Hey Markus please let us know some things of you, some standard things!

Hello everybody out there. I’m Markus Reich and I’m from Neubrandenburg, Germany. This beautiful city is 100 km in the north of Berlin. I’m 28 years old and I spend more than the half of my life on my bikes, especially on the one I use for Flatland. Finally I’m also a student and I work hard for my last exams.

How long have you been riding exactly?

As far back as I can remember I was on wheels. With an age of 9 I was able to jump a bunny hop over half a meter. I got my first Freestyle BMX in 1994 and now I’m still riding 16 years and it’s more than a hobby, it’s my life!

Why are you riding BMX Flatland?

At the first time I rode street and I used every obstacle I could found and than I recognized that technical tricks are better for me, especially the Flatland one. It was not easy for me, to take this decision to ride Flatland. Because we were only two guys in our hometown who wanted to lean some bike tricks, me and my best friend, but he wanted to ride bike trial and I felt better in flatland. Finally everyone goes his own way! 2005 he become the second place at the German Trial Mastership in the Elite class and I’m also not the worst Flatland rider of Germany. The best part of this story is, we are still best friends!

What are you doing beside Flatland?

I like sport! For example snowboarding in the winter, Frisbee or wake skate in the summertime, I also like to ride my other bikes. And of course I like to go to parties and drinking something and hanging around with my friends.

I´ve heard that you have about 10 different bikes. Is that true and WHY?

Yeah it’s true, but wait a second…7 bikes! Why is a good question, because you need a different bike, for every kind of riding. For example my Flatland bike, my MTB Downhill bike, the Cross Country MTB, a travel bike and last but not least my 20” Trial bike and such some other machines for cruising. But my Flatland bike is my favorite one.

What kind of relationship do you have to KHE Bikes?

I hope a good one! Yeah some people know me as the trainee of KHE Bikes, but these times are past and now I ‘m a student which has a little part time job at KHE Bikes. I’m the face behind the service mails. And finally I’m a rider of the KHE Flow team. 

I did know you as the organizer of your own contest, so please tell us something about it!

Hmmm what can I say?  At beginning I have a bad news, because I have to write my diploma yet and this work will take so much time from me, that I couldn’t organize a contest. Sorry, but maybe I will organize a competition at the end of the year 2010.  
Last year I past my sixth Flatland contest, so I started to organize my first contest with 21, when  I was young, shy and doesn’t knew anything about to organize a contest, but I made it with my friends and after three years we had some very famous riders at my contest, like Raphael Chiquet, Simon O’Brien, Michael Steingräber and so on… believe me, organizing a contest is not only good for the BMX scene, it’s also good for yourself, because YOU have the chance to give other riders a good time in your town.

Which trick do you hate the most?

I don’t feel good in spinning tricks… because I’m a smooth operator and I like to ride slowly and under control. The really hard tricks are the slower ones because: Speed substituted balance!”
I also like to ride freestyle, because I donīt have any real fixed combos. My single target is; do so many tricks as possible.

Bike Check!

Frame: KHE Bikes - Militant Stealth (prototype with u-brake pivots)
Fork: We the people - Mantis
Bars: Odyssey – Chase Guoin
Grips: Primo – Corey Martinez
Bar ends: Demolition – “D”
Stem: Suelo
Brake Lever: Éclat - Swift
Front Brake: Odyssey - Evolver
Rear Brake: Éclat – The Unit
Rotor: Odyssey – GTX-R
Seat: KHE Bikes- Watanabe
Seat Post: KHE Bikes - Prismatic
Clamp:  no name
Cranks: KHE Bikes- Hindenburg 160mm
Sprocket: Éclat – Tilt cnc 28t
Pedals: Éclat – Surge cnc alu
Chain: KHE Bikes - Tanga
Rear rim: Éclat – Bondi
Freecoaster: KHE Bikes – Geisha light 9t
Front rim: Éclat – Bondi
Front hub: KHE Bikes - Geisha
Pegs: Feez Pegs (by Benjamin Großjohann)
Tires: KHE Bikes – MAC 1.5
 
Weight of bike: 10,4kg

Final words?

I want to say thank you, to all my friends which supported me and not even by stuff, sometime just with a few words or with a handshake! Some special thanks go to Éclat BMX and to KHE Bikes which help me out with many BMX parts. A king thanks goes to my parents, because they support me longer, as I can think. Peace and out!