Nickname: Chicken Boy / Tanh Gà / Real Name: Tanh Le Ngọc Age: 17 in Vietnam and 16 ‘western’ standards Sex: Male Hometown: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam
When did you start riding? I started riding in August 2008. I saw BMX on ESPN then I saw trials MTB in the street. When I started there were already seven guys riding in Saigon. I found them on a website called www.xedap.org - Xe Ðạp is Vietnamese for bicycle. The rest is history.
How often do you ride? Everyday! For the first year I rode 5-6 hours everyday now only 3-4 hours everyday.
Why do you ride less now? I don’t know maybe I’m old now. I like it.
Do you ride contests? There are no contests in Vietnam but I would if I could. It’s my dream to go to a big event and meet lots of riders from all over the world.
Where do you ride? Duc ba church, District 1, Saigon.
Can you tell us a bit about the riding scene in your town? There are a lot of flatlanders. Everyone is friends. It’s impossible for us to get good bikes so it’s important for us to help each other out as much as possible. Something breaks on our bikes nearly every time we ride. We just keep going though.
Imagine you could make a flatland world tour, which 5 places would you like to visit for riding and why? France to see Matthias, USA because I like it, Hanoi to meet other Vietnamese flatlanders I’ve never met, Japan to see Moto Sasaki and Germany to see Waldemar.
Is there a goal you would like to reach concerning your riding? Just to keep riding and to go to a big event and meet riders from all over the world.
Which trick/combo do you work on at the moment? Multiple stubbleducks, something with hang 5 and stubbleduck like Raphael maybe.
What kind of music do you like? Tell us your 3 favourite songs. 1) My heart will go on – Celine Dion 2) Everybody – Backstreet Boys 3) Go to Church – Snoop Dogg
Tell us 3 things you like and 3 things you don’t like. Like: 1) Winning something 2) Learning a new trick 3) A new bike part. Dislike: 1) Fixing my bike 2) Rainy day 3) Hurt somewhere on my body and I can’t ride.
What is your job/what do you study? I work in a skateshop called BAM
What are your hobbies besides flatland and do they influence your way of riding? Only flatland. Harmonica I guess…
Bikecheck: Frame: Eastern complete with chromoly maintubes? Internal seatclamp below the toptube. Cracked and rewelded several times in this area. Fork: GT ones off of an Encore Stem: 8 bolt Camacura Wheels: Came on Eastern complete. Unsealed cassette and front hub. Normal rims. 36H Crank: Came on Eastern complete. Sealed BB Seat and post: From the market Grips: Federal Pedals: Odyssey Twisted PC Sprocket: Came on Eastern complete Chain: Kool hollow pin chain Bars: Don’t know but they belonged to Shaun Jarvis Barends: Camacura stainless steel Pegs: Steel ones from the market Tires: A blue 2.1” Odyssey Path up front and a 1.85” Odyssey Frequency G out back
This is the place for shoutouts, wise words or whatever you would like to tell the world... Thanks to everyone who gave me parts. Global-flat for this opportunity. Paul Chamberlain. My crew ICB (I Can’t Brake). BAM skateshop. Recyclebjnx tattoo. Freestylenow and Newcircle. World Bike Projects. Enough.