BMX Rider
Brandon Begin
Brandon Begin is an American BMX street rider from Connecticut known for raw, fast and creative riding, unusual spot choice and well-regarded video parts.
Updated 3 min read704 words
Brandon Begin is an American street rider from Connecticut. He is known for a raw, fast and creative approach to street riding, for choosing rough and unusual spots, and for a series of well-regarded video parts. He came up outside the main BMX hubs and built his reputation almost entirely through video rather than contests.
Early life and background
Begin grew up in Bristol, Connecticut, in the north-east of the United States. It is not a place associated with BMX. The winters are long and the street spots are rough, with cracked pavement, old brick and weathered rails rather than the smooth plazas of California or the dense architecture of New York.
Those conditions shaped his riding. Riders from small scenes often have to make the most of whatever is available, and Begin learned to see spots in places that most riders would ride past. He started appearing in web edits and online videos as a young rider, and his footage spread quickly because it looked different from the standard street parts of the time.
Career
Begin's career has been built on video parts. He gained wider attention through the early 2010s with online edits that showed fast, aggressive riding on rough East Coast spots. That footage led to industry support.
He became associated with Fit Bike Co, one of the longest-running street brands in BMX, and appeared in the brand's video projects, including its full-length releases of the mid 2010s. His parts for Fit were among the most talked about sections in those videos and raised his profile considerably.
He was later associated with Cult, the Southern California brand with a strong street identity built around riders such as Dakota Roche. Sponsor details have changed over time and are best confirmed through the brands' own channels.
Throughout, Begin has continued to film. His parts have appeared in brand videos, independent projects and online releases, and he has kept to the approach that made his name: riding real street spots hard, often in places that are not obviously rideable.
Riding style
Begin rides fast and raw. He is known for big wallrides, gaps over and between street obstacles and tricks done with full speed on uneven ground. Where many modern street riders focus on technical rail combinations, his riding is more about commitment and spot choice: finding a rough, awkward or dangerous setup and riding it as if it were a skatepark.
His trick selection includes barspins, 180s and fakie tricks off and onto walls and ledges, grinds on rough rails and ledges, and creative transfers that use the shape of a spot rather than fighting it. He rides brakeless.
Riders often describe his footage as having an edge that polished parts lack. The spots look hard, the landings look rough, and the riding looks like it costs something, which is a large part of its appeal.
Video parts and notable moments
Key points in Begin's career include:
- Early online edits filmed on rough Connecticut and East Coast spots that first drew attention to his riding.
- Parts in Fit Bike Co video projects during the mid 2010s.
- Later association with Cult and appearances in its video output.
- A continued run of video parts and online releases that keep to a raw, spot-driven approach.
His career has had less to do with contests than with respect from other riders, and his parts are regularly named by fellow professionals as favourites.
Legacy and influence
Begin is an example of a rider from a small scene who became influential through video alone. He did not come from California, New York or another BMX centre, and he did not need to. The footage was enough.
His riding has helped keep a rawer strand of street BMX alive at a time when contest street and highly technical video parts have dominated attention. Younger riders who prefer rough spots, speed and creativity over polished technical lines often point to him as a reference.
He has also shown the value of place. His East Coast spots look like nowhere else in BMX, and he turned that into a strength rather than a limitation.
Related
Frequently asked questions about Brandon Begin
Where is Brandon Begin from?
He is from Bristol, Connecticut, in the north-eastern United States, an area with a small BMX scene, long winters and rough street spots that shaped his riding. He later moved to California.
What is Brandon Begin known for?
Raw, fast and creative street riding. He is known for riding rough and unusual spots, for big wallrides and gaps, and for video parts rather than contest results.
Who has Brandon Begin ridden for?
He has been associated with Fit Bike Co, where he appeared in the brand's videos, and later with Cult. Sponsor details have changed over time.
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