FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

Most important with designing is for people to like your stuff. If I would have designed it for myself It would probably have had some different measurements but hey, lots of others have to like it as well.. A second version of the rip is coming very soon ( maybe it’s already there by the time this gets online ). We would like to release the To(y) frame but that’s a little difficult with the rip2 being released. Anyways, the To(y) frame had been tested and it has been proved!

How often do you ride these days?
Bram Verhallen: Actually I just got back from Africa so I have not been able to ride my bike the past 3 and a half months. So far I have been riding both street and flatland once and I enjoyed both more than ever before so I guess I will pick it up hardcore. ( don’t expect me at any contest besides for having some beers! )
You ride street as well, have you adapted some flat moves to the street?
Bram Verhallen: Just a little bit… So far I have been riding street for about 15 times which means I’m more struggling with the street basics than adapting flat. Off course things like manuals, nosemanuals and tailwhip kinda things are no problem because those are just easy flatland tricks in a different scenery

Do you feel your bike control helps with street riding or is it a totally different game?
Bram Verhallen: HELL YEAHHH! To be honest. Flatland is THE basic skill… If you can ride flatland you can ride street as well, at least if you dare!. Maybe it’s also because my flatland style Is kinda rough and contains some street style tricks. For example, with my flatland bike I could already do bunnyhop barspins and whoppers etc. adapt that to a street scenery and you have got some hard street tricks which are easy for a flatland rider like me. Getting used to a street bike is the toughest part though. For the street tricks that are not related to flatland.. I could do no handers out of the bowl first try, maybe that’s skills maybe it’s that same shitty talent as I appear to have for flatland, I can’t tell.

Where do you usually ride street?
Bram Verhallen: Just in town. I don’t really like this park kinda stuff. Transitions are cool but I feel more at home near some stairs, rails and ledges. Maybe that’s still this flatland thing inside. I would love to visit all the popular street spots in the upcoming years. Hell I enjoy watching these ghetto street riders from NY. My dream is to visit the animal jam one day hehe. When I just started riding flatland I was searching the internet for videos of the pro riders like Martti, Chase, JeffD. Nowadays kids are watching my flatland videos to get inspired while I am watching street videos for the same reason as they are watching mines. It makes me feel like when I was 14 and started riding BMX, there is nothing better than that!

Do you throw a whiplash on your street bike when you see a smooth flat space on the way to the next spot?
Bram Verhallen: Hehe, Funny that you ask me this question right now. The last thing I did on my street bike was rolling back home doing high speed whiplashes! Tricky is that you don’t have griptape on these street pegs… I slipped several times because I forgot!

What's more important to you, having fun or winning a contest?
Bram Verhallen: Conclusion, doing good at contests and getting sponsored will make you smile but they will not make you happy!

Last words: The past 3 and a half months I lived in Lilongwe Malawi which is a 3th world country in the south of Africa. During these months I have learned more than I ever did in my life. Europeans, Americans… all of those western civilized countries…. Hell what the fuck are we doing! I would love de describe it but I cannot. If you are planning to go on holiday this summer but did not book anything yet.. VISIT AFRICA AND OPEN YOUR EYES! Thanks to everyone who helped me out and supported me… I could put up a massive list here but the ones I’m talking about will be smiling when the read this…….