Introducing Dave Paterson

All photos courtesy of Sam Taylor

Over the last year or so, I had been seeing this website called “The Merged” popping up. The site really focused in on the product side of BMX, which is one of my favorite things in the world, so it definitely caught my attention. As time went on, I was more and more stoked on the site. I ended up emailing Dave a while back and we have been going back and forth for quite a while and it hit me that I needed to try and convince him to get on board with The Union. I really want to push The Union in a positive direction with more original content from people other than myself that are doing good things. So I’m stoked to announce that Dave Paterson will be a regular contributor on The Union with his focus being more on the product side of things and U.K scene! Expect to see good things from him, Pavia and myself on the regular now. It’s going to get awesome.

I wanted to welcome Dave to the team properly, so check out this fresh interview to let you get to know more about him and what he will be contributing to the site! Check it!

Name: Dave Paterson

Location: Redhill, UK

Sponsors / hook ups: I’m lucky enough to get the occasional hook-up here and there which always helps to keeps my bike running fresh.

Years riding: Probably between six or seven?

What was it that first got you into BMX? Any early memories come to mind?
One of my best friends growing up had a shitty department store bike he got for Christmas one year, and whenever I was round his house I just wanted to get on his bike and jump as much shit as I could find. Pretty sure I still owe him a new bike as that thing got trashed in no time. A couple of months later I grabbed my self a burgundy Redline RL240 for thirty quid in the local paper, I’ve been hooked ever since.

So you are one of the fortunate ones that have had the opportunity to work in the industry? Care to share a little bit about what you do for a living?
I work for one of the UK’s largest cycling retailers as a Buyer in their head office near London. I get to work with some awesome people and I’m always doing something involving bikes, whether I’m meeting suppliers and receiving the lowdown on the latest products, or getting input on our own product ranges and helping with the design and development stages. It’s a super fun job and the best part is they’re stoked on BMX which awesome to see from such a large Cycling company.

How did you get into that role? Did you go to college at all?
I always planned to go to University but I never found a course I was really into. Instead I spent a year travelling around Asia on my own and trying out all sorts of different jobs to see what I really enjoyed when I got back. Eventually I found a job that I liked the sound of and just went for it. I started up working in Marketing and moved up to a position in Purchasing a few years later which is what I do now. The funny thing is when I was at School one of my Teachers always told me I would never get job working in the bike industry. It cracks me up because now I have a job where I get to be involved with something I really love and she is probably stuck doing the same job she’s been doing for 20 years and still miserable as hell!

When did you decide to start up The Merged? What can people find over there?
I started The Merged just over a year ago with the intention of it being just a personal blog for me to post all sorts of random stuff I was into. I’ve always been a massive nerd when it comes to bike parts, I had a need to know exactly how every part worked and was manufactured, so I started to post more about BMX and the all the new products I was interested in. Last year I was hanging out at an Etnies demo in Crawley when Ian Morris noticed I had a Merged sticker on my bike. He came over and told me he was really into the site and recommended that I should try focusing it as more of a product blog and it really took off from there. It’s a basically a blog that I run with some help from a few contributors dedicated to new products and parts within BMX. We aim to have the most up to date product related news and information which we get straight from the brands themselves. We take an unbiased approach to products, and focus on their functionality rather than just how popular a brand is. With The Merged I try to spot the guys doing something different within the BMX world and showcase it. We also post up our own content as well like reviews of prototype parts and interviews with pros about their signature products. I couldn’t be any happier on how well it’s been received and all the support I’ve been given. The new site is dropping soon and there is loads of sick stuff in the works so be sure to check it out!

So this is your announcement about your joining The Union. What will people be able to see from you in the future on here? Any big plans you are excited about?
Yeah man I’m super excited to be part of The Union this year. I’ve always been a huge fan of the site, and it was a big inspiration when starting The Merged so it’s an honour to be contributing towards it now. A lot of the stuff I’m going to be doing will revolve around products, so reviewing the latest parts, product updates and in depth interviews with the guys who design and test the parts we all run on our bikes. I also want to go back and revisit some of the products that helped get BMX where it is today. I’m going to be doing a series of articles on iconic products which helped make way for the stronger and better bikes which most of us take for granted. Apart from the product side of things I’m also planning interviews with riders and brands and shops based in the UK. The UK has such a rich and diverse BMX scene and it’s sometimes overlooked, so I hope to cover as much of it as possible with rider interview’s, scene reports, bike checks and more. 2012 is looking like its going to be a good year.

I know you spend quite a bit of time travelling all over the place. Where are some of the places you are looking forward to being in 2012?
This year I plan to travel with my bike as much as I can, whether it be spending a week somewhere Europe riding street, or just travelling to another city in the UK to ride with a completely different bunch of people. I get so excited experiencing somewhere new so travelling is really important to me. I’ve already got several trips planned out around Europe, I’m going to be hitting up Malaga, Barcelona and Bordeaux, I can’t wait to leave this shitty weather behind ha ha! In between that I’m going to be travelling around the UK and trying to ride as many different places as possible. I’m also planning on making the move down to Brighton some point this year; I’ve always loved that City so it’s going to be super fun living there.

Anywhere in particular you have never been to but want to go at some point?
Riding wise I’m going to try and haul my ass over to the states this year. It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to go and experience ever since I first started watching riding videos. A couple of years back a whole bunch of the Ditch crew from LA and AZ came out and stayed with us in the UK. They were such a chill bunch of guys and defiantly weren’t scared to party! It would be awesome to go hang with them again some point this year, I just need to get sorted and book myself a flight!

As far as travelling in general there is a whole heap of places that I am yet to visit. I’d really love to go explore India; I’ve always been fascinated with the place from a very young age. I have a real passion for the cuisine and the culture so getting to experience it all in person would be pretty awesome.

Between your real job, The Merged and now The Union, I’d imagine riding time gets cut back a bit. Do you still find a ton of time to ride these days?
Yeah I don’t get as much time to ride as I used to a few years ago but I still manage to fit plenty of hours in the saddle. Strangely enough out of all my mates that ride, I probably ride the most in an average week. I’m a bit of an insomniac so when I can’t get to sleep at night I just get out on my bike and go for a ride until I feel more chilled out. Come to think of it some of the best rides I’ve ever had have been spent on my own at unearthly hours in the morning. Most people think I’m mad when I tell them that, I just can’t explain to them why there is something so calming and relaxing about riding around a city alone just as the sun is coming up. I try to get out on my bike as much as I can these days, even if it’s just to nip down to the pub it’s always a blast.

Where can you usually be found riding these days? Any spots you have been really psyched on?
These days I try and mix it up as much as possible. I love riding new places so I’m constantly travelling to meet my friends at various different Universities around England to explore the cities and their riding potential. I’m fortunate to have three of the best skateparks in the UK within half an hour of my house which is pretty handy, so it’s pretty easy for me to get a few hours riding at one of them after work each night. I’m always up for hunting for new spots locally although my Sundays are normally spent chilling down my local concrete park recovering from the night before with a bacon sandwich in one hand and a good cup of coffee in the other! Recently I’ve been really psyched on riding street in London. It’s such an energetic city and there is a huge variety of different stuff to ride.

Over the years you have had the opportunity to meet and ride with a lot of riders from all over the world. Care to name drop a few that really left an impact on you?
I’ve been fortunate enough to hang out with all sorts of different riders over the past few years. Last Summer I had the chance to chill with both the Cult and the Etnies teams which was a pretty surreal experience. I got to ride with Benny L at Crawley last year and I’ve got to say he is hands down one of the most genuine bike riders I’ve ever met. The guy is amazingly talented and can do whatever he wants on a bike, and to top that off he’s a real nice dude; it was pretty wild sessioning my local park with him. To be honest the riders who have left the biggest impact on me are the locals who I looked up to when I first started riding BMX and still look up to today. Shout outs to Joe Fox, James Holland, Matt Wakefield, Smithy, Rat Boy, Jack Twomey, Joss Fenn and Yakob Swyer. Those guys really taught me what BMX is all about and how to enjoy it. I’ve spent some of the best times of my life with those dudes and I owe a lot of where I am today thanks to them.

Do you ever get burned out on BMX? What are some things you do to keep things fresh?
As fun as it sounds being involved with bikes all day long, it’s always possible to get burnt out on riding. Recently I’ve tried to keep a decent balance in my life between riding and everything else. Don’t get me wrong I’m probably more psyched on riding at the moment than I think I ever have been, but it’s always nice to have a something else to be stoked on aside from riding your bike. If anything spending some time away from my bike always makes me end up enjoying it more when I get back on it again. I’m really into my fitness and staying healthy so I try to run a decent amount each week and I also love to cook, so when I’m not out riding I spend a fair bit of time in the Kitchen messing about and cooking for my friends.

I’m sure being in your position you get a good idea of trends that are coming and going. Any hints at what people will be seeing more of in 2012?
There is definitely more of a focus on stronger parts these days which is a good thing. With street riding being more popular than it ever has been, companies are designing parts with strength and durability having more of a priority than weight which is a far cry from the weight weeny “drill a hole in everything” days not so long ago. I don’t think we will see the return of 48 spoke wheels just yet, but who knows eh? I remember a few years back when I predicted plastic pedals would become insanely popular and everyone I rode with laughed at me, now it’ virtually impossible to find someone riding with alloy pedals! For 2012 I’d take a wild stab in the dark that Plastic Pegs are going to be a huge thing, love em or hate em I think they are here to stay.

What’s one thing BMX needs more of and one thing it needs less of?
More people who are into doing their own thing and just having fun, less energy drinks and gum-shields.

If you had to sum yourself up in 5 words, what would you use?
Kind of a big deal.

What’s something about yourself that might surprise people?
I have an unnatural phobia of Mash Potato. Seriously that stuff freaks the hell out of me; I can’t even be in the same room as it.

What’s the last song you heard, movie you watched and website you visited?
Last song was “Gangsta” by Tune-Yards, movie was Rocky II, and (shameless plug) I was just updating TheMerged.com.

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Yeah there is a whole bunch of people that deserve a massive thank you. Sam Taylor (http://samtaylornotwood.tumblr.com/) for inhaling several dead pigeons in the process of taking all the photos for this interview. My friends and family who still don’t understand why I ride a child’s bike around an empty town at 3am but still choose to hang out with me. Stu Read for being the raddest dudes ever and putting up with my shit. Yakob Swyer for being a badass rider and inspiring me to think out-side of the box, everyone who supports The Merged, Kurt for inviting me to be part of The Union and giving me this interview, all the Reigate locals for introducing me to BMX and bringing me up on a youth of fire, beer and mayhem and keeping BMX fun. Everyone on BikeGuide, Mark Sutton, everyone at C&N Cylces, all the guys at The Green Mile, my housemate/landlord Dan for putting up with all the bikes in his house and the general carnage that follows me, everyone I ride with and anyone else loves riding bikes!

Anything else you want to say?
No I think thats it, time for a pedal and a pint!