If you have been around BMX long enough, you know that trends and fads come and go pretty frequently. It can be tricky keeping up with the current flavor of the week, but it’s not always as easy as you might think to get BMX riders, brands, shops, distributors, media and more on board with something new. There’s a resistance to change in BMX that is pretty apparent.

As BMX Union closes in on 10 years of existence, we’ve been thinking about all of the changes we’ve seen in that time. The bikes are different, the Pro riders are different, the brands have evolved and changed (for the better, mostly), the way products are bought and sold has changed, the way you consume the ever evolving media content has changed and the style of riders has completely changed. Change has happened and depending on your view of a glass of water, you could feel that BMX is the best it has ever been or it could be a complete dumpster fire. Alright, that’s a little extreme, but there are definitely people that would love to see things like “the good old days” and not this current state of BMX.

What really got us thinking about this started last year when Eclat introduced their 25.4mm bars and stem, and how it got this crazy reaction that was all over the board. Some people loved it, others had no problem announcing that they thought it was a completely shit idea. There were a lot of people floating around in the middle, too. Then the other day BSD announced they were giving it a shot as well, and it reignited the same exact reaction we saw a few months prior. Except, it was kind of weird how it was responded to. On our Facebook page, we had a ton of comments that ranged from positive to negative, but many were negative and against this new option. If you checked BSD’s Instagram, it was a completely different story. Comments were positive, kids wanted to know when they could get it and there wasn’t much for negative feedback. On the negative side, one of the most common responses we saw was “why fix what isn’t broken?”, which is pretty common when it comes to something “new” when it comes to products in BMX. I don’t think anyone can deny that BMX bikes have never been better than what we have today. The manufacturing process is much, much better. The materials are dialed in. We are seeing micro adjustments in geometry versus drastic changes. It can be hard to make out differences from one brands product to another because it has become pretty dialed in. Having a rider endorse a product over another can make the difference of one product selling and another, almost identical, to only do okay.

At the same time, we have also heard a lot of riders starting to complain that things are getting boring. Products are too similar, there’s nothing that stands out, everyone has pretty similar color options. Yeah, sure, there’s a good chance we have a over saturated BMX frame market…. But then a brand like Nowear release a frame like their Mike DiNello frame that completely breaks away from the mold and you get this crazy reaction. Instantly, the majority hate it because it looks different. I won’t lie, I thought it was a little out there when I saw it the first few times. I really didn’t think it would take off. What’s really crazy? They’ve sold quite a few of them so far. So, maybe this crazy idea wasn’t quite as crazy as people thought and taking a shot at something different actually appealed to people.

Thinking back, we have seen a lot of things that have seen a lot of resistance. Remember when bars hit 8″ and above for the first time? People were losing their minds over the change because it was different. Why would anyone want to ride 10″ bars that are 30″ wide? It looks ridiculous! But, after that initial reaction had hit, 9″ and 10″ rise bars became pretty common and now you’re the crazy one for riding anything smaller than 8″.

What about girl pants? That was a weird time. We had riders going from baggy pants to skin tight pants that were probably a size or 3 too small for people. There was a lot of resistance to that one, but now days baggy pants are pretty ridiculous and snugger (not as snug as before) pants are pretty much the norm. That one was probably a bigger thing for fashion than BMX, but it still had it’s mini explosion that caught hell in the BMX world.

Plastic pedals? Plastic pegs? That battle was one that probably should go down in the history books as BMX’s own Civil War. There was A LOT of back and forth over plastic pedals and pegs and it was oddly enough tied back to a riders manhood. Either you rode metal… or you were a pussy that rode plastic! Wait, what? How the hell does that even work? But people got over it and now look, there are way more plastic pedals and peg options than there are metal. At least it seems that way. We haven’t gone through to actually count the options. Regardless, pedals are cheaper and grinds are smoother because the resistance to plastic didn’t last. That’s coming from somebody that has metal pedals and metal pegs still…

How about freecoasters? Those weren’t an overnight success by any means. In fact, some people were calling people that rode a freecoaster cheaters because it made going backwards easy! Sure, it was in part a problem with the reliability of the actual hub that really kept it from catching steam. Then all of the sudden it seemed like every single brand was making a freecoaster and it was almost weird to hear the sound of clicking from a hub when you were catching a session with friends. Once again, there was a lot of resistance. The same could probably be said for every part on your bike. Everything has had evolution of some form that probably made somebody uncomfortable that lead to the “why fix what isn’t broken?” statement. All we know is we have seen some insane things done on a BMX bike because of a freecoaster that we’re positive isn’t cheating…

Shifting gears a little bit to the industry side of things. As technology, social media and the internet has expanded and grown, there has been no shortage of growing pains. Years ago, there was only one way to go. If you were a brand, you sold to distributors and those distributors sold your product to the shops and mail-orders in a specific territory. You don’t have a local shop? Well, pick up the phone or get your stamps out and mail-in your order to Dan’s, Empire (Trend?) or Albe’s… Maybe hop on that super slow internet connection and make it happen that way. As technology advanced, the world of business sped up exponentially, the way people started to buy and sell things changed. I don’t remember the exact year, but I remember Eastern Bikes made the decision to also sell their products on their website and all hell broke loose. Shops refused to carry them, distributors dropped them, riders revolted. Why would you give people another way to buy your products when there are no other options? Believe it or not, as e-commerce was just starting to really take shape, that was the biggest act of treason you could have committed when it came to BMX business. Even to this day there is still resistance to brands selling direct from their websites, but we have seen the tone change. There are only a handful of BMX brands that don’t have their products available on their websites. There are a TON of bike shops that also have online stores, giving them the opportunity to sell to people globally, not just people within their local reach. Should brands support the shops and distributors? Of course. Should riders support local shops? OF COURSE. Is it that easy? Of course not. The vast majority of shops only carry a small selection of products a brand offers. It would be impossible for them to carry every single product every single brand makes. The same goes for distributors. It’s not like a brand can make anything and everything and know they will be able to sell everything to their distributors around the world and call it a day. A big part of brands selling on their websites is because there are gaps they need to fill to generate the sales that are necessary to keep doing what they do. They need a place for people to buy the products that their local shop, distributor or mail-order don’t have available. Sure, there are flaws in the system and kinks to be worked out, but it would be insane to avoid selling online.

… By the way, have you given our Store a look?

Some of you might recall the post we did called Maybe It’s Time For BMX To Take A Real Look At Amazon about a year ago. It got people talking about a subject that not too many people really wanted to be public about, but it was being talked about. Selling on Amazon is one of those things that has caused some heavy debates and stress. We actually had a shop email us to tell us that they no longer supported our website because of the post. It turns out that it’s actually another stream to reach potential customers. Especially people who have never really looked at BMX bikes and people who are too lazy to actually shop around. Guess what? More shops and even a few distributors have started selling on Amazon. Does it suck that it messes up the support system? Hell yeah it does… But not doing it just lets the knock of brands make their money and not even give a dime back to BMX. So, why not at least put the actual brands in front of those shoppers?

The point we are getting to is that BMX had seen A LOT of resistance as technology evolved and E-Commerce became a real part of the industry. Sure, there are still people that are out there that absolutely HATE the idea of buying something online… But ask any shop or brand that has added it to their sales plan if it helped. It’s becoming normal. It’s becoming a standard. People are buying and selling differently than they did 10 years ago.

Another interesting aspect that has seen a lot of resistance in BMX is the way media is consumed. When the “print is dead” message started surfacing, there was a lot of speculation. The same could be said for DVD’s. I don’t think many people really expected to see things change the way they did or how fast. sure, there are still people out there that would love to have a print magazine shipped to them so they can check it out while sitting on the toilet. There are still people that want to buy a DVD when it comes out. As times changed and as technology has evolved, it became harder and harder to convince people to buy a magazine with so much free content online. At least to the amount that made publishing one worthwhile and sustainable. We have seen all of the big magazines cease printing, at least as a regular thing. I think BMX Rider Magazine in Europe is one of the last? Maybe a few other smaller ones I’m blanking on here. There are only a handful of actual DVD’s being produced. Digital downloads are becoming more common, but even then it’s hard to sell it. The transition was weird. People lost jobs and budgets were slashed. It took a complete change of direction for everyone. Sure, everyone had their websites but it was more of how do we promote the next issue and convert visitors to paying subscribers versus how do we get as many views and possible on this post on the site to increase ad revenue? It has been a rough transition, some held out better than others. It was one of those evolve or die situations that caused a lot of resistance in BMX. There are stacks of magazines in the office. There’s a DVD rack filled with DVD’s we’ve collected and reviewed over the years. They are rarely looked at because keeping up with the constant flow of videos and online content has become the most efficient and easiest way to reach you guys. Why buy a video when it’ll be online in a few months for free? Do we want to see DVD’s go away? No. We love seeing people put out new videos. We love seeing a bunch of zines popping up. It’s still necessary.

The same could be said for Vlogs. Don’t get us wrong… We aren’t a huge fan of watching somebody talk to themselves and fill us in on every detail of their day that we really don’t care that much about, but it has lead to some pretty interesting content. When Adam LZ started really blowing up, there was a lot of negativity and push back from riders. Nobody expected the Vlogging or Youtube video channel thing to actually be a thing. But now guys like Scotty Cranmer has tweaked things and it’s become way more popular and more bearable in certain aspects and situations. Don’t get us wrong, we will take riding over talking all day, but it’s different and it has lead to some pretty cool things.

There’s a lot more we could go on about, but let’s wrap this up and end this strange rant. What we’re trying to say is that BMX has seen a lot of resistance over the years to change on and off the bike, in real life and online. Yeah, having that guard up has been good to keep some pretty terrible ideas (people, things, etc.) from taking advantage of this sport of ours, but at the same time a lot of the things that have been resisted ended up leading to something good. Products are more dialed than ever, you have more options than ever to buy those parts to keep your bike rolling, you can keep up with every single rider you’re stoked on all day long, watch all of the latest videos — some from riders from some country you have never even imagined had BMX. Maybe not resisting so much and being more open to new ideas or new ways of doing things might not be as bad as it might seem. I mean, had a lot of ideas and ways doing things given up, we might not have it as good as we do today. Do I expect this to change anything? Nope… We’re a stubborn breed that hates being told what to do or think, but it’s what has been on the mind lately. Oh, and that whole 25.4mm thing is a little crazy… But we’ll see what happens!

Let us know what you think in the comments below…

When it comes to keeping your BMX bike dialed in, there are two kinds of people; those who love it and those who hate it. You can usually spot the guys who put a lot of time into keeping their bike dialed in, and then there are those guys who will let it roll until everything falls apart. Some people like having their bike tight and clean, and others don’t mind a little wobble, squeeking and rust. Either way, maintenance is key and if you want to get the most out of all the money that goes into a bike, it’s a good idea to keep a few tools handy and keep up with the maintenance on the bike. With all of the wear, tear and abuse we put the bikes through, it’s inevitable that it will need some TLC. Here are 5 key tips to keeping your bike dialed in.

Keep Your Bolts Tight

If you have rode BMX long enough, you know that bolts can come loose from all the bouncing around and vibrations that are constantly flowing throughout the bike during a session. If you want to keep your bars from slipping forward or back, or having your front wheel alignment go out of whack, your best bet is to take an allen key to your stem bolts on a regular basis. It’s also a good idea to make sure the nuts and bolts on your wheels and cranks are tight as well.

Why is this important? Keeping your bolts tight will ensure you won’t catch any unwanted surprises when you come down from an air, help prevent your wheel from slipping after a grind or even help prevent stripping and wear. If you ride your crank arms loose, that wobble can cause damage to the splines that hold your crank arms in place, making it so they will continue to wobble even if you do tighten the bolts down. Unfortunately that wear leads to needing to buy a new spindle, crank arm or even a whole new set of cranks.

How often should you do this? It’s not something you have to do every single time you ride, but every once in a while take a few minutes to run through your bike and check to make sure you’re all good to go.

Tips? One big tip we have when it comes to tightening bolts down on your bike… Use the correct size allen key or socket. Even if it’s maybe one size too small or too big, you can risk stripping out the bolts and then you’re going to have a hell of a time trying to get the bolts loose or tight in the future. Using the right size allen or socket will save you a lot of headaches in the long run.

Tools: The right size allen keys and sockets. BMX bikes are simple and require minimal tools, so that’s always a perk!

Clean and Grease

Cleaning your bike might not seem like a top priority, especially if you know it’s just going to get dirty again. Despite it not seeming like it’s a big deal, you could find yourself being glad you did. Cleaning your bike will help it run smoother and it will also make sure you don’t have any hidden surprises like cracks that were caked under some mud or old grease you didn’t notice.

One thing you should also do is make sure you are putting a little grease on your bolts to help them tighten and loose easier, along with protect against rust. Rusty bolts can be a huge pain to remove, so don’t be a dry guy and hit your bolts with a little grease.

Also, keeping your chain properly lubricated will help prevent rust, eliminate squeaking and it will help keep the chain running longer because there will be less wear from the friction that you create when pedaling.

Why is this important? Just like your car or really any piece of machinery, it’s important to keep moving metal pieces lubricated and keep bolts greased to make it so they thread on and off smoothly and resist rusting. Removing excess dirt and grease is also important to help your bike running smooth and to see any possible issues from wear.

How often should you do this? This is another thing you don’t have to do all too often. It’s really important to put a dab of grease on all new bolts, so when you’re putting a new part on just take a second and get it done. If your bike gets dirty, for example if you ride trails a lot, then you will want to bump up the frequency of how often you take things apart to clean and re-grease or lubricate things.

Tips? When it comes to greasing the internals on your hubs, try to avoid getting grease on your driver and use something like white lightning instead on the pawls. Sometimes grease can keep your pawls from properly functioning and it will cause uneven wear on the hub shell or you will get some slipping. Also be careful when you’re cleaning your chain not to accidentally get your finger stuck in the sprocket. We’ve seen that happen a few times and it hurts like hell.

Tools: Grease, lubricant like White Lightning and some rags or towels.

Tighten Your Spokes / True Your Wheels

This is one of those things that can be a real pain in comparison to doing something like tightening your bolts. It’s always a good idea to take a minute and check if you have any loose spokes. Your wheels take a hell of a lot of abuse and it’s not uncommon for spokes to come loose or even break and you might not even notice until your rim goes out of true and your tire starts to rub on the frame. One thing to consider is that keeping your wheel true and your spokes tight does require a little bit of patience at the start since learning to properly true a wheel can be tricky.

Why is this important? Keeping your spokes tight and your wheel true is important because your wheels rolling smooth is very important. Loose spokes can cause your wheel to rub or even have a hop that is a huge pain. It also prolongs the life of your rim. If you’re constantly letting your rim get bad before you fix it, there’s a good chance more damage that can be fixed will be done and you will end up buying a new rim. Also, you can blow out spokes easier when they’re loose.

How often should you do this? Keeping your spokes tight isn’t something you will do every time you ride, and you won’t have to true your wheel as often if you keep up with the spokes. However, it’s a good idea to give the spokes a pinch and see how much play they have every once in a while just to make sure they’re still snug. Even if your spokes are tight, you can still knock your wheel out of true from heavy impacts, so keep an eye on that side to side and up and down, too.

Tips? Take your time and learn how to properly true a wheel. There are a TON of examples on Youtube to teach you the basics. It’s one of those things you will learn and dial in the more you do it. Here’s two examples… The 2nd isn’t focused on BMX, but it gives you a more in-depth look at how to do it.

Tools: Spoke Wrench and Truing Stand.

Check Your Air Pressure

Air pressure is one of the things you will end up checking more frequently than most on this list. The right amount of air pressure is more opinion based on what you like, but still make sure you’re checking the tire’s Max PSI rating before you go and put 90 PSI in a tire only rated for 65. Air pressure can fluctuate quite a bit and it can effect the overall feel of your whole bike if it is too low or too high for your personal preference or style of riding.

Why is this important? Keeping the proper amount of air in the tires will make riding your bike easier and it will roll smoother. Also, if you notice your tire is low before a session, there is a chance you have a slow leak that may lead to a blow out later, so you can prepare and have a spare tube ready just incase. Also, if you ride on a tire low on air, you can easily get a pinch flat. Sam goes if you run a tire higher than it’s intended, you can blow a tube or even the entire tire out because of an impact. Another thing to consider is if you run your tires too low, you can cause the tire to wear and become weaker, which will lead to it prematurely wearing or completely blowing out.

How often should you do this? Most of the time you will notice when you ride your bike if your tire pressure is too low or too high, so you can check it every time you ride that way. However, sometimes you can get too used to the way a tire feels from riding and it might not be the correct PSI for the tire. It’s a good idea to check the pressure with a gauge and add accordingly once a week or more depending on how often you ride.

Tips? Avoid leaving your bike in places where it can get too hot or too cold. Too much heat and your tire could expand, causing your tube to blow out. Too cold and you could seep air out as the rubber restricts. Also, having a quality pump can make your life a lot easier. Some of those cheap pumps are a real pain in the ass!

Tools: Tire PSI gauge and a pump. Luckily, most floor pumps come with a gauge these days. You cannot go wrong with a proper floor pump.

Check For Cracks

This is one of those no brainer things you should do on a fairly regular basis, especially if you are harder on your bike than most. Take a little bit of time to inspect the welds of your frame and parts to see if you can notice any cracks or damage that could decrease the overall strength of the metal. Something as harmless as a dent on the down tube of your frame can lead to a crack or snapped tube later. Staying ahead of things like cracks or dents can save you from getting seriously hurt when you are hauling ass off a jump or sending it down a stair set.

Why is this important? Do we really have to to tell you? Dents and cracks can lead to breaks and usually it’s not going to just break when you’re casually rolling down the street.

How often should you do this? The more often the better. You don’t have to be the paranoid guy checking after every single time you drop in, but just be proactive and take a look every now and then. A crack or a complete break can happen at any time, so at least being aware of the current condition of your bike can go a long way.

Tips? Keep your bike clean, use a light since sometimes you can miss stuff. Also, understand what a warranty covers, since most of the time damage caused by riding is NOT covered.

Tools: Rags for cleaning, maybe a light to help examine it a little better.

That is a few keys to keeping your bike dialed. A lot of these are no brainers, but sometimes you need a reminder or if you are just getting into BMX, you might not have considered. Keeping your bike dialed in can save you a lot of time, money and pain if you stay on top of things. It’s not always easy learning things like truing a wheel, but if you plan on riding a lot, it’s a skill that can make your life a lot easier.

Is there anything we missed you think should be added? Let us know in the comments below!

Make sure you check out the BMX Tool Guide we put together a while back!

It’s 2016, it has never been easier for a rider to get a message to their favorite pro rider or hit up a brand with a question about a product or something else that they could answer. With that easy ability for communication, there’s undoubtably going to be a lot of questions coming through on those direct messages from people all over the world. When you’re in charge of constantly answering those questions in multiple languages (shout out to Google Translate), you start to see a lot of frequently asked questions that you get really good at leaving in the pending message requests or giving a quick answer that essentially means no. When we were at Interbike we asked a few people who handle social media accounts for brands what some of their least favorite messages to get in their direct messages. Maybe we’re turning into that salty old guy, or maybe we’ve just seen enough weird messages that it pushed us over the edge and felt it was time to say something… So, we decided to compile a list of five things that you should (in our opinion) AVOID asking when you are hitting up a brand on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

5. The Warranty Card

A while back we covered What Does A Warranty Cover? that explained what some of the different levels of warranties cover and why some things are covered and why other things aren’t. A product breaking isn’t uncommon in BMX. When you see the stuff people put their bikes through, it’s a miracle they’re still alive and the bike hasn’t exploded into a shrapnel disaster. Unfortunately, there’s a big difference between a manufacturer defect and damage caused by riding and a good number of people don’t really know how that all works. There are really only about three routes that the conversation can go…

1. You first off ask if the product can be replaced or if it’s covered by warranty. Being polite in this situation goes a long way. If you filled out the warranty card, have the receipt for proof of purchase and you’re in the time frame (90 days to 1 year is common) and it’s not caused because you beat the hell out of it, then you’re good and these messages are great… That’s about the only good way this can go.

Now, two ways it can go wrong…

2. You politely ask if a brand will replace a product that you have had for a long time, it’s scratched and beat to hell and clearly broke because it gave out from a lot of abuse, not because the product was defective from the manufacturing process. Then you’re out of luck. A brand cannot control how you ride your bike and isn’t responsible when you destroy it. That’s like saying Apple is responsible for your screen cracking when you dropped it on the ground.

3. When you break something and you hit up a brand rudely demanding a replacement and try to threaten blasting the brand on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. to make sure nobody ever buys from the brand again, then you have just voided any chance of getting a smooth warranty process. If you’re willing to do that, then why do you want a replacement in the first place? We understand it’s frustrating when you break something, but blowing up a brands DMs, causing a bunch of unnecessary drama isn’t in the warranty instructions that came with that frame. We checked.

Seriously… Check out What Does A Warranty Cover?

In short, demanding a warranty and being impolite is something to avoid.

4. You should follow me and give me a shout out!

Now, some brands do give shout outs to people. For example, Subrosa and Volume both post up bikes they have submitted with their products, which is cool. Don’t get us wrong here. We’re not trying to discourage you completely. There’s a time and place for a shout out. But when you’re dropping a line demanding a follow and/or a shout out for no reason at all other than you just want to feel like you’re super cool and famous, there’s a good chance you won’t be receiving a response or adding another follower to your count. Brands are not on these social media channels to promote you (unless you happen to be a team rider, then expect to be promoted), they’re there to promote the brand and their products, while answering questions for the consumers.

So, in short… avoid asking a brand to give you a shout out for no reason unless they’re doing bike shout outs or something like that. The shout outs are just a way to get their products in front of more people and to say thanks for buying their products and supporting the brand by purchasing their products.

3. Just Saying What’s Up…

This one will probably make us sound like an asshole, but until you experience it… You don’t even know how annoying this one is. Imagine at some point in your day, somebody messages you and says “what’s up?”, “what are you doing?”, “Hey” or something that you would text your buddy, but they don’t have anything else to say or ask? Add in the additional random emoji a couple minutes later or something to send an additional reminder that they messaged you and you haven’t responded. As a brand, the direct message feature is really meant as an easy way for a person to ask a question that is specific to the brand. You know, “what sizes and colors does this come in?”, “Do you have this product in stock?”, “I am having an issue with this product, can you help me figure it out?”, “Do you know any shops in this area or how a shop can get product?”. So, if you’re looking for a random conversation, stick to your friends. Brands are just here to help answer a question about their brand or products.

2. Can I have free products?

This is one of those weird questions that is asked just about as often as number one on this list. There’s that saying “you never know unless you try”, but hopefully this one clears this up. This question is asked in a few different forms and sometimes it’s hard to come up with an answer that doesn’t make you look like a complete asshole. There’s the blatant “hey, can you give me free parts?”, there’s the “Would you be interested in collaborating with me. I would like a free frame / parts / bike / etc. in exchange for me promoting your brand through my social media channels” and then there’s the “Hey, my bike got stolen / I’m down on my luck / my parents hate me and won’t buy me one / I have a rare disease killing me / I have no money / can you give me a new bike?”

Now, the whole blatantly asking thing is pretty bold, and oddly enough at least they are being honest and not beating around the bush, but you’re not going to be getting a yes unless whoever you’re asking is having a damn good day or decided to answer messages after a few too many drinks. The odds aren’t very good. Think of it this way. If a brand gave away free product to every person that asked, there’s a very good chance that they will not be around for very long because it happens ALL THE TIME. So, next time you want to ask for a free product, ask yourself if you were running a business and had somebody come in and ask / demand a free product from your store… Would you just give it to them? The answer should be no.

The exchange of product for promotion thing is one of those grey areas because realistically, this method *could* work… If you had a massive following (a lot more than the brand has is usually a good gauge) and were good at promoting products in creative and unique ways. Another key is actually being into the brand or the products you’re promoting. Oddly enough, a lot of these requests come in from people that don’t even ride. Unless you have a lot to offer a brand and a clear plan of how you’re going to promote the brand and its products, this is most likely not going to happen. If you’re killing it on social media and a brand wants their products seen by your followers, they will likely reach out to you if they’re interested. So, just avoid asking…

The story is a tricky one. Humans are usually empathetic, so when somebody hits you with a story about a rough time they’re going through or makes it sound like finding the money to get a bike or a new frame is impossible because of their current situation, it’s definitely hard turning it down. Unfortunately for every one person who is actually going through a hard time and could actually benefit from some support, there’s a bunch of people leveraging their completely made up story to scam the brand in hopes of getting free product. So, this isn’t going to happen. It’s a bummer, but a brand cannot afford to be giving everything away just because you’re in a tight spot. Imagine having to give away 20 bikes a month because somebody wasn’t able to buy a bike? That’s thousands of dollars that would just be given away… Avoid asking.

1. Will you sponsor me?

The number one most asked question in the DM’s. Sometimes a riding clip is sent through, sometimes a link to an actual video, sometimes it’s a photo and sometimes it comes with promises of promoting the brand everywhere you go! That’s great, but it’s 2016 and that’s not how it happens. I’m sure it has helped get a few riders on a brands radar by putting themselves out there, but the odds of you getting sponsored because you asked a brand in their DM is pretty low. Alright, it’s very low.

Brands aren’t looking for the kid that can do all the tricks or the kid that has a huge following on Instagram. They want a rider that has talent, but also has a great personality. They want a rider that is going to standout, not just be the next rider that can mimic another trend or bought a lot of followers. Most importantly, they want somebody that is going to get along great with the rest of the team. Imagine if a brand picked their team based off the number of Instagram followers they had? Nobody would get along because everyones ego’s would be in crisis mode.

A brand doesn’t learn that you are a rider worth sponsoring through a direct message or by watching your video. The best way to get sponsored? Show up at events! Don’t have any? Throw your own event or TRAVEL. Travel, travel, travel. You want to meet people, experience new things, put in your time and have fun riding your bike. If you’re talented on a bike and don’t suck as a human, people will notice and talk you up… Brands will notice. You have to put in A LOT of work if you want to get sponsored these days. If it was as easy as shooting a DM, we would ALL be sponsored. I’d be willing to bet some brands get 20-30 people asking about getting sponsored by them every single day.

Want to get sponsored? Stop sitting around and start riding, traveling, having fun on your bike, keep learning new tricks and most importantly just be a good person.

In short… Avoid asking a brand to sponsor you in the direct messages.

So, that’s a list of 5 things to NOT message a brand about in their direct messages on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or whatever other form of social media you might use.

We want to hear from you! Let us know what you think in the comments below! Are we just being mean?

VISIT: FRONT PAGE // DAILY SECTION // BMX COLOR APP // BMX VIDEOS // RANDOM // BMX Games