All photos by Scott Marceau
Ryan is one of those guys that I’ve always been a fan of for years. From the first time I saw some of his riding thanks to Bikeguide to his incredible riding that he unleashes these days. It’s awesome seeing him get the attention he definitely deserves. I figured with how busy he has been lately between all of the different projects he is involved with these days, that it would be an awesome time to catch up and find out what’s new. Let’s take a peek at what he had to say!
Name: Ryan Howard
Location: Springfield, Oh
Sponsors: Skavenger, Act Like You Know, DUB BMX and The Daily Grind
Years riding: 15
So what’s new, Ryan? It’s been a minute since I’ve bugged you. Have you been doing much traveling or anything this summer?
Yeah, it’s been a minute. Things have been good. I have just been working and riding. I broke my hand this summer so that slowed me down for about a month but it’s all good now, besides being a little crooked. I just got back from a trip to central Pennsylvania and Boston two weeks ago and I’m leaving for an ALYK trip next week.
I’d imagine you have been pretty busy filming for the new Act Like You Know video. How’s that coming along? Any idea when people will be seeing that one drop?
I’ve spent the last three years of my life working on this. We all have. From being on all the trips with everyone and seeing everything get done, I’m so proud of the work everyone has put in. Everyone’s part is going to blow people away. Especially Kyle Murway and Troy Tunney’s sections. We are trying to finish up filming before winter. I think Scott and Brandon have started sifting through all the photos for the book thing. Plan is to premiere it January… maybe.
Do you guys have any more trips or anything planned the finish out the summer?
Yeah, we are doing one last Ohio trip next week. Work our way from Cleveland down to Cincinnati. I’ve got some unfinished business on the east coast so I’ll be heading out there again before winter.
How’s things going with The Daily Grind? Does Gremlin have anything cooking with you guys these days? Seems like they’re always filming or going on trips.
Gremlin is doing the best he can with the funds he has. We have a few ideas about stuff but its a little slow due to costs of getting stuff made, testing it and making changes, etc. We try to all get together on the weekends and go somewhere to ride. I know another full length will happen but for the time being we are just doing web stuff.
Your signature hub guard has been out for a little while now. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
I’ve been cutting up fbm guards and making my own for the last eight years. I grind alot switch so my chain catching on grinds really bothers me. Over the years through trial and error I figured out what works and what doesn’t. It’s crazy it took this long for a drive side guard to get made that isn’t stupid shaped. All the other current ones either bend or are so dumb shaped you sit on the guard instead of sliding down to the peg.
I can only imagine how weird it is to have a signature part. Have you gotten used to seeing random kids riding your guard?
I see it less of a “signature part” and more of just a “designed by me” thing if that makes sense. I’m confident that its the best drive side guard, so I’m not surprised people want to ride it. It’s a trip to see people I looked up to riding one. When I saw that Corey Martinez is riding one, I felt like a Stan for a minute.
What’s up with Skavenger these days? Anything coming from them you can tell us about?
It’s awesome. I get bikes from the dudes that I’ve always looked up to and influenced my riding so its perfect. I think I heard we are doing another promo video thing sometime but I’m not sure of any details.
Any other sponsor news?
Nope. I don’t really care about that stuff too much. I’m more than content with those who support me. I get to ride the stuff that I would buy anyways if I wasn’t riding for them.
So I know you have been filming and I’m sure all your footage has been going into the ALYK video. Will we be seeing any edits out of you any time soon? I can always go for some rail destruction from you.
Alyk has been the number one priority. I’m not too into web videos anymore. I’m in the position where my footage can be saved and go to a real video so I don’t like the idea of wasting stuff I worked hard for to go online to be forgotten about. I like having a physical copy of something and I love the feeling of seeing something for the first time at a premiere full of your peers. Online you don’t get that.
It’s not really too recent, but after years you put the ponytail to rest. What were some of the reasons behind cutting the hair? You trying to get a real job or something?
I was just a dirt bag kid that always had long hair so the pony tail was a convenient way to keep it out of my face. I cleaned up and just decided to get rid of it. Now it seems like the pony tail is one of the hot new fashion trends in BMX.
I always see you posting up classic bikes you’re piecing together for your collection. What’s the last bike you built? What is next on your list of projects?
My 2002 Terrible One Barcode is the latest one. It’s cool to build the bikes I always wanted when I was younger.
I want to build an old Hoffman or standard next but I need to chill for a bit. Spending that much money on building a bike I won’t ever actually ride isn’t the best use of money.
Where have you been getting most of your riding time in lately? Any hot spots you have been stoked on?
I’ve spent most of the summer bouncing around Ohio. Columbus and Cincinnati area. I’ve got a small collection of weird set ups I’ve found lately that I’m pretty stoked on.
What’s one trick you cannot do for the life of you can’t do no matter how many times you have tried?
Turndowns. I love that trick but its impossible for me to even get very close.
What are you getting into when you aren’t riding these days. Are you working or going to school at all?
I work at the same small Italian Resturant I’ve worked at for the last 7 years. It gives me the freedom to take off to travel whenever and my boss is awesome so it works for now. I do construction stuff on the side with my dad too.
Are you on all the social media shit these days? How can people keep up with you?
Yep twitter and Instagram.
Twitter: @ryandavidhoward
Instagram: @ryandavidhoward
What’s the last song you heard, movie you watched and website you visited?
I was just listening to Teenage Riot by Sonic Youth, I watched The Omen last night and I was on Twitter before this.
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Yeah, shout out to Vinnie and Edwin at Skavenger, everyone at Animal for being the realist in the game and making the best shit. Thanks to Gremlin for everything he does for all of us. Filming us, driving us around, making parts we want to ride and just being an overall good dude. Shout out to Devon Denham and Scott Marceau for being friends and always being down to shoot photos. I want to thank Brandon Galosi for all he does. His hateful comments and negativity and quest for dew keep me entertained at all times. I appreciate his vision with Act Like You Know and all the hardwork and effort he puts into filming us and all that he does for us.
Anything else you want to say?
I think that’s about it. Thanks to you for wanting to do this.
