Sweet title eh? But anyway, I’ve been meaning to start this thread for a while. What happened to big street? Like big old set jumps and rail grinds. All street vids now seem to be flatland and flips. It’s what some of our top riders are showing now and I can understand how it makes sense to model riding after them. I can also understand the convenience of just messing around in your driveway vs. going to a venue but it seems like I haven’t seen anything big in a while (except for Anthony’s fakie 7 set 180, which was just ridiculous). I don’t mind flatland and flippy stuff, and in fact I like it but big street is still my favorite. And I’m not saying there should just be big street but a good balance. I haven’t ridden a lot lately (school) but thats how I ride, with a mix. Flatland/flip in the driveway then big stuff when I go for a real ride. I’m just wondering on others’ thoughts and also if there is anyone out there still going big. Kevin, Mike, Anthony, old Shaun, old Alex, where have you gone?
i have started getting into rails again. but stair sets… theres only so much you can do, without messing up your cranks. and i like having straight cranks for once.
maybe im getting soft in my old age, but at the moment, im just expanding my array of tricks… and you cant do that down 8 stair sets. give it time
going big is too easy i guess, riders can go more technical which shows their skills (and takes more effort overall) and like Alex Toms says, its cheaper too - not having to buy more replacement parts for your uni.
Thats the problem with going Big all the time - in under 6 months i have killed 2 kh seats (one completely and one just the strengthener plate), 2 sets of metal pedals, 2 seat posts, one frame and my ankle. Apart from upgrading to top of the line components (CF seatbase) theres nothing you can do to stop breaking stuff. Still, i like to see people go big and like going big too (gotta find a reasonably sized 11 set )
can’t say i have ever tried to grind a handrail, but give me a few months and im sure i would have hurt myself doing those too
I think its just a phase we’re going through, probably coming from flip tricks and shaun johanesson and stuff. I think big is better and I do alot of it. And if you’re worried about breaking parts, just get quality parts and they wont break. Yeah to me tech stuff is pretty boring, Id rather see someone 360 a 7 set than trey- quadrouple flip on flat.
I’m still here!
I havn’t ridden in a while due to my uni being completely wasted, and the strengnth of my ankle being questionable. but i’m working on that. my main goal for this summer is to go back and ride out the kink on the big 16 rail.
I don’t think hucker style street will ever die, to me it’s much more fun to watch, and ride. you just can’t get the amazing adrenaline rush from hopping around on flat ground as you can from floating down a case. True, it’s not for everyone, and it is hard on equipment, but their will always be street riders out there who need the “fix”.
y noy stop the fuden and the fussin’ and get down to some loven then big street and tech suff kan have a child and kall it big tech or tech street or dead street or something catchy
I totaly agree, I’m really itchen to see some riding like that of Kevin Mcmullin and his huge tire grab down sets, slick handrails and getting his uni stuck :p. I have been trying to do bigger stuff but with busted cranks I must admit it is harder. Still once my next vid is done you will have a few grinds down an 8 set, hopefully a tire grab or something down an 8, the biggest I have jumped is still a 7 but only due to current physical conditions.
Aye, man. I’m with you on this one. Except I’m more like nothing anywhere then big stuff on rides. I like how you said REAL rides.
All this flippy shit is impressive and all but it just aint monopoly. When I saw Universe2 I went straight out to jump off big stuff. Then I learned to get up (kinda) big stuff too. When I saw Defect I thought “Hmmm, very impressive. But I don’t have any urge to learn any of that stuff.”
And I still aint learned any of it. Or anything else new. Apart from grinds. I just keep doing big stuff. Kinda had to tame it down a bit tho cos I DO keep breaking PROPER trials equipment cos my technique is shit and I am heavy (man) Also broken bones hurt too much and take too long to heal at my age.
I like that too. Hucker street style will never die! And neither will the wicked clowns!
I would say my Muni style is “big mother hucker” cos I find riding along courses quite boring. XC Muni? Pish. I just like riding over/down/through/off things that look like you couldn’t ride over/down/through/off them. Like the big huge pile of gravel I found that features in my BUC film.
The problem with this is that when I’ve done something big thats it done and I need something bigger. Be it Muni or trials/street.
At the end of the day guys, like mike said, it’s a matter of opinion. I like to see both Big and tech stuff, I think that is mainly why street came about, so that people could enjoy the big gapping and drops of trials whilst enjoying the flair and technique of freestyle. I personally believe, as it was commented in a previous thread, that drops aren’t all that impressive and that it is far more impressive to see someone jump up a ledge than jump down it.
It’s a mix of cost and what not. Any rail under 10 stairs, as long as not super steep is easy. Tire grabbing isn’t even that tricky either, but the next step in tricks with a rail is a huge gap with difficulty, so it’s not done. Flipping 8 sets, 180 flipping, and hick flipping 5 set, is huge to me. Jumping or even 180ing big sets isn’t hard at all, it’s just a big drop. 3ing 6 sets isn’t even difficult, it’s just the landing to make it look good. Going big wihtout tech mostly is easy, only like 12,13, set rails are sick without any tricks in it. Other than that it’s like “whatev” been done. If you’re going to throw down big make it a run, much more impressive. (And ballsy, if you misse the run you’ld have to do the banger again, not good).
-Shaun Johanneson
Hey, sorry I’ve taken so long to reply, but I am currently in Kenya, with rare internet access. I’m glad to see this thread. I myself was thinking that “Big Street” was losing some of its popularity, but I think it’s in a transfer stage. I think that people have realized that most of the tricks that I have done down big sets aren’t really that hard. A lot of people are capable of them, but then it gets boring to watch them over and over. Shaun, I liked your post by the way, I think most of it could be directed right at me, at least for my part in Defect, some big tricks, but fairly easy. The thing is that new, harder, more technical tricks need to be done. Shaun is of course the leader in these, but everyone else is getting right there with him. My uni has been out of commission for a while because of some misfortunes trying to hop over a 9 set rail, but I’m happy to say that I’m back in now and am myself finally getting all this new school flippy stuff down. So in the last little while, everyone has been learning the tech tricks, and now we’re seeing some people throw it down sets. Shaun, 180 flip and hickflip down 5 might be huge for now, but watch out buddy, there’s some people who are ready to go bigger soon.
So basically what I’ve said is that in the last little while, people have been learning to tricks that we are going to see get thrown huge. It’s going back to Big Street, worry not. Can’t wait to see everyone at UNICON!
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