Joe Cox - 20 Questions

Photo: Adam Wasylenko

1. What is your very first memory of BMX?
Seeing the local hero Brian Graham come down to our trails – one tabletop – we all had mountain bikes and he tried to three the jump on his BMX and decked it. From then we all decided our mountain bikes were shit and got BMXs.

2. How did you feel when you got your first bike – do you have the same feelings now when you set up a new bike?
I’ve only ever really had two new bikes, and it was good when I got them, but I was more happy that I had a bike, not the fact that I had a good bike. I’ve never really been into bike geek stuff and I just used whatever I had as long as it kept me riding. Nowadays I never really set up a full new bike, I just get parts when I need them. I don’t really get too excited about it though.

3. What was your first bike like?
A Raleigh Extreme in bright yellow, that Tom Minns’ mam got from an unknown, probably unlawful source. My mam bought me it for Christmas for £50.

4. What is your latest bike like?
A Sunday with Odyssey parts, and it’s mint. Perfect for me anyway.

5. When and what was the first time you saw
someone do something amazing on a bike? Watching Mike Hill and Ste Pessland riding Ayton trails. I couldn’t believe they were riding these 40 foot jumps so easily. Those trails were made out of shale too. Fall off and half your skin’s gone.

6. When and what was the last time you saw someone do something amazing on a bike?
Tommy C dropping off a 12 foot wall to flat when he meant to grind the inside of a rail two inches from said wall. When he pulled the rail that was pretty amazing too.

7. If you hadn’t discovered BMX, what do you think you’d be doing now?
No idea, same as everyone else probably. It’s too hard to say, so many different paths to go down.

8. When it comes to riding, do you go for style or tricks?
Lately I’ve really been styling it. Sometimes the style is so great my friends say “whoa, style man!” Sometimes I spend the whole day just styling it round the park without doing any tricks. If I do any tricks, they’re usually just style tricks such as X-ups, turndowns, tabletops and other tricks that ooze style. Saying that, you can’t win FAG with style.

9. Do you have to work on progression, or does it come naturally to you?
I have to work pretty hard to learn stuff. But I’ll keep trying it until I either hurt myself or just get too tired to try anymore. Sometimes I get it and sometimes I don’t. I don’t really mind either way, there’s always tomorrow.

10. What state of mind enables you to progress your riding?
I don’t really feed off other people like some do. If there’s a lot of people who I don’t know, that usually makes me stop riding, or just chill. The first and last proper competition I entered [Backyard Jam] I didn’t ride the course at all because everyone was flying around going mental. I just got on the deck when I was called up to ride and had to stop myself being sick. I remember shitting it because thousands of people were watching me and I didn’t actually dare look over at the crowd. Then I looked the other way and Joe Rich was sat next to me. I was just thinking, ‘what the hell am I even doing here?’ Then I dropped in and crashed within 20 seconds. Never again.

11. What one rider has influenced you the most?
There’s so many who’ve influenced me but I’ve got to mention Ralph Sinisi. He’s just the best ever. One of the few people who can make wearing kneepads on the outside of your jeans look cool. Serious peg merchant. Out of non-famous riders, it’s got to be one of my oldest friends, Tom Minns. I learnt a lot growing up off this guy. He’s a good lad!

12. What goes down if you have a bad day?
I just go home usually. It can be annoying but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t pull a trick.

13. When was the first time you tried something big / burly / scary?
Trying my second rail, which is about 15 stairs and steep as f—k. I wouldn’t dare do it now. I really don’t know what I was thinking. I grinded down it, but forgot to pull up at the end and broke my wrist. I didn’t know this until six months later though. I just thought it hurt a lot. Since then I broke the same wrist in the same place three years in a row.

14. When was the last time you scared yourself on a bike?
Maybe when I got forced into doing a flip out of Cockmaster. I’d only ever done one flip before. There was a jam on and everyone got it into their heads that I should do it. Everyone was chanting, so I tried to get out of it by saying I won’t do it without a helmet. Unfortunately for me some guy shouted “I’ve got a helmet in the car!” and ran to get it. I thought ‘f—k this’ and just rode up and did it before he had time to get the helmet. That was scary.

15. What was the last bike part you bought?
Not sure, but I remember wanting one of those big gyros that were like two big circular plates. I forgot what they were called though.

16. What is the greatest BMX product in the last ten years?
I don’t really know about product design and stuff, but I like the internal and sealed bearings. Makes it a lot easier when bearings don’t fly all over the carpet when you take your forks off.

17. If you could choose two riders to go riding with daily, who would they be?
Eleven people live in our house, so I couldn’t choose between them. When there’s a big crew going out that’s probably the most fun.

18. How would you describe your riding?
Not that much style, and not that many tricks. 19. What is your favourite type of riding? Anything in front of me really. I don’t mind what I ride as long as I am riding.

20. Describe an ideal day…
Wake up and realising I’m not at home, but on a trip at a place that has all the best spots in the world all in a three-mile radius. Then setting off with my best friends and seeing what happens. Oh, and I check my account balance and for some reason there’s one million pounds in it.

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