Name: Clay Johnson
Age: 26
Hometown: Phoenix Arizona!
Hook-ups: Mirraco, Peg-Leg, TRU-CITY
Do you remember the moment you got into BMX?
Clay: Man when I was really young, about 9 or 10, I would always say I wanted to be a skater. Then I popped a board up and knocked my front tooth out and I was done with it haha. One of my friends in school raced bmx and would wear his leathers and jerseys to school all the time and I thought that was dope. Even though I never got the chance to race I had a bmx bike like every kid did at one point. So I just started riding around my apartment complex as fast as I can jumping every speed bump and curb cut like I was in a race. I guess that's how it started, and then I saw that movie "BMX Bandits" and it was over after that lol. Then I remember I broke my cranks and my moms sold it and got me a mountain bike. I was bummed lol.
What did you have to do to get your first bike?
Clay: I had to do what every kid in Jr. High had to do. Clean the house, cut the grass stuff like that around the house. Then one day my mom's old boy friend showed up with a chrome Dyno VFR. Changed my life.
Who were the people you rode with in the beginning?
Clay: I started riding by myself for a while, then I moved to West Phoenix in Jr. High and met a bunch of kids who again raced. By this time all I rode was street, but they rode bmx so I was with it. Shouts out to Lee Pacheco, me and him rode a lot together when I first started.
How far did you have to go to get to a place you wanted to ride at?
Clay: I would just go across the street from my house and ride around this grocery store and gas station all day. Then we got sick of that and we would raise our seat posts as high as they would go and pedal all the way to downtown Phoenix just to ride something new. That was probably a 15 mile bike ride! Once I got a little older and better at riding, I realized my high school was probably one of the best spots I have ever seen. Still to this day one of the best spots! So we rode there and this Auto Zone A LOT. Until we got cars, then we were everywhere and anywhere.
Have you always been into riding street?
Clay: Yea pretty much, as a kid that's what I started riding. There were no skate parks or anything like that around where I lived. So I would just jump off loading docks and stairs and do wall rides until I discovered pegs! I got a little older and linked up with some older dudes who had cars. They would always drive to trails back when there were trails everywhere in Phx. So I tried and failed most of the time at riding dirt haha. Then we would go ride street after that and that's when I would get down.
What did you think when Nigel asked you to join the Mirraco team?
Clay: Man... When I first got that message from him on facebook, I was like this can't be the real Nigel! I thought someone made a facebook for him and they were messing with me lol. But once I did meet him in Vegas at Interbike it felt real, and I was seriously shocked and honored at the same time. It was crazy!
How has the bike worked out for you so far?
Clay: Real good! Nice and light, everything is dialed. Best bike I have ever owned.
Do you have a good group of riders you get to ride with from time to time?
Clay: Ya I do, I usually only ride with my close homies, we all grew up together and are more like brothers. There used to be a whole clan of us but sometimes real life steps in the way of riding. Shout out to Robbie, Jeremy, Bluex, Tony, Jimmy, Danny Williams, Billy, Jason and Justin Monzingo.
Is somebody bringing a camera along all the time to film or is it just riding/hanging out most of the time?
Clay: Well during the week it's pretty chill, we're all grown ups now and have to work and pay bills haha. So the no fun gun doesn't come out until the weekend especially Sunday. That's the day we try and film the most, it's the only day we can all actually ride together anymore.
Do you have any plans for the near future?
Clay: Just ride and travel, escape the 115 degree heat in Phx for a couple of weeks. Try and film a banging part for Peg-leg2! Hopefully get a job in the industry so I can quit my "real" job and be more involved with something I have been into my whole life. And get TRU-CITY off the ground! Oh and meet DAVE MIRRA! lol
Thanks to:
Everyone that has ever helped me out with parts or a ride or a place to stay while traveling. Nigel and everyone at Mirraco for this opportunity I really appreciate it. All the homies from Avondale to Tempe to Albuquerque because when you look at it, it's all about bikes. Peace!
Pics by: Derrick Riggs (3X), Westley McGrath and Sergio Luna
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