Age: 25
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 165 lbs.
Location: Springfield, Ohio
Sponsors: Act Like You Know, Skavenger, Dub BMX, Lotek
Interview and photos by Devon Denham
Two grind machines...
Frame: Skavanger Tunnel 21”
Fork: Skavenger Flat Iron
Bars: Animal Bob Scerbo
Stem: Animal Ten Year Top Load
Grips: Cult
Barends: Old School Haro Barends w/Crank Spacer
Headset: Impact
Seatpost: Animal Wedge
Seat: Shadow Conspiracy
Cranks: Subrosa Bitchin’
Sprocket: Animal Vinnie
Chain: Cult
Front Tire: Animal GLH 2.1”
Front Wheel: Simple Eject Hub/Animal Rim
Rear Tire: Wethepeople Feeling Folding Tire 1.9”
Rear Wheel: Primo Mix Cassette/Animal Rim
Pedals: Animal Hamilton
Hub Guard: United (Left) FBM (Right)
Pegs: Animal Butcher
Modifications/Other/Extras:
I inside laced the back wheel so I have more clearance for my hubguards. I use crank spacers to make my bars an inch longer since the stock 25 inches is just a little too narrow for me. FBM hub guard is grinded out to fit over my driver on the right side.
Which parts do you go through the most?
This year I’ve been going through cranks like crazy. Usually I go through forks quick, but the Skavanger ones hold up really well.
Describe your bike setup and how you like your bike to feel…
Four pegs and no brakes. I like a long back end and my bars not super high. I like my chain to be tight and my tires aired way up so it bounces like a basketball.
You travel to NYC a bunch. Do you see yourself living there in the future?
Yeah, I could see myself living in New York if it wasn’t so expensive to live there. I’m sure I’ll end up moving there sooner than later.
Whips at Warner and ROHS.
Do you have any trips planned for 2012?
Just back and forth to New York every month or so. Hopefully coming out to Cali soon, too.
You had an epic part in the Act Like You Know video Still Here. What went into filming your part? Are you working on a new part at the moment?
Originally I wasn’t going to have a section in Still Here, but after meeting Brandon and riding with everyone a few times and getting clips so quickly it evolved into me having a full part. I think my whole section was filmed in about four months. Right now we all are working on ALYK3 No Days Off. Everyone has been pretty focused on getting clips for it. I’m pretty excited for everyone to see the end result.
You are known for your wide variety of grinds on rails and ledges. Do you have a favorite grind, and what type of setups do you tend to look for?
Crooked grinds are and always have been my favorite grind. No better feeling than locking into a good one and just grinding. I like to look for harder to ride or weird setups—stuff with runway or run out problems. Anyone can do tricks on a perfect rail so I like the more awkward setups.
I’ve picked up on your love for wrestling. Who’s your favorite wrestler, and why?
Razor Ramon aka Scott Hall is my favorite by far! He is just so funny with his promos and the fact that he is such a drunken drug addict amuses me to no end.
In/out ice.
Tell me why you run four pegs?
I started riding four pegs forever ago because I wanted to be able to ride more spots. I’d see a cool ledge and couldn’t grind it because I only had left side pegs. Over time I got really into doing tricks using all the pegs and being equally proficient on either side. I like grinding so the more options the better.
Are you for or against plastic bike parts, and why?
For the longest time I was against plastic pegs because they didn’t last long and steel is real. I got a set of Butcher pegs over the summer and instantly was in love with them. They make grinding so consistent. So many new setups are available with plastic pegs that can’t be ridden with steel. I’ve gotten to ride really good aluminum rail setups with plastic pegs that I wouldn’t be able to ride before. I’m back to riding steel pegs now, but I’m a huge fan of plastics and keep a set in my car.
Why did you switch back to metal pegs?
Crooked Grinds. The lack of friction with a plastic peg changes the lock-in balance point of crooked grinds. I like to lock into long crooked grinds instead of shorter trick-in-and-out crooks, so metal pegs work best for me.
Here’s Ryan’s section from Act Like You Know’s Still Here. If you’ve already seen it then you know it’s worth watching again, and you haven’t, then what are you waiting for?
TAGS: Bike Check, Features, Ryan Howard
