rideTYRANT.com

Snowbikes!

2012-01-22T08:26:00.000-05:00

We got a solid 6" of snow yesterday and Steve and I took the snowbikes for a rip. Due to the bitter cold temps the snow was ultra light and fluffy and wasn't packing at all. The bikes went slower than usual due to all the drag in the powder, but it was still fun. Hoping to get a few runs in today when things warm up and the snow is tacky...things gonna rip!

High Class Truckers

2012-01-19T08:03:00.000-05:00

The new high class trucker hats are in, embroidered! The hats are $13.00, hit me up in person or PayPal rideTYRANT@yahoo.com and I'll ship for free.

Crack boom!

2012-01-17T08:01:00.000-05:00

Steve and I adventured out to the Willimantic Park yesterday despite 20 degree temperatures. We got about 20 minutes of riding in when a huge crack boom echoed across the park. Steve rode over to where I was asking if I heard the loud noise his bike made? After a quick once over we found that Steve's FIT Aitken S3 frame had blown out at the down tube gusset. Remember kids, FIT is SH1T!

Back in the Day: Misc. 2001-2004

2012-01-13T16:18:00.001-05:00

Man did we raise hell back in the day. So many parties, road trips, and all kinds of antics. Here's a little bit of everything to round out the "Back in the Day" Series this week. I hope I drummed up some fond memories for you old school heads.

Misc. Photos: CLICK HERE

Back in the Day: Newington

2012-01-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

The Newington Park has been around since 2001 and I'm pretty sure we've ridden that place damn near a thousand times! It's a sad excuse for a park, but we always go back for more. Lots of memories there!

Newington Photos: CLICK HERE

Back in the Day: Groton

2012-01-11T16:11:00.000-05:00

Countless times we've woken up at the a$$ crack of dawn to get down to Groton and ride before the skate Nazi's show up. These photos are a fond memory of a 6am session back in the Summer of 2003...

Groton Photos: CLICK HERE

Back in the Day: Jay's Ramp

2012-01-10T16:08:00.000-05:00

Jay's ramp has been around for 12 years now and we've ridden in on and odd every Tuesday for those 12 years. Lots of memories down in the basement of that factory!

Jay's Ramp Photos: CLICK HERE

Back in the Day: Chicopee Warehouse

2012-01-09T20:32:00.001-05:00

Man, what can I say about the Chicopee Warehouse...the place was amazing! So many great sessions with so many kick a$$ people!

Chicopee Photos: CLICK HERE

Back in the Day Series

2012-01-09T20:28:00.001-05:00

Going along with the whole reunion theme from this passed weekend I've decided to dig out some old photos from the early 2000 era. I'll be posting a different set each day this week. All you old school dudes...and new school kiddies that weren't even riding back then...enjoy!

Reunion/Benefit Jam

2012-01-08T08:21:00.000-05:00

Saw tons of old friends, made some new ones, raised some funds for Steve Estridge, and had a hell of a good time. Thanks to Kipp and Matty Still for organizing a great event!

Reunion/Benefit Jam Photos: CLICK HERE

Back in the Day: MSC

2012-01-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

The MSC/Local Trails Reunion Jam and the Benefit for Steve Estridge is tonight! I dug deep and found a bunch of old MSC photos. Really looking forward to seeing some old friends and helping out a fellow rider in need!

MSC Photos: CLICK HERE

Embroidered Caps

2012-01-06T08:13:00.000-05:00

New hats are on the way....it only took me 5 years or so! Embroidered "t y r a n t" on black hats - $20.00

Willi. Rolling Deep!

2012-01-03T15:28:00.000-05:00

We had a ton of riders at the Willimantic Park yesterday. It was awesome to see so many dudes out to ring in the new year. Sunny and 44 in January, can't beat it!

Willi. Photos: CLICK HERE

A Belated Happy Holidays!

2011-12-28T18:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, Happy Holidays message, etc. I got hit with a nasty case of food poisoning on Christmas...of all days! Brutal is the only way I can explain it! Needless to say, I have been laid up since Monday, finally took down some real food again today and getting some strength back. Hoping to be back on the bike by the weekend.

Hope everyone had a nice Holiday! Have a happy, healthy New Year! I'm psyched for 2012, July will be the 10 Year Anniversary of TYRANT...damn time has flown by! I have a lot of things planned, hoping to make the majority of them a reality. Thanks for all the support this year, especially all of you who have made the online store a success ordering shirts and hoodies. Onward to 2012!

Finally Riding Willi!

2011-12-24T06:53:00.000-05:00

After months of waiting we finally got some riding in at Willimantic....thought it didn't come without some work! Bry and I hit up the park Thursday morning and it was pretty wet. We swept the place for a solid hour until it was rideable. We got a pretty solid session in before the place got too crowded and we hit the road. Thursday night it rained like hell, but Friday morning Steve and I went back with a broom and leaf blower to conquer the water. We spent an hour and a half or so drying the place out before getting on the bikes. Friday ended up being a great session. We had the place to ourselves for 2 hours before 5 others showed up. It stayed that dead until we were beat and took off around 2. The park is really good, all kinds of lines. This is def the new "go to" park!

Willimantic Photos: CLICK HERE

Slowin' Down

2011-12-20T08:11:00.001-05:00

Sadly, the riding has begun to slow down due to the cold. Sorry for the lack of updates. Hit up our FACEBOOK PAGE for day to day updates, photos, and other random BS. Winter arrives Thursday at 12:30am, ouch!

Guilford: 12/17/11

2011-12-18T08:12:00.000-05:00

No photos, just a lot of riding. We had a crew of 5 guys getting rad at Guilford. Good times for sure!

Back to the Streets

2011-12-14T18:41:00.000-05:00

With Haven gone, no other local indoor parks, and it dark by 4:40 we're heading back to the streets. Gotta get some riding in before the snow comes. Steve, Mike B., and I put in a few hours of pedaling last night since Tuesday night Jay's Ramp was cancelled. We had a good time hitting up all the usual M-Town spots and 35º wasn't all that bad to ride in. I had planned to put a grind box and kicker for wall rides in the P1ss Tunnel, but the town is still locking it up. Lame!

Willimantic Bust!

2011-12-13T07:42:00.000-05:00

I was out the door into 28 degree temps to go ride the new Willimantic Skatepark bright and early Tuesday. I arrived at the park around 9 and there were dirt piles everywhere along with a backhoe and some dump trucks. I thought nothing of the guys working and went to grab my bike. No sooner than my tires touched the ground I get hollered at by one of the dump truck operators. I made my way over to hear him out and wasn't psyched to hear, "Parks closed until Spring. Can't ride here." Awesome! So I dragged myself out of bed and braved the frost to get shut out...what a drag! Fortunately, the Fat Trax guys I was supposed to meet up with still had motivation and upon calling them they said we should make our way to the Dayville Park. It ended up being a fun,brisk session after all. Once the sun was high in the sky the 30 degree temps weren't that bad. Hello Winter!

Willimantic Photos: CLICK HERE

Jay's Ramp: 12/6

2011-12-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

Another Tuesday at Jay's ramp. I rode a bunch last night, this is all I have to show for the session...

Jingle Jam

2011-12-05T09:33:00.001-05:00

We had big plans to get rad at the Southwick Trails yesterday, but Jack Frost almost iced us over! When our 9 man crew arrived at the trails at 11:30am the place was frosted and sloppy. Thanks to some grunt work and a quick run to Ocean State Job Lot for brooms, the place was running in an hour or so. It ended up being a great day, 26 riders showed up and gave it hell one last time before the Winter sets in. Good times everyone, thanks for making it out and thanks to the young locals for dealing with us once again over running the place.

Southwick Photos: CLICK HERE

Guilford in December

2011-12-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

We had a late day session at Guilford yesterday, the first time I've ever ridden that park in December in the 8 years it's been open! Usually we're dealing with bitter cold temps and crap weather by now!! Anyway, met some new peeps, pulled some old tricks on the new bike, and had a great time. Love it while it lasts, the snow is coming!

Guilford Photos: CLICK HERE

Dudes, Bikes, and Pizza!

2011-11-30T09:27:00.000-05:00

The usual Tuesday session at Jay's ramp...dudes, bikes, and pizza!

Jay's Ramp: CLICK HERE

Looking Back...

2011-11-29T16:58:00.001-05:00

I was digging through an old bin of stickers today and randomly found this kick a$$ photo of Steve from a solid 8-10 years ago at CT's. Awesome!

Southwick: 11/27/11

2011-11-27T16:55:00.000-05:00

We had a crew head up to Southwick today and it was a pretty epic session!...despite Matt Lucas' bike throwing, flash smashing antics! There are a bunch of teenage locals digging their faces off tuning up the currents lines and building new one. Kinda an odd time of year to be putting in so much work, but hell....the place looks and rides great! Sounds like we'll be headed back up there again next weekend.

Southwick Photos: CLICK HERE

HOLIDAZE SALE!

2011-11-25T16:53:00.000-05:00

All tees and hoodies are $4.00 off and FREE shipping until Monday! Get on it!!

500 Likes

2011-11-21T17:22:00.001-05:00

In honor of reaching the 500 "Likes" mark on our Facebook page the TYRANT Winter Caps are on sale for $5.00 with FREE SHIPPING till midnight. Get on it!!!

Cement Park Sunday

2011-11-20T20:06:00.001-05:00

Another Sunday, another awesome session! I'll let the photos do the talking...

CLICK HERE

Frigid Friday Session

2011-11-19T20:01:00.000-05:00

Steve and I hit up the Deep River Park for a few hours today...

Jays Ramp: 11/15/11

2011-11-15T19:52:00.000-05:00

Another Tuesday session at Jay's Ramp. Dudes, bikes, pizza and good times as usual!

Jay's Ramp B&W Photos: CLICK HERE

Sunset Ranch Jam: 11/13/11

2011-11-14T14:30:00.001-05:00

20+ riders from 4 states playing in the dirt all day! Super fun time and one hell of a send off to the 2011 trails season. Another fine day at the Ranch!

Jam photos: CLICK HERE

Schmidt showing up the street kids by jumping a 12' double into a Hang 5 lander!

MA/RI Road Tripping

2011-11-11T21:13:00.001-05:00

Steve and I had the day off today so we decided to adventure West to Mass. and Rhode Island. Our first stop was Dick Maul's Bike Shop in Halifax, MA. Talk about legendary! Maul's is a household name in the BMX world and have been keeping it real for damn near forever....30+ years!!! We hit up the Hingham Skatepark mid-day and it was windy!...but that didn't stop Steve from laying out some tables in the 7' end of the bowl. The park is small, but the bowl alone is worth the drive to the park. So nice!! On our way back toward CT we hit up Circuit BMX. Again, another amazing BMX shop...which is swiftly becoming a household name in the BMX scene. Vic is running a rad operation over there in Pawtucket! We ended the day at the Owen Bell Park in Killingly dodging random spurts of rain. All in all we drove 250+ miles and only rode 2-2.5 hours max, but it was well worth it. Good times for sure!

MA/RI Road Trip Photos: CLICK HERE

Jay's After the Storm

2011-11-08T23:45:00.000-05:00

After a week of no power due to Winter Storm Alfred, we made our way back to Jay's tonight. New local, Mike Brennan, hopped in with Steve and I to head out to the ramp. It was a typical laid back Tuesday night session...dudes, bikes, pizzas, and the ramp. I'm hoping these sessions keep up throughout the Winter! Always a good times at Jays!!

Jay's Ramp Photos: CLICK HERE

MY FOOT...YOUR MOUTH!

2011-11-04T13:59:00.000-04:00

I typically avoid ranting and I usually keep my cool...but this one hit the right nerve. Congrats to you, whether you are a kid or adult...you pissed me off!

This is an anonymous comment I received on my "Boston Bound" post an hour ago...

"another shitty article about shitty riders doing shitty tricks. same shit, different day. this website sucks and none of you our ever getting sponsored"

Let me break it down for you pal...

1. Leaving an anonymous comment just screams out "I'm a huge pu$$y!"

2. It's a blog...not a newspaper. It's called a post, not an article!

3. Love the repetition of the word sh1t! Your vocabulary is obviously SH1Tty, you couldn't come up with better adjectives to dis me?!?

4. I can care less what you think of me, TYRANT, and/or our friends. I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it to the grave...we ride bikes cause it is fun, not to show boat...impress anyone...qualify for the X-GAYmes...or any other BS!

5. "Sh1tty tricks"? Sorry you don't see any triple tail whips, quadruple barspins or whatever lame a$$, box jump monkey, foam pit junkie garbage tweens are throwing down these days. Don't get me wrong, the evolution of the sport is mind blowing...but it's not for me...and not what TYRANT is about. (see #4 above!)

6. "our ever getting sponsored"? It's ARE...not OUR!! You're really showing us how incompetent you are!!! Secondly, I'm 31 years old...damn right I'm never getting sponsored! I ride cause it keeps me young at heart, allows me to socialize/meet amazing new friends, and once again...wait for it...it's FUN! Kids nowadays need to take off their blinders and realize there is more to BMX than getting some free grips and a hand job from a company owner!

7. Plain and simple, you don't like the site...don't ever come back!

Rant over!
If you'd like to talk shit in person please feel free to come and chat anytime. I'd love to hear you out and see if your balls are as big in person!

Boston Bound

2011-11-04T08:38:00.000-04:00

I was heading up to Boston to pick up T from Logan at 8:45pm so I figured I'd make a day out of it. I got in touch with Tabler & Fabler Tony Long and he offered me up the opportunity to cruise Boston street with he and his friend Chip. After meeting the guys around 1 we hit up Harvard for some banks and wallrides. Sean Burns and some of the Bone Deth crew were already at the spot getting rad. It's always cool riding with new peeps at foreign spots...especially after seeing that new Burns Osiris edit filmed around Boston (and Providence). Tony, Chip and I made our way to a pool after Harvard and Tony was blasting tables in the 12ft end. I'm not gonna lie, I sat there and watched with my tail between my legs. I wasn't about to session that place without my helmet! I'd scramble my brain for sure!! I parted ways with the guys around 3 and made my way over to the Winthrop Skatepark for a solid hour session. All in all an awesome day in Boston. Really looking forward to getting back up here soon!

This dude!

Hump Day Sesh

2011-11-03T20:28:00.000-04:00

Steve randomly had the day off from work so we hit up the Norwich and Baltic Skateparks. Of course, we were psyched to ride Norwich cause there would be no kids around...and 1/2 hour after we got there the school across the street got released on a half day. Sh1t luck at it's finest! To avoid the mob of tweens we made our way to the Baltic Park. Steve was getting rad with the place all to himself and our little buddy (who's name I still don't know) who seeks us out at Baltic was around. The little dude is all of 3 feet tall and he was shredding on my 22" Deuce Deuce with Perfect 10 bars...too funny! We hooked him up with some stickers and a TYRANT beanie and he was psyched. Awesome day for sure!!

Hump Day Photos: CLICK HERE

HAPPY HELLOWEEN!

2011-10-31T21:19:00.000-04:00

Stick It to 'Em!

2011-10-31T13:34:00.000-04:00

The huge (bumper) stickers are in, as well as the head tube sized star ones. Hit me up and get some!

Trails Before the Snow

2011-10-30T13:26:00.000-04:00

Today was nuts, plain and simple! We headed up to Sunset Ranch bright and early to get some runs in...anticipating possible snow this afternoon. We rode for 4 hours and it started to flurry a bit...so I jumped on my phone to check the weather. By that point Connectciut was all blue on the dopple and 2" had already fallen. We beat feet real quick and adventured home to the snowy tundra! Thanks to Chris for letting us come ride the trails so many times, especially when we're not locals and have put in very little dig/maintenance time at all. Looking forward to 2012 at Sunset Ranch!

Trails Photos: CLICK HERE

Tagged Winter Caps

2011-10-27T20:53:00.001-04:00

The "Tagged" Winter caps are in stock and available for online ordering...or hit me up in person! $8.00 to keep your head warm as the cold begins to bear down on us.

(Military Green not pictured)

Quiet at Jays

2011-10-26T09:10:00.001-04:00

Wow, what a difference a week makes! Jay's was infested last Tuesday and a ghost town last night. The guys got in some decent runs then spent the remainder of the evening tearing down the over vert extension and cleaning up the ramp. I have a feeling there are gonna be some rad ramp changes forthcoming...we'll see. The highlight of the night was surely one of Jay's employees hopping on his bike and carving the ramp. This guy was 63, smoking a cigarette, wearing a Members Only jacket, and in white flip flops and socks. Now that's coming original! Eat your heart out scenesters!!

Jay's Ramp Photos: CLICK HERE

Watch out Dew Tour...he's been training!

Tables and Fables in CT

2011-10-24T09:25:00.002-04:00

Tony Long, the man behind Tables and Fables, made is way down with a huge crew yesterday. The guys rolled in 4 cars deep, we were totally surprised! We spent most of the day at the snake run then hit up the Wethersfield before dark. Def a good time when out of staters make their way down to check out our spots. Looking forward to their next trip down before the snow.

Sunday with T&F Photos: CLICK HERE

Tony Long text book table lesson at dusk

CCNS Donut Derby

2011-10-22T15:33:00.001-04:00

Continuing on my kick of attending various cycling events outside of the BMX world I hit up the CCNS Donut Derby this morning. Long story short...it's a 21 mile race - 7X a 3 mile loop - with one hell of a climb each lap. For every donut the riders eat during the race they get 2 minutes deducted from their overall time. Man, some people threw down! 12 donuts, 11 donuts....and no puking. Such a fun event!

Donut Derby Photos: CLICK HERE

Bill from Pedal Power giving it hell 1.25 miles and 1 donut in...

Winter Caps

2011-10-20T23:50:00.002-04:00

The winter caps will be available the first week of November. Get psyched on these, cause it's gonna get cold!

Jay's Ramp Mega Session

2011-10-19T10:31:00.002-04:00

We've been riding Jay's private indoor mini for 10 years and the sessions have always been pretty low key. Last night broke the mold...10 riders showed up and the session was off the hook. More tricks went down in the first 20 minutes than have in the past 10 years! It was cool to see Brandon Begin and Stevie Churchill riding the ramp. Hell, those two were in preschool when Jay started building the ramp and he's 20 years their senior...old enough to be their dad! Looking forward to more sessions throughout the cold, dark season.

Jay's Ramp Photos: CLICK HERE

NYC Runnin'

2011-10-17T08:10:00.001-04:00

New friends Derek and Scottish Steve made their way up from NYC to ride with Steve, Bry and I yesterday. First stop, the snake run. It rained for 2 straight days at the end of last week, and the leaves have been falling in mass amounts...there was no way I thought we'd be able to ride. To my surprise the run really wasn't that bad and 30 minutes of broom and rake action had the place pretty mint. It was a fun afternoon taking bomber runs, sessioning individual sections of the run, and chilling with friends. In the late afternoon we made our way down to the Guilford Skatepark. By then everyone was pretty tired, but we cruised for an hour or so and called it a day. Derek and Steve jumped on 95 to head back to NYC and we headed back North. Super fun day!

Check out Derek and Steve's work!

Snake Run/Guilford Photos: CLICK HERE

Mansfield Cross

2011-10-15T18:13:00.000-04:00

I switched it up a bit today. Instead of the typical weekend BMX action I headed out to Mansfield to check out a few guys I knew give it hell in the 9am Cat. 4 cyclocross race. After a slow start, my buddy Matt Lolli (Ghostship / Twin Six & Pedal Power employee) worked his way through the pack taking the lead with 1.5 laps to go, say 2ish miles. Matt, on a single speed no less, held off the 3 chasing competitors all the way to the line and earned himself an 11 second victory. Dave D., former CCNS teammate of mine, edged out another rider at the line to take 3rd. To my surprise, Chad Allen's dad Jeff was racing with the 4's and rode a hell of a race. He could easily be racing Masters, but he held his own with the youngin's. All in all a great day of cross action. Looking forward to the upcoming Silk City and Chesire Cross races!

Mansfield Cross Photos: CLICK HERE

Lunch Session: Deep River

2011-10-12T06:50:00.000-04:00

Bry and I met up with Chris P. down at the Deep River Park yesterday at noon. The park was empty and the weather was perfect, an ideal session. Chris was getting rad with some pedal grinds and Bry was getting tech on the jersey barrier with fufs and pedal stall to 270's. I was analyzing the size of the park and I'm figuring it's about the same size as the allotted space for the East Haddam Park. With any luck, that park will be just as fun as Deep River!

Lunch Session Photos: CLICK HERE

Newi/Plainville

2011-10-09T07:59:00.001-04:00

I headed over to the Newington Park for a bit yesterday. It was just one kid and I and I was taking turns riding and hiding in the shade as it was hot as hell and bright and sunny there. I posted a photo to the TYRANT Facebook page and within 30 minutes 5 riders showed up. We ended up riding Newi, Plainville, and the Farmington Park. I had no intentions of even riding at all yesterday and it turned into a fun full day sesh. Thanks for coming out guys, good times for sure!

Newi/Plainville Photos: CLICK HERE

Matt Lucas bringing his track style to the pre fab ramps

Gnarwich & Baltic

2011-10-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

Bry and I met up with a few guys out at Norwich to get rad on a Friday. The park was empty and it was a super low key session. Seth Bernard pulled the longest ice pick grind I've ever seen in person and Bry was getting his bar spins dialed in. After GNARwich we hit up Baltic for a bit. Love that hip...that's all I gotta say. Fun session, chill locals, great way to pass a Friday!

Norwich/Baltic Photos: CLICK HERE

The Hoods of Crompton

2011-10-06T06:20:00.002-04:00

I stopped by the Cromwell Skatepark before dark last night to snap some photos of Ryan Staron and Jake Lineberry. Flairs, tailwhips, barspins....the usual high flying antics of those 2. The highlight of the night was def the doubles mini ramp runs including synchronized flairs. Madness!

Crompton Photos: CLICK HERE

R.I.P. Haven Skatepark

2011-10-04T12:48:00.002-04:00

I received at text from Kat at Haven this morning letting me know the park is closing for good. I'm not gonna lie, a tear came to my eye! So many amazing sessions over the past several years, so many new friends made, and so much fun had. Thanks to the folks at Haven for the memories, the park will be greatly missed!

Stay tuned for details, apparently there will be a last horrah get together in the very near future to celebrate Haven. All the ramps, metal, etc. are now for sale if anybody has any interest in opening their own park or warehouse.

I created a collection of all my Haven photos: CLICK HERE

Saturday on the Farm

2011-10-03T08:28:00.001-04:00

We were supposed to have a crew hitting up the Baltic Park contest on Saturday, but it got rained out. Thanks to Matty Still, we got an offer to ride the Team EAST warehouse. Steve, Ryan Staron, Chris Piascik, and I headed due North immediately. As always, riding those ramps was an awesome time. Thanks again to Matty and Stan!

Saturday on the Farm Photos: CLICK HERE

Chris P. getting his fastplant and GRRR face on!

Going Big Again!

2011-09-30T11:37:00.000-04:00

I haven't ordered bumper size stickers in years, time to go big again! A bunch of these 8.5" x 2.75" stickers will be here in a few weeks. Ideal for your top tube, car, trailer, local parks, etc. I'll be handing them out as usual, but if you want to buy in bulk they'll be 3 for $1.

Baltic Contest

2011-09-29T11:33:00.000-04:00

There is a contest at the Baltic Skatepark on Saturday. We have a crew heading down to check it out, maybe a few will even compete. Hope to see some familiar faces there getting rad! Check it out...

RI Night Trip

2011-09-28T10:02:00.001-04:00

Bry and I headed over to the Norwich Skatepark for a quick session prior to meeting up with Steve and road tripping to Rhode Island. Once we made it to RI we hit up the Pawtucket Skatepark for 45 minutes at dusk. The place was mobbed, but locked and we had to jump the fence...odd? Around 7 we made our way to Circuit for the FBM shindig. The Thousand Yard Stare movie sneak peek was awesome, looking forward to the full length video later this Fall. On our way home we hit up the Providence Skatepark and the place was empty. We got a solid 20 minutes in before riders and skaters appeared out of the darkness and the place was hopping at like 11 at night. The local riders were young and all super flowy. So rad watching those kids shred that park going 100 mph and boosting everything! All in all it was a kick a$$ evening trip, especially for a Tuesday.

RI Night Trip Photos: CLICK HERE

NEW Willimantic Skatepark

2011-09-27T03:11:00.003-04:00

On the way home from the park trip Sunday Steve, Brandon and I took a detour through farm country over to the Willimantic Skatepark. Holy Hell, the park is huge! Not just a huge area, huge trannies too! So psyched for this place to open. Word on the street is 1.5-2 more months of work to go. Fingers crossed for a pre-Winter opening and a few sessions before the first snow!

Willimantic Skatepark Photos: CLICK HERE

Begin's Park Edit

2011-09-26T12:59:00.001-04:00

Brandon Begin did some filming yesterday and cut this little edit. Good stuff!

Sunday Park Trip: 9/25/11

2011-09-25T09:03:00.000-04:00

3 car loads of riders met at my place today and we rolled out to the Norwich Skatepark. Super fun session at the park with everyone feeding off one another and getting rad. We hit up Baltic next mid-afternoon and the place was a zoo. In between dodging scooters rats a few people were able to throw down some original lines. We finished up the day riding the Plainfield Skatepark. To our surprise a few car loads of the Haven locals showed up to ride as well as Brett and Shamus from Mass. After a solid park session we got in a little street time around the area and called it a night. Thanks for everyone that came out. Days like yesterday are the reason I'm 31 and still riding a little kids bike. No injuries, no sh1t talking, no 1-upping....just friends having fun riding bikes. That's what BMX is all about!!!

Sunday Trip Photos: CLICK HERE

Deep River Solo

2011-09-19T22:17:00.002-04:00

Quickclips: Deep River from rideTYRANT.com on Vimeo.

Guilford Saturday Session

2011-09-18T08:37:00.000-04:00

Steve and I hit up the Guilford Park on Saturday for an afternoon session. The Fall temps have arrived, it was a great 62 degree and sunny day. For the first time in a long time I have no photos to offer, I rode the whole damn time. Bring on the cool, manageable weather!

Dirt & West Nile

2011-09-14T07:39:00.000-04:00

Steve and I hit up Chad's Trails for a quick session before dark last night. Steve put in a bunch of digging hours there over the past few weeks and wanted to hit up the new jumps he built. The place was still pretty damp and the mosquitoes were deadly, but it was nice to get back to Chad's....been a while. In addition to the new jumps, Chad is in the process of building a mega lander. I'm assuming there will be a huge wooden kicker to go along with it in the near future. Looks similar to one of The Lot big line set ups. Looking forward to the cooler temps, no bugs, and lots of trails!

Chad's Trails Photos: CLICK HERE

Back to Sunset Ranch

2011-09-12T20:26:00.001-04:00

Steve and I adventured North to to Sunset Ranch in Hatfield, Mass for a little trails action. Chris, the trail boss, has been slaving keeping the place in mint condition...even after Irene a few weeks ago and 3 straight days of rain last week. The place has progressed a ton since we were up there last in June. After a little dirt action we hit up the Southwick Trails, which were totally flooded surprising us all. We back tracked 15 minutes to Agawam and ended up hitting up the local skatepark there. The place was infested with kids, but it had a fun layout and when we could get a clean line it was fun as hell!

Sunset Ranch Photos: CLICK HERE

Non-stop Rain!

2011-09-08T08:51:00.002-04:00

Man, in the wake of Hurricane Irene we're now getting hosed with 3 straight days of rain. The CT River is flooding again and everything is saturated. The trails are going to need some insane maintenance after these past few weeks. Get out there are dig!!!

Ride Your Heart Out!

2011-09-07T08:10:00.003-04:00

5 years ago this week Shawn Hebrank created this kick a$$ artwork for us. Back then the design was used for stickers, but I though it was about time I got it on a shirt...AVAILABLE NOW in the Online Store above.

Be sure to check out Shawn's other artwork on his website by clicking his name above or over the link in the right sidebar.

Post-Irene

2011-09-04T08:10:00.002-04:00

Nothing new to report, it's been a slow week in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Fall is fast approaching, cool weather sessions are just around the corner. Psyched!!!

Come on Irene!

2011-08-27T07:27:00.000-04:00

Steve and I hung up the bikes and got out the body boards today. We made our way down to Rhode Island in hopes of getting in on the high surf action. There was a mandatory evacuation and only town residents were being let into the area. We rolled up on the Westerly evacuation check point pretty convinced we'd be turned away by the cop, but a little fibbing and knowing people who have a house in town got us through. We hit up the surf near the Westerly Town beach for a solid hour or so and Steve's GF Melissa was snapping photos (I'll post them Monday). Eventually the State Police made the rounds and evacuated everyone from the beach. Nothing like a little pre-hurricane adventure!

Friday Full Pipe

2011-08-27T07:25:00.002-04:00

Steve and I hit up the Norwich Skatepark for a little while Friday afternoon then went on a stealth mission to find a full pipe we had heard about. The place is in a pretty populated area, and the evening rush hour wasn't the most ideal time to be sneaking around places, but we made it happen. Despite the pipe being small, the place that it's located in is epic! Steve wasted no time in giving it hell in the rusty death pipe.

Full Pipe Friday Photos: CLICK HERE

EH, Wolcott, Falcon

2011-08-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

Bry and I did a little day tripping and hit up the East Hampton Skatepark, the Wolcott Skatepark, and the Falcon BMX Track in Meriden. The weather was perfect, mid 70's and sunny! We did a ton of riding and I shot no photos...so here are some GoogleMaps photos of the locations as filler. Doing it all again tomorrow...Norwich, Baltic and Plainfield!

9 Day Drought, 3 Days Full On!

2011-08-22T17:00:00.005-04:00

So I've been really busy, didn't ride for 9 days straight! I had to put a swift end to that! Bry and I rode the Newington and Cromwell Parks late last week. It was good to see Bry riding decent despite still recouping from a destroyed wrist. Saturday I spent 4 hours at Cromwell riding and getting roasted in the sun. Sunday Schmidt, Steve and I hit up the Southwick Trails. It had rained Saturday night so the trails were nice and tacky, pretty ideal conditions. Sadly, the session was cut short due to incoming severe thunderstorms and torrential rain. We shot South down to the Windsor Locks park for about 20 minutes before the storms caught up with us there too. The guys went home and ended the day at the Middlefield Park getting in a solid hour session with nobody there at all. Gotta love an empty park.

Being part of the over 30 crowd is rough, so sore today!

Fresh New Threads!

2011-08-16T07:15:00.003-04:00

T designed a new shirt that came out awesome! The whole image was free hand painted by her and digitized so we could use it on a shirt. Head over and check out's T's site for some more of her amazing artwork: CLICK HERE.

In addition, the "Creeper" zip up hoodies look great. Fall is just around the corner and we'll be rocking sweatshirts before you know it! Someone felt the need to e-mail me complaining that the hoodies are too expensive. Sure, $42 is pricey, but not really considering a plain American Apparel hoodie is $41 direct from them. So you get a rad as hell TYRANT hoodie for a mere $1 more. Just sayin...

Note: When ordering a sweatshirt from the online store you have the option of pullover or zip-up.

Dew Tour Dirt

2011-08-15T07:50:00.010-04:00

I watched the Dew Tour Dirt contest yesterday and was psyched! Sure, it was cool to see people going big, but I was more psyched on the trail rider friendly course TJ Lavin designed. Straight out of the mouth of TJ himself, "this is a dirt jumpers course. If you spend your whole day in the foam pit you're gonna struggle here"....and struggle they did. The course was such a subliminal kick in the nuts to the foam pit junkies and box jump monkey's. It's not like it was even a dramatically different set-up, just some rollers and a long and low. Love it! So sick of the whole "training" for BMX mindset! Ride your bike and have fun!

New shirts available in the online store now!

Mini-Vaca

2011-08-14T07:44:00.000-04:00

Spent a few days down in Westerly, RI at my friends family's beach house. I was psyched to get to the beach and get in the ocean for the first time this year. I had planned on riding the White Rock Skatepark on the way home today, but of course it had to rain. Looking forward to getting back down to Westerly and riding the park.

East Hampton Park 2011

2011-08-11T19:04:00.012-04:00

The East Hampton Skatepark got ravaged by the harsh Winter. Steve and I had plans to resurface the park with some of the skatepark committee youth in late May, but we were told by the town that the ramps were not structurally sound and most of them needed to be torn down. Honestly, there were only 2 ramps that needed re-enforcing and nothing needed to be torn down. Long story short, we gave up on the park at the point. We put in 28 hours of volunteer time building the ramps last year, why spend 8-10 hours more resurfacing ramps that are just gonna be torn down?!?!

Jump forward to August....
The town demolished the grind box, 1 quarter pipe, and the box jump set-up. To our surprise, they are in the process of resurfacing and repainting the remaining ramps. Wow, didn't see that coming at all! I figured the park would be leveled by now. I'm psyched that the ramps are getting a much needed facelift. I stopped by today and the place looks pretty good. Props to whoever is doing the work on the ramps, not too shabby. The one exception is the death coping, look out! Looking forward to riding the park next week when it's finished. Thanks EH Parks & Rec!

Rode on the East Side..again

2011-08-08T14:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the Riding on the East Side II event and it was a great turnout! We rolled into the Baltic Skatepark with 16 riders and the place was empty. We got in a solid 2 hours session before heading over to the new Plainfield. The new park out in Plainfield is pretty off the hook. The flowly layout allows for lots of boosting and speed. Good times for sure! We made our pit stop at Daily Grind and everybody was stoked on Chuck's shop. Imagine just about every BMX part in every color in stock. Daily Grind is dialed! A huge thanks to Chuck for the pizzas and air conditioning we were in desperate need of! We topped the day off at Owen Bell and sadly it was a pretty mellow session. The 85+ degree temps and sun kicked everyone's a$$ and we were all beat tired by the last park. No complaints though, we had an awesome day and I can't wait to do it again. Mass skatepark trip in September? Stay tuned...

Riding on the East Side II Photos: CLICK HERE

Been Digging!

2011-08-04T11:45:00.004-04:00

I spent a few hours down at Chads yesterday slinging some dirt on a new line. Psyched on the set-up down there. Bring on the rain, we need it!!!

Dirty Afternoon Photos: CLICK HERE

Click to enlarge panoramic

Snake Run Video by NSA

2011-08-03T12:03:00.002-04:00

Great GoPro footage from our Sunday adventure courtesy of the guys at the Northern Skate Alliance.

Chad's New Line

2011-08-03T07:37:00.002-04:00

I headed over to Chads trails late yesterday afternoon and to my surprise he had rebuilt the whole main line. The old set-up was cool, but the new one is super fun! It's still really soft and in need of some major water and shovel loving, but when it's done it's gonna be dialed. Looking forward to getting some more jumps built and possibly adding more onto to the other lines.

Chad's New Line: CLICK HERE

Monday Mods

2011-08-01T21:59:00.002-04:00

I made some mods to my bike today. Finally sick of the murder out same old, same old black bike! I machined the front wheel sidewalls, fork cap, brakes, brake lever, cable hanger, seat post, and headset spacer for that raw aluminum look. Faux bling!

NSA Runnin'

2011-08-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

Schmidty and I met up with Ryan Howard and some of the Northern Skate Alliance crew to hit up the snake run yesterday. Man, those long board dudes are out of their minds!

Snake Run Skating: CLICK HERE

Finally Back at Southwick

2011-07-31T21:49:00.000-04:00

Steve and I adventured up to the Southwick Trails to meet up with a few people yesterday. It was my first time back to Southwick since last year and my first time riding trails since my surgery. So psyched to be back on the bike! Some of the Enfield crew showed up and were blasting it like usual, Steve was dumping a nice 360 over the last set, and conditions were awesome. Nothing like a Saturday playing in the dirt!

Southwick Photos: CLICK HERE

Riding on the East Side II

2011-07-25T13:26:00.005-04:00

It's been a year and a half, but we're doing it again. An epic one day skatepark trip hitting up some of the radest cement parks in the state! We're meeting up in Portland at 10am and making our way over to the Baltic/Sprague Skatepark. Riding should start around 11. Come ride bikes and have fun! Chuck at Daily Grind BMX & Skate will be hosting a pizza party at his shop around dinner time, prior to us riding their local Owen Bell Park. Be sure to bring your appetite and some spending cash...lots of rad stuff at DG!

New Shirt Hotness!

2011-07-23T11:58:00.002-04:00

A bunch of people ordered shirts as part of a mass order I put in and they arrived today. Check out the hotness below! Remember, you can order your own courtesy of the ONLINE STORE link above. Thanks for the support guys!

Back at Chad's

2011-07-22T17:19:00.002-04:00

It's been several months since we've ridden Chad's Trails. Pretty pathetic seeing they are literally 10 minutes from my doorstep! Chad's had a cast on and hasn't been riding or digging, so the place was in pretty rough shape when we arrived. After a thorough hosing with bug spray we did a little fixing up and the guys rode for a bit. It was 98 out and pretty grimy, fortunately the temp dropped as the sun went down. Looking forward to getting back on the the bike and getting some digging in at Chad's.

Chad's Trails Photos: CLICK HERE

9 Years Going!

2011-07-21T07:15:00.006-04:00

Summer of 2002 is when the whole TYRANT thing started, 9 long years ago. Since then we've ridden hundreds of places and had one hell of a good time in the process. I'm brainstorming for next year, something off the hook for the "10 Year Anniversary". Maybe a re-release of the original shirts and mesh hats? A huge 10 year party somewhere? a TYRANT road trip? Whatever I end up deciding to do you can be sure I'll be hyping it up on here well in advance. In the meantime, the next 12 months will be a ton more riding and having fun.

Here's a throwback photo from '02 from my folks...

(NOTE: I wouldn't EVER considered riding without my helmet now days!)

Sunday Run

2011-07-19T08:29:00.002-04:00

Good times on Sunday! Schmidt moved home from Fargo, Evan made an appearance and it was fun getting back to the run!

Sunday Run Photos: CLICK HERE

Sunday Runnin'

2011-07-18T18:17:00.002-04:00

Monday Meltdown Video

2011-07-12T13:56:00.001-04:00

Monday Meltdown!

2011-07-11T13:48:00.000-04:00

Bry, Brandon and I headed up to the Windsor Locks Park for a mid-day session. The sun was in full effect and the temp was 93 when we rolled into town. The session was pretty short lived due to no shade and hellish temps, but I was still able to get a few photos and a bunch of clips. Bry is running pegs again after 3 or so years without them and he's a grinding machine...as you'll see by his 40" double peg and feeble at the park. We made a brief stop at the GMP park so Brandon could say what's up to a buddy of his. The afternoon brought some much needed shade at the trails. Brandon was on a mission to land a flair and by 5:00PM he had. The local kids were boosting all the lines, big and small. Damn youngins'! All in all a fun day of riding despite the heat.

Monday meltdown photos: CLICK HERE

GMP Jam/GMT

2011-07-10T09:37:00.007-04:00

I tagged along with Steve to the GMP Jam in Enfield to watch the madness and shoot some photos. The day got started with the Bunnyhop Contest and Seth Bernard and Jimmy Oakes dueling for the win at 40". Jimmy finally took the win clearing the bar with a wild horizontal style hop. The Long Jump Contest was ridiculous. The wedge ramp was a solid 2' high and people were hucking themselves. The jump off came down to Seth Bernard and RJ Legault both jumping a solid 30' or so with Seth eventually taking the win at some stupid far length! Highest Air on the Hip went to James Nelson who somehow blasted 6-7' out of the 4' hip. There were two games of Footdown and Steve was the runner up both times. Bummer, the damn youngins took him out! Jimmy Oakes won the first round and a GMP local the 2nd. I'm not sure who ended up winning the Best Trick Contest? Seth somehow managed to wallride the 2 x 6 sub rail on the back of the quarterpipe and Danny Todd dumped his whole bag of tricks on the ramp! All in all it was a fun jam despite the scorching heat and no shade at all.

After the jam a ton of people went to the Green Manor Trails. With all the rain on Friday the trails were in pretty good condition, nice and tacky. People were boosting like usual, but the highlight was def Jimmy Oakes throwing down a flair/360 flip hybrid on the dirt quarter. He didn't end up landing it clean, but regardless it was nuts and he was damn close.

GMP/GMT Photos: CLICK HERE

New Online Store!!!

2011-07-07T08:06:00.002-04:00

I've been getting pretty fed up with the consistency of the CafePress store. One day the shirts looks mint, the next day the logos are crooked and the shirts looks beat! I made the jump to Society6 yesterday. They only stock American Apparel shirts and tees are available in 6 different colors, which is awesome! Head over to the new store and take a look at the new tees! Click on each shirt to see the color options...

CLICK HERE

Thanks Sunset Crew!

2011-07-06T16:29:00.000-04:00

Gotta send a huge thanks out to the Sunset Ranch Trails crew for the well wishes! Looking forward to getting back on the bike and getting up to the trails soon!!

Stir Crazy!

2011-07-05T19:33:00.002-04:00

It's been 6 days since surgery and I'm going stir crazy not being able to drive anywhere or ride. I decided to occupy some time today pimping my bikes small parts out with some blinging metallic fleck paint. Getting iced out!!!

T's Dragon For Sale

2011-07-04T09:25:00.004-04:00

T's getting a new ride so the Dragon has to go. The whole bike is a brown and green color scheme. Hotter than any colorway complete you can buy! If you or anybody you know is looking for a smoking deal on a VERY LIGHTLY RIDDEN custom built bike with hand built wheels send them my way!

20.75" Eastern Dragon - Brown Sugar color
DK Nina Bars - Black
Shadow Conspiracy Grips - Green
FBM Top Load Stem - Green
Carbon fiber headset spacer
Eastern Internal Headset - Black
Tectro Brake lever - Black
Tectro 990 Brakes - Black
FIT Stock Forks - 3/8" - Black
Primo Powerbite Cranks - 180mm - Black
Animal Hamilton PC Pedals - Clear Green
Shadown Conspiracy Crow Sprocket - 28T - Green
Animal Seatpost Clamp - Green
Shadow Conspiracy Post - Black
Shadow Conspiracy Pneumbra Seat - Green & tan pattern
Odyssey Hazard Lite Cassette Rear Wheel - 10T cog - Chrome rim
Premium Sealed 3/8 Hub laced to Primo Hula Hoop Rim - Black
Primo Wall Tires - 20 x 2.10" - Black

Worth over $1,150.
Asking $500!

I could part this out an easily get $500 for the parts on Craigslist, but I'd prefer not to waste my time and effort!

Photo to come soon. I can't lift over 10 lbs. due to my injury thus can't get the bike off the hanging wall rack.

Out for A While

2011-07-03T16:29:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, it's been a rough few weeks to say the least!

I haven't been feeling well since early June and it all came to a head last weekend when I spiked a 102 fever and was doubled over with severe stomach pains Sunday night. Being the hard head that I am, I fought the pain and sickness for 3 days till Wednseday before T encoraged me to seek medical attention. The initial thought by the doc was Lyme Disease until an abdominal CAT Scan was ordered. After the scan I got hit with the news that my appendix was possibly perforated and about to rupture and I needed surgery ASAP. I left the clinic I was at and reported to Middlesex Hospital where I went under the knife Wednseday afternoon to remove the appendix and some toxic fluid around the area. Come to find out I also had a small tear in my intestines that they found while they were Roto Rootering my insides! Damn, my gut was all messed up. Word is if I hadn't caught it when I did I would of been in serious trouble....like dead!!!

I spent a few days in the hospital so they could monitor me and be sure the antibiotics were kicking in to prevent internal infection. I'm basically on house arrest till my follow up on July 11th. I'm on 2 heavy meds and can't drive my car or do anything active...besides short walks. I've already been told I'm officially off the bike for the better part of July. I'll be looking forward to shooting lots of photos and video in the coming weeks to prevent me from going insane!!!

Circuit/Cumby Trails

2011-06-20T08:21:00.000-04:00

Steve and I headed to Rhode Island yesterday with Bongi, his girl and his dog in tow. We went and checked out Circuit BMX's new shop location. Vic has that place stacked with the latest and greatest in the BMX world! Eventually made out way to the Cumby Trails, their local jumps. To say that I was awe struck would be a total understatement. These trails were epic...the place was beyond perfect! Steve and Bongi got on their bikes and got jumping pretty quick, while I was a chicken sh1t and manned my camera most of the day. It was a fun session watching Vic and the locals blast over their huge sets. Gotta send a huge thanks out to those guys for having us at their trails. Amazing!

Cumby Trails Photos: CLICK HERE

Joey's/Bongi's Again...

2011-06-16T08:17:00.000-04:00

We rode Joey's jumps for a bit then headed over to Bongi's jungle jumps. Steve had never ridden Bongi's before, but after a few runs was boosting the line and getting rad. We're supposed to be headed to some trails in Rhode Island this weekend. We'll see how things pan out...

Joey's/Bongi's Photos: CLICK HERE

Mid-Day Sesh @ Wethersfield

2011-06-13T12:08:00.000-04:00

Bry and I met some peeps at Wethersfield at 11am today for a mid-day session. The place was empty...as in nobody at all! It was fun to have the opportunity to flow around that place not worrying about dodging a flying board or pre-teen scooter rat. I've heard rumors that the park is in pretty rough shape and the rumors proved very true. The flat bottom is gnarly and chipped up, but just fine for some 75 PSI bike tires. Fun, fun!

New Decals; Nice!

2011-06-11T07:58:00.000-04:00

They're in and they're rad! Get 'em while they last, only a few dozen in stock.

Storm Carnage

2011-06-10T07:52:00.000-04:00

Bry and I made our way over to Joey's Trails today to do some riding, but Mother Nature had other plans. The violent storms on Wednesday and Thursday night wreaked absolute havoc on the trails. As we rolled up it was clear to see that the jumps were eroded, very pitted, and needed some solid work. The real surprise came as we got out of the car and actually made our way over to the trails...a 25 foot tall tree fell right on the 4th lip and lander. We spent a solid 2 hours cutting up the tree with axes (cause there was no chainsaw!), removing water from the pits between jumps, packing new dirt on the lips and generally tuning up the place enough to be rideable. When all was said and through we only got in an hour of riding. Bummer!