What is your name, age, and hometown?
Mike Plasha, aka Hoodrichbikelife. I'm 36 years old from Philadelphia.
How did you find bike life in the first place?
Around 2016 I started to notice big groups of kids on these new wheelie bikes and just instantly fell in love. I ended up getting my own bike that year and the rest is history.
What was it that got you hooked on bike life?
The freedom of being outside trying new things while doing something positive. For a large portion of my life, I wasn’t living for myself and had a negative impact on my community. The second I saw the youth riding bikes doing something positive gave me the outlet to reach out and show the kids a different way than I went at that age. I used my influence and knowledge to push them to use their skills to create the future they want for themselves.
Where are some of your favorite places to ride?
California, Texas, and Florida are my favorite states to travel to, but I had a blast in every place I’ve traveled so far.
Describe the bike life scene where you live.
The bike life scene in Philly is raw and uncut. Mostly combo tricks and a lot of friendly competition. If you’ve never ridden in Philly, make it a priority.
What is your favorite thing about bike life?
All of the different people I meet and the genuine connections from people all across the world because of the common love of riding bikes.
What has been your favorite rideout?
Definitely the So Cal BMX Ride. I love to ride in Cali and it’s the one time of the year I get to see a lot of my friends and know it’s nothing but good vibes that whole week.
List some of the SE bikes that you own.
My most recent is my Killer Quad. I also have a Monster Ripper, Mike Buff Fast Ripper, Beastmode Ripper, and a Hoodrich 20” bike. My kids also have over ten SE bikes in my house, so it’s pretty crowded. My favorites are my Killer Quad and Beastmode at the moment.
What is the key to improving your riding skills?
The main advice I would give is to learn a new trick and keep doing it until you can’t miss. Anyone can do something one time. It’s the dedication to do it every time that sets you apart.
How many followers do you have on social media?
200K followers on Instagram, and I’ve recently been building my YouTube that is currently at 16K.
What would you be doing if you never found bike life?
That’s so crazy to even try to think what I would be doing. I’m pretty sure it would not be as positive as what I do now… Bikes saved my life.
Will you ever stop riding?
I can’t ever see myself not riding bikes and working with my community. The bonds in this community are unmatched and my love for bikes will never go away. It’s called bike life for a reason.
