Mike Smith
Posted on February 23, 2007 @ 10:29 AM
Name?Mike Smith.
Age?21.
Home?Hedley Down, Hampshire.
Job?Bike Mechanic at Cycleworks in Haslemere, Surrey.
Sponsors?DMR, DirtyHabit, SixSixOne, Profile.
How long have you been riding and did you ever make a conscious
decision that you wanted to be a trails rider?
I have been riding bikes for about seven years and got into trail riding through Ollie Wilkins, who invited me down to his trails at Milford getting on for six years ago. Watching him made me think I would like to ride more trails, so no real conscious decision, just a natural progression I guess.
How long have you been riding for DMR bicycles?It must be about four years. I was invited to the first KOD national series comp, myself and Ollie Wilkins went along, they liked our riding and we were picked up there.
You have a background in gymnastics, how does this benefit your riding?I can’t believe you asked that question! Now people will think I’m into tights and tutus! I haven’t done it for some time but when I was younger I did a lot. It is a massive asset. Spatial awareness and strength are two of the biggest advantages, you know where you are throughout a spin or flip and you have the strength to do limb tricks and I think it is just a good base to build a strong body from.
Is there anything that you are really picky about when it comes to setting up your bike?Not really, I just like it to be clean, I like it to work and feel really solid. You get on some peoples’ bike and they are just hanging, it feels all loose and sloppy. I like mine to be tight and together and just work, as it should do. A bike is designed to work, so you might as well get the best out of it.
What is your favourite part on your bike?I think probably the front hub, only because it stands out from everything and everyone else. It’s a difficult question though because I have a setup that just seems to work. The frame is spot on, I really like the geometry and all the little trick bits do their job perfectly. I don’t stick anything on unless it serves a purpose and serves it well.
Are there any personal modifications that you have made to your
bike?
I guess the stickers. They are limited edition so they match my hub and are different from everyone else’s. I like it to have a bike that is unique even if it is in the small details. As soon as I get a new frame through I’ll put the ASP mounts upside down so the brake can run on the underside of the frame. DMR frames are unique in this feature, it keeps things out the way, looks cleaner and there is less chance of them being ripped off.
How much input do you and the rest of the DMR team riders have in frame and component design?I would like to think a lot. Product development is one of the main reasons for having a team such as DMR. The final look of stuff is left to designers Matt and Damo but they do listen to us and take our opinions seriously. The 14mm fork bolt is a good example. I mentioned it to them last year and they went about making a production model and now you can run a BMX hub with no problems and it just gives that extra bit of strength.
We always hear riders talking about gear ratios. For trail riders and you in particular how important is it and what gearing do you run?For UK trail riders I don’t see it being that big an issue because trails nowadays are so well built for flow that you shouldn’t really need to pedal in between jumps. Myself, I run the same ratio that I always have which is 36/16 or 25/11 micro drive. I don’t see it to be that big an issue more personal preference but this is what you’ll find on most trail bikes.
What are the benefits to micro drive?It just keeps things tucked up and out of the way. If you’re banging around on some street stuff or hang up a jump real bad the chainring isn’t so big so it’s less likely to be broken. It looks cleaner as well but there is the drawback that because of it being smaller it is spinning more therefore wears out quicker.
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Do you prefer steel or aluminium?
I prefer steel. More flex and less chance of catastrophic failure. Steel bends, aluminium snaps, and that’s not what you want to happen when a landing goes a bit wrong…
Do you go for lightweight or strength?It is a bit of a compromise really. My frame is pretty light but super strong and I run rigid forks to cut the weight a bit as well. It helps to have a light bike for tricks and spins. It is easier to manoeuvre and also to throw away if it all goes wrong.
What parts do you break the most often?That’s a hard question. I have a pretty strong setup at the moment and haven’t broken anything for a while. The last thing I broke was a DMR Chieftan 3–piece crank, and that was only after it had been on numerous bikes and was four years old! More breakages tend to come from bailing and throwing your bike away than from hard riding.
Do you do all the work on your own bike?Yes, being a mechanic at Cycleworks in Haslemere I do all the work on my bike and everyone else whose ride ends up in the shop.
Is there any favourite thing to do? Wheels, just threading away, they are therapeutic really.What is your favourite trick?
Probably flips or a variation of a flip, you are going in a straight line so they look a bit cleaner than twists. Recently I have been working on my flow rather than big tricks because that is what makes the UK trail scene unique.
Would you say flow is the biggest difference between the UK and US riders?I would say yes. A lot of UK riders have a background in BMX trails where knees in, tucked up over jumps and staying tight is most important. Hucking comes from the States where a big bag of tricks is what people want to see. They do have a lot of big tricks dialled, but between the jumps they often are all loose and look a bit kooky. Trails in the UK are built different than those Stateside. They maybe aren’t as big and crazy but they are big enough and far more technical.
Another big difference between the UK and the US is the 24”/26” debate.Again, I think it goes back to a BMX background. There are some super stylish 26” riders but this size wheel lends itself more to downhill or big bumpy tracks. I just think of it as using the best tool for the job and for trails it is undoubtedly 24”. For the big freeride events 26” is the way to go and probably full suspension.
You also ride downhill and BMX, do you try to mix it up between the
three and do you have any particular favourite?
Any type of riding helps your overall skill. I try to get out on my downhill bike a couple times a week and the same for my jump bike. BMX has taken a bit of a back seat but I still enjoy it when I go out. Trails would have to be my favourite because its what I do and I’m good at it. Downhill comes a close second as it is probably the scariest and most gnarly but if I was better at it I would try and do more. I love the speed and feeling on the edge.
A number of British trail riders have made the move up to big freeride events, do you see yourself entering any of these events?I thought about it and thought I would enjoy it, but like I said before, you have to move up to 26” and full suspension and I like the smaller bike, and a lot of riders must just be nutting themselves and I want to stay in one piece.
Getting laid or getting on your bike?Getting laid on my bike would be best, I’ll have to work on that one, but ultimately if a girl tries to get between me and my bike the bike is gonna win every time.
Yeah, big one to Ian, Matt and Damo at DMR. Also, Sam at Profile and Matt at MMA for the SixSixOne support and especially Mum and Dad for the trips to the hospital and all their other help.
