Meet Chris Woodling

There’s often a sense when you see an expert rider doing their thing that they are ‘one with the bike’. Not so in this case. Chris appeared to be absolutely manhandling that thing. Feet where you expect hands, hands where you expect feet; hands and feet where you don’t expect hands or feet. The reality is that Chris may have a deeper and stronger bond to his bike than anyone I’ve ever met. I had a feeling that was the case when I got closer and saw the shape his bike was in: used, used, used. Beautifully, wonderfully, used.

BMX flatland rider Chris Woodling chatting with the RAD Nationals demo audience during a break in the action.

During a break in the action, he kindly gave me a tour of the bike and it’s unique geometry, and let me gush over all of the well-used and well-loved parts. I’ll cut to the chase: he’s been riding the same 1999 Quamen Clad pictured here since the day he got it in middle school. It’s seen upgrades and replacements in the components department only when necessary (catch that amazing patina on those Profile Race cranks). It’s pretty mind-blowing, honestly, to see a bike that’s seen so much action still being. . .well, put in action.

During the couple of hours I spent at the @junkyardpartsco demo @radnationals I saw him pulling skill after skill after skill out of his bag, start working on new stuff, and take the time to teach some groms their first bits of flatland. It’s incredibly cool to see this kind of energy in-person and the whole experience made me want to run out and buy a flatland bike. . .but it also made me want to go put more time on the bike I already love.