Category Archives: Exclusives

Time to vote: The Flatmattersonline 2020 Year End Awards!

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Hello everyone!

It’s that time of year where we celebrate another amazing year of flatland, and honour the winners with a medal in each category.
I am sure you can agree. It’s been a strange year, no one could predict the Covid 19 pandemic would turn our world upside down? Are contest results albeit online as important with how you vote this year? What really matters to you? The video parts? What riders are doing for others, the list goes on.

You have plenty of time to vote, work your way through the year and see who’s contributing throughout the year, or who’s had that banger part that inspired your own personal riding. Everyone has different opinions, which is one of the many things that makes flatland so special.
Without further a due, it’s time to start researching and digging back through the year at what’s gone on throughout this crazy year.

Who is going to win the awards this year, it’s definitely going to be interesting…

Editorial Vote:
Rider of the Year
Edit of the Year
Most Progressive Rider
Outstanding Contribution
Line of The Year (based off the FM exclusives only)

Reader Choice:
Rider of the Year
Edit of the Year
Most Progressive Rider
Contest Run of Year
Breakthrough Rider of the Year

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Episode 60: Flatmattersonline Exclusive with Robert Victoria

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As we go into a Tier 4 lockdown here in the UK (well most parts) it’s a good time to get back to the Flatmattersonline Exclusives! And Robert Victoria Kindly came through with the 60th episode. This is Robert’s second FM exclusive, and in this video Robert experiments with his new camera, really liked the old to the new twist with the sliding freak squeak whiplash to hitch line. Thanks Robert for coming through and getting the exclusives flowing again, who’s got the next clip?

The Stéphane Suini Flatmattersonline Interview

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Intro/Interview: Effraim.
Photos: Max Cassagne.

A few months ago as I started to think about 12 years of Flatmattersonline, and what I could do to celebrate, I began to think about why I do this, and get to the core of what my motivations are and actually what I enjoy doing with the site. The main thing I go back to time and time again are the interviews, I enjoy picking riders brains and I think they are educational for you at home too.

A big part of FM is like I said on the FLAT ONLY COGcast, is trying to help riders that I feel deserve some shine. As I started to reflect on the 12 years, scrolling through the sidebar on the right side of the website I started to watch Pokemon’s videos, real name Stéphane Suini! (you can watch his Pokemon 3.0/3.5 Mixtape below!)
It hit me like a flash, I need to interview this guy, lets get into it! Welcome to the The Stéphane Suini Flatmattersonline Interview!!!

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FLAT ONLY COGcast EPISODE 1: 12 YEARS OF FLATMATTERSONLINE

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YO!!!!

12 Years into running Flatmattersonline on Friday 27th November 2020, it was time for something new for the site.
After various conversations with my co-host Pete Brandt during our lockdown here in the UK, the “Flat Only” COGcast is born, the title “Flat ONLY” seemed to be the most fitting, and described the direction we both feel strongly about, Pete suggested changing “POD” to “COG” to keep inline with that flatland feel.

On the evening of our 12th anniversary, I got together via zoom with Pete Brandt, Bobby Carter, Jody Temple and man of the moment, Peter Olsen to talk about all things 12 years of Flatmattersonline, Wheelie bikes as a trend, lack of flatland frames currently available, the latest video parts, reemergence of flatland only brands, back injuries and much much more. It was a great conversation, check the timestamps below for a quick reference of what is discussed when.

Grab a cuppa FM style and enjoy the first episode….

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 Intro to the FLAT ONLY cogcast, introducing Pete Brandt, and our guests Bobby Carter and Jody Temple!

5:38 12 years of FM, at what point did you guys start checking FM?

12:04 Questions for Effraim about running Flatmatters?

29:13 COVID has affected everyone’s riding. The pros and cons.

41:15: View on the over saturated market of old school frames

43:00 And not much choice in modern day flat frames….

53:57 Peter Olsen joins the show.

55:18 The reemergence of FLAT ONLY brands.

1:05:18 Back injuries and the importance of stretching…

1:11:50 Flatmattersonline year end awards coming up! So many amazing edits lately including Pete Olsen’s Ritual part….

1:26:59 Are wheelie bikes going to be the future or a passing trend?

1:39:45 Outro

Editorial: Flatmattersonline is 12 Years Strong!

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Text: Effraim.
Photos: Effraim, Bart de Jong.

Good morning everyone!

Friday 27th November marks a special day, today I celebrate twelve years of running the Flatmattersonline website!
In 2008 I said to myself after plenty of conversations and prompting from Sam Foakes on our trip to Japan (see yesterdays TBT) “let’s make a place where Flatlander’s can “document their riding, share it and naturally progress!”.”

The meaning of FM…

The name “flatmatters” originally had two meanings, the obvious, flat is important, the second, discussing topics flatland related, this became more meaningful when Mark Noble at Ride UK asked to start a flatmatters page in his magazine.
My parents competition, King of Concrete helped indirectly come up with the name, when other contests across the globe were dripping flatland. Flatland very much mattered at King of Concrete, there was a big contest floor to ride, prize money etc. I helped design a Flatland Matters tee to giveaway to everyone who rode the contest back in 2000 era, great times!

The original concept of starting Flatmattersonline pretty much runs true 12 years on. I wanted an independent place for Flatlander’s to be able to look at fresh content everyday, and help inspire their session that day. I thought if I am looking for something else on the net, than perhaps other people are too.
Interestingly enough, when I started FM back in 2008, video platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo were pretty fresh so not a lot of people were using them, and I was relying heavily on original content which eleven years on is something I am going back to and am more inspired by. So between October/November 2008 was spent writing articles to et ready for the 27th November launch.
From the initial generic blogspot days, to a full website FM that has seen many changes over the past 12 years. I really do have to pinch myself when I think about how many posts, and also how much time I must have spent putting content together for you the viewer at home.

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Must Watch: James White/ Fifty Shades of White

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As James White celebrates his 50th birthday, he does in it style with this amazing retrospective mix of his riding career so far, including input from the likes of Pete Brandt, Lincoln Blacksley, Amos Burke, Jesse Puente, Chase Gouin, Jason Forde, and many more. I am on the third watch now, and notice different things within his edit that had me stoked, and had me crying with laughter, straight up Flatland at it’s best!

There is only one edit to watch today!

Happy 50th birthday James!

Four Pegs BMX: The Attila Toth Interview

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Intro/Interview: Effraim.
Photos: Attila Toth, Gilles van de Sompel, Krisztina Toth, Tyrone Kelly, Chad Degroot.

One of my favourite aspects of running Flatmattersonline, is definitely working on interviews and learning more about riders across the globe. More recently, I started to wonder about flipping that on it’s head, and finding out about flatland from an industry perspective.
Attila Toth runs Four Pegs BMX, and I was interested how he runs a flatland business in such difficult times. This is a lengthy interview, so grab a cuppa and enjoy some flatland industry talk….
His DIY aesthetic to running his own Flatland business really struck a chord with me. I wanted to know more, and rather than a rider interview, this goes more into the industry side of things even though of course Attila rides. As a second lockdown just hit here in the UK, it’s time to publish this interview and let the world know more about Four Pegs BMX and Attila Toth!

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Episode 59: Flatmattersonline Exclusive with Matt Wilhelm

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YO!!!

What’s up everyone?
It’s been a minute since a fresh Flatmattersonline exclusive, and today we bring it back in style with one of the best to do it… Hoffman Bikes very own Matt Wilhelm!!
This exclusive kills two birds with one stone so to speak, its been a while since I have seen any Matt Wilhelm footage. Whilst we were judging the AFA Dream run contest , it came up in conversation that Matt was down to film an episode, and today he drops a brand new line that I have never seen before.
Ice Cream turbines on the bottom bracket, and a BB Ice Cream bike flip out in brakeless style that Matt suits completely. Hell yeah!!!

Thank you Matt for contributing, whose got episode 60?

AUTUM BIKES presents RIKIYA

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Is this the new Flatmattersonline Exclusive?
Matti Rose over at Autum Bikes HQ hit me up with this rad edit from the Autum vault, totally unexpected once again. Featuring style cats, Charles Paty, Mo-Rich, Thomas Deschenaux, Yuki, underground dojo style in Japan.

Need some motivation before your session, hit play….

Feeling this….

Whose got the next FM exclusive?

Episode 58: Flatmattersonline Exclusive with Claude Hickman

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YO!!

What’s up everyone? Claude Hickman surprised me today with a fresh clip for episode 58 of the Flatmattersonline exclusives. Keeping the momentum going as we approach 60 episodes!

This is Claude’s second FM exclusive, and this is episodes features another double darkside line, this time from hitch to rear wheel backpacker, I believe they call it a fudge packer in the states (correct me if I am wrong) to peg wheelie lard yard into ice cream darkside to halfpacker. Super smooth style from CH, this comes from years of riding, skills to pay the bills.
Claude on that note has just launched his own “Flatland” clothing brand, hit him up on instagram for the tees, sweatshirt, hoodies and all that good stuff.

Thanks Claude for contributing, whose got episode 59?