Miscellaneous
Back in the early to mid-80s, BMX freestyle was still somewhat of a new thing. Companies were in a race to invent and create components that could turn the average BMX bike into a full-blown freestyle bike. In a short period of time in addition to standing platforms built into frames, forks, and handlebars, a number of components that were more on the side of gimmicks and gadgets were released into the BMX scene for consumption. Almost every company came out with an odd invention or two or at least a variation of something already being done. Flip-up fork standers, frame stands, screw-on pegs, flip-up pegs, frame extenders, bar extenders, Buff guards which protected your foot from the backside of the fork, seats where you clicked a button, and the nose of the seat extended, brake guards, locking brake levers, and the Potts mod, which allowed you to run the front brake cable through the center of the stem bolt, and into your fork. Within a few years, the sport of BMX freestyle went through several extreme changes, including the difficulty of tricks, the quality, and design of the bikes, and the disappearance of almost all of the unimportant and mostly unnecessary gimmicky components. Enter veteran flatland rider Chad Johnston. Chad's always pushed the bounds of reality and progression with his riding. It's hard to believe that someone who rode during the 80s would currently be brakeless and pegless as a flatland rider. That's exactly what Chad has done for the past going on 14 years. Removing your brakes and pegs certainly doesn't make things easier, but Chad enjoys the challenge with his less is more approach and has put out several video parts to further prove his skill level and creativity. We caught up with Chad and talked about how he got into BMX, the first time he saw flatland up close and personal, being featured in the BMX Plus 101 Freestyle Tricks Part 2 video, how the inTRIKat name came about, making some of the most iconic flatland videos of all time, taking off his pegs in 2007, he and his wife Amy starring in a music video, his signature S&M frame, bars, and stem... his relationship with Chris Moeller, approaching age 50, and what he's doing now... So get comfortable, crank up your speakers, and get to know the man behind the inTRIKat plan... Chad Johnston!