Q&A with Dave Paterson, Radio Bikes

– How did this frame come about, was there always a plan to develop a sig frame with Jack when he started on Radio?

Yeah we actually started on this project before it was even announced Jack would be riding for Radio when he joined the team in 2017.  It’s been a long time coming for sure.  Anyone that knows Jack also knows that he is pretty specific with the kind of bike he rides and how he sets it up.  Jack was heavily involved with the design and development of his frame and already had some very clear geometry and features that he had always wanted in a frame in the front of his mind from the very first day we started talking about it.  We got a few rounds of samples made to dial it in over the past year or so but Jack was stoked on the S6 Frame from the very first sample.

– Tell us about the name… (in case people can’t figure it out)

Haha the name was actually the part that took the longest!  Jack had some pretty hilarious ideas which just weren’t possible for all kinds of reasons but with Jack being an Essex boy and proud and also a big car fan, the name was a winner as soon as we heard it.

– How did you come up with the theme for the graphics?

That was actually a pretty simple process and much easier once we had the name.  Jack’s a bit of a petrol head and a fan of the German whip so it made sense to tie in those themes with his graphics and adopt the Audi font.  He was also dead set on having the Essex flag on there so we incorporated that into the seat tube decal.  The best result anyone could hope for when designing frame graphics is that they are so good that no one would want to peel them off.  We wanted to achieve a real clean but unique look with the S6 Frame and given how stoked people seem to be with the frame I think we achieved that.

“Jack’s riding is a huge reminder to riders around the world that individuality and having fun on your bike will always stand the test of time”

– What do you like most about Jack’s riding?

I’ve always been a fan of the fact that Jack rides in a totally unique way to any other rider out there.  When you watch Jack ride you can see that he’s doing exactly what he wants on a bike so he can have fun for himself and he’s not compromising his tricks or style to fit into any norms or standards.  So many riders are trying to comply with a certain look and trick bag to make podiums and ensure that they are doing the ‘right tricks’ to guarantee results.  There are so many clones out there right now who are doing the same thing contest after contest that (for me personally) it just gets boring and really doesn’t inspire younger riders to do their own thing and just have fun on a bike.

Jack just goes out there and does the tricks he wants to do and makes them look incredible, all whilst having a massive smile on his face.  Seeing how he can take this approach and still dominate contests around the world and make a name for himself as a respected international PRO rider is a huge reminder to riders around the world that individuality and having fun on your bike will always stand the test of time.  Jack’s riding is memorable no matter the contest result and you can be sure every time he rides that he’s going to send it and throw down something incredible.  To me Jack’s riding is what BMX is all about.

– Tell us about the specs of the frame.  Sizes, angles, colours etc.

The S6 frame was designed to be a technical park frame which could still handle the trails, transitions and streets.  Jack’s blend of riding is unique so we wanted to make sure this thing could handle it all.  The frame features a super short and responsive 12.7” chainstay as per Jack’s request, but we also used oval tubing allowing you to fit a 28t sprocket on there and fit larger 2.40” tyres.  The S6 Frame has a slightly lower 8” standover which gives you more clearance on technical tricks without making it look and feel like a scooter.  The frame uses a lower 11.5” bottom bracket for stability and a steeper 75 degree headtube angle to keep things nimble but stable enough to blast some big transitions.  The S6 frame is available in 20.4” and 20.8” (what Jack rides) top tube lengths and come in Glossy Black, British Racing Green and Matt Translucent Burnt Orange.

– Any special details we need to know about?

We wanted it to offer something which other frames simply didn’t. We saw that many park frames on the market really sacrificed durability in exchange for a lower weight so we used the same proven tube set and technology from our Wethepeople frames to ensure this frame could take some real abuse whilst still keeping the weight at a sensible amount.  Because of this beefed up tubing, the S6 Frame is now one of the only park frames in BMX to carry a full lifetime warranty.  A real cool feature on this frame is the seat tube which we ovalized at the bottom to give your feet more room to catch the frame on Tailwhips and move about on Tabeltops (which Jack does a lot).  This feature gives the frame a unique look from the side as well as having a real purpose and benefit to the rider.  We also used a smoother headtube and bottom bracket shape to give the bike a really organic look.

“The S6 Frame is now one of the only park frames in BMX to carry a full lifetime warranty”

– Are there any other parts in the S6 line?

Not right now, but Jack’s already got some ideas for some new projects and we’re hyped to work on something new…

– Who else on the team is riding the S6 frame at the moment?

Our dude in Belgium Kenneth Tancre is riding this frame right now as well as some of the guys here in Germany.

– When will it be available?

The S6 Frame is available now, worldwide.  Radio Bikes products are available to all bike shops in the UK through Moore & Large Distribution.  For more info on how to secure a frame on the first drop please shoot us an email mail@radiobikes.com or hit us up on Instagram @radiobikes.​