Emanuele: Since I started writing interviews for my book Save the Rat Bike, I’ve shared the stories of those who never really had the chance to tell them. I’ve given a voice to people who, in the cycling world and beyond, often remain in the shadows. With Kole, I want to keep going down this path, amplifying the stories of simple, authentic people, because it’s in their pure passion that the most genuine inspiration lies. I’m not interested in telling the stories of only the famous or successful, I want to share those of people who live cycling with soul and heart.
That’s why 26 Ain’t Dead series was born: a space dedicated to those who choose to ride outside the mainstream, rediscovering the value of 26” MTBs and an independent approach to cycling, free from market-driven rules. Cornell, better known as Rebel Rider, is one of them. His story is a journey through BMX, fixed gear, and mountain biking, through DIY builds and a philosophy that rejects consumerism imposed by the industry. To him, a bike isn’t something you buy, it’s something you create. You don’t throw it away, you transform it. Here’s his story.
Rusty Rebel Rider: It doesn’t matter who i am and where im from. What matters is my passion and respect for bikes. Im a rider. Im riding bikes since I was a kid. When I was young I was riding skateboard, was hard to catch up with my bmx rider friends between the spots so i started to ride bmx. Cheap builds, no brakes of course, couldn’t afford on it. A few years after a saw a guy on a trackbike, i was amazed of the simplicity, no cables, no gears, no brakes, like my bmx but you can ride distances so i started to ride fixed gear. I still do. Almost 20 years now. In 2012 i moved to Rotterdam where i started to deal with bikes, builds, repairs. When i returned to Budapest I’ve built up a brand, but i never wanted to go big. Would fuck up the whole thing. I stay underground. In the last few years i started to ride in the mountains, trails, paths, freeride, then came brakes and gears in daily use in my life.
"An old 26” frame can be reinvented endlessly. It’s artistic freedom, not just cycling."
Why 26”? It’s not just about 26”. I always prefered older bikes, probably because i never had money to buy a fancy new bike when i was young, so i had to build up what i need. I knew an old guy who was one of the most talented frame builder since ages, he opened my eyes that we can do anything with an old steel frame: weld, bend, modificate. It’s up to my imagination. Why I do love some 26”, cause I still don’t wanna pay thousands of euros for a new fancy bike if I can build a much better one by myself. There are some quality frames (over 30 years old now) with good geometry, just need modern parts to roll again. Of course cannot compare with a 29er, but i ain’t going to any competitions, i build and ride to my own entertainment, i have all the time in the world. The shame is that the lifetime of a fucking expensive new fancy bike is around 7 years. That is what the big companies do on purpose: after 7 years you can’t buy a single screw to your bike if you loose one, so you have to threw them away and buy a new expensive bike. Thats the consumer society we’re living in. And don’t mention the fact, that on a new bike nothing is compatible with nothing, it’s how it came out the factory. You can choose the colour of the grips and bottle cage. An old 26” frame is able to build up with the highest technology if you like, or you just stay by the original setup, both works well. So it’s also about the artistic freedom if you like. I can’t stand to be grounded. Nobody tells me what and how to do. If it doesn’t fit, then i’ll make it fit. So simple. I do have a few 26ers, other kinds as well, if i go ride im always having a great time on 2 wheels. Anyway, the conclusion is, bikes gave me an oppurtunity to have a great life. I have a lovely family, Im working with bikes, of course im part of the machine, but I’m happy. We’re happy. That’s my story.
Emanuele: Cornell’s words embody the spirit of 26 Ain’t Dead: freedom, independence, and creativity. The true value of a bike isn’t in its price or brand, but in the story it carries and in the hands of those who transform it. Every old frame has a soul, every modification is an act of resistance against a system that wants us to be mere consumers.
I’ll keep telling these stories because they are the ones that truly matter. The ones that inspire. The ones that remind us that, in the end, all that matters is riding.
