“If you’d asked riders from the scene about Maciek, you’d probably hear that; “…he only ever does turn-downs and flairs”… “…his bike’s way too light…” and “…he always rides without his shirt!” – There is much truth in all of this! However, I’ll add that; his turn-downs and flairs, are performed in places, that no other riders would attempt such tricks (and a few other maneuvers as well!). In addition, his bike’s never too light (you’ll see why in the new Dartmoor film!). And lastly, the t-shirt thing, it gets worse… I’ve seen him riding without pants too!” – Ryszard Syryczynski
Chilling in the streets of Katowice…
Full name: Maciej Kiwak/ Sponsors: Dartmoor Bikes &Intruz Clothing/ D.O.B: 16.02.1989/ Place of residence: Katowice, Poland.
The postman delivered a package yesterday, from Mr Saunders (manager of VP Components). It contained a range of VP products, ready for testing. The main pedal sets (pictured) are the “VP-569″s and the “VP-59″s.
The VP-569’s are the chunkier model. They feature an aluminium shell, with knurling and grip nodes. They also feature a Cr-Mo axle and removable reflectors. Initial thoughts; look to be robust, feature a trusted contemporary design, and they’re a fair weight – Suitable for dirt, street, park and flat.
Next we have the highly anticipated VP-59’s. These are very light, feature a sophisticated, low-profile shell with superior grip pins. They also look to be durable through design. The VP-59’s have been subjected to a level of refinement rarely seen in pedal technology (at least in the BMX sphere) – There is no surplus material, period. Another point to note, they’re to be affixed using an Allen-key. And if that’s not enough, they’re available in a range of colours (anodized) – Swish! Ref BMX, these pedals would be best suited to BMX racing/trails (Nb. These pedals are actually marketed specifically at MTB riders, ref Mtb footwear).
Service announcement: A quick message to the valleyside team, we have a few set’s free for testing. Get in contact if you want to test a set! We’ll be featuring a second performance related report on these pedals in the not to distant future. For now, check the pictures below!
“When I call I either get “Hi this is Coco and I’m prolly buzy right now”, or I get a “hola cheeky dogg” from one of the most genuine people I’ve ever known. Coco arrived on the scene in 2004, after a long time friend had moved from their hometown in Chile to Dallas, Texas. I received a call from a dirt jumper named Sean Tarrant letting me know he had found someone with something special.
The GT Air Show was the mid summer tour, so we re-routed through Texas and swooped up Coco. Along side Cameron White, Coco rapidly took his riding to the next level. It was such a rad experience; watching this kid from Chile, become one of the absolute very best in the world. With a fluid riding style and powerhouse tricks, Coco has quickly changed how people look at BMX vert riding. In four years of Summer tour, if my math is correct, that is a few hundred BMX shows, a few speeding tickets, too many late night drives, A LOT of java chips, spending almost every waking moment with this kid from Chile and I can only remember being mad at him twice. Once for rushing me and another time he didn’t want to drive haha.
Thank you Pedro. You’re an amazing friend and an all around awesome cheeky dogg! I’m excited to watch what you do in BMX in the future!” – Bo Wade
Not so long ago we received an email from Sugar Bikes. It highlighted a certain “WE ARE LEVEL” rider as a worthy addition, for the UK Sugar Bikes Team. We did our homework (watching web-videos, etc) and guess what? We agreed! So, it’s with great delight we introduce to you… Mr Ollie Palmer! Ollie, Welcome to the UK SugarBikes/Valleyside Team! As part of the welcoming process, Ollie Palmer & Co have prepared a “Welcome” edit. As you’ll see, diversity is the key to Ollie’s riding. He also managed to satisfy all three of his sponsors by making this a Valleyside/WeAreLevel/SugarBikes edit! Nice Work. Enjoy the ride. SWEET! – VS
The level of flatland at any pro event is always going to be off the chain… ‘The BMX Masters, 2011′ was no different! And it was at The BMX Masters, that I was to meet (through destiny) Mr Saleki – An avid PRO flatlander. I personally watched all of his runs at the contest and they were nothing short of amazing – Technical, varied with distinct identity. The finals were dramatic for our interviewee – Saleki snaps his cranks clean, mid-run! At this point the crowd thought it was all doom and gloom! But Saleki was not to be swayed by such a hurdle – He grits his teeth, picks up his rig and re-boards the almighty steed… Subsequently Saleki turns what could have been one of the biggest anti-climaxes of the Masters into a multi-faceted GEM! – He executes a diverse run crankless; And does so perfectly; The crowd goes wild – Dreams are made! So without further ado, introducing: Navid Saleki – VS Read more
As you may know, ValleySideDistro co-sponsored the recent UK Flatland Championships – An event coordinated by Matti Hemmings (Welsh Pro Flatander). We made contact with Matthew Dyer (Welshside/Magazine Journalist) who produced the following report…
“It’s been Matti Hemmings dream for a long time to get a flatland event in Wales. A year or more has passed since his initial dream, but with quitting his day job to ride for a living, Matti has wised up to the world and learned the in’s and out’s of what it would take to get the event rolling. Read more
“Ladies and Gentlemen, thanks again for tuning into our mighty fine station! And today we have some very exciting news – After some considerable market research, valleyside has agreed on a collaboration with US outdoor adventure label, ODEE World, Inc. Yes, that’s right, ODEE World is to co-sponsor the Valleyside US division for 2012! Read more
Monica Warnock-Moore (athlete agent) recently made contact seeking to promote one of her star riders – Without further ado, it’s time for something fresh, an interview with the trials extrodinaire himself, Mr Jeremy VanSchoonhoven! Enjoy – VS!
I first learnt about ‘Forcefield Body Armour’ at the Cycle Show (2011), where I had the opportunity to meet the Forcefield Marketing Director – After subsequent correspondence, it was agreed we were to cooperate on some light advertising and product testing – Soon after, I received my first package, the Forcefield ‘Limb Tube’ Armour (Knee Pads).
For our younger readers, I would like to start by expressing the importance of Knee Pads – I place immense value on them. And with the exception of a helmet, knee pads are the most important PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) I use for BMX riding. However, riding is about learning to take calculated risks (I like to gamble!), part of this process involves decision making – So think carefully and make your own decisions! Then you’ll only have yourself to hold responsible!
