We travelled North through Germany and Holland in to Belgium (only France and England to go on that day!). I’d heard of MX trails but the general concensus was “just go there”. We went there and I would repeat the concensus. You should probably just go there. MX is tucked away in some hard to find woods and it’s been that way for a long time….before that it was a motocross ‘track’. Red Belge was there to greet us and give the guided tour. There’s enough lines that it’s really easy to get lost just wandering around. It felt like we had hours to spare but after untarping Jonny and some locals rode a ‘small’ line for a short while and it was nearly time to go. Jonny bent his bars and had to sit this one out but thankfully we got to watch Kenny Stremes and Red Belge ride one of the bigger lines. Needless to say it was a privilege!
A couple from Red Belge. It’s pretty much impossible to convey scale in these photos. There’s nothing but thick woods for reference. This isn’t even the biggest line!
Taking photos in places like MX is a bit of a conundrum. You can’t just walk about in any direction. There’s plants, bushes, trees, nettles, and a lot of undulation to contend with. You kind of have to stand wherever you can and set up flashes in much the same way. Once I find a spot I usually take about 10 test shots (sometimes with people riding) to find something that I’m relatively happy with. Then (once I’ve got something passable) I’ll start playing around with slower shutter speeds, narrower depth of field, flash settings, composition, and my position in the hopes of getting something a bit more artistic. Then I’ll move on and repeat the process. I’m certain theres’s a photo to be taken at MX that really does the place justice…..I’m sure someone else has taken it. I’ll have to wait for my version!
One of the things that stood out on this trip was an uncanny knack (from everyone) to get up and get on with it. After the obligatory stop at Aldi/Lidl/Rewe (Rewe being the least grim) we were usually on the road shortly after rush hour.
Jim had become somewhat taken with European driving techniques (lots of tail gating) and we were easily in Mainz by 10am….I say easily. The van had a habit of losing power on anything but the shortest journeys and my directions might have accurately been described as “quite late” on occassions. On this occassion we may or may not have exited the motorway on two wheels before finding ourselves in a shady lane (not the Wisley car park type of shady!). I mean under the shade of trees. A short roll later (or quite long if you miss the entrance and enter via full lap of surrounding fields) we found ourselves at Ziegelei trails.
Ziegeli contains quite a lot of wild features. We didn’t encounter many ‘basic’ lines at German spots. The spots are not as old as is typical in the UK and nor are the diggers. As a result of which you’ll find a lot of Shark’s Fins, Step Downs, and some wild berms that worked with varying degrees of success. Ziegeli has a 270 under/over berm that they call the ‘Helix’ and we quickly renamed the ‘Washing Machine’. The racer before made this obstacle ‘challenging’ for all but the most skilled rider.
I think the whole world knows that Jonny Faulkner likes a good tyre grab. This was a new one though!
Arriving nice and sharp gives you plenty of chill time.
The weather had finally reached expectations. A lot of the day was spent doing….not so much to be honest. Things spiced up later in the afternoon. There was a new crew of locals riding the little line and Mortitz was ripping the big line (I’m sure they have names), a bunch of people were sessioning the ‘Washing Machine’, and everything was good in the world. Although things never stay perfect. (Not so) Mini Max and Damo both needed a trip to the local A&E. Injuries are an inevitability but if you’ve just come back from a previous injury, or you’re hundreds of miles from home it’s extra shit.
Max Dunn aka Mini Max got tall. Like this massive Boyley. The former Mini Max was another victim of bad luck and a broken collar bone.
Beach Cruiser indeed! Damo was ripping before a freak accident put him in hospital for a short while.
One of the most noticeable things about the German scene is that they have a bunch of young rippers (Surrey Youth Crew has been slack this Summer). I’m not sure of this guy’s name but those jumps are not small and he was not scared to pull up.
This was our final day as a full gang. The following day was split with some of us headed home (via MX in Belgium), others headed to Cloud 9 trails, and some in hospital.
It’s pretty much always a good time travelling with a bunch of old and new friends, meeting new people, seeing new things, laughing, and learning. This trip was no exception. We owe thanks to so many people! Hope to do something similar again before the year is out.
Felix aka Ronny impressed everyone. He’s a got powerful style. I wish I could tell you more about Ronny and his crew but they ‘hot-footed it’ to catch the last train home. He’s another fella riding a Four frame and making it look amazing!
I’m pretty sure Wayne is some kind of tree surgeon. Who wears chef’s shorts and cooks like a champion!
Well I guess we all know about Atilla’s one footed invert after Tuesday’s post!
Sven Littfinski. What a guy. It was awesome to see him back getting laps!
Jonny loves laps.
You’re going to need to wait for Sam’s video to truly appreciate Moritz Muller.
Eliott and Ryan were off to Austria, Switzerland, and France (Morzine) for a month right after this trip. El has some cassette driver issues, so we didn’t see as much of those trademark El shapes as usual.
It’s no great secret we’re fans of Sam’s work. Most “trails edits” seem to involve riders on big corporate brands and clueless filmers trying to pass themselves off as part of the scene. This is the real deal.
Our convoy headed to nearby Darmstadt. A pleasant little city with a really good outdoor skatepark and an array of street spots that we’d die for in England. Also home to Sven Littfinski. I should mention that Sven has been recovering from a nasty head injury. It was pretty heart warming to see him cruising both H20 and the skatepark.
We were joined by a local named Oskar in some sort of enormous beer garden that served a beer named Hell and some confusing food. We made like typical Brits abroad and all stood in a line before ordering the exact same meal of sausage, bread, and chips. This wasn’t rocket science but they gave us an alarm with each order that would buzz once the chef had everything ready……I don’t why but we seem to get flustered when something is just a little different than the UK. The alarms were no exception.
Ziegelei Trails’s main(z) man. Atilla Sebesteny.
Back at H20 everything was set for a decent evening session and we were joined by Atilla Sebesteny and Moritz Muller. Most of us had met Atilla on his previous visits to the UK. He’s responsible for a lot of what gets built at Ziegelei trails, rides a Root Four, and was on top form for the next 48 hours. From the umpires shirt, to the headwear, to the playlist, to being an absolute sickhead on his bike.
It probably feels totally different to the one at Woodyard but Damo and Wayne seemed right at home on the step down.
Best x-up of the current era? Add Wayne to the short list!
Jonny and Wayne both decided that airing out the Shark’s fin might be fun.
Damo’s one-footed motos tho!
Moritz Muller is another German ripper to look out for.
I mean. It’s pretty decent photo. I’m not sure it does any justice to Atilla’s pull at H20.
Mr Reader!
Late evening shapes on the hip. Jonny is your man.
After a brief stop in Cologne we headed South to Sven’s spot (H20 trails). On the journey down I think we remained in good spirits but the media (Sam and myself) had resigned ourselves to having a laugh with the boys and ‘scraping the barrel’ for content.
I can’t remember the exact story but Sven lives in Darmstadt and after digging at Ziegelei (near Mainz) for a while he took over duties closer to home. There’s a few bits for the local kids and an ‘trick line’ (the first jump is a table top) to the right. The ‘big line’ sits of the left and (unlike a lot of European trails) there’s a gradient.
This area was four hours South and had a completely different feel. There’s was rolling hills, sunshine (still with the odd shower), and it reminded me a bit of Southern France. Having visited Germany a few times (mainly for the Worlds in Cologne) in the past and never seen this part of the world. It was a treat to see a whole different area.
By this point we were all very relaxed in each other’s company and the banter was non-stop. You kind of only need a Wayne on your trip to make sure the banter is non-stop. Everyone got some laps that evening and trains were heading in and out like Clapham Junction.
We decided to spend another day in our dialled Belgium surroundings. Once again the weather wasn’t particularly keen on us staying put. The trails have a pretty cool pump track……you can either ride that alone or transfer into it from the main line. This proved to be the perfect warm up but for a lot of our crew it was both the beginning and the end.
Ryan King through the Pump Track rollers
After more showers most of us were resigned to another day of not riding a great deal and beer, bar-b-q, and football became the order of the day.
Of course the gusty showers finally stopped with light fading. Just in time for some locals to rip through the lines and show everyone what they were missing!
Although Root is owned by two of us, we’ve always considered it way more than that. There’s the team guys, flow guys, and there’s all the people that support what we’re doing (and in turn we try to support them….or at least share some good times). We think of Root very much as a trail collective.
We’d hatched the idea for a trip to Germany when Sven and Atilla starting talking about the Trail Tour over there, then Eliott actually went on the trail tour, and one of Germany’s finest bike stores (Dept of Dirt) starting carrying Root product. Last Summer was kind of a wash out when it came to planning trips months in advance…..this year proved more fruitful.
Getting to get all parties to agree on a date was like trying to catch lightning in a bottle but as soon as that was decided we had a posse. Damo brought Wayne (from Woodyard) and Elliott brought Ryan (from Wisley). Wickham Will, Glen Woods and Piieee were holding it down for the Sheet locals. All of those guys were in Holland early for obvious reasons……..Wayne spent 120 euros on an obvious reason. Not a brass!
Sam (from Bonehouse/Foxhill), Jim (formerly of Birchwood) and myself were not in Holland early…….we did drive over the border briefly. Blaaskantje is some sort of airbase that’s been repositioned as some form of industrial estate where not a great deal seems to happen. That whole area along the Belgium/Dutch boarder is pretty sleepy…….. especially if you’ve been to Amsterdam before you got there. Jonny (from Brockham) was last to arrive.
Sven Littfinski (from H20 trails) and Tobi (from Zabo trails) joined us in Belgium along with various Blaaskantje locals.
Everything was set for a big old session except the weather. The first afternoon/evening was a wash out. Sven and Tobi tried an optimistic untarping only to be greeted with another shower.
Football, bar-b-q, and chatting shit were the order of the day. It wasn’t too much of a chore since Blaaskantje has a dialled set up. They’ve got a kitchen, sofas, a khazi, and power.
Not to mention Surrons and an indoor BMX track. Yep. The Belgiums are dialled. Kiwi is extra dialled. His road mobile has a surf rack, beds, a custom fitted kitchen, and a slide out mount for his Root Four set up.
Our sleeping arrangements varied. Some people (mostly Jonny and El) are well prepared for van life. Damo has a decent set up and so does Jim. Sam and I camped (there’s plenty of room) and Will and Glen slept in the warehouse.
I’m pleased to report a £60 tent and a £20 mattress (from Decathlon) proved to be money well spent throughout the trip.
I’m also please to report Sven Greitten bought the biggest bag of chips you’ve ever seen for us all to share. Legend!
We get emailed a LOT asking for advice about 24” parts. The list below isn’t supposed to be definitive in any way. Nor are we suggesting that any product is fantastic just because it happens to be included. This is a list of what wheels, rims, and tyres appear to be currently available. It’s going to vary a lot from one country to another but we’ll do our best to keep it updated and welcome all contributions. Hopefully we’ll uncover a stash of gems from the past (like 24” Odyssey Aitken tyres)! Some mail order stores (like Dans Comp and Winstanleys) have older inventory due to the nature of their business and we haven’t listed that type of thing….you can trawl through it if you like.
Wheels
A lot of the available 24” wheels are 110mm spaced BMX Cruiser wheels. These are not compatible with our frames (so won’t aren’t listed).
Rims
We’d recommend double wall rims, preferably with a welded join.
Tyres
Tyres are a lot down to personal preference and where you ride. Most UK trails are fairly hard packed and don’t require knobbly tyres.
A lot of the available 24” tyres are thin race tyres which we wouldn’t recommend. Therefore we haven’t listed anything under 2.0”.
If the truth is told, good 24″ tyres are either non-existent or very difficult to acquire. If any brands out there want to work with us to create a ‘fit for purpose’ 24″ tyre please get in contact.
*Tioga FS100’s are very good tyres if you can still find a pair in 24″.
We recently answered some questions for Bicycle Nightmares out of Spain. Check it out if you’d like to know more about the past, present, and future of Root Designs.
BMX and MTB grips are completely inter-compatible, so choose whichever you like. A lot of MTB grips are the lock on type (presumably because mountain bikers ride A LOT more in the wet). You wont need lock on grips.
Most MTB bars have a 31.8mm OD in the clamping area, so get some of those if you’d like a choice of sweep and rise. They’re usually made of 7075 and seem to be plenty strong enough. We’d advise against carbon bars. BMX compatible 22.2mm OD chromoly bars are an option (which would let you run a BMX stem), however, if you’re looking for a wide range of options look elsewhere. The only modern MTB bars with a 22.2mm OD in the clamping area are Gusset ‘Open Prison’ bars.
Both BMX and MTB stems have a 1 1/8” fork clamp. You’ll need to make sure the stem you want to run is compatible with the bars you want to run. We suspect most people will choose a regular MTB stem (there’s a massive choice) with a 31.8mm centre bore. Don’t be alarmed by the smaller bolts. MTB bars don’t have to deal with half the torque of tall BMX bars.
You’re probably going to want 100mm suspension DJ Forks. Our team riders use the Rockshox Pike DJ 26” forks. The axle to crown measurement is mostly the same on all 100mm suspension forks. Its only the position of the bridge that gives clearance for different wheel sizes. It is possible to run rigid forks but we think suspension forks are more suitable.
Wheels
The most defining feature of our frame is that it’s designed to accept wheels with a 24” rim. We haven’t tried to fit a 26” in the frame and the geometry isn’t designed to suit 26” wheels. 24” wheels used to be the standard for Dirt Jump bikes and (in our opinion) it’s the best size if you’re aim is to pull up and go sideways at a legit trail spot, if you’re a smaller (or younger) rider, or having a dabble into Dirt Jump bikes from your BMX background.
DMR still offer complete 24” wheelsets, so that’s always an option. Ideally we’d recommend Odyssey’s 24” Hazard Light rims, with a 135mm spaced disc mount hub (Profile is always a favourite).
Depending on which fork option you’ve gone for, front axle sizes vary. When ordering a hub, you can usually choose between 15 and 20mm options. The Rockshox forks on our bike have a hollow 15mm axle. We modified a BMX hub to have a clean look without disc rotor mounts.
The frame is designed to comfortably fit a 2.3″ tyre in any position in the dropout with decent clearance, although if you keep your wheels true and don’t have the wheel slammed you should have room up to 2.75″.
Drive train
If you are coming from a BMX background, when moving to larger wheels, the gear ratios change from what you’d be used to. Typical BMX gearing is approximately 55 gear inches. A good formula to use for gear ratios is: FRONT TEETH ÷ REAR TEETH × WHEEL DIAMETER = GEAR INCHES
We are running 13t rear and 30t front.
The bottom bracket of the frame is a BMX style Mid BB. We fitted a classic 48 splined 19mm axle 3 piece crank with 19mm Mid bottom bracket. Any BMX cranks will fit fine with the appropiate fitting bearings, however, our frame has a 74mm wide BB shell, so ideally you’d have BB with a wide (50mm+) centre spacer. Federal Mid BB’s are 51mm.
If you prefer the feel of aluminium MTB cranks, they will work with a “mid to euro conversion” then your regular MTB bottom bracket will be compatible. Odyssey do a Euro BB with a wide (51.5mm) spacer.
Seating
The seat post diameter for the frame is 27.2. Although a BMX (25.4) post can be used with a shim. We’ve used a Thomson BMX seatpost on this build.
Braking
The frame has standard IS brake mounts to be used with disc brakes and IS adapter. Clearance designed to work with a 160mm rotor. We chose a Shimano hydraulic brake because they have a solid braking action, are very easy to set up/maintain and aren’t too expensive.
Hydraulic brakes tend to come as a set (lever, cable, caliper) rather than a mix and match set up seen on most BMX bikes. The calipers and levers are designed to work together with specific brake fluid per brand.
It’s possible to run a BMX style lever, however, you’ll be sacrificing braking power as that wont be a hydraulic brake.
