BMX Freestyler Mail Bag - Henery Wagner

Double Tail Whip from Henry Wagner on Vimeo.

I got a message from Henry Wagner.

Hi Rad Dad,

I've been following your site for a while and getting back into flatland at 40, after about 20 years off. I made a short video you're readers might enjoy, of my first double tail whip in a long time: https://vimeo.com/51372827

Thanks for all the great videos, and helping keep us old timers going.

Henry
Thank you Henry very much and keep on riding!

BMX Freestyler Mail Bag!

Today I received a wonderful message from Ruben Castillo in South America. Thank you so much Ruben for sharing your story. Stories like yours keep the spirit of riding going and encoraging others out there to get back on the bike to ride.

Mark, good afternoon
My name is Ruben Castillo, not the famous one, just a beginner from south America. I frequently visit bmxfreestyler, I got used to this after I watched your video “ My first decade”, thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us. I have been encouraged for your videos and notes.
I am 34 years old, tried freestyle when I was 19 but could not get any progress, however, I decided to try it once again eight months ago, but this time I am having a nice progress besides my age. My wife encouraged me to send this beginner video for backwards steamroller, the trick I have learned during this eight months practicing two hours per week.
I hope you will enjoy knowing that you are very famous at home, and we thank you a lot for encouraging people to do not stop and continue enjoying the pleasure of riding.
God bless You
Ruben


R Castillo 1 from Ruben Castillo on Vimeo.

Eddie- Mail Bag

 Today in the BMX Freestyler Mail I received a message from eddiefreestyler1. Its message like this that keeps me going. Thanks Eddie for taking the time to send it!

eddiefreestyle1

I love your videos wow 43 and riding that is cool . I kick my self in the ass cuz i stop riding flatland back in 98'' and after I saw your videos I have to get back into it cuz I loved it so much. I been looking at the dk opsis flatland bike to start up fast again.Im 31 years old and wow the flatland went sick with no breaks I need breaks on my bike. Im from Nj and the weather sucks here hard to ride . As soon as I get my bike Ill update u on my riding. Thanks man

BMX Freestyler Mail Bag- Message from Thomas Weakley

Thomas Weakley

     I gave up on riding flatland in 1998. Six months ago I was surfing Youtube and stumbled onto your "My first decade" vid. I went into the basement dusted of my Quamen and I've been rollin hard ever since. Thanks for the inspiration, keep it up man!!!!!!

BMX Freestyler Mail Bag- Message from Rob

Hey everyone,

   Today was a great day for email as I found an AWESOME email from Rob who just so happens to live in Texas and right up the street from me.  I had to put this email in the BMX Freestyler Mail Bag because if this is not total motivation. I don't know what is. Thanks for the email Rob. Looking forward to riding with you soon.

Keep on Riding.

Here is the Email from Rob

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Hey, this is kinda weird. I just found your video for "My First Decade" on youtube and sent it to my wife. She'd been wondering if anybody 'my age' even rides. She's very supportive of everything I do, but I had stopped riding by the time we met 10 years ago. So this whole 'freestyling' thing is completely foreign to her. Well, she loved the video and especially loved your enthusiasm and huge smile after you landed that decade!


    You see, I'm 37 and just started riding flatland again. Like most people, I stopped riding around 1990 and recently got the bug to start up again for no particular reason. I went to the garage and found the remnants of my '87 GT Pro Freestyle Tour. It was missing both wheels, the seat post, seat, and strange things like the left pedal and the upper gyro plate. What the hell happened to my upper gyro plate and left pedal? I'll never know... but in any case, I found bmxmuseum.com and have been buying parts to restore it. Well, that shit was taking too long. So I broke down and bought a used 2010 DK Opsis off of Austin Craigslist in the meantime (I'm still putting together my 87 PFT, but damn those old parts are pricey!)

     I got on the Opsis about a month ago, and holy shit it felt weird. I thought I'd just jump on and be pulling boomerangs and decades by the end of the week... hoping it'd all 'just come back to me', but nope. I found I could barely pop a wheelie! After a few sessions, I got to the point where I could kinda do a stupid tailwhip. I'm riding maybe 30-45 minutes a few times a week right now. Well, after a 5-6 more sessions, I finally pulled off a damn tailwhip, and I'm thinking... wow, this would be so much better if I had someone to ride with... not one of those crazy 18 year olds that can spin forever on one wheel (not that there's anything wrong with that!), but someone that's sorta starting out. That's when I came across your video. And wow, was that ever inspiring! Then I found out that you ride in Austin! I'm in Round Rock. I know, it's all the way across town, but I think I can get down to the OG on Saturday afternoons. Disclaimer: I'm super terrible right now. ;)
     At my high point (20 years ago) I could do decades, whiplashes, elephant glides, side glides, hang fives, fire hydrants, backyards, frontyards... a lot of crap. And like I said, now I can barely pull off tailwhips! But watching videos like yours (and axlepeg's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNS7mfu2Hpo) really keep me motivated.


     Just wondering... how many old guys (30+) are out there riding at the OG? I don't wanna embarrass myself... haha.


-Rob

My Blog: http://mrkatsu.blogspot.com/

What am I up to right now?: twitter.com/robnava

Mail Bag/Trick of the Month Update - Frank Macchio

Today I recieved a great update for trick of the month with a great email attached. Thanks Frank!

decade!!!! an trick of the month

Hey rad dad what up! I wrote to you a while back and just wanted to say i love bmx freestyler. now i just wanted to say thanks for the trick of the month. it really helps i watch it like million times then go do it!!.. cheek out my video it has one at the end as for the other stuff its skuffing in puddles i guess i just wanted to ride even if its raining or wet ahah...
also i would like to ask for a trick of the month for steamroller bar-flips ahahah i just cant do this trick if you guys broke it down i would watch it million times an ma by do it. but its been killing me for looooooooong timeeeee

BMX Freestyler Mail Bag

Every once in awhile I get a email that just really makes my day. This is one of those emails that I wanted to share with everyone.  Thanks Matt!!

Hello Texas, hello rad dad !

I`ve been watching your Page for quite a while now. Man - it ROCKS! I used to do FAT BMX Magazine with Bart de Jong when it was still a xerox zine and I am still supporting it, maybe you know the page. I`m a 40 plus Flatlander, and still ride. That`s why I respect your scene there so much. Old school, new school,big or skinny, black or white, brakes or not and everything in between. That`s what makes Flatland such a unique sport / culture. And your little scene on the other side of the planet represents this. I`ve been around the globe on my bike and actually never seen such a scene so mixed as yours. Maybe the southbank scene when I lived in London.

Anyway I just wanted to pay some respect to you guys. I`ll organize a comp next summer here in Germany, maybe someone of you guys want to come over, enjoy some Bratwurst and Sauerkraut, take a look at the bavarian culture and spin a little on the german soil.

Greets,

Matt Pingel, Curb Dogs Germany

http://www.matt-pingel.com/

http://www.matt-holiday.com/