We’ve know JC Pieri for quite some time now and one thing that has always stood out to us beside his amazing film work and creative riding style is his bikes! They always have something crazy going on with them that really catches your attention and makes you want to take a closer look. JC recently built him up a fresh new Total BMX Voltron setup and then had his own special touch put on it, so we knew there was no better time than now to do a bike check with him! Take a closer look at his bike along with some extra questions to see just what he has been getting into these days!
Name: JC Pieri
Location: Marseille south of France
Sponsors / Hook Ups: Total BMX, Osiris Shoes, Rock The Street, ART BMX Mag, BMX Gangster Shop
Years riding: 9
Frame: Total BMX Voltron Mark Webb 20.6’
Bars: Total BMX GS bars
Fork: Total BMX GS
Stem: Colony
Grips: ODI
Headset: Total BMX
Pedals: Salt Plus Echo
Cranks: Total BMX Hangover 170
Sprocket: Total BMX
Chain: KMC
Seat, Post & Clamp: Total BMX, Kink
Front Wheel / Tire: Macneil rim / Profile Mini hub / Demoliton Momentum tire 2.35″
Rear Wheel / Tire: Proper rim / Demolition freecoaster / Demolition Momentum tire 2.35″
Pegs: Total BMX Skinny
Hub Guards: Profile Aegis
Brakes: Shadow Sano
Brake Lever: Odyssey M2
Gyro & Cables: 34R roto / MTB cable
Modifications: Bars cut,grip on my crank, double bar ends on the bars.
What’s the newest part on your bike?
My frame, fork and bars are the main new parts from Total BMX, but I also got a lot of small part from the French shop BMX Gangster
What’s the oldest? Does it have any sentimental value?
My brake lever is definitely my oldest part, maybe more than 7 years now… And I will never change it.
Do you have any must haves like top tube length, bar height or chain stay length or are you not very picky?
I like a small bike and for me this 20.6″ top tube size is the best for my riding. I like to have a big bar but short. They’re way better for inverts.
You always have a pretty crazy setup going and this new one looks so good. Who did the paint on the front end of the bike? How did you guys get done?
I always worked a lot on my bike and I wanted something different. I use to paint my bike by myself but I got the opportunity to meet Carl Ruckley who used to paint all the bike and cars of mark Webb. He proposed a plan to paint my new Total BMX for free and I was stocked about this. Then I told him I want something crazy on my bike, a lot of colors in the front of the bike and he said “Ok, don’t worry! I will do that.” He made it so well and I seriously love it. Follow @ruckerz01 on Instagram !
What’s the story with the glasses in the front wheel? I feel like you have been doing that for a while now.
I have had those sunglasses for about 3 years now. I was with my good friend Sofiane at our local skatepark in Marseille and some people from a video game company gave us some sunglasses on the beach. We thought it would be funny to ask more sunglasses and put them in our front wheels. I really wanted a funny bike I kept those sunglasses on my bike. I change them sometimes when I travel or when someone gives me a new one.
You have ran a gyro for as long as I’ve known you. What keeps the brakes on versus taking them off like so many other people?
For me I have my own style of riding, maybe it’s a trend to be brakeless but I will never change it. I do so many tricks that I like with my brake and I also don’t feel good brakeless. I love doing some fufanu’s, so I will keep my brakes just for this trick alone.
Have you ever considered taking them off?
Sometimes. When I brake my cable I ride brakeless until I can replace it. It’s a way to feel another sensation on your bike but I never think about actually taking them off. No way for me.
What do you think about freecoasters now that you’re running one? I feel like your style of riding mixes well with it.
I like it. As you said, a freecoaster and my style of riding would mix well with it, and that’s why I got one from my flatlander friend, Alain Massabova. I really like it because it’s a way for me to find some new combos to do, but it’s really hard sometimes to use it. I don’t really know how long I will keep it, but I enjoy it at the moment.
What would you say your favorite part of the bike is?
I really like my frame. I rode several frames before I used this one and I think mark webb did a great job with this one. The geometry is just perfect for me and I think it’s a realy good frame for several different styles of riding. Good for park, dirt and also for street, I think. Not too low, not too high. Just perfect.
So what else is new, JC?! Seems like you’re always working on something awesome.
You know BMX has definitely been the thing that allowed me to do all the things I’m doing today. I started filming thanks to BMX and I created the WATSA festival thanks to BMX also. I’m jut living my dream doing what I like for a living. But you have to work a lot for that and it’s sometimes hard for me. I have a lot of new projects coming soon. A new video about our Watsa festival.
When can we expect a new video of yours to surface? I feel like it has been a little while since we’ve seen a video from you.
2 years ago I was only doing bmx videos, but I understood if I wanted to make a living doing videos that I will have to do different things. I’m really busy now with different video projects, but I don’t wanna stop doing BMX videos. Right now I just want to focus on a really nice video project.
I have a nice BMX video project coming soon, but I can’t really talk about this because nothing is 100% sure. I will do my best if I have the opprotunity to make it. I also wanna make a new edit featuring me riding, but it’s really hard to find the time to ride and find some new combos to do. I’m sure I will do a new one before the end of the year.
I noticed you have been doing a lot of weddings and stuff. How has the film work been so far? Any big non-BMX projects you’re working on?
As I said before I try to film different things these days and weddings are one of the new kind of videos I’ve been doing. My dream is to work in the cinema where I can write a movie for the world. I have some music projects as well. I did one in Berlin some days ago and I will probably make one in London soon.
You aren’t one to stay in a single place very long. What are your travel plans looking look?
I use to travel a lot thanks to my job. I don’t really have any plan for the future, I just follow where my job brings me. I stayed in Marseille a few times during the summer because I worked a lot on the Watsa event during the summer in order to have the Watsa festival bigger for next year. Next year, the festival will be huge and I hope we will have some nice riders like we did last year.
Outside of working and riding, do you have anything else you’re getting into to fill your time?
My work takes up pretty much all of my time. It’s already hard for me to ride my bike. Sometimes I try to do some climbing with my friends. I really like doing that. Otherwise, when I finish work, I hang out with my friends and my roommate. I do choose to use the most of my time working at the moment. I just don’t wanna miss all the opportunities I have and focus on them.
How can people keep up with you these days?
My favorite social network is Instagram but you can follow me on all of the social networks even if I’m not really present on Twitter.
Facebook : JC Pieri
Facebook page : JC Pieri Visual
Instagram : @jcpieri
Twitter : JC_Pieri
Website : www.jcpierivisual.com
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Firts thanks Kurt for this interview and for all the things you did for me. You always trusted in me and I really appreciate that.
Big thanks to all the people who help me because I cannot do all the things I do alone. All my sponsors and my friends in the BMX world.
All the people I have met around the world when I was traveling and working. Also, thanks to my family for supporting me, because without them my life would be different.
Anything else you want to say?
Live without regret, and you’ll regret something you did less than something you didn’t!
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