This may not be the coolest bike in BMX…

If you don’t shoot BMX photos you will undoubtedly be appalled by this monstrosity. And I’m not talking about the gel seat, the towering seat post, the caliper brake or indeed the mag wheel. Pannier bags on a BMX bike? Mock you will, but I challenge anyone to carry around heavy photography gear on their back every day through countless city streets for a month long road trip without ending up in traction the following week. Try doing this every other month of the year and you’ll soon get a flavor for what us photographers are up against.

The amount of times I have literally been overtaken by a group of BMX’ers and left behind in the middle of some strange city due to being loaded up like pack mule. Screaming at the top of my lungs;  “WAIT UP!” Eventually turning up an hour or so later at some spot only to be asked; “Where did you get to?”  You bastards know who you are! 

This method of carrying around equipment may not appeal to everyone. The burlier photographers amongst us don’t seem to mind the more traditional camera back pack. But I’m not exactly built for strapping huge backpacks to. See, I’m skinny: my whole family are skinny, pale & weak. It’s genetic, either that or a bad Northern Irish diet. I did however manage to suffer through it for years but I’m not getting any younger and camera manufacturers are oblivious to my plight. (It’s almost 2010 would someone please invent lighter battery packs!) So I devised this radical system. *Snacks up front, camera gear in the back! My back is **bending over backwards thanking me for this. The only downside to this is stopping. I’m considering getting disc brakes fitted as slowing this tanker down is akin to slowing down a juggernaut!

*I’m not kidding about the snacks up front.
**Not in the literal sense.

Some have said, why not just get a mountain bike? Well, apart from Mountain bikes being totally lame I’d almost certainly be ousted by the BMX community and at the same time get shit from mountain bikers for hanging out with BMXers. Double whammy. Mountain bikes are so much bigger and therefore a hassle to travel with, wether it be planes or getting them in the back of cars etc. Whereas a BMX is a cinch to break down and put in a bike bag. Also, I have a quick release clamp that attaches to the seat post/handlebars that enables me to take them off and ride if I choose. Best of both worlds. 

There you go. You’ve seen it here first. For better of for worse!   

P.S. if I happen to overtake you cruising down the street don’t get pissed off… - Ricky Adam

Name: Ricky Adam
Sponsors: The free box that sits in the DIG office.
Your height? Probably too big to ride a BMX bike.

Frame: Ricky Feather’s old We The People ‘Phoenix’
Fork: Odyssey trail forks courtesy of Jim Bauer.
Bars: Attila Hot bars. I ended up swapping these bars & stem off Cleggy in exchange for a free coaster that I somehow ended up with.
Panniers and bags: Topeak
Grips: Animal Edwin D. (Best grips ever!).
Bar ends: Animal
Stem: Attila top loader
Brake Lever: Dia-Tech 99
Brake: Some crappy no name caliper off an old mountain bike I found in the cellar of our old place.
Seat: This is actually a United seat but with a Gel Tech seat cover for extra comfort.
Seat Post: Huge! No name pivotal with about 3 inches left in the frame just in case.
Clamp: Coalition
Cranks: We The People (I can’t get these suckers out!)
Sprocket: We The People 28 tooth
Pedals: Gusset
Chain: H.D.P.
Rear Wheel: We The People
Front Wheel: Skyway
Pegs: None
Rear Tyre: Hoffman Skidmark
Front Tyre: Tioga Comp 3
Weight of bike: Fully loaded with camera gear you will definitely make a loud grunting sound trying to pick it up. Without the camera gear you will be able to lift it over you head with minimal effort.

Modifications:
I was forced to drill a hole for the rear caliper brake as Ricky Feather cut the brake lugs off! Also the addition of pannier bags to the rear and a handlebar bag up front.

Describe your personal bike setup:
This frame belonged to a really good rider and was then passed onto me… a not so good rider. This ride is set up for comfort not tricks. And I can take it apart with 3 allen keys which is handy when traveling.

Describe the contents of your personal bike tool bag: 
On the underside of my pannier bag there is a pull out plastic drawer which contains a puncture kit and allen keys. In the front pocket there’s a pump. Basic stuff which is almost never used by myself, mostly other riders. If I had a dollar for every patch I’ve given away…

What part do you wear through the quickest?
Um thats a tricky one? I did change the rear brake cable about 2 years ago apart from that I’d say the rear tyre which I changed about 5 years ago.

What part do you break most often?
I’m generally not too hard on parts. Twice though British Airways have ripped my bike bag. The wheel axle tore through the fabric.

Do you patch flat tyres or get new tubes?
Always patch.

Which parts are you paranoid about breaking?
I’m super paranoid about my chain snapping cranking down the road especially with all the extra strain due to the weight of camera equipment.

Where do your parts go when you’re done with them? 
I get quite a lot of new parts which you may think is crazy looking at my bike but rather than use them I give them away. I prefer to see good parts being ridden properly by actual BMX’ers.

Who builds your wheels? Anything special about them?
I always get asked about my front mag wheel. We The People made a limited run of a YK-2 bike for some company in Japan. They ordered a bunch of specially colored Skyways from Skyway but the amount of plastic needed to make them meant that they had 20 or 30 pairs left over. I was lucky enough to obtain a set. The rear Skyway wheel is in my basement. The hubs are amazing! Sealed they spin super smooth and have allen key bolts. The rear wheel is also a We The People but is a prototype it also has allen key bolts. I’ve had it for years and it’s still straight even after all the bumping up curbs with a heavy backpack on.

Cassette or freecoaster?
Cassette because it’s all I have ever known. I think a freecoaster on a photographer’s bike is just asking to be pitched over the bars into oncoming traffic.

Kevlar bead or regular bead?
I’ve been running my trusty comp 3 up front for years and the Hoffman skid mark on the back for over 5. I don’t have a preference really.

Plastic pedals or metal?
I do like plastic pedals because they are light and I could get a pair to match my front wheel. There is a pair of orange (Animal/Nike 6.0 ltd edition) plastic pedals sitting in the DIG office which I keep asking Will about but he’s not giving them up too easily! They are the ‘exact’ match my front mag. For now I’ll stick with my metal ones until he breaks.

Photos by Ricky Adam