The following video presents activities carried out by trained professionals. The producer Solidostudio should insist that nobody should try or recreate any trick or activity performed in this movie
Although it would seem unknown to many, Gravity biking continues to be practiced illegally in Medellin.
It is a sport that is turning into social issue.
Is it going to take you a long time to get going?
In Palms Avenue--illegal!
Dude, if you're not paying attention, you're going down.
This is what we're doing constantly.
We're challenging the limits. We're seeing everything in a really different way.
...that they practice it without safety accessories.
For me, my protection are pants and a sweatshirt, and that's it.
It seems more risky to attach yourself to a car when the car doesnt know you're back there and suddenly brakes.
So for that reason it has that image, and they treat us like delinquents, but really this is a sport.
We went in the bus and we realized that there was a police patrol at the top.
The rampage got started, and it was a fight up there with the police.
Fuck off! Let it go!
While I'm biking, I imagine myself falling down because of the kids that do Gravity biking.
It's not the drivers fault, the guy is driving his truck and he doesn't know that these guys are stuck behind his truck
so we gotta be a little more careful guys, this a complicated thing, man.
The Controversy
Gravity in Medellin: Safe or Dangerous Descent?
It's because its a topic that is becoming out of our hands.
It is difficult to be able to direct it so that the risk is as low as possible.
It is a sport that is turning into social issue.
At this time in Medellin, Gravity is developing illegally.
That it would be legal or not...I'm not thinking about that. It is a less formal topic.
I believe it is acceptable, it's tolerable, in a city like Medellin because of its context, because of its mountains, and all that….
that these sports would be really important
and that they would be references for the youth of the city.
Because it's practiced in urban rather than sport settings
this duality is generated. Am I an athlete, or a driver on the roadway, right?
Because here it is not the same as having a closed track where I can get started going down guided by road surface markings.
But I have to be paying attention to the motorcycles, cars, these other users that are there in the roadway.
When we share the roadway with other users--cyclists, motorcyclists, and vehicles it gets dangerous for them as well as for us.
We can have margins of error that can sometimes cause accidents.
Sometimes I get scared that there are so many cars because they can react in a way that is dangerous to us.
A cyclist that is there practicing the sport on a mountain bike
is going to get scared if somebody passes them going so fast, you know?
While I'm biking, I imagine myself falling down from the kids that do Gravity biking.
It seems like a good sport, but it seems a little risky given the conditions here in Medellin.
It should be a little more organized, and with safety conditions
for those that practice and it and for those who could be affected by it.
By not having racetracks, and not having the support of agreements to practice this sport, we have to do it that way.
The idea is that they would let us use the roadway, but since there is no support right now we have to do it in a clandestine way.
We have to. There is no other way….That we would have a private track, no way...could you imagine!?
Here I am going up Palms Avenue and I see this pair of beauties, here's this guy risking his life.
It's not the drivers fault, the guy is driving his truck and he doesn't know that these guys are stuck behind his truck
so we gotta be a little more careful guys, this a complicated thing, man.
Man, I got to point in my childhood when I was taking a lot of risks going up and down without a helmet hanging on to the buses.
But after you realize that it is really risky and dangerous and that you can lose your life.
It seems more risky to attach yourself to a car when the car doesnt know youre back there and suddenly brakes.
Because they practice it without safety accessories, hanging onto the buses all the time-- it is for that reason it has that image, and they treat us like delinquents
But this is really a sport.
How difficult is it to borrow a helmet? You can ask a friend "hey lend me your helmet. I am going to practice."
Without protection, against a road border, an electrical post, or another car, it's almost like sure death.
One would say to those kids, "hey get a little helmet," and they would say to them, "ah sure, of course... one of these days."
And there is always going to be people that you ask "the helmet?" and they say to you, "there's no money to buy one!"
I don't know, I am just doing it this way until I get the protection.
For me, my protection are pants and a sweatshirt, and that's it.
They go up and get in an accident, and after the news says "it's that they were practicing Gravity biking, but Gravity biking isn't that."
They did not have the right bike or adequate protection, or practice in the right way.
You should not practice on a regular bicycle, and beyond that without adequate protection.
Not every bike is meant to descend, especially not a conventional one.
We try to educate them, and say "hey brother look, this has consequences.
Look, there have been things that have happened, people that have died among us.
There are some that take it well, and some that learn by consequences."
This is a high speed sport, a dangerous sport. You can't deny it. It's a sport that has risks like others like downhill and BMX.
For example here you have a scratch, one of them...for that reason protection is really important.
It's really easy, like one hit to the head against the edge of the sidewalk, or whatever thing, can kill you or leave you crazy or whatever.
A helmet can save your life. It seems important to reduce the risks.
Practice it without protection? I would say it's almost like suicide.
The Law
Have you had problems with the police?
Yes.
What has happened to you?
They damaged my tire. They took my bike away two times. They take off my valves. They hit me with their batons.
They have taken me to the police station
With the transit police, there has only been one time, and they damaged my tire by taking out a knife and cutting it.
A friend fell on the "Drunk Curve," and illogically for having not abandoned him, the police took our bikes.
But, if it's a question that they confiscate our bikes under a code A11,
it doesn't have anything to with the confiscation of the bikes or what we do.
(They say) we are delinquents, or that this is not allowed.
We went on the bus and we realized that there was a police patrol at the top, and we said to the driver to stay straight until the curve.
So we got off on the curve, and when we were getting ready to get down the police came up to us.
The police stopped the bus, and they started to take our bikes.
They asked for our documents, and in a moment I had the documents for the bike that I was riding
and the rampage got started, and it was a fight up there with the police.
Fuck off! Let it go! You have to let it go! Hey, help me out!!
Hey, help me out!!
Around 30 bikes…
Is it going to take you a long time to get going?
No, we are already leaving right now. We are already getting ready.
Lately we have been going with better protection and the police aren't seeing us as delinquents, but more so as athletes.
So, we have changed the way they used to see us since now they see us with helmets,
with gloves, with speed suits, and with bikes for the right conditions.
Were already going down, officer.
You have the traffic stopped.
Ok, we will only delay one minute!
Officer, hang on so I can start recording.
I owe you one! God bless you!
There are police that are good police and that view this as a sport rather than a shit show.
I owe you one, officer! God bless you!
...Although there are others that try to herd us. They cut the tires of a friend before he started going down.
This is strictly prohibited...you can't record, go down...nothing!
So if the sport is illegal, therefore it would be illegal to go down Palms Avenue on any type of bike.
The Night
These little fights start to happen, "You're not going up because you're scared.." and we start to mess around like that.
There are some that get really restless, and they're like "ahhh!"
We like nighttime because there is less vehicular traffic around 10-11 pm, and the later the better.
Our practices are clandestine in a way.
Wait, wait. Be calm!
September
Brake, brake, brake!
It's not that I am thinking fearfully that I am going to fall, because it's from the falls that one learns.
Is something hurting you, man?
Relax, relax, relax yourself there.
You know what, I feel a lot of pulling from here up.
But it's not the bone?
No.
It's not muscular then?
I feel all this from here up.
its muscular
Does it hurt, does it hurt, Diome?
You stood up beside me, and I didnt know why you did that.
I like to watch you guys downhilling, man, but not today.
We are leaving, we are leaving...nobody's getting mad.
Right, right!
You know what, they left me behind for a block and a half.
it was crazy how you pass
October
If you are not paying attention, man, you're going down.
e are pushing the limits, we are looking at everything in a different way.
The speed is what makes us happy.
Son of a bitch! I love you man!
Because it was you, because it was you…
You almost threw me against the bus, motherfucker.
November
Warming up with ride.
...a really arid cold. Adrenaline at 100.
Is it going to take you a long time to go down?
No, we are already leaving right now. We are already getting ready.
No, don't worry.
Thanks, love.
You guys going to stay there?
You almost passed me motherfucker!
What a fucking ride!
Just Poblado Team
Look at that hole, look at that hole!
Old man, follow me the way the way I was following you.
Old man, you passed us really fast on the straightaways.
I almost did not catch him.
Hey, how do I stop this? How do I turn this off? How do I turn this off?
Where one falls, it becomes a slaughterhouse.
how did you feel tonight
turn off my camera please
Let me know so i can turn on my camera
Now!
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