Treating some of the most random objects as rideable obstacles is Mike Mastroni’s specialty. And his welcome to the Volume team web edit that dropped a few months ago was a really good indication of just how unique his approach to riding his everyday surroundings is. One specific clip that garnered a lot of attention was the handlebar grind. If you haven’t seen the edit, then I bet “handlebar grind” caught your interest, and if you have seen it, then I’m sure you remember it…
Here is Mike mid way through the grind where he's about to lift up into a manual and turn his bars to avoid the upright pole in the lower left corner. All photos: Zielinski
Was the handlebar grind one of those things that you were looking for the right setup to try, or did the idea just hit you when you were at the spot?
I hadn’t had the idea previously so I wasn’t looking for a setup specifically for it. The first time I went to that spot I immediately thought to just manual through it, which I ended up filming and not really being that stoked on it. It felt cool and everything, but the space just wasn’t tight enough for it to really convey well in the clip. Then a couple weeks later I was reviewing some of my footage and the idea just hit me, but I had no idea if it would actually work.
Did you have to do any prep for the setup to work?
The first time around I just cruised over to the spot by myself to even see if it was at all feasible. I peeled my grips back and quickly figured out that since the rails were square, my bar ends would hold me just enough from slipping off side to side and keep me centered, but I needed to throw on some slightly wider bars to make it work since the rails varied slightly in spacing. The one I filmed worked perfectly because the rails were painted, but when I went back to shoot the photo they were all rusty from scratching them so they didn’t slide anymore. A quick trip to the Mexican corner store and one 69 cent Virgin Mary candle later and we were golden.
I wonder what this does for throttle grip?
There was a little step at the beginning of the platform that you had to hop up to get into the trick, which I think is something some people didn’t notice, so they thought you just rode right into it…
Yeah, it was only about a curb height or so, but it was there. That part freaked me out a little because no matter how far in towards the crossbar I held my hands, the reality was still jumping in the air and having to land on two very small spots that were very, very, close to my fingers. I did actually miss a couple times, but luckily nothing bad really happened besides a cut on my pinky.
I think my favorite part of the trick is when you had to do that turnbar manual to link between the break in the rail…
That was actually probably the hardest part besides hopping into the grind. I kept looping out in transition because it was super hard and awkward feeling to pull upwards into a manual from a resting position in which my bike was already an angle greater than what I would probably be at for a normal manual in the first place.
Mike's first and only hand model gig...
I’ve heard people say things like, “That was the most original thing I’ve seen in a long time.” While other people said, “That’s not even a trick.” What are thoughts on the contrasting reactions?
Well to those who were stoked on it, thank you! And to the naysayers, I’m gonna go with…it’s obviously a trick because it’s freestyle riding, man. However in a sense they are kinda right because it’s something that takes a special set of circumstances to make it work, and definitely isn’t so much an acquired skill. On the other hand, there are plenty of other tricks that require very particular spots and circumstances, like say rollercoaster grinds.
I think Joey Piazza did a handlebar grind on monkey bars a while ago, did you ever see that one?
The way I’ve seen Joey do it involves him getting his body to one side of his bike and leaning his bike over to grind one side of his bars on a single rail, like on the bend. I wasn’t sure, though, so just watched both of his parts in the two AM:PM videos we have here at the house and I didn’t see one similar. So, no, I haven’t seen him do one that involved two rails and both sides of the bars, but if I’m wrong, fill me in…
I’ve heard talk, mostly just the “Imagine if it was possible…” kind of talk about headtube grinds and bike grinds (where the bike is turned 90 degrees, laid flat, and grinds/slides across the frame tubes) have you ever thought about grinding any of the other not so typically grinded components of a bike?
Yeah, I’ve heard a lot to talk about headtube/stem grinding (Seth Kimbrough did do a stem stall to fakie which in my opinion is one of the coolest things ever) and even downtube stuff, which also seems like it could be possible. I’ve thought about and nerded-out a bunch with Tate [Roskelley] on weird frame grinds and stuff that could be possible for sure, and I actually think I have a pretty solid idea for one…but whether it will work or not is an entirely different story…
Here is the complete Volume edit for those of you who might have missed it…
TAGS: Handlebar Grind, Mike Mastroni, New Trick, The Friday Interview, Volume
