, Nederlandse loterij, HT Components, Flow Sleeping
Mechanic: Willie Meijer
How is the Meybo frame treating you so far?
Joris Harmsen: Really good, the fixed rear end makes it a lot stiffer and a lot easier to change gears. And it looks good too.
How do you recognize your bike from the bikes of the other team members when you're 10 meters away?
Name: Niek Kimmann
Sponsors:
Personal: Samsung, Gulf, Droomparken
Team: Meybo, Box, Tioga, HT Pedals, Nederlandse Loterij, WLM Design, Pro-Gate.
Mechanic: The man, the myth, the legend: Willie Meijer.
2021 bikes came in. Is it always a treat for you to put together a new bike?
Niek Kimmann: For sure! I rode for over a year with the exact same bike, which is pretty long for an elite I guess, but it still felt good and still felt pretty stiff. But it’s always nice to get a new bike obviously!