back to roots for a while
When I was a kid, the only time you actually "practiced" at the track was a race day, or the occasional gate practice day. Most of our riding was done around the neighborhood streets and dirt jump trails. that`s where you learned to bunnyhop higher, and farther. It`s where you learned to ride a wheelie just a little farther than your friends. It`s where you learned to get more and more air from whatever jump or makeshift lip you could find.
It`s where you grew your nuts.
I just got a new street/park/trails bike. It took a long time to find one because I wanted something fairly long, like my race bike. most dirt jump bikes are barely 20" top tube, maybe the occasional 20.5". My race bike is 21.75, and I wanted something closer to 21". Enter the Eastern Jane. A GREAT complete bike for the money, and the perfect size for me. I hopped on it once I had it built and it felt SO much more comfortable than the bike it is replacing. I spend 5 days a week on my race bike to have it feel so sweet. This bike felt like home from the very first pedal.
I`m going to be spending a great deal of time just riding urban street and trails for a while now that I`m not on a 2600 dollar purebred race bike. I`m on an all chromoly bike I won`t feel guilty about taking some chances on, and pushing my limits again. Growing my nuts again. And I can`t WAIT. I love BMX so much, and I really missed just getting on my bike and riding wherever my feet took me. Racing is demanding, and requires a great deal of energy. Free riding is exactly that; free. You get to go out and just ride.
And that, my friends, is what made me love BMX to begin with.