ROBIN BOURHIS INTERVIEW:
Hey Robin, what’s up? Please introduce yourself to the people that might not know you.
Hey, my name is Robin Bourhis, I just turned 24 and I live in Fontainebleau at the moment. It’s a nice town located on the outskirts of Paris (aprox. 40min down south). Other than riding, I’m just about done with my degree in Civil and Construction Engineering and I love filming and documenting what my friends do through film photography.
Congrats on your degree! What else have you been up to lately?
I’m currently taking a few months off to film a new video project before working as an engineer.
Nice! For how long have you been riding and how did you get hooked up with Wethepeople/éclat?
I’ve been riding BMX for 10+ years and WTP/éclat have been cool enough to support me for the past 6 years. I don’t really know how all this happened, but one day I got a call from the team manager at Frenchys [Former distro for Wethepeople/éclat in France], asking if I’d be interested to ride for WTP/éclat. I was just about 16 at that time and it just seemed unreal to me, so I ceased the opportunity and I’m still as buzzing as I was back then. Then the Traffic thing came into the picture about 3 years ago and I decided to part ways with Frenchys and continue riding for WTP/Eclat thru Traffic.
Cool. What’s your local scene like?
The local scene is so good in Paris! It might not be the biggest, considering that Paris is the French capital, but everyone is just genuinely close to one another. I think that it’s paramount to have a good atmosphere in a group of people and the Parisian scene is a prime example of it. In addition to the good vibe, we’ve got some really good riders/young bloods. Brace yourself for some new projects coming your way shortly.
What/where do you usually ride and with who?
I wish I was more of an all-terrain rider and I could ride trails and big transitions, but unfortunately my playground is more in the streets. Luckily for me, Paris is stacked with amazing spots, both inside and further out of the city. The outskirts really are on whole different level in terms of spots. I usually ride in Paris with Ryoma, Asswad, PJ, Allan, Aryia, Marwan(s), March to name a few, haha.
Let’s talk about your bike. Please describe it in three words.
Really good looking, haha.
Is there anything you’re picky about with your bikes?
I’d say, that I like the aesthetic aspect, so I try to match the colors when I can, but other than that I’m not really picky in terms of geometry/specs or bike parts in general. However, I wanted to change some things here and there with this bike. First of all, I chose a smaller frame (20.75”), which feels a little more reactive. Then, I decided to go back to plastic pegs to try out new tricks/combos. Finally, I wanted to go back to a front load stem, because I love the way it looks/feels.
Your bike’s pretty much all black. Don’t you like a little color in your life?
Haha, I actually wanted to go back to a black bike, because I’d been running quite colorful bikes for the past 5 or 6 years.
Wethepeople has a wide range of frames. Why did you pick the Buck Frame in 20.75“?
WTP really does have a wide range of frames, haha, and choosing is always pretty tough. I’ve had never tried the Buck frame, so I thought I would give it a try and I’m not dissapointed at all! In addition, I wanted something a little more playful, because I had been running 21” frames for a few years.
Your bars are not that high and you’re rocking a front load stem. Why do you like a somewhat low frontend?
The front load stem had been on mind for quite a while and I just felt like trying it out again. I think that the combo (front load + 9.5” bars) is the perfect fit for me and I have to admit that I prefer the front load look too.
A lot of people prefer flangeless grips. Why did you pick grips with flanges?
Haha, that’s true, but I don’t know. I just feel like they help you catch your barspins better, because you have a sort of line separating the handlebars from the grips.
In an age where cranks seem to be getting shorter and shorter you’re running 175s. What’s up with that?
I have to admit, that I never really look at those specs, haha. I just decided to keep on running the same size of cranks that I had been running for years.
Do you have any modifications on your bike?
Not at all.
You can pump up the Activate tires to a 100 PSI. How much pressure do you run?
I usually pump them up to 45 PSI.
Why do you prefer nylon pegs over steel ones?
As a matter of fact, I had been running metal pegs for 3/4 years, because I geniuely love the street aspect that it gives to a bike. But I want to film more progressive stuff at the moment, so I opted for plastic pegs with this bike. PS: I miss the metal sound and the chinks, tho!
“I want to film more progressive stuff at the moment, so I opted for plastic pegs with this bike.”
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