Kevin Porter’s Fly Tierra

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Tue, Apr 3 2012 1:55 pm | Comments

Name: Kevin Thomas Porter
Age: 29
Height: 5’11″
Weight: 170lbs
Location: Long Beach, California
Sponsors: Flybikes, Empire BMX, Intelligentsia Coffee, Shakespeare’s Pub, and QuintinCo.

Frame: Flybikes Tierra V5, 21″ top tube
Fork: Flybikes Agua, 32° offset
Bars: Flybikes Tierra
Stem: Flybikes Alta
Grips: Flybikes Fino
Barends: Flybikes plastic
Headset: Flybikes
Clamp: Integrated
Seat: Flybikes Dos 5
Seatpost: Flybikes Tripod
Pedals: Flybikes graphite Ruben pedals
Cranks: Flybikes Dolmen 175mm
Sprocket: Flybikes Pentagono, 30t tooth
Chain: Odyssey Bluebird
Front Tire: Flybikes Rampera, 2.35″
Rear Tire: Flybikes Campillera, 2.15″
Rear Wheel: Profile Cassette with 10t driver, Flybikes front rim
Front Wheel: Flybikes Front Hub to a Flybikes front rim

Which version of the Tierra are you on now?
This is the 5th version, the 2012 model. It’s sweet!

So how have your bikes changed over the years and specifically, now?
We’ve changed the tubing a little bit each time, switched up the diameters, just little adjustments to make the bike better and better each year. We have the new invest casting dropouts that are sleeker than ever, which is pretty cool. It’s super dialed now. Five versions of a signature frame; of course it is going to get better and better each year. I love my bike!

Is there anything on your bikes you’re very particular about?
I’m super particular about grips. I love the Fino grips because they’re nice and thin and they wear in perfectly. They’re not too hard in the beginning ether.

I’m also a stickler about seats. I feel the whole look of the bike comes down to the seat. I’m really excited about the new Tripod system and Dos seat which is an awesome idea. The seat is the perfect shape. There are three different types, and I’m riding the middle one, the 5mm, which is perfect for me. It has just enough padding and is completely awesome!

You’ve been brakeless for two and a half years now but would still run brakes when riding larger sets of trails and Dew Tour courses–how nice is it to have the EBS system on your bike for that purpose?
Man, having to the EBS (EASY BRAKE SYSTEM) to toss on and off your bike is really convenient. It takes less then 2 minutes to mount or dismount your whole brake system. When I ride large jumps or trails brakeless I want to be relaxed, if I’m not feeling relaxed when I get to the trials its nice to have brakes to back me up.

Your bars are still fairly average sized while many are heading towards the 9 and even 10 inch range. How does your bar size play into the handling of your frame specifically?
How I came up with the size of my bars is interesting. Much like on a road bike you want to have an even weight distribution between your feet and hands. The object is to not have too much weight bearing down on one part of your body. I’m always watching these types of things when I pedal down the street. I use my bike to get around a lot. I designed my bike along with my bars. I wanted to take some weight off my wrist when standing up and not pedaling. The bar size I have is a perfect balance of weight for my height. My wrists do some work but not all of it.

Kevin Porter, tuck no hander on the east side of Los Angeles. Photo: Brady

How do you decide on the colors?
I always try to go with what I’m doing at the time. The blue bike, for example…I was moving to California and it really went with that. It sort of had an ocean feel to it…that’s sort of how my color schemes go. The one I’m riding now is a replica of a bike I had years ago–my favorite bike growing up.

It’s got a super classic look to it.
Yeah. It’s a replica of my first real BMX bike, with the gum and chrome and black and all of that.
Any sort of changes you’re looking to make in the future to your setup?
This is crazy! But I’m thinking of trying to run some pegs. I’ve been playing with other people’s bikes and doing smith grinds and feeling like I want to experiment a little. I’ve never been a peg grinder because it’s so brutal–so this should be interesting.