BMX vs. Mountain Bike

Donny Robinson racing in the Sea Otter Classic. Photo: Justin Kosman

First-time racers are always seen as threats--threats to others' safety and threats that they might make themselves look like idiots. They're never seen as threats to win. This rule applies to racing of all types, especially mountain bike racing and especially at the pro level. But 20-year-old Donny Robinson ignored this basic rule and entered the Hyundai Sea Otter Classic Gravity Omnium anyway, and he proved that the rules don't apply when you're a BMX prodigy.

In April, the AA-pro BMX racer cruised into Monterey, California, with a grand total of 13 minutes of mountain bike riding in his legs--ever. That weekend, Robinson beat national and world champion mountain bike racers, taking first in the fourcross race.

This weekend's California Outdoor Sports Championships, May 14-16, is happening right in Robinson's hometown and will either validate or complicate his Sea Otter win. So we thought it would be a good time to catch up with the Avent-sponsored rider to discuss Sea Otter, BMX compared to mountain bike racing and his future in both.--Dain Zaffke

BIKE: Tell us a little about your athletic background.
Robinson: I started out with gymnastics when I was 6 or 7 years old. I was serious and competed for two or three years until I started getting involved with BMX and had to choose. It helped a lot when I went into BMX. Instead of getting hurt when I crashed, I just tucked up like in gymnastics.

Did you feel prepared to compete at Sea Otter?
I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know how in shape they were gonna be; I really didn't expect to win. I raced BMX the week before and brought my mountain bike with me to the track. It was so awkward. After two laps, I just put the thing away--I was mad. The second time I took it out, the chain broke. Man, I was really pissed.

At Sea Otter, Avent gave me a different bike that worked well, but it was too big for me, so it felt even more awkward. Altogether, I had about 13 minutes on mountain bikes going in.

Your BMX results must have given you some confidence. What's your national BMX ranking right now?
In Pro Cruiser Class, I'm No. 1; and in AA Pro, I'm fifth.

How did Sea Otter pay compared to a pro BMX win?
A lot worse, money wise. AA [pro] wins pay from $875 to $1,200. I'm not sure what Mick [Hannah] took home for winning the overall Omnium, but my 4X win wasn't nearly as good as BMX, but all the press was great.

Was it hard to adjust to a mountain bike's suspension and handling. How is the technology different?
There's a lot more technology in mountain bike racing, so many gizmos and gadgets. That stuff actually scares me. These forks, I don't know what they're gonna do. I don't know if they're gonna spring forward or what. I'm used to BMX forks. I took it to a bike shop and had them put in as much air as possible, then I ended up putting in even more. They were really stiff, but I still thought they moved too much. I really couldn't manual or anything with the longer wheelbase, either. I still need to adjust a lot.

Do chicks seem to dig mountain bike racers more than BMX riders?
Chicks and Donny don't seem to go together. They really show up for BMX races, like the summertime ones in L.A., but I don't pay much attention. I have a girlfriend so it doesn't matter to me.

Did your competition give you a hard time at Sea Otter?
I was actually nervous about that in the beginning, so I just hung out with some of the BMX guys that I know. As the weekend went on, Cedric [Gracia] and Mick [Hannah] came up and introduced themselves; they're awesome guys. No one gave me any attitude. We were all joking around and turning our bars in the air; they're a bunch of jokesters, especially Cedric.

Do you have any other mountain bike races planned for this year?
It all depends on if I do well here in Sonoma [The California Outdoor Sports Championships], and show everyone I wasn't just a fluke. Then we'll see about Big Bear. If I really start doing well, I'll go wherever I need to go. Avent and Bombshell are supporting me well. I'd also like to support my clothing sponsor, Fly Gear; they're looking to get into mountain bike gear.

With so many top BMX riders making successful careers out of mountain bike racing do you feel it's a natural transition?
Yeah, it's way more natural than mountain bike to BMX. Mountain bike racing is definitely the next place to go. Tons of guys have done well on mountain bikes and know the BMX skills are what got 'em there.

Would you give up BMX for mountain bike racing if things go well enough?
I don't know; that would be the hardest decision. BMX is what I do. I don't think I could ever quit. I couldn't live without it.