A Mountain Biker vs Creation Skatepark Birmingham

With the weather being so bad and my local pump track being closed because of it, I decided my only sensible option was to pay my local indoor skatepark a visit on my jump bike.
I had George with me as moral support, and he also had some prior BMX experience to help guide me a little bit with what to do on the quarter pipes and bowl.
Back in the day George had torn up Rubery skatepark with his BMX.
Creation Skatepark is a great facility, and while I didn't have anywhere near the skills required to get the most out of the place, me and cameraman George still had a great time.
I managed a few firsts, I dropped my first ever proper quarter pipe on a bike, I had my first ever go on a foam pit, and I even caught a homeless man trying to steal my bike.
It was an eventful day.
Riding an indoor skatepark, was so alien to me, and I was as I expected very much a fish out of water.
While I can't see myself ever becoming a regular indoor park rider, or ever taking to BMX, I recognised immediately the high skill level that can be acquired by riding an indoor park.

[@jonathanmorgan2783]

Hey Dave, really enjoyed this one bud. I can't believe some muppets have commented about you shouldn't go to a skatepark. Unbelievable. I go to rampworld Cardiff every week for an over 30's session (I'm 48) and I regularly see people like Manon Carpenter (downhill champion) , Rowan Sorrel (owner of bikeparkwales), will soffe (gravity enduro champion) etc etc. They are all shredding on their bmxs and jump bikes. Keep going Dave it will improve your riding so much and when you're outside in the woods you will tackle stuff with just so much more confidence. You nailed that steep roll-in for the foam pit, dropped into the bowl and I can see that you grew quickly in confidence by the way you were pumping around the bowl and bending your knees. Hope to to see you progressing more on your various bikes this year and looking forward to seeing more of your videos. Nice one, jon 👊

[@DaveJenvey]

cheers Jonathan, yeah i definitely agree that getting on a bmx or jump bike and hitting the skatepark is a brilliant way to improve your skills for mountain biking. I see doing the bmx style stuff as a training session for my mtb riding. I will definitely do more skateparks. Although i'm not sure i will film it for the channel because i think most mtb guys who watch the channel are a bit turned off by seeing me at a skatepark. They want to see me hitting the trails.

[@MsTbeasT]

I've started riding skateparks to try improve my technical mtb skills. It does work, keep at it mate. I can 180 air a quarter and do bar spins now and I'm nearly 40 :) Been at it 6 months, you can do it Dave!

[@DaveJenvey]

fucking hell, fair play mate that's amazing

[@rik890]

Cheers for the flashback remember doing bmx all nighters there like 12 years Ago! Keep at it dave keep playing on the jump bike it's great to hone your skills. I think you could do with focusing on individual things, maybe ride for 2hrs a week only doing bunny hops, manuals, stoppies etc. You will see the improvement that way and your confidence will improve, you'll be hopping to manual that box in no time! Well done George too for saving the Bike!

[@DaveJenvey]

haha a hop to manual down that box would be insane. George was the hero of the day

[@breakneckburns]

Fair play for having a go mate. Despite your lack of talent I enjoy watching your videos and seeing you building your confidence.

[@DaveJenvey]

cheers pal

[@noahr2011]

Enjoyed this one, keep the vids coming🤘🏻

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks, will try to pal

[@jamesbell1000]

Great video as always Dave, nice one George for keeping the bike safe.

[@DaveJenvey]

george was the hero of the day. That bike would have been history without him

[@Jacktoriousrexrex]

Proper smooth by the end of that video well done.

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks pal

[@samuelhunt1073]

Nice video keep up the good work

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks Samuel

[@coop69coop]

Nice one Dave , me and my son needed that video , we tried skatepark riding as well and it's nice to show him that not everyone is amazing at it ! A bit more real , cheers

[@DaveJenvey]

thats it Nigel, everyone has to start somewhere. Watching the pros tearing up a park with amazing skills isn't something i think most people can relate to with their own riding

[@eckythump6429]

Nice work Dave👍🏼 Funily enough I went along to an adults only session at my local park R-Kade the other night! My trials bike was too under geared leading to a couple of embarrassing moments getting stuck in a jump line. Had loads of fun though! Got a new front sprocket coming for next time.

[@DaveJenvey]

Thanks Richie, yeah i know you did mention to me i should go to a skatepark haha. It was tough in there, but i knew it would be. It would take a lot of work to get used to those ramps.

[@eckythump6429]

Dave Jenvey the spot I went to looks to have a bit more ‘street’ stuff to ride on which made it easier to pick some lines. I wish it had been a bit quieter like where you went so I could have spent time learning to turn better on 1/4’s etc. I have a bigger front sprocket and longer chain on the way and will go back and give it another go.

[@scottmanley2020]

Yes Dave! Never been to a skate park but really fancy a crack at it. That foam pit looks great fun.

[@DaveJenvey]

the foam pit is a right laugh Scott. definitely worth a go. Skatepark riding is very different to on the trails

[@NEVERTOOOLD77]

Fair play to you for giving it a go mate....it's not easy I tried all that stuff last year ended up with some great bruises lol

[@DaveJenvey]

cheers Darren

[@XhristinaMacey]

Have a great year Davey

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks Ian, you too mate

[@BikingVikingMTB]

Never been in a skate park worth a go though great vid man 👊🏻😎👊🏻😎

[@DaveJenvey]

it definitely improves your skills if you go regularly

[@jackneale842]

Keep at it Dave !! 👍 great vid by the way... must’ve been worrying when u saw that bloke ride away on your dj bike 😂😂

[@DaveJenvey]

if i hadn't seen him out of the corner of my eye, a couple more seconds and he would have been gone. Its a very rough area

[@jackneale842]

Dave Jenvey yeh lucky that you saw him then 😂

[@HallMarc_Trails]

Good vid, you're not alone, i couldn't ride anything there either, skate parks are a different animal.

[@DaveJenvey]

i know its damn difficult. And also going into inner city Birmingham in a big warehouse, when i could be outside riding in the woods also seemed crazy to me. It massively improves your general riding though

[@carlperkins1812]

Great vid Dave. Any vids I have seen about jump bikes I have seen, always say to increase the pressure in your tyres. You want hard tyres not soft like on trails.

[@DaveJenvey]

yeah that deffo makes sense to to have hard tyres on the ramps to help with speed.

[@Heha654]

Do more videos like this there sick 👍👍👍👍

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks Lewis, its a lot of work editing these vids, but i do enjoy it.

[@pink43560]

Pretty cool you went to an indoor one, I’ve never been to one...they seem to have way more heavy stuff than most outdoor ones. The box jumps, & pipes are alright for risk vs reward. That dropoff into the foam pit looked tough though, I’m struggling with coping & vert’ drops. The half pipe ramp is really good too, you can build up height as you wish then. Try as many different ones as you can...

[@DaveJenvey]

yeah Richard it takes a really high skill level to ride an indoor park well. I can definitely see how it improves you loads if you were to go there regularly

[@Xx_Killz_xX]

What day and time did you go because it looks so dead would be able to have a sick sesh

[@DaveJenvey]

you know i can't remember, it must have been a weekday, it was very quiet

[@richardbarton6747]

Good to see you riding again Dave, maybe trials gearing and bashring ? looked good for general bike skills.

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks Richard, yeah i thought i did ok for a novice rider and his first time at a skatepark. yeah a bashring could be a good idea to be fair,

[@eckythump6429]

richard barton I went to a local indoor spot on my street trials bike recently and really struggled because of the low gearing. If I messed up I couldn’t pedal back up to speed to get out of the features. Couple of embarrassing moments having to pass my bike up to others & climbing out!!😄 Got a bigger front ring on the way to up the gearing for another go. Alic Clarkson and crew make it look so easy....

[@chrisoliver6690]

It proper refreshing to see a real bloke learning how to ride, normally all you see is people that i will never be as good as.

[@DaveJenvey]

yeah i know watching those vids of all those amazing riders is a bit demoralising for us mere mortals

[@gweflj]

You can tell George has experience, the guy is on rails!

[@DaveJenvey]

haha

[@stoffthe7529]

What a legend

[@DaveJenvey]

i should probably get into skatepark riding more. It undoubtedly improves the skills loads

[@markedwards-ex5be]

If you want a good bowl to practise on go to allens croft road, and i gotta try creation park for skateboarding im on same level of riding as this guy but i cna atleast drop in and jump

[@DaveJenvey]

yeah i need to try and get in to skatepark riding more, because i deffo think it improves you massively

[@stephencassallen1086]

Dave. Where u from mate. I'm by kings Norton park. Only been moving for a week lol. Be nice to have others to ride with

[@DaveJenvey]

sorry mate only just seen the message. closest place to ride round here is the lickeys. let me know if you want to ride it . i will show you round

[@janko2742]

nice one Dave

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks mate

[@jakmiddleton29]

Try ridin some street B'ham uni has some good spots walls to jump onto and stairs to ride,parks are hard to ride but improve your skills a lot some easy ones about tho kings norton park and cotteridge park

[@DaveJenvey]

not a bad idea Jak, kings norton is really close to me so i could check it out. Most the ramps at creation were quite large to be fair

[@richardparry9655]

When are you planning on going to the forest Dave, me and a few mates are local. All really like your Chanel and what your doing

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks Richard. I was actually at FOD yesterday, had a good time. I may possibly be there again on sunday. But i'm not 100 percent sure

[@Stevo_YouTube]

Fair play mate I went to Rampworx a couple of years ago and it was intimidating as fuck. Although I'm quite confident on trail, dh and dirt jumps there was very little that I felt I could have a go at there. Felt like a total fish out of water.

[@DaveJenvey]

big time, its such a different type of riding, i really was clueless there. i think it massively improves you though, especially if you want to learn tricks. I much prefer riding in the fresh air though, rather than in the middle of inner city birmingham

[@jamieandrews9181]

Enjoyed the video Dave, when you heading to Forrest of dean ??

[@DaveJenvey]

i may possibly go on sunday again Jamie. i only just went yesterday but had a great time.

[@richardhoyle8726]

well done Dave you always give it a go, keep trying

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks Richard, all i can do is try to be fair haha

[@mrg4500]

Love it Dave! Are you going to the forest Sunday fancy meeting for a ride? I’m no Troy Lee either but love getting out for a spin, let me know if you want too.

[@DaveJenvey]

i may be going fod on sunday, but i'm not 100 percent sure. I have a big ride on in derbyshire on saturday and i need to see how that goes first.

[@mrg4500]

Ok Dave maybe see you there..

[@mtbbikecymrumetaldetecting5955]

Well done Buddy for try it Good on you, Next time watch the Bike LOL close one there the Homeless man nearly had a good One buddy ;0)

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks pal, that homeless man nearly gave me a heart attack, i'm just lucky george reacted so quickly.

[@mtbbikecymrumetaldetecting5955]

Lucky your Pal was more Awake than you LOL good lad George ;0)

[@matthew-jameslogan3626]

😭😭pooor chain ring!!!!

[@DaveJenvey]

lol. i must say my jump bike is the only bike i have never had to have anything repaired on. the thing is bulletproof, and i've crashed it loads

[@jakeshipway6689]

I go there every Saturday

[@DaveJenvey]

bet you have got pretty skilled now then. I need to get there regularly, especially while the weather is so bad

[@JimmyMartinm3power]

😂😂😂 at my local. You should go back hear and learn how to pump the bowl, you will get more bike control, you look about stiff on your bike, try and loosen up abit, it will feel abit more natural and you will flow around better and fater. Fair play for dropping in the bowl it does look abit intimidating. 👍

[@DaveJenvey]

yeah i felt like a complete fish out of water in the skatepark. Just didn't have a clue there

[@ajbcollectables]

I've watched a load of your videos over the last couple of days mate, including some of your crashes. I know you get loads of advice on here but I'm going to give you some more anyway mate. Decide what sort of rider you want to be. If it's a trail rider, leave the DH and jump bikes alone for a while. A long while. You've got a lot of bottle and I can't fault you for that but you need to get the basics pinned before you go back to launching yourself off big stuff or you're gonna get hurt again. Start riding trails like Cannock and look for flow, not just getting round but getting round and it all feeling good like each section joins together, one corner flowing into the next. Bike control will become instinctive and you won't find yourself crashing on straightish bits and wondering why it's happened. The way to do that is ride. A lot. For drops practice on the kerb. Get a feel for how much you need to pop the front wheel at different speeds so when you land each, wheel lands together. After a while it'll become instinctive and that skill transfers up to whatever size drop. The block most of us have is bottle, it's the hardest to overcome and you've nailed that already. You could be a superb rider with not much work. Don't fuck yourself up mate. Hopefully I'll see you on trails some time.

[@richarddixon5988]

I come here on the scooter and it’s great

[@DaveJenvey]

glad you enjoyed it mate

[@berolldh]

New gopro?

[@DaveJenvey]

nope same camera pal

[@5492sparky]

Dave, great to see a new vid. At the start you mentioned going to the Forest of Dean soon. If you let me know when mate i'll meet you there for a ride, its my local trail. I'll drop you a text to your mobile if thats okay? Number on your website I'm assuming mate?

[@DaveJenvey]

Hey Mark i have just been to FOD yesterday. Had a good time. I may possibly be there again on sunday, but i'm not 100 percent sure. yeah my number is on my website.

[@edpercy1197]

Hitting your chainring on the box was so painful

[@DaveJenvey]

i know, not nice to watch. only way i could do it though. Didn't have the skill to do it with style lol

[@turnerempire7153]

There is a good skatepark were i live called unit 3 sixty it has alot of small things to ride were you can really take time to get used to your bike i know a guy who is 43 and only started riding a bike a couple years ago now he is pritty good

[@DaveJenvey]

i have had someone else mention unit 360 to me. I will have to check it out, cheers George

[@MatCooper]

Now closed down:(

[@Marco-es4rc]

it closed down

[@timurgaming2671]

Hello Dave you are doing grate but when you try something new don’t be scared

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks Timur

[@Wannaridebikes]

Look up raysmtb indoor park you need to ride a park like that

[@DaveJenvey]

i will check that out thanks mate

[@carlpilbeam5216]

Lol loving your vids tho m8 🚵🚵

[@DaveJenvey]

cheers Carl

[@maxair100]

Check out Harry Main's videos ...BMX professional rider now getting into MTB. Also Seth (american) showing skate park skills on his MTB . Enjoy Dave ... peace out.

[@phabletfortyfour3457]

maxair100 would love to see these guys meet up for a skills exchange. Keep at it Dave great content 👍

[@DaveJenvey]

i have seen some of harry main's mtb vids. i used to occasionally watch him back when he was just doing a bmx channel. He's a great rider. Seth is very skilled too to be fair

[@maxair100]

Phablet Fortyfour ...yep that would be epic ,,,a good laugh i bet.

[@JuanDinger265]

You'll learn way more riding bmx tracks and pump tracks. Head back to that indoor pump track you rode last year. Get that place dialled and you'll know your skills are coming along.

[@DaveJenvey]

you mean Redditch bmx track? yeah that place was awesome, but its been closed for the last few weeks because of bad weather. I will definitely be going there regularly in future

[@JuanDinger265]

Dave Jenvey - Yeah Redditch and also that indoor pump track that you rode when you first got your jump bike.

[@joelzimmerman8787]

Just stay in the pool and get use to the angles

[@DaveJenvey]

yeah i think that bowl is great for beginners Joel.

[@44ro.n]

poor chainring :(

[@DaveJenvey]

i know

[@stuart7523]

Dave check out Unite Components. They do a mini bash guard just for the lower half. Made in the UK too. unitecomponents.com/compact-bash-iscg-05-85-p.asp

[@DaveJenvey]

cheers for the tip pal, that looks good to be fair.

[@wildriders752]

Lol how's Ur chainring

[@DaveJenvey]

i think it is ok by some miracle

[@bikelife1699]

been there quite a lot that roll in is fucking too steep

[@DaveJenvey]

yeah it was a bit scary, skatepark riding is hard!

[@carlpilbeam5216]

Stick to the trails mate better outside with nature 🚵🚵🚵

[@DaveJenvey]

yeah i deffo prefer being outside in the woods, less likely your bike will get nicked as well

[@jackraven4912]

The roll in isn’t that steep

[@DaveJenvey]

it is if you are me and george and lacking in skills and confidence

[@jackraven4912]

Dave Jenvey you make a good point first time I went I forced myself self just hop straight in

[@heytreacle]

Just say no! No! Just saaaaaayyy no!

[@adammccarthy2157]

Folk ain't born able to ride stuff, good on you for trying !

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks

[@adammccarthy2157]

Dave Jenvey Hi Dave , have you ever ridden Macclesfield forest ?kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZzWpYh5brh7g6s

[@jaystevenson3668]

a grand !!! waste give you £200 for it

[@DaveJenvey]

lol Jay

[@harveybagley3147]

Watch some tutorials u need to come in at an angle

[@DaveJenvey]

thanks Harvey, George told me what to do in the end. I just went in there not having a clue.

[@boggybigpants9462]

Don’t want to offend Dave but get back to the out doors ,that was pretty crap

[@DaveJenvey]

no worries, i knew a lot of the hardcore mountain bike guys who watch the channel might be turned off by the whole indoor park thing, as its so very different to mountain biking. Was just a new experience for me that i had to give a go. But i did feel like a fish out of water there.