I Love Riding in the City

NAME: Todd Johnson
LOCATION: Minneapolis, MN
OCCUPATION: BMX sales and customer service for Quality Bicycle Products.

Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in Minneapolis and have for the past 20 years now. Riding in Minneapolis is fun, plain and simple. Good spots, not too many other riders to bust up your spots. The skatepark situation here sucks balls but we can’t have everything I guess.
Spring & fall, perfect weather to ride in. Not too hot and still not too cold—a nice hoodie and a pair of well-worn jeans for protection.

What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
My favorite city so far to ride in is San Antonio, Texas.... mainly because the cops there are cool as shit... I know you never hear anyone say that, but it’s true. They have good street spots around every corner, awesome ditches everywhere. And the Alamo... Got to love that town.

Why do you love riding in the city?
Being 32 years old and still riding a BMX is something I never thought I would be doing. We have a lot of “obstacles” to ride, we have a good group of BMX’ers with the exception of a few but that could be anywhere. With our sister city of Saint Paul not too far away it’s like having two cities in one to ride—endless and undiscovered spots. Since Minneapolis is a bike friendly town it is easy to get around with out a car. Busses with bike racks, the light rail allows your bike. So even having the disadvantage of a 20” wheel I can still venture far from home and not have to worry about riding that little bike all the way, to and fro....
 
Or just say whatever you want about riding in the city…
Riding for me isn’t about being the “best” more so being the best I can be. It relaxes me, takes my stress away, and it’s good exercise. for the most part it has created a lot of good friendships and unbelievable opportunities for me and for that I am most grateful for.

Photos by Ben Austin, www.benaustinphoto.com