Rider Profile: Jon Budinoff

About a year ago, I threw the second installment of my race "The Lord of Griffith". I set the racers off on their way.
After the first lap, a shirtless fellow was leading the race, same on the 2nd lap. I was blown away, and was like who
is this shirtless guy? Thus Shirtless Jon was born. He always comes out to race, and is one of the loudest guys out there.
Super fast, and he can really make the bike move. I'm impressed with how fast he has taken to the bike,
and it's always a pleasure to see him out there racing. I want to see him kill LOG lll this year.


Jon Budinoff

What do you ride?
Super Pista track bike, 2009 Specialized Tarmac SL Pro, and I'm trying to get my Stratos track frame back on the road for pure lurking.

How long have you been riding/ what started you?
I first learned about fixed gear bikes in 2006/2007 when a “how to build/ride your own fixie gear guide booklet thingy as long as your wearing Puma's" fell out of a Vice magazine. I was intrigued for sure, then one day my friend brought his track bike to our local skateboard spot in Tompkins Sqare Park and did a skid. I was like holy shee!!! So I bought a Fuji Track bike and went riding around trying to learn to skid. Could'nt figure it out, then some junkie told me that it would be easy to learn how to skid if the ground was wet and to go out and practice in the rain. He was right. But I was still a total poser though, especially cuz I wasn’t a hardcore messenger. I went into Trackstar once and asked about the ubiquitous Bianchi Pista and mispronounced Bianchi like" bee- on - shay” they were all like what a LOSER.

Fast forward to Los Angeles and last summer. So I live by Tangs Donuts in Silverflake and one night I saw WPH gearing up to go, and my friend Kendra had told me they were crazy so I figured the Stratos and I would give it a whirl. I got destroyed, crushed, smashed and dropped. But I kept coming back to ride, and ride and then really ride. Eventually after months and months I earned my spoke card. All of a sudden cycling became deeper to me than just a way to get coffee at Intelligencia.

Side note: No one would talk to me at first on WPH except Carlos Hurtado, he was the only other guy there who was riding fixed and could hang with the roadies.

Do you wear a helmet and why or why not?
It's no secret that I fucking hate helmets. In skateboarding they were so awful and in bikes I no rikey how it looks and feels on me. But, - IF - you start riding a lot you start crashing out all the time so it's mandatory to wear one unless your riding Griffith alone or going to a bar, then just wear a beanie, cuz if you show up wearing a helmet to a bar no one will talk to you.

Favorite Shop? Why?
Jairos LA in Eagle Snack cuz he sponsors me and Orange 20 cuz they have smart people working there like Omar and Geobbe who know everything, and Echo Park Cycles when the garage door is up.

Clip or clipless? Why?
Both. Showing up to a party in cleats and lycra is a death sentence. But if you're riding and you want to make yourself puke the all natural way use clipless. I've seen party riders go barefoot down hills on fixies with no foot retention what so ever and crash the fu$k out so just use something.

Ride with headphones/ music?
Always headphones, except on group rides or races so I can hear my friends cursing at me to hold my line, hole, etc.

Sponsors or teams/ gangs/ clubs you are a part of?
Wolfpack Hustle, TRFKAS, BicyKillers, Cyclones, Fortune 700, Jairos’s LA and Sho Air -- once they find me a baby girl size jersey.

Fav. Race(s)?
LORD OF GRIFFITH series, excluding BS.

Fav. place to ride or route(s) in LA?
Griffith Park -- It has it all: climbing, crazy descents, flats, Roubaix and coyotes who will F%3k you up.

Fav. person(s) to ride with?
Carlos”Lunch Box” Hurtado, Fabian Vasquez "geeky", John Gabriel "JTR", Jances "always chasing" Certeza, "Evil" Evan Stade, David "Crockett" Benassi, Luis "Haul Ass" Avina, and all my baby girls!

Dope Chill spot?
Cafecito Organico on Heliotrope -- best coffee in LA duhh -- Sunset Junction for lurking -- The Smog Cutter and any bar in Echo park with a pool table but especially Little Joy.

Why LA?
My parents just asked me that. I dunno duddddde..

What do you do for work?
Def NOT.

What else do you do/ projects/ hobbies?
Lurk, drink coffee, read history, skateboard, insomnia, draw/sketch, NRA life member, net flix streaming, coast to coast am, animal rights, ebay, pool, chess and stress.

Dream Bike?
A hot s$%t carbon track bike dat me go fast witt mein.

Best/ worst about riding in LA?
Getting touched.

Any LA secrets/ tips you want to give out?
GPS.

Shout outs?
Seriously everyone who rides with us for real, My family, NYC friends for life, Katie White, Tiger and Chocolate cats, Roadblock, Chris Cono, Ozzie Lopez from Echo Park Cycles, the Zaldua brothers, Bicycle Kitchen, all Filipinos on bikes, Sue at Tangs, Studio City Mafia, Max R.I.P.

Last word?
- It’s okay to cuss people out while your riding and still be friends – Tangs has the Best donuts and John Gabriel for showing us how it's done.