There's no need to explain how nice California is. This Sunday we took some time to enjoy it. Started the day by going for a run. It had been a while but thinking I could make it to HB and back from Newport Beach was a mistake. I had to turn around halfway. The run turned into a walk several times but hey, the beach was right there, the sun was out and there was no rush. Life is good. After the shower (and the coffee) we got in touch with the one and only Grotbags. For those not in the know, Paul Roberts is a legendary BMXer from the UK who has been there and done that. After his riding career Paul got into announcing events such as the X-Games, rebeljam, Dew Tour, Metro Jams, Vans US Open of Surfing and many more. At one point in time, he did it all. One of the reasons for these trips is to meet up with friends in person. We don't get to hang out enough, especially not when we're so far apart. In the time we got to connect with Paul we covered many grounds, ate a killer burger and Paul played us some songs on the piano. Cheers for the good talk.
Huntington Beach on Sunday is good for watching cars. They're everywhere. It's the day to show off the oldies in pristine conditions. It didn't disappoint. While at the beach you need to hang out at the beach. I felt the leg muscles already from the morning run. The next day wasn't going to be an easy one to get out of bed. We worked on some photos a bit, checked mails, posted some things on social media
The coffee machine in the room didn't produce the best coffee ever, but the convenience and price (unlimited free supply) won it on Saturday morning as we set sail to San Diego again. We parked in the streets near the hotel to avoid the $22 per day parking that Solarena offered. We only had to take note of sweeping days, something that kicked our ass back in 2023. The vehicles in America are something else. Maybe 90% or more are owned by the bank still, but damn, the cars are nice. On so many occasions I would say, that's perfect, or give it a simple, wow, making the 90 minute drive to SD a breeze. I remember from years ago that traffic on the weekends to San Diego was really bad, but that might have been because it was summer time and a hot day or something. No problems this time.
One of the reasons we do these Cali trips in early January is that we can fit in two Monster Energy Supercross races, the first one being held in San Diego. On Friday we drove down South on the 5. For those in the know, when the sign Leucadia comes up it's time to look for the place where the Enchanted ramp used to be. It's gone now, but Philip spotted a miniramp not far from the legendary place with the vert ramp. Even though the 2-HIP vert sessions are gone, the miniramp is a reminder in town for ramp action.
We arrived early for our appointment at 100% so we decided to pick up our media passes first and have a stroll through the pits already. We then used the trusty Apple CarPlay to direct us to the front door of
The Solarena hotel in Newport Beach was going to be our home base for the next 12 days. With a fridge, wifi, coffee machine, bed and shower, it had all we needed. After the long travel and LA shopping spree the light went out early the first day. As usual getting up the next day is easy as the time difference of 9 hours makes you wake up in the middle of the night a few times before you had enough of it and simply get out of bed. California doesn't always provide sunny days of 25 degrees but getting outside without a winter jacket in January still felt good. We had spotted a coffee shop around the corner of the hotel and decided to get breakfast there. It was right next door of the Deus shop. The capucino at Vacancy Coffee was amazing. Without giving my email address I received the receipt in my inbox a few seconds after paying with the Mastercard. That was a first for me. Mastercard apparently doesn't take privacy too seriously when they provide my email to coffee shops like that. Oh well.
10:30hr. That's the time we had set to meet Niek Kimmann over at Troy Lee Designs in Corona. Niek's mom had dropped off a camera for Niek at our place in The Netherlands and brought the camera for him as his old one had some focusing issues. We made good timing as the roads were rather empty (surprisingly) and stopped by Pro Circuit first to walk their shop with all the championship bikes on display. TLD was new to us at their current location.
Last year Philip and I made a trip to California together. It was such a good time that it had to happen again. This year's traineeship at HGS Exhaust company allowed him to make the Cali trip to visit two Monster Energy Supercross races, MX dealerships and companies left and right. Of course while in SoCal lots of BMX companies could be visited as well as friends, spots and whatever came up basically. Through a couple of episodes we'll take you through our trip starting at the beginning.
Traveling is an advanture. Every time. It's anticipating to the situation and it started off shaky when the alarm clock went off. Next to the railways being under construction, an other message showed
This is the official cinematic BMX video for Trinidad & Tobago!
Skatepark Winterthur. When you put that in Google when you're in the city in not only lists the Skills Park. There's an outdoor park also that will please street riders. The quarters are steep and low and reminded me of the first miniramp we had in our town which was 5 feet high and vertical. The concrete spot had loads to offer for street riders, from flatrails, banks, rollers, quarters, kinked rails, gaps to hips. On the Sunday that we visited the place was packed with scooters, skateboarders and some kids on rollerskates making it hard to get a line in.
The location also serves for a legal graffiti spot and even had some rail wagons at hand to practice graffiti on those. One of them was all set-up as a chill place with electricity/music/lights where visitors could chill. The pump track behind the concrete bank wasn't very good. It was next to impossible to do a lap just pumping the 15 cm high bumps. Good for beginners maybe, but you'll grow out of it quickly. The place is open 24/7 basically and it's free to enter. The park being made of concrete and asphalt is tough to destroy. Most likely it will look different next time we visit as graffiti is timeless. Anyway, one more
It was mid-April in Switzerland and we got a sunny day. Call us lucky so we could check some more spots in the Winterthur area. Google gives you all the spots. Type in skatepark, pump track, or BMX track and you'll get your options. On Friday Philip and I stopped by the Skills Park, a massive indoor park which would have been our go-to if the weather would have been shit. The Park was 250 meters from the hotel but wanted CHF 20,= per person to ride and CHF 3,= per person to look around. Needless to say our visit was short but we left the option open in case of rain. The air bag with run-up was huge though but not having any tricks to work on we did not pay for the entry fee to get to ride it.
It was Sunday and we googled the BMX track which was actually pretty near to the pump track we'd visited on Friday. Winterthur hosted several international BMX races back in the day so the name of the town sounded familiar. It's always nice to visit BMX spots, especially on sunny days. On arrival the Showa suspension crew from Belgium was there. They had the same plan of doing some riding on the day off. The track had received a tune-up and rolled pretty damn smooth. The first turn had received a smooth layer of asphalt. Think pump track turn but then 5 times the size. Not all turns had received the same treatment (yet) but for us it didn't matter. The Bensink gate wasn't set up for action but we spotted a downhill track behind the first turn. We gave it a shot and stayed on the BMX track afterwards.
Philip and I spent a weekend in Switzerland for the MXGP in Frauenfeld. We decided to bring the bikes because we had Sunday off and if we would arrive early enough on Friday we would be able to check out first spot(s). The 8 hour trip went well and we caught enough daylight for us to explore Winterthur. We had checked in at the IBIS in Winterthur and took the bikes out of the van. Google had informed us that a pump track was only 3.1 kms away. It was dry so we decided to ride there. On the way it just felt good to be on the bikes. Traveling by car has its perks as you can take pretty much all you want with you.
We headed in the direction of the pump track and stopped to check the phone from time to time making sure we had not taken a wrong turn. The last bit was a bit desolated and lead through the woods but we managed to find the place. No one was there and on first sight it was a good sized pump track. But something was strange. The concrete/asphalt reminded us on the roughest surface that Romford or Southsea has to offer. It was strange to be on a pump track with such rough surface. Polar opposite of what the Velosolutions pump tracks are like.
We did not bring our helmets/gloves which was stupid but it was just more convenient pedaling to the place like that. Key was to stay on the bike as a crash would definitely scrape you up.
Cycling is a fantastic sport for all ages – whether it be the morning commute to work or a day out with the kids on the weekend, everyone can find some fun. It not only offers a great workout for all fitness levels but also provides for a greener and more economical choice.
Ohio
The state of Ohio now has more bicycle route miles than any other state, boasting a total of 1,523 miles. Sport is a pretty big thing in Ohio, especially considering the recent success of the Cincinnati Bengals winning their first playoffs and the Cleveland Cavaliers smashing their preseason win.
For you sports fans, it’s an exciting time since the legalization of sports betting across the state, as you can not only watch your favorite team or event but also place a wager. It’s advised to visit a reputable online comparison site, such as a Caesars Sportsbook promo code in Ohio, where you can look up relevant information.
The comparison site will provide information on the best sportsbooks, their great promotions and perks. However, to get in on the real action, why not establish your own workout through the state of Ohio along the 1,500+ miles of cycling routes. Did you know that the goal of the US Bicycle Route System is to have 50,000 miles across the country?
The top 5
The best cities for cycling have implemented transit systems and paths that aid cyclists to move freely and safely from one destination to the next. A vibrant, bike-riding culture is emerging in these cities and is spreading across the US as a whole.
Seattle, Washington
This is a metropolis of around 750,000 people, with one of the best public transit systems in the US, which enables cyclists to move around the city with their bikes from one stop to another. There are approximately 7,000 bikes available for hire across the city.
Fort Collins, Colorado
The city offers around 280 miles of purpose-built bicycle lanes, which have been designed to enable 
cyclists to move through the city with ease. There are under and overpasses at the majority of main intersections, with cyclists seldom having to share space with automobiles.
Portland, Oregon
As one of the biggest cities in the US, with a population of around 640,000 people, the Rose City has been hailed one of the greatest bike cities in the US. It offers a bike-share initiative for individuals with disabilities, one of the best public bike rental systems and over 385 miles of bicycle routes.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis boasts 98 miles of bike lanes and 101 miles of off-street cycle paths and trails, plus a further 16 miles of on-street, protected bikeways. Green spaces are connected with miles of bike-friendly paths and the city has implemented a streets policy that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists over buses and cars.
Boulder, Colorado
With over 300 miles of bike lanes, Boulder in Colorado is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the US. Development continues to make this a greener city with connected multi-use pathways for smoother bike routes, and raised bike lanes and sidewalks for safety.
Summary
If it’s a ride in the park or a family day out that you’re after, head down to the bike store, kit yourselves out and enjoy the scenic bike routes these US bike-friendly cities have to offer.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.