AM: I never stopped riding since 1986 because it’s my way of expressing myself. I don’t know why but I need to ride, not every day, but often. My motivation is like I ride with my friend, I never ride alone. I ride only to have fun with my friends. I love ride with Matthias, Raph, Alex, Jesse, Scot, Japanese... You have shifted into the team managership of the ABadThing project, who are on the team and can you explain the program a little bit?
AM: I had the project for a long time, it’s simple, to join together the best flatlanders in the same team. I start the project with Alex Jumelin, Matthias Dandois, Raph Chiquet, Alexis Desolneux and now Terry Adams and Ucchi are in the team. It’s more like a family, we all are friends.
The brand behind it is Koxx. It’s a French brand, they support and finance the project to develop some high quality bmx parts. We have many projects like a flatland school in Paris, rider’s house, some events, worldwide tour... Making flatland specific parts with the riders is easier said then done. How long does it usually take for a product to show up in the shops from the initial design?
AM: It’s a long process, there are many steps. We need one year to see the product in shops from the design. We need 3 months to test the prototype and 4 months to produce the product in Taiwan and few months for it to be in shops. We waited 10 months for the combo (handlebar/stem) because there’s only one manufacturer in Taiwan who knows how to make it...
What products are you proud of that you had your influence in? AM: I like the fork because it’s perfect to ride but I'm proud of the frame too. The design is not new but with some little good details (paint treatment, BB higher...). I don’t like frames with twisted tubes, I want to keep a bmx design. I ride on a bmx, not a kickscooter....
In what way are flatland bikes different than for instance a street/dirt bike?
AM: For me the design must be similar, only the top tubes are shorter and lower for flatland. But not too much, the street/dirt bikes are more beautiful than flatland bikes. There was much change, but now we found the good design. And brakeless for both. For me, the perfect riding is without brakes in every discipline.
Flatland riding receives a lot of love from Cream magazine. How big is the actual flatland scene. Bigger than people think? AM: Flatland is everywhere in the world, less than street riders but not far. The flatland is very authentic with a very high level. Now everybody respects flatland riding and it becomes a fashion... The new flatland is nice to look at, more rolling, brakeless and incredible ! Cream is the magazine for flatland because we always respected it with 25 pages in every issue since 10 years. I know the best flatlanders in the world then I can speak about Flat. And the flatlanders know that. I’m happy to be the flatland mag
azine over the world… You wrote a book about Flatland. Tell us a bit about that. Did you feel like it needed to be done?
AM: the Flatkings book is a testimony of the best flalanders in the world. The idea of the book was in my head since many years. It was like a dream for me. I had to do it. And for me the best way to show the flat is the cultural way, books, photos, writing is what I like. It is the best thing I have ever done. I’m very proud of it.
Where can people find the book?
AM: The book is in bookstores or in a booth in the main events but you can contact me. Thanks so much to every contributor for the book and magazines.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.