Basics Name: Kamil ‘Zin’ Zakrzewski
Age: 20
Sex: Only Girls
Location: Starogard Gdanski, Poland
Riding
When have you started riding ?
I started riding about 5 years ago but seriously hardcore flat about 3 years ago.
How often do you ride ?
5 hours a day. Sometimes more sometimes less and there aren’t any closed spots for the Winter.
Do you ride contests ?
No I don't…
Where do you ride ?
On a Basketball field in my garden and on my favourite small and big basketball/football field in my old school.
Can you tell us a bit about the riding scene in your town ?
Hmm… There is nothing to say… I'm the only flat rider in my town… I'm riding with my best 'riding friend' Łukasz Burczyk: He is a young skateborder but he is one of the best friends to ride with. Only me who is riding flatland in 50,000 people in Starogard!
Imagine you could make a flatland world tour, which 5 places would you like to visit for riding and why ?
1 - Helsinki,Finland, I'm a big Martti Kuoppa fan for years so it would be great to ride in his home town
2 - Spain, ride with Viki (you are the best!)
3 - USA, it would be great to ride in hot sunny California ( maybe I will meet Travis Barker?!)
4 - Circle of Balance with all pros from the world - no question
5 - Moon! It will be hardcore to ride without earth gravity haha. I will be the first person who makes a no footed blender and 10xbunny-hop-tailwhip haha
Is there a goal you would like to reach concerning your riding ?
Yes I want to learn Blender. There is nothing more important in my flat-life. I love that trick. Then I will learn pumping cliffhanger in Alex Jumelin style & smile haha
Which trick/combo do you work on at the moment ?
Blender, Cliffhanger turbine and some bike body varials
Chimera Bikz
What is Chimera Bikz ?
Chimera Bikz is a self-made parts manufacturer. I’m doing custom flat parts on special order for people who want to have parts which are really made for them – they don’t want to buy the popular parts - they want parts with their own specs. Chimera is also my own way to get cheap and good parts. Poland is not an expensive country but parts are very expensive and the second thing is that there not many flatland parts available in Poland. No Kgb No Quamen…. Third thing is that a lot of kids don’t have money to buy a great flat frame in the beginning. I remember how hard the beginning was on my big frame. So I want to do cheap parts to help young riders in my country to start riding flat (and later the whole world). This is my biggest purpose. In the future I want to give awards on the big international contests and small jams – for the amateur and beginner class. My big dream.
What kind of parts do you manufacture ?
I’m doing flatland frames, 0 offset forks and handlebars. I design my parts and create them 100% by myself. My best project is Chimera - The Used frame, Chimera zer0 fork and Chimera Handle. Now I just bought new material that is even better than cromo4130 and I’m working on a street frame and extra super light frame – We will see if this material is good or bad so stay tuned!
How do you manufacture them ? Do you have your own machines ?
All of my products I’m doing myself. I’m not welding my frames but I want to learn it and weld by myself. I’m doing them in my basement. I have small room and then I put some magic and products show up in my fridge haha (That’s why they always so fresh and so clean haha). The money I will earn I will put in new machines which helps me to make better and better parts. All frames are welded in frame-handle-machine that I have built so there is no way that any frame will be false. For about 3 years I almost earned nothing. So Chimera is not meant to make me milionaire with Mercedes SLR in my garage and Paris Hilton on my 21 birthday.
Where do you get inspiration for your parts ?
I just design parts which look how I want them to look – I must like the design and want to ride on it. I spend a lot of time on designing new parts. I like it very very much. The inspiration for the names of my parts is music & music bands!
Do you want to start a serial production one day ?
No I don’t want. Im doing parts on special order with specs that you want. You can order for example Chimera The Used frame with the tt length that you want, head angle, dropouts and any bottoms brackets - any parts with any specs that you want. Everything is for the riders. My parts are cheap, good and I make them with your own specs. I will always be underground haha.
Check the Chimera Bikz Website: http://chimerabikz.com
General Questions
What kind of music do you like ?
I like all kinds of music with good sound but for riding I love listening to hard rock!
What is your job / what do you study ?
I’m studying political science in the 2nd year.
What are your hobbies besides flatland and do they influence your way of riding ?
I’m a drummer in rock band and now I’m also playing hip-hop with my friends Drums are my love dude !! Also I love drawing… I think that my way of riding is in a different part in my head than the other things :-D
Bikecheck
No name grips
Chimera Handle
Brickhouse steam
FSA PIG
Chimera The Used
Chimera zer0 fork
Jet set 48 front wheel
Geraldo alu pegs
Odyssey freq 1,18 tires
Generix seat
Self made Spanish bb no name 175mm crank
KGB Pivot
Tasca freacoster with old 48 rim and spokes
Almost all parts were second hand… In this year I have build a very good flat machine. Before I was riding on a 1’’ headtube and funny crank and street parts… My frame and fork are sold at the moment.. I need money to buy machines for bending tubes so my current bike is only parts in my basement.
Last words
First big thanks to Tex Thayer - LONDON BIKES for supporting me with a lot of great advices! Chimera is becoming more international! The worlds first Chimera rider Michael Dingler is coming out :-D
Sorry that my riding movie is only shortcuts on youtube but I don’t have any close spots and I don’t even have a bike now so… I will make new promo clip next summer and I promise that you will hear about me!! Big thx to the Global-Flat team! You are doing a very very very good job! To be the rider of the month is one of the best things in my flat-life! Work hard and you will believe that everything is possible ! Who don’t believe in impossible things will never get them!
Thx, Zin :-*
Check Kamils videos on youtube: click here.
Photos by zer0 ( www.zer0.pl )