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SEOUL BMX: 5 days of street transitions

After several hours of delayed flights and long train journeys, we finally made it to Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Seoul BMX. Let’s go.

3 cans of 7/11 coffee, 2 hours of building bikes and 1 eight mile ride later we pulled up to Shredd Bikes, and met Boon (an American visiting family in Korea, having just finished building a skatepark in China) Max Jackson (English fashion model/BMX rider working in Seoul) and Inho (local SK BMX rider) and headed out into the streets of South Korea.

Words and photos by Archie Kenward

Later on we also met Ji Hoon Lee, who you may know better as @sadlonelyguy or @1800pegless. Ji is a Korean pegless enthusiast/activist with a huge amount of amazing transition spots up his sleeve. and Lee Cruickshank, an Australian who teaches english in Seoul. When he’s not too busy giving Ji shit, he’s an amazing bike rider and all round GC.

Above: Inho was nice enough to show us around most days, and order our food for us (lol) he’s a great dude and a dialled bike rider who I’m glad to have met.

An example of South Korea's endless bridge spots. Shooting photos with Boon was a lot of fun, such a cool style and such a weird bike.

Boon riding a super fun spot in the University, after a perfect evening avoiding security and possibly the loosest hill bomb ever.

It doesn’t matter if you find yourself on top of or underneath a bridge in Seoul, you're almost certain to find something weird to ride. Ji Hoon nose manual on a prime example.

This spot is like nothing else I’ve ever seen, haha... If you can bump your way up the 6 stairs without blowing out both wheels, it's amazing. Just after this was shot, Chase did the inevitable and flat tyres ended the session. On our return visit the police stopped us immediately, so although this isn’t the photo we wanted, the spot is too good to leave out.

Seeing as I had limited time, and only ended spending 5 days in Seoul, I thought I’d ask Ji Hoon what a more average day was like riding BMX in South Korea.

Here’s what he had to say:

JH: “Hmm, my average day starts from picking the specific neighbourhood to explore. Or perhaps riding the skatepark to warm up and heading to the street. Seoul and South Korea street is constantly in development, so there’s always chance of discovering new spots that have never been ridden before… At the same time, it’s hit and miss. You just never know what you’re going to find.”